ases/Alzheimers-Paracetamol.html 3/5However, vitamin B12 is poorly absorbed. especially by the elderly. If one does not want to get regular injections of B12 one can
chew a tablet and keep it under the tongue for as long as possible, or dissolve it in a small amount of warm water to make a paste
and rub it into the nostrils for absorption. If done daily only a small amount needs to be used. Better than folic acid from tablets is
folate from green leaves or their juices.
Other beneﬁcial vitamins and minerals are high amounts of vitamin C, D (sunshine) and (natural) vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, iodine
and selenium. Lecithin, gingko biloba and turmeric are beneﬁcial for brain and liver, while caffeine stimulates brain activity. A recent
supplement to the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease  showed that the consumption of moderate amounts of caffeine slowed the
cognitive decline associated with aging as well as the incidence of AD (18).
Acetyl-L-Carnitine or ALCAR (try 1 - 2 g/day) increases energy product ion by delivering fatty acids into mitochondria and improves
their health by helping to dispose of fatty wastes. It also increases production of the important neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Before
Alzheimer's patients experience memory loss, the brain's neurons have already suffered harm for many years due to their
mitochondria being congested with protein and fat residues (19).
The omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain. People with liver damage (as from
paracetamol) have lost the ability to synthesise it from the more comm on alpha linolenic acid. Therefore supplementing with DHA
tends to be beneﬁcial but it needs to be given together with protective vitamin E as oxidised DHA  may damage the brain.
Other studies show that a low dosage of a certain cannabinoid, a component in marijuana, reversed memory loss in older rats. These
old rats performed better in memory  tests, and had less brain cell death. It has also been found that people who regularly smoked
marijuana in the 1960s and 1970s rarely develop Alzheimer ’s disease. Earlier research (2006) showed that THC, marijuana’ s active
ingredient, can slow the formation of "Alzheimer plaques" in the brain better than any commercial drugs. THC also blocks clumps of
protein that inhibit memory and cognition in AD patients. (20) These beneﬁcial effects of cannabinoids may be signiﬁcant as
paracetamol has been shown to work by blocking our internal cannabinoids in the brain.
To improve blood supply to the brain it is beneﬁcial frequently to lie for extended periods with the head lower than the heart such as
on a slant board or by raising the foot end of the bed with bricks.
The Real Cure
Medical research clearly shows that a major factor in the development of AD are large amounts of abnormal proteins deposited in
neurons and other brain areas. In addition there are also oxidised lipid wastes and toxic metals. It is clear that these more or less
toxic waste accumulations will greatly limit nutrient supply, waste removal, and energy production in the af fected areas of the brain.
While mainstream medicine will continue to search for new and better drugs and technologies, for natural medicine this is a standard
problem with a time-honoured solution. Essentially all chronic degenerative diseases present us with the same picture of
accumulated metabolic and toxic waste products that obstruct normal cell and organ functions.  The main difference between
the multitude of diseases is the organ or part of the body that is most af fected and the way in which body functions are impaired.
The process by which cells degrade and recycle material into amino acids that can be reused is called autophagy. It is an essential
component of cellular survival and defence against invading organisms. Even mainstream researchers realise that waste removal is
the potential cure and that calorie restriction encourages autophagy but it is more proﬁtable to look for a drug or technological
solution to accomplish this (21).
If the affected cells could break down the obstructing plaques that would greatly increase the chances of recovery from AD. A
researcher explained: "Although we do not yet completely understand how these diseases develop, we do know that the proteins
clump together and form a plaque build-up in affected patients' neurons. If we can direct the cell's own ability to break down waste
products against the plaques, we could keep them from forming and potentially intercept the development of these and other
diseases," (22).
Furthermore, most chronic and autoimmune diseases are associated with the presence of pleomorphic or cell-wall deﬁcient microbes
in the affected tissues, and there is some indication that this is also the case with AD. For instance by experimentally using a drug
that is approved for immune deﬁciency and autoimmune disorders researchers achieved much better results than with any drug
approved and used for treating AD (23). This shows the potential beneﬁt of treating AD like an autoimmune disease. For a more
detailed explanation see my article How to Overcome Chronic and Autoimmune Diseases  (24).
While cleansing is difﬁcult even for determined individuals who want to improve their health, it is even more so for AD patients and
their carers. Nevertheless, it is the only game in town, and some carers or even individuals with early symptoms may want to try. So
here is a basic outline of a holistic program.
Step 1: Avoid or minimise the factors that have been mentioned as causing or contributing to the condition, e.g. any mercury
amalgam ﬁllings still present should be removed, preferably by an holistic dentist. Gradually reduce any drugs to the absolute
minimum, food should be as free of chemical additives or residues as possible.
Step 2: Gradually introduce vitamins, minerals and other remedies mentioned as being beneﬁcial, especially remedies and methods
that improve liver functions and blood circulation to the brain. Try 500 mg of niacinamide with each meal, possibly double the dose. If
niacinamide therapy is reasonably successful, that will make the whole program so much easier to follow.
Step 3: Monitor the acidity of the urine and try to keep it close to pH 7. If it is mostly too acid then give more alkalising agents,
including sodium bicarbonate (not close to meals) and potassium citrate. If the body seems to be too alkaline, pH above 7, and skin
insensitive to irritants such as insect stings, then give more ascorbic acid, and hydrochloric acid supplements with meals.
Step 4: Gradually adopt a High Quality Diet  (25).10/30/24, 3:30 PM Health-Science-Spirit - Alzheimer's Disease & Paracetamol
https://health-science-spirit.com/Diseases/Alzheimers-Paracetamol.html 4/5Step 5: Use oral chelation to remove mercury and aluminium. Sulphur compounds are needed to detoxify the liver. If these are not
well tolerated, add a molybdenum supplement. One of the strongest chelators is alpha lipoic acid (also called thioctic acid), best
combined with milk thistle extract. Chlorella (cell broken powder) prevents re-absorption of expelled metals from the intestines. Also
helpful are MSM, N-acetylcysteine, alpha-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid. You may also add other mercury chelators obtained from the
Internet or use the Klinghardt Neurotoxin Elimination Protocol (26).
Step 6: To reduce or eliminate microbial problems try a mild form of the Ultimate Cleanse  (27) with special focus on using lactic acid
fermented foods, especially fermented vegetables such as genuine sauerkraut.
Step 7: A series of cleanses on fresh raw food is needed to remove the toxic and metabolic waste products from the brain. This is the
most difﬁcult part and needs to be done gently with only gradually increasing intensity. When under-eating the body starts to process,
digest and eliminate its waste products but only if it has enough vitality which can best be supplied with fresh juices of wheat grass
and barley grass as well as sprouted seeds (mung beans, lentils). In addition protein-digesting enzymes are helpful, e.g. bromelain
and papain (28).
Outlook
Ideally governments would encoura ge and support the establishment of sanatoriums and health farms for the holistic therapy of
patients with AD and other chronic diseases. But sadly government health agencies are ﬁrmly wedded to drug medicine and have a
long track record of suppressing natural medicine. Examples of this are the persecution of holistic cancer therapists (29) and the
malicious destruction of Pan Pharmaceuticals in Australia (30).
Therefore, it is clear that any attempt at setting up community healing ventures needs to start from the grassroots level and proceed
very carefully. A model for this exists in the movement started by Ann Wigmore in the 1960's that led to the establishment of
Hippocrates Health Centers. There visitors could detoxify and heal on a raw food program based on fresh wheat grass juice and
sprouted seeds. This movement included city centers as well as health farms. It would be great if this movement or something similar
could be revived and made to spread worldwide.
REFERENCES
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol  - on this page you ﬁnd references


fections are epidemic. More and more people die every year from antibiotic-resistant infections, acquired in hospitals. The WHO report noted that the
“inappropriate use of antibiotics” is to blame both for the increase in drug-resistant
microbes and for the weakened immune systems of patients. Either factor is serious;
combined, they are catastrophic. Weakened immune systems play a crucial role in
the development of AIDS, autoimmune diseases, asthma, allergies and a long list of
other health problems.
Antibiotics represent what may be the single most damaging category of drugs
employed by allopathic medicine, and, like most drugs, are unnecessary. Only sick
people get sick; prevent infections by eating a good diet and avoiding toxins. Stay
away from immune-damaging foods like sugar, take high-quality supplements,
reduce stress and get regular exercise. If an infection does occur, natural remedies
should be considered before defaulting to the antibiotics that physicians will
undoubtedly prescribe. Take lots of vitamins A, C (up to the point where you begin
getting excessive gas or diarrhea, then decrease), and E, garlic, herbs like echinacea,
or homeopathic remedies. Natural antibiotics like olive leaf extract are also helpful.
Hormones:
Hormones are critical to health because they are part of the body’s
self-regulating system. They control gene expression, and, as part of the body’s vital
communication systems, they help balance the body. Hormone chemistry is
awesomely complex and when you begin tampering with it, the effects on the body’s
system of checks and balances are unknown and potentially catastrophic. Even
minute hormone quantities can have a profound effect on the body. The human body
manufactures only 50 to 100 millionths of a gram per day of thyroid hormone,
resulting in a blood concentration of only one part per ten billion (1 in
10,000,000,000). Yet this minute amount has a major regulatory effect.
Supplemental hormones are dangerous meddling in the unknown because it is so
easy to interfere with the body’s system of hormonal checks and balances.
Prescription hormones—birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and
steroid hormones— are the most common threats, as are steroids found in overthe-
counter products such as cortisone ointments and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone).
Hormones are part of the body’s cell-to-cell communications system, helping the
body to regulate. For instance, hormones are used to regulate blood sugar, which
normally stays within narrow limits to keep the body, and especially the brain,
supplied with the correct amount. If blood sugar is too high, the pancreas secretes
insulin, which signals the cells to take up glucose, thus lowering blood sugar and
returning to normal. If blood sugar drops too low, the pancreas secretes glucagon,
which signals the liver to break down glycogen into glucose to raise blood sugar. In
this way, different hormones act in pairs like a thermostat, turning systems on and
off. This chemistry presents a delicate balancing act. All the hormones interact with
each other in ways modern science is only beginning to understand. In blood-sugar
regulation alone, at least six hormones are involved.Steroid hormones are being prescribed almost as frequently as antibiotics, for
allergic reactions, asthma, eczema, arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and for all types of
inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Often steroids are given to babies and
children to alleviate inflammations of all kinds. Steroids can cause permanent and
devastating damage, even after a single dose; once the body is thrown out of its
natural self-regulatory mode, it sometimes never “gets back.” Steroids’ beneficial
effects appear to decline in time, leaving patients in worse condition than before
they started.
Steroids appear to be a “miracle cure” for asthma or arthritis; however, they
merely suppress the symptoms of these conditions. They may make people feel
better, but this feeling comes at a high price. The medical journals are filled with
steroid-inflicted horror stories, such as osteoporosis, retarded child growth and
vision loss:
• The
Annals of Internal Medicine
in November 1993 reported that after just
four months of use, oral steroids can cause osteoporosis, with an 8 percent
reduction in bone mass.
• The
British Medical Journal
in August 1994 reported that extensive eye
damage and visual loss can be caused by using topical, over-the-counter, 1
percent hydrocortisone ointment for two weeks.
•
Lancet
has reported that after only six weeks of use, inhaled steroids
prescribed for asthma retard growth in children.
Alternative approaches to steroids include, for example, vitamin C and quercitin.
These two natural anti-inflammatories accomplish similar results, but without the
side effects. Whether one takes steroids orally, inhales them or rubs them on the skin
doesn’t matter; damage can be caused quickly and irreversibly. Rubbing a little
cortisone ointment on the skin affects the chemistry of the entire body. Steroids
taken during pregnancy can cause a child to suffer from autism and impaired
cognitive performance. Topical and inhaled steroids can cause glaucoma and
cataracts. Other reported problems include fluid retention, thinning skin, slowness in
healing, headaches, muscle weakness, immune suppression, angina, hair loss and
depression.
Over-the-counter hormones such as melatonin and DHEA are special problems,
partly because they are so easy to obtain. Daily doses of 50 milligrams of DHEA
have been linked to acne, oily skin, excessive facial hair growth in women and mood
changes such as irritability and aggressiveness. DHEA is a steroid hormone with a
molecular structure quite similar to cortisone. (Cortisone, too, was once thought to
be a wonder drug, until we found it was maiming and killing people.) In a 1997
study conducted at Northwestern University, sixteen rats fed DHEA for eighteen
months experienced color changes in their livers from pink to brown. Fourteen
developed liver cancer.Neurologists and other sleep specialists have warned against taking melatonin
supplements. In September 1996, the National Institutes of Health sponsored a
meeting in Bethesda, Maryland, where researchers reported that we do not have
sufficient knowledge about how melatonin works to predict all its potential adverse
effects, especially at the high doses in over-the-counter preparations. The data
showed melatonin could cause nausea, headaches, nightmares, worsening of existing
depression or a drop in body temperature, which increases the risk of developing
viral infections. Richard J. Wurtman, M.D., professor of neuroscience and director
of the clinical research center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
described widespread use of over-the-counter melatonin as “scary.”
The original experiments with mice, suggesting that melatonin prolonged life,
used genetically selected mice that were unable to produce melatonin. When given
some melatonin, they did measurably better than having none. However, repeated
experiments with normal mice resulted in shortened life span, because they
developed tumors of the reproductive tract. (Of course, the public hears only of the
“benefits.”)
Taking hormones on a regular basis, such as the numerous women on birth control
pills and others on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), imbalances the hormone
system. Millions of women are put on HRT, presumably to help prevent heart attack
and osteoporosis. Little reliable evidence exists that HRT prevents either; in fact
evidence shows that it promotes these conditions.
Want to prevent hormone disruption in your body? Avoiding certain toxins is
critical. More than fifty different chemicals are known to disrupt the normal
communication jobs of hormones, including pesticides, PCBs and dioxins,
phthalates leached from PVC and other plastics, and bisphenol-A (from
polycarbonate water bottles and the plastics used to coat the interior of cans used to
contain food). Dietary considerations are important, because most of our exposure to
these hormone-disrupting chemicals comes from eating meat and dairy products.
Sugar and white flour disrupt hormone balances, so minimize consumption. Rest and
exercise help balance hormone levels; moderate exercise doubles or even quadruples
beneficial growth hormone levels. Most critically, our society must stop such
constant and widespread use of hormone drugs. As John Mills, M.D., chief of
infectious diseases at San Francisco General Hospital said, steroid hormones are
“probably the most sleazy of modern-day medications.”
Digestive Destruction
As you know, one way in which drugs cause disease is by interfering with the
digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. By damaging gut tissue, killing off
beneficial bacteria, and creating an environment that inhibits the growth of normal,beneficial gut bacteria, we lose our ability to digest food and absorb nutrients
properly. This condition creates both deficiency and toxicity, the two causes of
cellular malfunction and disease.
Three classes of drugs are responsible for much of this damage: NSAIDs,
antibiotics and hormones. NSAIDs physically damage gut tissue and destabilize the
normal composition of bacteria living in the gut, especially if combined with
antibiotics. Antibiotics kill friendly bacteria essential to health and result in a
variety of intestinal infections. Hormones, such as birth control pills, create
chemical imbalances in the gut, thus promoting yeast infections such as candida.
Once yeasts change the environment in the digestive system, a long chain of events
damage health and cause disease.
Gut tissue that is


Biochemic  System of Medicine.  Even so, as already implied,
there  are wide variations  in urinary composition  according  to the foods
and drinks  consumed.  For instance, taking fifty normal subjects, we find
that whereas with the average. Urea N. amounts  to 682, the maximum  19
 amounts  to 1829, whilst  the minimum  is 298.  As to the volume of urine
passed, it varies greatly according  to diet and  season of the year. Also,
urine passed  at night  is about one  quarter to one half  of that passed
during daytime.
In view of the above  analysis, we may well  ask ourselves  the question  :
If the elements  which  urine reveals are not required by the body, then
why do our food chemists and  biochemists  emphasise  their value and
declare  them to be essential  to the body upkeep?
The idea that urine  contains poisonous  elements  which  the body is
endeavouring  to eliminate  is based upon theory  only, and  is not
demonstrated  by the facts. As survivors in open boats  and  rafts often
drink  their own urine when their water supply becomes deficient,
surely if they were drinking a poisonous  fluid they  would die or become
very ill? Far from this being the case,  the practice of drinking urine is
pronounced  to be harmless,  but  (as the Medical Department  of the
Navy pointed out in a letter to an inquirer) "the benefit obtained  is not
as great as would appear at first sight  because in dehydration  the
output of urine falls to a very low level…" I shall comment  on this later.
Meanwhile,  I may  remark that what may  be a "poison" when separated
from its natural environment  may not act as a poison when The
Medical remaining  in its natural  environment.  Profession  may  have
been impressed  when, at the beginning  of the century,  Charrin  wrote  a
whole book on the "poisons " of urine, but  as Prof. Jean Rostand
(already quoted) has since written: " The time is not far off when it will
be imperative  to write of the blessings  of urine." Indeed, as we shall see
in the course of these pages, the most  pregnant of all facts is the
outstanding  fact that urine,  however thick, concentrated,  scanty and 20
 seemingly  " poisonous  " it may  appear at the onset of such diseases as
genuine Bright's disease, influenza and  others, very soon  becomes
filtered and greatly increased  in volumen when freely  imbibed. This is a
fact I have witnessed,  together with other practitioners  of urine‐
therapy,  in hundreds  of so‐termed hopeless  cases, and  is the best  and
most  definite answer to the objection  with which  I am dealing.
One other objection  which has been mooted (namely by those who are
wont  to put their trust in the "princes " of medicine)  is as follows : If
urine was at one time known  to be such a valuable remedy,  why has it
fallen And yet those who put  this question  into disrepute?  must  be
unacquainted  with the most  elementary  facts of orthodox medical
history, which  related of one long series of changes of policy, changes
of drugs, of treatments,  of fads  and fashions and  "exploded
superstitions,"  of Some altercations,  of envies and even of persecutions.
of the strangest  "remedies"  have had  a vogue  for a few years, only to
be regarded a few years later  as the most disgusting  and  barbarous
superstitions.  For instance, the notorious  Cardinal Richelieu  was given
horse dung in wine to drink  on his death‐ bed, and not by quacks but by
men we should nowadays  call qualified doctors. (See  Devils, Drugs and
Doctors, by' H. W. Haggard,  MH.D.) 'Nor am I here giving away  "state
secrets"  in alluding to the instability  which  characterises  the orthodox
Medical Profession.  Speaking at the  King's College  H.M. School  on
October 1st, 1918, SurgeonGeneral  Sir Watson  Cheyne, M.P. urged the
students  to remember:
"Medicine  is not an exact science. A good deal of what they  were being
taught  was not true. When they  came to deal with life, they  knew so
little about the living body that they could not be dogmatic.  They  could 21
 only lay down hypotheses  which  would hold for a day and  then pass
away: and just as the teachings  of seventy  years ago seemed to them
very curious  and  not very sound, so it would be exactly the same forty
years hence." (The Times, October 2nd, 1918.)
The truth  of this utterance  applies  every bit as much to‐day as it did in
1918‐perhaps even more  so. It is no exaggeration  to say that, far from
being an exact science,  in spite of all "scientific"  tests that patients are
subjected  to in these  days, it still remains such an inexact science that
ten different doctors have been known  to give ten different diagnoses
relative to so apparently  simple an ailment as persistent  headaches.  In
the American  journal  Liberty (January 22nd, 1938) there appeared  a
significant  article by a man in the late twenties who relates his attempts
to get rid of this annoying trouble by consulting


 eridian
(Fig. 8-3 (b)):
   (4) The ring  fingers  correspo nd to the triple  warmer meridian
(Fig. 8-3(b)):
- 211  -Dual Cultivation
Heart Governor (HG-9)
Heart (HT-9)
Lung (LG-11)
(a)
Triple W armer
    (TW-1)Pericard ium (P-8)
Large Intestin e
    (LI-1)
Small Intestin e
   (SI- 1) LI-4
(b)
LI SITW
Fig. 8.3 Fingers and Corresponding  Organs
  (5) The pinkie  fingers  correspon d to the heart  and small intestine
meridian.  (Fig.  8-3(a) and (b)).
- 212  -Chapter VIII
B. The toes correspond to sp ecific  organs
The toes  also corres pond to specific orga ns, thereb y affecting  the
body ’s functions.  (Fig.  8.4)
   (1) The big  toes  correspo nd to the  liver and  spleen  meridian;
   (2) The second  toes correspon d to the stomach me ridian;
   (3) The fourth  toes  correspo nd to the gall bladde r meridian;
   (4) The sm all toes  correspo nd to the  bladder  meridian.
Liver
SpleenStomach
Gall Bl adder
Urinary Blad der
Fig. 8.4 Energy Meridians in the Toes
B. Descriptions  of Positions and Hand Gestures for Healing
Love
1. Love Making Positions
   According  to the Plain Lady book  mentioned  above  (also  called
Shu Nu  Ching,  or White Madame ), there  are eight  healing  positions
for men and  seven  for wome n. All these  positions  are helpful  to
heighten  the love making  experience,  but their  most important
- 213  -Dual Cultivation
function  is healing:  throug h the use of the  energ y that is generat ed.
Since the Plain  Lady, book  does  not teach  moving energ y, a process
which requir es meditation  practice,  all the  positions  describe d in
that book  for healing  have  to be practiced  many times a day for
many days to reap  any benefits.  In the  sexual  healing  energy  practice
we are describing  here,  we began,  with such  energy  practices  as
Ovarian  Breathing, the Orgas mic Up ward Draw, the Egg Exercise,
etc., all  of w hich assist y ou in gaining  control  of your sexual  energy
and directing  the ener gy to the place  that you designat e without
merely  depen ding upon  reflexes  and the positions  used.
    Although  we will describe  in detail only two positions,  these  two
positions  can be used  to benefit  both  partners. As both  partne rs
alternatel y move, the y alternat ely bring  Chi to the  area,  gland  or
organ  of his or  her partne r: Rem ember the basic principle  is that
the one who moves is the  one who brings  healing  to the  other  while
the one who does  not move can  easil y quiet  the mind and
concentrat e to feel and receive  the partner’s  sexual  healing  ener gy.
    Once  you master the  energ y and can direct  the energy  as you
wish using  the mind and  some mu scles, the  positions  and gestures
will not be very important.
A. Man  on Top Positi on (Fig. 8.5)
    This is the  most co mmon of the  love making  positions.  The
woma n lies on  her back  with her legs  spread.  She may  have  a
pillow  under  her buttocks  to raise  her pelvis. The  man lies flat on
top of the  woma n or supports  some or  all of his we ight on his
elbows, hands  or knees.  Rem ember the Taoist theory  that men
are like fire  and wome n are like water: Fire is easy  to light,  or is
activated  faster  and burns  easil y, as mo st me n usuall y become
active sexually  initiall y and seem aggressive.  A woma n, like water
may be passive  in the beginning,  and usually  needs  to be moved to
lovemaking  by a man. So in the  beginni ng of love making,  it is
beneficial  for the woman  to lies on  her back  and the man to use
foreplay  to bring  the woman  to the  boiling  point.  Once  a woman  is
active and aroused,  she should  play  an active,  or aggressive,  part
also b y such  activities as  kissing him, playing with his tongue  and
ears,  and holding  and massaging  his penis.  All these  activities  will
create  a sense  of harmony. Ordinarily  the couple  will then  first move
into the basic  position,  and then continue  with other  positions,  most
likely  ending  up in  the basic ma n on top position  again.
- 214  -Chapter VIII
Fig. 8.5 Man on Top  Position
8. Benefits of the Man on To p Position
   There  are benefits  to this position.
   (1) First,  the entire  systems of  both  the woman  and man become
energize d. The Plain  Lady book  recom mends practicing  three  sets
of nine  shallo w penetr ations  and one deep  penet ration three  times
a day for twenty days. (The  nine  shallo w thrusts  stimulate the  plexus
of nerves  surroun ding the woman’s  G-Spot  and are best  for
exchanging  sexual  energies,  while the deep  thrust  forces  air out of
the vagina,  creating  a vacuum inside  the w oman  during  the nine
shallow  thrusts  that follow. This has  a ver y stimulating  effect  on the
- 215  -Dual Cultivation
woma n.) In ma ny years of experience  in teaching  and practice,  we
have  found  that both  partn ers can be  energi ed in one extended
lovemaking  session  in which sexual healing  energ y is brought
directly  to the  organs  and glands.  We stress the  importance  of the
man not  ejaculating  and thus losing the  energ y. In this mo re passive
position  it is eas y for the woman  to dra w and direct  the healing
energy  up the  spine,  as she learne d to do in Single  Cultivation
practicing  the Orgasmic Upw ard Draw, and then  dow n the front
channel.  In this w ay she w ill be able  to guide  the sexual healing
energy  to her  organs  and eventuall y through  her partner’s  Orbit  to
his organs.
    (2)  Secondl y, the face  to face position  is greatly  satisf ying to the
senses  and emotions.  It perm its all five sensor y organs  of both
partners  to come in contact:  the tongues,  ears,  eyes, mouths,
noses,  and all hair  and skin.  These senses,  especiall y the tongu es
and eyes, are the major carriers  of life- force  energ y. We have
mentioned  that the tongue  works like a switch. Once  you have
completed  the Microcosmic Orbit  by using  the connectiv e tongue,
the Chi flow s throug h the tongue.  As yo u kiss and  move yo ur tongue
to touch  your partner  or his  tongue  touches  your sensor y organs,
you can feel  those  senses  become stim ulated  which, in turn,
stimulate the flow of energ y from yo ur correspo nding organs.
    (3)  In this position  it is easy  for the woma n and man to help
each  other  open  or clear their Microcosmic Orbit  channels  easily
by moving a hand  to the point  that needs  the energ y flow.
    (4)  This position  also  gives  a woman  the greates t stim ulation.
Her clitoris  is stim ulated,  and the man is able  to reach  her G-Spot.
The we ight of the  man on top gives  pressure  to the  woman’s  pubic
bone,  as well as to  her breasts,  and these  pressures  will help  the
woma n become sti mulated  much faster.
    (5)  The w oman  can follo w rhythmicall y by


. You have ahandicapped child. You had a child that died. Your depressionis normal.”
I got divorced in my 30s, and about a year after the divorce
my physical problems started in earnest: the aches and pains, thefuzzy thinking, the deep fatigue, the headaches, and of course the14 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  bloated body, which got worse every year. I honestly don’t know
how I managed back in those days after the divorce. I was soexhausted all the time I didn’t know which end was up.
A typical day would start with my getting up and my body
hurting so badly that I would get into the shower and stand underthe hot water until I could bend my arms and legs and move alittle. Then I would get dressed and I was already exhausted. Butsomehow I’d do my work; you just do what you have to do.
During this whole time I tried getting second, third, and
fourth opinions about the Premarin from various gynecologists.When I moved to Lake Arrowhead, California, I tried a gynecol-ogist there. This doctor told me to keep taking the Premarin andthat the only problem I had with weight was that I had to stopeating so much. I told him, “I don’t eat. I starve myself to deathand I exercise until I fall on my face and almost pass out.” He said,“Well, I never saw a fat woman in a concentration camp.” I gotso mad I got up and walked out of his office. Shortly after that Iread about this program at Duke University where you could geta total medical workup. I flew to Raleigh, North Carolina, andentered the program. I filled out endless forms and had blood testsand a hormone panel and all kinds of testing done. I lived therefor six weeks and spent almost $20,000.
At the end of the whole thing they told me there was nothing
wrong with me and that I should go home and visit a psychiatrist.It was the same old song: you’ve had a hard life, you’re stressed out,keep taking your Premarin and see a counselor.
The doctors at Duke University increased my dosage of
Synthroid and put me on a high-carbohydrate diet. I was eatingbagels and fruit in the morning, pasta for lunch and dinner, andnow I started really bloating out. My metabolism was slowingdown even more. I have photographs of myself from this period,and it takes my breath away to look at them. I was so huge! I wasa size 14.15 ESTR OGEN DOMINANCE AND BRENDA J. I developed a new symptom. I started having disoriented
moments when I’d be on the freeway and I couldn’t rememberwhere I was going or why I was there.
The turnaround came when I talked to a woman who was
having some of the same problems I was having—achy joints,weight gain, puffiness, fatigue. We’d commiserate with each other,blaming it on our age. “Getting old isn’t what it’s cracked up tobe,” we’d tell each other. I didn’t see her for about four or fivemonths, and then one day I was out walking my dog and ran intoher. I hardly recognized her. “My God, what are you doing?” Iasked. She told me about Dr. Platt, and I went to see him thefollowing week.
The first thing I noticed about Dr. Platt was that he really
listened to me. Most doctors don’t hear you, but Dr. Platt makesyou feel like you’re talking to your best friend. He did my hormonepanel and told me he was taking me off Premarin. My firstreaction was shock. All of my life doctors had been telling me thatI needed estrogen replacement. I thought, “Maybe this isn’t goingto work.” A few times I’d tried to wean myself from Premarin,and the hot flashes and headaches were unbearable.
And the way he was telling me to eat! Meats and vegetables,
bacon and eggs for breakfast—it went against everything theculture was telling us about cholesterol and everything else. But atthe end of our first meeting he said something that made me trusthim. He said, “None of this is your fault. You’ve just never receivedproper treatment.”
So I started taking progesterone, two different thyroid
hormones, and eating what he told me to eat. I was eating meat,eating eggs, eating three meals a day. I never ate so much in mylife. And the results happened so fast I couldn’t believe it. I couldjust see the weight dropping daily. And my energy shot up. I don’tever remember feeling the way I started to feel. I felt wonderfuland happy and energetic.16 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  I can’t even describe it, it all happened so fast. I was thinking
clearly, my vision cleared up, my headaches stopped, I started sleep-ing at night. In about a month I had to buy a new wardrobe. Iimmediately got rid of everything in size 14. I went down to a size4 in two months.
The aches and pains started going away gradually. At six
months I realized that my arms didn’t hurt. I could get up in themorning and move my arms.
By this time I felt so great that my new husband couldn’t keep
up with me. I had more energy than he could handle. So he wentto see Dr. Platt, and he got amazing results, too. He’s 11 yearsolder than me and has always been very healthy, but now he feelslike 40 again.
When I see friends, they’re shocked at how well I look. They
think I’ve lost 90 pounds (I’ve actually only lost 47 pounds). Myvitality is unlike anything they’ve seen in me before.
You know, when it comes right down to it, it isn’t even the
difference in how you look … it is how you feel. I wouldn’t giveup how I feel for anything.
MIRACLE OR SIMPLE CHEMISTRY?
The transformation Brenda J. testifies to may sound incredible,
but the truth is that it’s not an unusual occurrence in my prac-tice. I attribute every bit of it to the power of hormones. Theyregulate activity in every cell in the body, including the braincells. As miraculous as Brenda’s healing sounds, it was nomiracle—it was a matter of chemistry, pure and simple.
When Brenda first came to see me, she showed all the
classic signs of estrogen dominance. She’d been laboring underthe burden of excess estrogen her entire life, even before she wasprescribed estrogen in the form of Premarin in her 20s. The17 ESTR OGEN DOMINANCE AND BRENDA J. reason for her over-production of estrogen was a lack of
progesterone. This deficiency of progesterone was the majorcause of her problem pregnancies, and certainly the causeof her fibroids, which ultimately resulted in the need fora hysterectomy.
Just putting her on natural bio-identical progesterone made
her feel better right away. Progesterone is a natural anti-depres-sant; it’s the feel-good hormone for women. With the properamount of progesterone in her body, Brenda’s mood brightened.Progesterone is the hormone that balances out estrogen andtakes away its worst side effects.
Progesterone is also thermogenic. It helps fat to burn by
helping the thyroid gland to function better, as well as byraising body temperature. And it helps prevent the over-production of insulin, the main hormone that creates fat andkeeps it stored. So Brenda’s metabolism improved and shebegan to see her weight melting away.
She was more comfortable inside her own body. That alone
had to make her feel much, much better. Her fatigue startedlifting, too. She had energy she hadn’t had before.
Part of her weight loss was related to a reduction in the fluid
retention caused by too much estrogen, too much insulin, andthe wrong thyroid medication.
THE UNFRIENDLY EFFECTS OF ESTROGEN
The improvement I saw in Brenda just a month or two after
starting her on progesterone is something I see again and againin my practice. People have to understand that in many casesestrogen is toxic to the body. You can think of progesterone asan anti-estrogen hormone. Progesterone is there to protect thebody from the negative effects of estrogen. 18 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  Which negative effects? Estrogen is very damaging to blood
vessels. This is why it causes migraine headaches. Doctors arevery much aware of estrogen’s effect on blood vessels. It’s whythey warn women on birth control pills to be on the lookoutfor signs of phlebitis, which is an inflammation of the veins.Birth control pills contain two synthetic hormones—anestrogen and a progestin. (Progestin is a synthetic form ofprogesterone. It is a chemical that is unrelated to naturalprogesterone and has the same side effects as estrogen.)
Estrogen causes six different cancers in women. It’s been
known for over 50 years that estrogen causes breast cancer. T omy knowledge, estrogen and the drug Tamoxifen are the onlyknown causes of cancer of the uterus. Estrogen is also a cause ofovarian cancer, cervical cancer, vaginal cancer, and cancer ofthe colon.
For years an effort was made to place estrogen on the list of
cancer-causing chemicals. Once a drug is on this list, specialwarnings are supposed to be given. Estrogen was


If we summarize the physical findings from Jewett’ s study, we find that his
subjects maintai ned a steady weight, ate moderately, and remained active
throughout their lives. These factors are obviously not sufficient to explain
longevity. Millions of people who have the same habits do not live to great
old age. The psychological factors in Jewett’ s profile more clearly set his
subjects apart. Their optimism, lack of worry, emotional resilience, capacity
for enjoyment, and love of autonomy all indicate a high degree ofpsychological health. The fact that they are above average in intelligence
also correlates well with similar studies; above-average intelligence makes
it easier for a person to remain in good health, to earn a stable income, and
to learn to resolve personal problems. At the other extreme, people with low
intelligence often cannot take advantage of books and articles about health
and nutrition; they more easily  fall into low-income groups that cannot
afford good housing, food, and health care. Poor, uneducated people also
have the highest rates of cigarette smoking, which is a potent shortener of
life.
The question arises whether longevity belongs only to those who are
fortunate enough to be born with certain advantages. Psychologically
healthy people tend to come from psychologically healthy families; parents
with superior education and income tend to have well-educated children
who go on to earn high salaries. There is no doubt that such advantages are
very helpful. In a small but highly suggestive study in 1970, psychiatrist
Eric Pfeiffer took thirty-four men and women, all in their late sixties, who
were considered  the most successful agers in the ongoing Duke  University
Longevity Study, one of the major projects of its kind. When he compared
his successful agers with thirty- four men and women who were  considered
the worst agers, Pfeif fer discovered a significant difference in longevity.
The men who aged best survived on average 14.8 years longer than did
those who aged worst; a slightly smaller gap, 13.8 years, separated the
women. This difference was not due to any single factor “but rather a
constellation of biological, psychological, and social factors, amounting to
what may be described as elite status, ” Pfeif fer wrote.
The marks of this elite status were as follows:
MEN
  1.  Financial status—70 percent of the long-lived men described
their circumstances as comfortable, 80 percent of the short-lived
men rated themselves as poor.
  2.  Self-percep tion of health as they aged—75 percent of the long-
lived men said that their health was the same as or better than itwas at 55, 80 percent of the short-lived said their health was
worse.
  3.  Physical function (self-rate d)—63 percent of the long-lived men
described themselves as having  no disorders or at worst mild
disability, 60 percent of the short-lived fell into a range from 20
percent disability to total disability.
  4.  Improvement in financial status—70 percent of the long-lived
men said that their income was the same as or better than when
they were 55, 60 percent of the short-lived said they were worse
off.
  5.  Marital status—95 percent of the long-lived men were married,
compared to 75 percent of the short-lived.
WOMEN
  1.  I.Q.—the long-lived wome n scored about 50 percent higher on
intelligence tests than did the short-lived.
  2.  Self-percep tion of health as they aged—47 percent of the long-
lived women rated their health better than when they were 55,
while 53 percent of the short-lived saw their health as worse.
  3.  Marital status—71 percent of the long-lived women were
married, 71 percent of the short-lived were not.
  4.  Physical functioning rating—many more of the long-lived
women described themselves as healthy or only mildly disabled;
many more of the short-lived described themselves as partly or
completely disabled.
  5.  Change in financial status— many more of the long-lived women
were financially  better off than they were at age 55; many more
of the short-lived had grown poorer.
The notion of an aging elite supports the idea that biology can be
influenced by outside factors. Coming from a disadvantaged background
doesn’ t automatically disqualify someone from bettering him- or herself,
and insofar as a person achieves a stable income, good health, and a
satisfying marriage, he is adding to his chances of longer life. But canlongevity, in and of itself, be set as a conscious goal? Although most of us
try to attain the best life we can, we do not always equate that goal with
long life. Longe vity has been a conscious primary goal for only a small
number of people throughout history. However, the insights of those few are
important to consider.
In the nineteenth century, when  only one in ten people lived to be 65,
anyone who survived to 90 or 100 qualified as a source of wisdom about
longevity. At the turn of the century, an Englishman, Dr. G. M. Humphrey,
professor of surgery at Cambridge, examined nine hundred patients who
were over 90. He sorted out fifty-two who were thought to be centenarians
and made a list of their habits. The majority, he found, were moderate or
light eaters, consumed little meat and some alcohol, rose early, and liked to
do outdoor work. A large majority, over 80 percent, reported that they were
excellent sleeper s—most averaged over eight hours a night for most of their
lives. (As usual, the women centenarians vastly outnumbere d the men,
thirty-six to sixteen. Almost all had been married; most had raised large
families.)
These character istics fall into the same patterns as those we see in
modern studies;  they also gave  rise to what we could call the longevity
movement, as consciously trying to live a long life became more feasible.
The late Victorians were riding  a crest of increasing life expectancy. The
work of Pasteur and Koch had raised huge optimism about wiping out
epidemic disease; social reform was improving housing, sanitation, and
working condit ions. Instead of assuming that long life was a gift of
providence, people began to take responsibility for their existence; they
began to believe that their own efforts made a difference. Thus the first
seeds of conscious life extension were planted.
Several long-lived doctors in their nineties in the Victorian era wrote
books on longevity. All were fierce advocates of a simple diet and abundant
exercise. Alexandre Gueniot, a Parisian physician who lived to be 103,
disclosed that every morning when he arose to work on his book at age 99,
he reach ed his study by climbing three flights of stairs. His English
counterpart, Sir Hermann Weber, a doctor who lived to be 95, was adamant
about the role of constant exercise: In his nineties he recommended one tothree hours of walking every day and taking vacations that included
mountain climbing and hiking.
Other long-lived  authorities of the day believed in the virtues of country
living, of keeping active in old age, and of maintaining close social ties with
family and community. It is also interesting that many of the nonagenarian
doctors advised vegetarian diets  with small amounts of dairy products; most
believed that calorie consumption should be low, around 2,500 a day, which
is frugal for an adult who exercises several hours daily. Certain incidental
advice crops up that cannot be proven scientifically but still seems valid:
Weber and Gueniot both thought highly of massages and deep breathing
exercises (we would call them aerobics) to “stimulate the vital or gans.”
None of this advice has ever been contradicted, and much of it has been
reinforced by modern prevention techniques. In the 1930s, writer Maurice
Ernest in his book The Longer Life examined the biographies of
centenarians across many European cultures and back to ancient times.
Ernest concluded that understanding just a few physical processes would
extend our lives to 100 or 120 years; he gave the following prescriptions:
•  Eat frugally
•  Exercise and get plenty of fresh air
•  Choose a congenial occupation
•  Develop a placid or easygoing personality
•  Maintain a high level of personal hygiene
•  Drink wholesome liquids
•  Abstain from stimulants and sedatives
•  Get plenty of rest
•  Have a bowel movement once a day
•  Live in a temperate climate
•  Enjoy a reasonable sex life
•  Get proper medical attention in case of illness
Of all these factors, frugal eating is the one that has caught the
imagination of almost every person who consciously tried to live a long life.
For centuries the literature of longevity has been filled with testimony about
the virtue of strict dietary abstinence. A fifteenth-century Venetian
nobleman name d Luigi Cornaro is famed in gerontology because heresolved, after a roaringly dissolute youth, that he would mend his ways,
pursue a healthy course of life, and try to survive to at least 100. He
succeeded spectacularly. In an age where


umoil;coaloil;rockoil
Theword'petroleum'originatesfromtheLatinfor
'rock'(Petra)and'oil'(Oleum).Thetermcommonly
referstotheliquidcrudeoilwhichcomesfrombe-
neaththeearth'ssurface,althoughpetroleumalso
occursintheearthingaseousorsolidforms,andafew
petroleumlakesortarpitsareknownthroughoutthe
world.Itisformedovermillionsofyearsfromthe
remainsofmarineplantandanimallifedeposited
underthesea,wheretheydecomposewithout
oxygen;heat,pressureandtimeconvertthisinto
petroleum.
Petroleumwasknowntomanyancientpeoples,
whoreferredtoitas'burningwater'anduseditinthe
formofbitumentocaulkshipsandbuildroadsaswell
astogivelight.Morerecently, ithasprovideduswith
heatingandafuelforthiscentury'smachinery. Itis
refinedandprocessedintonumerousproducts,such
assolvents,paints,asphalt,plastics,cleansingagents,
waxesandjellies,medicines,explosivesandferti-
lisers.Thecrudeoilhasbeenusedforthetreatmentof
wounds.
Thehomeopathicpreparation ismadefrompurified
oilorfromcrudeoilfromwhichatinctureisprepared
andthendilutedandsuccussedinthenormalway.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Dislikes:meat;fatty,richfood.Sweat:one-sided;
smelly.
Worseforfreshair;duringthemorning;travelling
(boat,car,train,bus,etc.)
ThisisasmallremedythatIhaveincludedbecause
ofitsusesintravelsicknessandnauseaduringpreg-
nancy.Thereisageneraldislikeoffreshairwhichalso
aggravatesthenausea.
EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Confusedinfreshair.Forgetful.Irritable.
Quarrelsome.
PeopleneedingPetroleumwillbegenerallyworsefor
andalsomentallyconfusedoutinthefreshair.They
maynotrecognisewell-knownstreetsandmaymake
mistakesinfindingtheirway.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Chilblains
SymptomsChilblains:onfeet,hands,toes;in-
flamed.
INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Phosphoricacid(Pho-ac.) •129
Feetbecomecoldand'fallasleep'easily,andthe
handsbecomecoldandchapped.Thechilblainsare
painfulanditching,andoccurinthewinterduring
coldweather.
Diarrhoea
SymptomsDiarrhoeaduringthedayonly.Pains
pressing.Withravenousappetite.
Thisisaveryspecificdiarrhoeathatoccursonlydur-
ingthedayandisnotaccompaniedbyalossof
appetite.
Headache
SymptomsPains:inbackofhead;pressing.With
heaviness;nausea(seebelow).
Theheadacheusuallycomesonwhentravellingand
accompaniesthenausea.
Nausea
SymptomsWithdizziness.
Worseforfreshair.
Thisnauseaisusuallyaccompaniedbydizzinessand/
orheadache.
Travelsickness
SymptomsWithheadache(seeabove);nausea(see
above);vomiting.
Worseforfreshair.
Causestravelling.
Petroleumisoneofthemaintravelsicknessremedies
andisindicatedwherefreshairactuallyaggravates.
(ItistheoppositeofTabacum,whichhasnauseabut
isbetterforfreshair.)Thissymptomshouldhelp
todifferentiatebetweenthevarioustravelsickness
remedies.
PHOSPHORICACID(Pho-ac.)
Othername:glacialphosphoricacid
Phosphoricacidoccurseitherasaclear,colourless,
sparklingliquidorasatransparentcrystallinesolid-
dependingonitstemperature. Itisusedinthemanu-
factureoffertilisers,softdrinks(givingthemafruity,
acidicflavour),pharmaceuticals, gelatin,animal
feeds,waxes,polishes,dentalcementsanddeter-
gents.Itisalsousedintheprocessesofsugarrefining
andrustproofingmetals,andinotherindustrialuses.
Medicinally itisoccasionallytakenasatonicto
stimulatethesecretionofgastricjuices,incombi-
nationwithquinineandstrychnine(thatis,withour
friendsNuxvomicaandChinal).Thehomeopathicremedyismadefrompulverised
phosphaterockwhichisdissolvedinsulphuricacid
andthendilutedbysuccussion.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Complaintsfrom:lossofbodyfluids.Eyesglassy.
Facepale.Likes:fruit;refreshingthings.Painsin
bones.Sweat:clammy;profuse.Symptoms
one-sided.Thirstless.
Befferaftersleep.
Worseforcold;forsweating;duringtheevening;
duringthemorning;ononesideofbody.
Phosphoricacidbenefitsthosewhohavebecomeweak
andtiredfromstudyingtoomuchorfromlosingalot
ofbodyfluids,forexampleafterdiarrhoea,aheavy
period,bleedingorvomiting.Thispictureoccursin
youngpeoplewithbonepainswhohavegrowntoo
fast,inpeoplewhoareacutelydepressedorthosewho
areconvalescingfromanillnesswheretheyhavelosta
lotoftheirownfluids.Theymaylookpaleandsickly
withdarkringsaroundtheireyesandthevsweatalot.
Theywantrefreshingfoodtoeat,suchasfruitand
vegetables(inordertoreplacetheliquids),butmay
notbeespeciallythirstyandwilloftenfeeltiredafter
eating.Theyaregenerallyworseforcoldandbetterfor
asleep,evenashortnap.
EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Apathetic.Complaintsfrom:disappointedlove;
excitement;fright;grief;humiliation;shock.
Depressed.Forgetful.Homesick.Indifferentduring
afever.Irritable.Uncommunicative.
Thesearepeopleinwhomtheacuteemotionaltrauma
hasanobviouscausesuchasdisappointment inlove,
shockandhomesickness,andthiscausesmental
apathy;theydonotwanttotalk,tothinkortoanswer
becausetheycannotconcentrate,andtheymayeven
forgetwordswhiletheyarespeaking.Theyappearto
bequiteindifferenttoeverything,especiallyduringa
fever.Theydonotweep;thereisatranquillityabout
them,averystilldepressiveness.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Cough
SymptomsCough:dry;tickling;violent.
Diarrhoea
SymptomsBelly/stomach: rumbling.Stools:pro-
fuse;thin;watery;white.Withoutweakness.
Worseaftereatingsolid/dryfood.
Causessummer;hotweather.
NBSEEALSOPAGES203-26FORGENERALADVICE,DOSANDDON'TS.
130•Phosphorus(Phos.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Thisisaprofusesummerdiarrhoea. Itisnotasex-
haustingasyoumightexpect(anunusualandthere-
forehelpfulsymptom),althoughexhaustionmayset
inafterthediarrhoeahasstopped.Thepersonmay
passaninvoluntarystoolatthesametimeaspassing
flatulence.Theremaybegurglingandcramping,grip-
pingpainsandabloated,fullfeelinginthebelly,
although itisusuallypainless.
Exhaustion
SymptomsExhaustion:nervous;paralvtic.
Worseaftereating;inthemorningongettingup;for
slightestexertion;forwalking
Causesbreastfeeding; lossofbodyfluids;flu.
Hairloss
SymptomsHairfallsout.
Causesgrief.
Headache
SymptomsInschoolchildren. Eyessmarting.Head
feelsheavy.Pains:intopofhead;inbackofhead;at
napeofneck;one-sided;pressing.
Betterforexcitement.
WorseforgettingupfromKingdown.
Causeseyestrain;grief;mentalstrain,especiallyin
schoolchildren.
Theseheadachesoccurinschoolchildrenwhohave
workedtoohardandwhoaresufferingfrommental
strainasaresult.Theheadfeelsheavy.
Insomnia
SymptomsSleepunrefreshing.Waking:frequent;
aftermidnight.
Shock
Causesemotionaltrauma.
ThePhosphoricacidshockisonethathasbeencaused
byanemotionaltraumaandisaccompaniedbythe
typicalemotionalsymptoms.
Phosphorus (Phos.)
Othername:whitephosphorus
Thiselementhasanumberofforms.Themostcom-
mon,theyellowsolidcalledwhitephosphorus, is
anon-metallic,po


 what you want—peace or love,
job advancement or monetary fortune? See The Seventh Principle.
Do you believe that the universe operates randomly? Are you impatient sping for
good things to happen? See The Eighth Principle. F
Do you complain, find fault, or take for granted more often than you appreciate your
life? See The Ninth Principle. ‘
US $23.00 / $32.50 CAN eS % ISBN O-Ob-017528-1 e
9°780060"175283
a
4 «
<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|><|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>HERBAL
MEDICINEENCYCLOPEDIA OF
US_001_003_Half_Full_title.indd   1 26/02/16   4:42 pm
US_001_003_Half_Full_title.indd   2 26/02/16   4:42 pmHERBAL
MEDICINEENCYCLOPEDIA OF
Andrew chevallier
fnimh
US_001_003_Half_Full_title.indd   3 26/02/16   4:42 pm

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checking the cautions in the relevant herb entry (see  pp. 56–283) and the Essential Information on
pp. 298–299. Do not exceed any dosages recommended. Always consult a professional practitioner if
symptoms persist. If taking prescribed medicines, seek professional medical advice before using herbal
remedies. T ake care to correctly identify plants and do not harvest restricted or banned species. So far as the
author is aware, the information given is correct and up to date as of July 2016. Practice, laws, and regulations
all change, and the reader should obtain up-to-date professional advice on any such issues. In addition, this
book contains general information on growing cannabis, which is a controlled substance in North America
and throughout much of the world. As the use and cultivation of cannabis and its derivative products can
carry heavy penalties, you should research your local laws before using the information in this book. The
author and the publisher expressly disclaim any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred
as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.
Third American Edition, 2016
First American Edition, 1996
This edition published in the United States in 2016 by
DK Publishing, 345 Hudson Street, New Y ork, New Y ork 10014
Copyright © 1996, 2001, 2016 Dorling Kindersley Limited
Text copyright © 1996, 2001, 2016 Andrew Chevallier
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC
16  17  18  19  20  10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
001–285452–July/2016
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited.
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN: 978-1-4654-4981-8
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising,
or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 345 Hudson Street, New Y ork, New Y ork 10014
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www.dk.comTHIRD EDITION
FIRST EDITION
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US_004-005_Imprint_Contents.indd   4 26/02/16   4:42 pmContents
Introduction
THE DEVELOPMENT OF HERBAL MEDICINE
How Medicinal Plants Work
Active Constituents
Quality Control
Early Origins to the 19th Century
20th Century Onward
Herbal Traditions of the World
Europe
India and the Middle East
China, Japan, and Southeast Asia
Africa
Australia and New Zealand
North America
South America
KEY MEDICINAL PLANTS
A visual guide to 1 00 key herbs from around the world with
details of their habitat, constituents, actions, traditional
and current uses, and information on the latest research.
Also included are key preparations and practical self-help uses.
OTHER MEDICINAL PLANTS
450 other herbs from different herbal traditions with descriptions
of their therapeutic properties and past and present uses.
HERBAL REMEDIES FOR HOME USE
Growing Medicinal Plants
Harvesting & Processing
Making Herbal Remedies
Using Herbal Remedies Safely
Remedies for Common Ailments
Consulting an Herbal Practitioner
Glossary
Bibliography
General Index
Index of Herbs by Ailment
Useful Addresses & Acknowledgments6
8
10
14
17
18
28
32
32
36
40
44
46
48
52
54
156
284
286
288
290
298
299
320
321
322
323
332
336
US_004-005_Imprint_Contents.indd   5 26/02/16   4:42 pm
6Introduction
In the twenty years since the first edition of this encyclopedia in 1996, herbal medicine
has gone through unprecedented change. Herbs, which have always been the principal form
of medicine in developing countries, have again become popular in the developed world,  as people strive to stay healthy in the face of chronic stress and pollution, and to treat illness with medicines that work in concert with the body’s defenses. A quiet revolution has been taking place. Tens of millions of people now take herbs such as ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba, p. 100)
to help maintain mental and physical health, and increasingly people consult trained herbal professionals and naturopaths for chronic or routine health problems. Increasingly too, scientific evidence is accumulating to show that herbal medicines can provide treatment that  is as effective as conventional medicines but with few side effects. Sales of herbal medicines continue to grow year after year—by over 50 percent in the U.S. since 2000—and several mainstream pharmaceutical companies now manufacture and market herbal medicines.
Plant Medicines
The variety and sheer number of plants with therapeutic properties are quite astonishing. Some 50,000 to 70,000 plant species, from lichens to towering trees, have been used at
one time or another for medicinal purposes. Today, Western herbal medicine still makes use
of hundreds of native European plants, as well as many hundreds of species from other continents. In Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) about 2,000 plant species are considered to have medicinal value, while the Chinese Pharmacopoeia lists over 5,700 traditional medicines, mostly of plant origin.
 About 500 herbs are still employed within conventional medicine, although whole plants are
rarely used. In general, the herbs provide the starting material for the isolation or synthesis
of conventional drugs. Digoxin, for example, which is used for heart failure, was isolated from common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea, p. 202), and the contraceptive pill was synthesized from constituents found in wild yam ( Dioscorea villosa, p. 91).
Ecological Factors
The increased use of medicinal herbs has important environmental implications. Growing
herbs as an organic crop offers new opportunities for farmers, and sometimes, especially
in developing countries, opportunities for whole communities. In northeastern Brazil,  for example, community-run herb gardens grow medicinal herbs that are sold to local hospitals


 for genitourinary
conditions. The root was
listed in the Pharmacopoeia
of the United States  from
1820 to 1842.
Medicinal Actions & Uses As its common
name indicates, gravel root is a valuable herb for
urinary tract problems. It helps to prevent the
formation of kidney and bladder stones and may
diminish existing stones. Gravel root is also useful
for cystitis, urethritis, prostate enlargement (and
other forms of obstruction), and for rheumatism
and gout. The root is thought to help the latter
two conditions by increasing the removal of waste
by the kidneys.
Related Species E. maculatum, native to
eastern North America, is used to treat kidney and
urinary problems. See also E. cannabinum, p. 208,
and E. perfoliatum, preceding entry.Gravel root is
especially helpful for
urinary tract problems.Constituents Pill-bearing spurge contains
flavonoids, terpenoids, alkanes, phenolic acids,
shikimic acid, and choline. The latter two
constituents may be partly responsible for
the antispasmodic action of this plant.
History & Folklore As its name suggests, this
plant was traditionally used in Asia to treat asthma.
Medicinal Actions & Uses A specific
treatment for bronchial asthma, pill-bearing spurge
relaxes the bronchial tubes and eases breathing.
Mildly sedative and expectorant, it is also taken for
bronchitis and other respiratory tract conditions. It is
most often used along with other anti-asthmatic
herbs, notably gumplant ( Grindelia camporum,
p. 218) and lobelia ( Lobelia inflata, p. 110). In the
Anglo-American tradition, pill-bearing spurge is
taken to treat intestinal amebiasis.
Related Species The Cherokee used E. maculata
to treat sore nipples and skin disorders. Many
other North American Euphorbia  species were
used for constipation. A decoction of E. lancifolia,
native to the West Indies, is used to stimulate
breast-milk production. E. atoto  is used in Malaysia
and Indochina to induce a delayed period and as
an abortifacient. Many species of Euphorbia  are
used as arrow poisons.
 QCaution T ake pill-bearing spurge only under
professional supervision.Euphrasia spp. (scrophulariaceae)
Eyebright
Description Creeping semi-parasitic annual
growing to 20 in (50 cm). Has tiny oval leaves and
small scallop-edged white flowers with yellow spots
and a black center, somewhat resembling an eye.
Habitat & Cultivation Common in Europe,
eyebright thrives in meadows and open grassland.
It is gathered in summer when in flower.
Parts Used Aerial parts.
Constituents Eyebright contains iridoid
glycosides (including aucubin), flavonoids, tannins,
lignans, and phenolic acids. Aucubin has antibac -
terial, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic activity.
History & Folklore Eyebright’s use for eye
problems was due in part to the Doctrine of
Signatures, an ancient belief that the way that a
plant looks—its “sign”—indicates the ailments
for which it should be used as a medicine.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Eyebright relieves
inflammation and tightens mucous membranes
and finds specific use in the treatment of
conjunctivitis and blepharitis. Its ability to counter
mucus means that it is often used for infectious
US_202-223_Digitalis_lutea_Iris_versicolor.indd   209 17/03/16   4:01 pm
210
other medicinal plantsEut ErpE  olE rac E a
and allergic conditions affecting the eyes, middle
ear, sinuses, and nasal passages. Eyebright counters liquid mucus, but it should be used guardedly for dry and stuffy congestion, which tends to be made worse by the plant’s astringency.
Self-help Uses Allergic rhinitis with mucus,
p. 300; Conjunctivitis, p. 310; Prevention of nosebleeds, p. 310. Medicinal Actions & Uses Less a medicine
than a nourishing addition to the diet, acai supports vitality and a healthy heart and circulation. Acai  juice has much in common with blueberry and pomegranate (Punica granatum, p. 259) juices— all helping to sustain good health. The Acai palm is the main source of palm hearts, which are eaten worldwide as a vegetable.
Evodia rutaecarpa (Rutaceae)
Evodia,
Wu Zhu Yu (Chinese)
Description Deciduous tree growing to 33 ft
(10 m). Has compound leaves, clusters of white flowers, and greenish-red fruit.
Habitat & Cultivation Native to China,
Tibet, and the eastern Himalayas, evodia is cultivated in China. The partially ripe fruit
is gathered in late summer.
Part Used Fruit.
Constituents Evodia contains the alkaloids
evodine, evodiamine, and rutaecarpine.
History & Folklore Evodia is listed in the
Divine Husbandman’s Classic (Shen’nong Bencaojing) of the 1st century ce.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Evodia has a
marked warming effect on the body, helping to relieve headaches and a wide range of digestive problems. In Chinese herbal medicine, evodia is used mainly for abdominal pains, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and a weak pulse.
Research Chinese studies indicate that
evodia is analgesic and reduces blood pressure.
 QCaution Use evodia only under
professional supervision.during the Crusades (11th and 12th centuries),  or it was brought to Spain by the Arabs several centuries earlier.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Used for a wide
range of circulatory problems, buckwheat is best taken as a tea or tablet, accompanied by vitamin C or lemon juice (Citrus limon, p. 85) to aid absorption. Buckwheat is used particularly to treat fragile capillaries (seen as small bruises with no apparent cause), but also helps strengthen varicose veins and heal chilblains. Often combined with linden flowers (Tilia spp., p. 276), buckwheat is a specific treatment
for hemorrhage into the retina. Buckwheat is also commonly taken in combination with other herbs for high blood pressure.
Related Species Recent research has shown
that the Chinese F. dibotrys and F. cymosum are immunostimulant. They are prescribed for
chronic bronchitis, inflamed gallbladder, and pulmonary abscesses.
Cautions  Interacts with blood-thinning
medication. Do not take as a medicine if taking prescribed anticoagulants.
Self-help Uses High blood pressure &
arteriosclerosis, p. 301; Poor circulation & high blood pressure, p. 319.
Feronia limonia (Rutaceae)
Wood Apple
Description A spiny tree growing to 30 ft
(9 m), it has feathery leaves, red flowers, and round whitish fruit the size of oranges.
Habitat & Cultivation Native to southern
India, wood apple is cultivated in tropical Asia.
Parts Used Fruit, leaves.
Constituents The fruit contains fruit acids,
vitamins, and minerals. The leaves contain tannins and a volatile oil.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Wood apple
fruit is used mainly to stimulate the digestive system. In India, the fruit forms part of a paste applied to tone the breasts. The astringent leaves are used to treat indigestion, flatulence, diarrhea, dysentery (particularly in children), and hemorrhoids. It is traditionally thought to act  as a male contraceptive, although there is limited research to support this.Eyebright, as its
name suggests,
helps eye problems.
Euterpe oleracea (Arecaceae)
Acai
Description A rainforest palm reaching 80 ft
(25 m), with 4–8 slender trunks and pinnate leaves up to 10 ft (3 m) long. The berries (about the size of a grape) hang down in large bunches.
Habitat & Cultivation Found throughout
much of Central America and northern South America, the acai palm is widely grown for its berries and palm hearts.
Parts Used Drupe (the “berries”), seed, root,
palm heart.
Constituents The berries contain high
levels of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins
and proanthocyanidins (as found in other dark purple berries, such as blueberry). They are
strong antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
History & Folklore Acai berries and their juice
are a nutritious part of many Brazilians’ diet. In Brazil and Peru, the crushed seeds (which make up 80% of the berry) are used to treat fever. Traditionally, the essence of the root is extracted to treat conditions such as hepatitis and enlarged prostate.Ferula assa-foetida (Apiaceae)
Asafoetida,
Devil’s Dung
Description Perennial plant growing to about
61⁄2 ft (2 m). Has a fleshy taproot


 Last
See your naturopath before treating any health problem with drugs or surgery!
All chronic diseases, including cancer and autoimmune diseases are associated with a proliferation of pathogenic microbes and
parasites.   Due to antibiotics, steroidal drugs, birth control pills and chem otherapy our natural intestinal bacteria have been severely
damaged, and pathogenic microbes, especially fungi and mycoplasmas, are out of control.
Also, microbes from childhood vaccinations may still be present, and there tend to be infection foci in root-canal treated teeth and
often in scars from surgery. All these greatly weaken our immune system and allow pathogenic microbes to invade the blood and
internal organs. Now we become susceptible to frequent infections and immune disturbances such as autoimmune diseases,
allergies, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
This can only be reversed by keeping fungi and other microbes under control to give the immune system a chance to recover.
Therefore, antimicrobial therapy is essential at the start of a holistic health program. But fungi are very tenacious and have ways to
stay in hiding as spores or protected by bioﬁlms, and when we become careless or stressed, they may try again to invade the blood.
This means we need to continue for a long time with a low-key antimicrobial maintenance program, and step it up periodically, or
whenever we are under prolonged stress or notice any undesirable microbial activity.
INFECTIONS AND IMMUNE SUPPORT
Often casual viral or bacterial infections re-ignite conditions that were previously under control, such as diabetes or autoimmune
diseases. Therefore, whenever there is an acute infection or a ﬂare-up of a chronic problem, it is advisable to take strong
antimicrobial action immediately. Greatly increase the strength and variety of antimicrobial remedies, and in addition use any of the
following measures that seem to be appropriate.
Fever  is a great help in ﬁghting infections by killing heat intolerant germs and strengthening the immune response. Keep it up with
hot baths, hot teas and sweating. Very high temperatures may be reduced with cold packs around the calves, cool baths and blue
light. If the fever is too concerning seek professional help. During an acute infectious disease use mainly a light diet with plenty of raw
food as salads and juices.
Viral infections:  in addition to general antimicrobial methods also use a high intake of vitamin C, selenium and zinc. Take 5 x 2g of
sodium ascorbate or buffered vitamin C, 3 x 15 - 20mg of zinc, 200mcg of selenium, up to 3 x 2g of L-lysine and up to 3 x 200mg of
alpha-lipoic acid. With hepatitis also add silymarin/milk thistle. In life-threatening situations try intra-venous vitamin C in addition to
bowel tolerance vitamin C and high doses of CDH (see below under MMS).
Bladder infections:  Take the simple sugar D-mannose, half to one teaspoon in water every 2 to 3 hours; this eliminates infections
based on E-coli within a few days. If it does not help then try 15 drops of a saturated solution of potassium iodide (SSKI) in a lot of
ﬂuids every 3 to 4 hours for up to several days or alternatively one very high dose of CDH. Recurrent bladder infections tend to be
caused by mycoplasmas and fungi, often lodging inside the bladder wall. Non-acidiﬁed MMS is useful for this, also DMSO with added
Lugol's solution applied over the bladder or 25% DMSO instilled into the bladder with a catheter.
Candida
The most common symptoms are thrush (oral or vaginal), itching and skin infections. As a cause of Leaky Gut Syndrome or when
invading the blood, it devastates the immune system, and causes or aggravates food allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancer,
schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, brain-fog, memory impairment, hype ractivity, autism, menstrual problems,  miscarriage, and most
other diseases.
Dr Shaw has shown that Candida generates organic acids and other chemicals that interfere with the metabolism:
www.greatplainslaboratory.com/articles-1/2015/1 1/13/candida-and-overgrowth-the-problem-bacteria-by-products?rq=Candida.
Acetaldehyde causes mainly the mentioned brain and mental problems, while tartaric acid causes muscle pain and chronic fatigue,
and arabinose cross-linking and vitamin-mineral deﬁciencies (mainly vitamin B6 and zinc). For treatment see Overcoming Candida  at:
www.the-heal-yourself-series.com/Overcoming_Candida.html.
All of the remedies in the Antimicrobial Program are also good fungicides. In addition, fungi may also be controlled by direct contact
with strong alkalizers, such as sodiu m or potassium bicarbonate. Bicarbonate solution is effective for rinsing the mouth, sinuses, or
Home About Diseases Healing the Body Healing Foods Healing the Mind Healing the Emotions Energies Science & Spirituality Spirituality Contact10/30/24, 3:30 PM Health-Science-Spirit - The Ultimate Cleanse
https://health-science-spirit.com/Diseases/The-Ultimate-Cleanse.html 1/7vagina, or as packs over sites of fungal infection and tumours.
Candida in the gastro-intestinal tract and blood can usually be cleared with intestinal sanitation followed by the antimicrobial program
below. However, it may persist in areas with reduced blood supply, such as between toes and under nails, and also as vaginal thrush
or causing endometriosis. In this case, fungicides need to be applied directly to the problem area. Most effective for vaginal thrush
are inserted capsules ﬁlled with borax.
In long-standing and severe conditions Candida tends to protect itself with bioﬁlms - like a mass of fungal strings covered in slimy or
sticky mucus which cannot normally be penetrated by fungicides. This may be overcome by high doses of a strong fungicide such as
20 drops of Lugol's solution, CDH or non-acidiﬁed MMS, which may induce diarrhoea and vomiting of stringy mucus. Topical DMSO
is best to eliminate Candida from inaccessible places, preferably add another fungicide, such as Lugol's solution.
The Spit T est
Start with this simple Spit Test, and if the results are suspicious, do the Saliva Test for Candida  to see if you have a systemic fungu s
problem:
Immediately after rising before you eat or drink anything ﬁll a clear glass with water at room temperature. Spit some saliva into it.
Then check from time to time for up to an hour to see what happens. If Candida is present, you will see one of three things, or a
combination of these.
1. There may be strings like legs extending down into the water from the saliva ﬂoating on top
2.  Cloudy saliva will accumulate at the bottom of the glass
3.  Cloudy bits will remain suspended in the water.
The quicker and stronger the strings grow and the sooner the
saliva sinks, the more Candida is in the sample. If there are no
strings and the saliva is still ﬂoating after one hour, you
probably do not have systemic Candida but may still have a
localized problem in the intestines or the vagina, and you may
still have dysbiosis and infestations of other pathogenic
microbes.
Even after systemic Candidiasis has been eliminated the spit
test may still remain positive because of fungi living within the
mucous membranes of the mouth which may then re-grow in
the night. This may be eliminated by repeatedly swishing
MMS for several minutes in the mouth.
Frequently, especially with Candidia sis, there is a die-of f or Herxheimer reaction during intestinal sanitation or systemic therapy. You
may feel weak and nauseous. In this case temporarily interrupt or reduce the intake of antimicrobials but make special efforts to clean
out your bowels.
Urine therapy
Urine is used in many cultures and is especially effective against disorders of the immune system, including infections, allergies,
autoimmune diseases and others. Urine contains antibodies and immune stimulating factors against all microbes in our body. To
switch off an allergic reaction use urine collected during or after the reaction. Put a few drops of straight or diluted urine under the
tongue and keep it in the mouth for a few minutes.
For the Universal Remedy mix 2 drops of urine and 1 tablespoon of wate r in a small (dropper) bottle by shaking for ten seconds with
a strong downwards movement. Whenever you feel sick put several drops under the tongue every 2 waking hours. Make a new
remedy every week, usually no refrigeration required.
Another method is to dilute a spoonful of morning urine with 5 to 10 times the amount of non-chlorinated water. Shake 20 to 40 times
with a sharp downward stroke. Drink immediately or take a spoonful several times during the day; keep in the mouth for a while
before swallowing. For more information, see: www.health-science-spirit.com/urine.html.
ANTIMICROBIAL  PROGRAM
Systemic antimicrobial therapy involves cleaning the bloodstream, lymph ﬂuid, and internal organs of pathogenic microbes. With
caution even small children can be treated but do not use high doses during pregnancy, if in doubt consult a naturopath.
From the wide range of available antim


 liqu id
dishes a nd soups. In the case of dry vegetable dishes, T arka is
prepared in the pan to which th e vegetables will be added. T arkais prepared by a lways heating oil or ghee in the pan for a few
seconds before adding the spices. I prefer medium heat so the oil
or ghee does not burn. If the dish calls for onions, tomatoes or
ginger, the onions are cooke d first to extract their flavor.
T omatoes and ginger are added next and cooked for the specified
time. In order for the medicinal qualities of the spices to come
though, it is important to cook them in oil or ghee. T o make sure
there is enough ghee or oil for the spices to cook, we general ly
push the  mixture (of onions, tomatoes, or ginger, as the case ma y
be) to one side t o drain the ghee to the center; then we add spic es
to that ghee. W hen the spices splutter or bubble, they are don e
and we can mix them with the rest of the ingredients in the pan
(often tomato, onion, and ginge r) before adding to the main dish,
or b efore adding the vegetables, depending on the recipe. This is
often accompanied by a sizzling sound that signifies the
distribution and  infusion of fla vor into the dish. The resultin g
aromas prepare your body to receive the food and digest it well.
The second technique is Condensation.  This I learned from my
sister in Pune, India. This tech nique is used for dry vegetab le
dishes. The pan is covered with  the lid turned upside down. W e
add a little bit o f water to the lid and the steam and heat from the
pan creates condensation, allow ing the water to be added to th e
dish a few drops  at a time as nee ded, so the vegetables don’ t burn
and they are not watery. A couple of teaspoons of water is
suf ficient.
9. Ghee is  revered in A yurveda due to its neurological and di gestive
qualities i.e. it i s highly beneficial for our nervous system and a little
bit eaten  with the first bite can s toke our digestive fire. Ghee is cooling
and calming. It is great to add a  bit more in W inter months when our
bodies te nd to be dry; a little bit in the Summer months can be c ooling.
It is best to minimize ghee and use only what’ s needed for coo king in
the Spring. Y ou will notice a ra nge given in the recipes that you can
adjust according to your taste an d the season. A little ghee added to a
dish makes it very tasty, so don’ t be afraid to add more.
10. The steps in most of the recipes are the same. W e always sta rt with
oil/ghee in the pan, add the base for T arka, onions, tomatoes andwhatever else is suggested, then add the spices so they splutter a little,
which o nly takes 15-20 seconds. Be careful that you don’ t burn the
spices, but if yo u do, you can start over. If the ingredients aren’ t  ready,
you can always turn the heat of f, or remove the pan from the he at until
the other ingredients are ready.
1 1. Unless o therwise specified, I suggest cooking on medium heat and
turning the burner down a little once all the ingredients have been
added. H igh hea t tends to dry and burn dishes without cooking them. It
is ok ay to start with high heat so the dish can get suf ficient heat for
cooking and then turn the heat down to medium.
12. Most di shes are  served with ric e, chapati or a bread of your choice.
Feel free to eat them alone, and mix and match as you like.
13. Most rec ipes ha ve pictures which I hope will inspire you to en joy the
process of cooking even more!C H A P T E R  1 9R e c i p e s
 B R E A K F A S T
Ener gy Balls
Fruit and Nut Bowl
Savory Chick Pea Pancake (Besan ka Purah)
 L U N C H
Chick Pea Flour and Y ogurt Dish (Karhi Pakora)
Hearty Spiced Chick Peas (Kabuli Cholley)
V egetable Fritters (Pakorah)
 L U N C H  A N D  D I N N E R
Bitter Gourd with Kale (Gheeya)
Bitter Melon (Karela)
Black Chick Peas (Kala Chana)
Cabbage with Potatoes and Peas (Band Ghobi Aloo)
Cranberry, Black Pepper, Cashew Rice
Cumin Basmati Rice (Jeera Chawal)
Eggplant with Peas (Bharta)
Ginger Soup (Adarak ki T ari)
Green Lentil Soup with Celery (Sabut Mungi ki Daal)
Homemade Cheese and Pea Curry (Mutter Paneer)
Indian Flat Bread (Chapati)
Lentil and Rice Soup (Khicharhi)
Okra (Bhindi)Rapini and Broccoli Saag (Sarsaun Ka Saag)
Rice with V egetables and Nuts
Spiced Mixed V egetables (Sabji)
Spinach with Lentils (Daal Paalak)
Spring Black Eyed Pea Salad
Stove T op Acorn Squash (Kaddu)
T urmeric Pasta with Pan-Grilled V egetables
T urnips and Spinach (Paalak Shalgum)
Y ellow Lentils (Moongi ki Daal)
 S W E E T S
Chick Pea Burfi
Ener gy Balls
Four C’ s Pudding
Smart Cookies
T apioca, Chia, Hemp Seed Pudding
 C H U T N E Y S
Coconut Chutney (Nariyal Chutney)
Mint Chutney (Pudeene Ki Chutney)
Raisin Date Chutney
T amarind Sweet and Sour Chutney (Imlee Ki Chutney)
 H O T  B E V E R A G E S
Almond Date Shake
Spiced T ea (Masala Chai)
Golden Milk (Haldi ka Dhoodh)A L M O N D  D A T E  S H A K E
A nourishing treat! Great for winter mornings or winter nights. Soothing
and comforting!
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves 2
M a i n  I n g r e d i e n t s
2 dates
10 almonds
2 cups of milk *
H e r b s / S p i c e s
A sprinkle of cardamom powder
A few strands of saf fron
O i l / G h e e–
K i t c h e n  G e a r
2 Small bowls
Medium pot
Blender
* can substitute with milk of your choice
D i r e c t i o n s
1. Soak da tes and almonds in sepa rate bowls overnight in water (soaking
makes them easier to blend).
2. Peel the almonds (and dates, if necessary: they may have a thick peel
that you can remove), and remove the pits from the dates.
3. Boil milk.
4. Add the almonds and dates to blender with half the milk. Blend until
the i ngredients are puréed. (Add ing only half the milk ensures that the
almonds and dates puréed well.)
5. Add the rest of the milk to the blender and give it another quick buzz.
6. Pour into cups, then garnish with cardamom powder and saf fron
threads.
Enjoy!B I T T E R  G O U R D  W I T H  K A L E  ( G H E E Y A )
A light and slightly bitter dish, great for spring and summer meals.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
M a i n  I n g r e d i e n t s
1 bitter gourd or zucchini
2 cups water
4 stalks of kale
1 teaspoon shredded ginger
H e r b s / S p i c e s
½-1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon spice mix *
O i l / G h e e2-3 tablespoons of ghee *  or coconut oil
K i t c h e n  G e a r
Medium pan with lid
* recipe in Chapter 16
D i r e c t i o n s
1. Peel the bitter gourd, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the soft middle,
and then cut it in small pieces. If you are using zucchini, chop in half
rounds that are about an inch thick.
2. Put ghee  in the pan and heat on  medium for 15 seconds. Add  ginger
and spices and cook for another 15 seconds.
3. Put gourd or zuc chini in the pan, mix it with the spices and add 2 cups
of water.
4. Cover the pot and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. The gourd is c ooked when it darkens in color. If you are  using
zucchini, you may need to cook it


 the Alps, commuting to work, or baking an apple
pie, so the face  of experience is constantly changing. But at  bottom
every experience is the same thing—a conscious event. If you make
the mistake of rooting your e xperiences in the physical world, you
cannot wake up from the spell/dream/illusion, because the
physical world is  the spell/dream/illusion.
E x p e r i e n c i n g  t h e  W o r l d
The on ly way to break the spell is to reverse the no rmal
explanation of how things work. By this I mean putting the
experience  first. The normal explanation is to put things  first,
which m akes common sense.  Didn’t the stars exist before we came
along to gaze at them in the night sky? Without the Earth, which
existed in a primordial state before life began, we wouldn’t be
here. Or so common sense dictates.Reversing the explanation makes just as much sense, however.
Let’s sa y it is morning, and you’re reading with a cup o f coffee
beside y ou. A “cup of coffee” can mean a physical object f ixed, for
the moment, in time and space. I’ve put “cup of coffee” in
quotation mar ks because you are actually relating to a so-called
object. I n reality, you are exp eriencing a fusion of sensations. Your
eyes see color, light, and sh ade, which you perceive as the cup.
Your nose detects the coffee’s  aroma, your hand feels the warmth
of the coffee in the cup, your tongue its taste.
Take away all t hese experiences and what happens? There  is no
cup of coffee. This is a simpl e, logical conclusion, but if y ou want
to reinforce the spell/dream/illusion, this conclusion is
outrageous. A cup of coffee is  simply there, standing in spa ce-time
as a physical th ing. We’ll leave aside the quantum explanation that
dissolves phys ical things, including the entire universe, into
invisible virtual states. Our goal is different here. The reason for
making a cup of coffee vanish  isn’t to prove that it was nev er there.
The rea son is to put experienc e first. What we call a tree, a  cloud, a
mountain, a star, or a cup of  coffee exists only  a s an experience.
Once you accept this fact, the path to metahuman is free and clear.
It does little g ood, however, to shrug your shoulders and say,
“All righ t, I accept.” The words are hollow unless there is a n “aha,”
and you get th e point. Experience is how we know anything. If
there is a reali ty beyond human awareness, by definition  we will
never know it. Much news  has been made in contem porary
physics by “dark” matter and energy (which Menas Kafatos and I
discuss at length in You Are the Universe ). W hat makes some
energy and matter dark, if s ome theories are right, is that they
exist outside the boundaries of the physical universe. In the dark
domain, there may be “stuff” that isn’t atomic in origin, doesn’t
emit photons and electrons,  and perhaps has no relationship to
our version of space and time.
Let’s sa y that all these conje ctures are true (there is a chance
they ar en’t, but we won’t go into the technical reasons for that
here). W ouldn’t dark matter and energy, being totally alien to
human experience, having nothing in common with the “stuff”
that con stitutes the human brain, qualify as real but impossible to
experience? For that matter, no one can experience the big bang,because it preceded atoms an d molecules. No one can dive into a
black hole to experience it,  since the extreme gravity in and
around a black hole disintegrates matter and tears all o rdinary
“stuff” apart, including time and space.
For any one who accepts the universe as it appears, pu tting
experience first sounds nonsensical—but it isn’t. Dark matter and
energy are known through experience, as are the big bang, black
holes, and all the other exotica of physics. In all these cases, the
experience is indirect, formulated in mathematical equati ons, the
collection of traces of fleeting subatomic particles, and the data
received by radio telescopes  and the like. But no matter how
indirect, it is still an experience. So meone has to see something, if
only a sheet o f paper filled with numbers. Someone has  to hear
another scientist talking or read her words. The fact that even the
most exotic science is occurring as conscious experience is
undeniable. It levels the playing field with everyday experience,
because a first-grader learn ing his ABCs is having the same
experience as a physicist re ading a journal article on q uantum
gravity.
As a specific  species of consciousness, Homo sapiens
constructed its version of reality from everyday experiences and
built everything up from there. We humanized virtual reality
according to our experiences. A hot rock in the desert su n that a
lizard finds comfortable burns our skin. The darkest midnight
frightens us but makes bats feel right at home, just as s hivering
heights are perfect nesting places for eagles and the ocean is
breathable to fish.
But we are not  fated to be imprisoned in our experiences. We
shape and mold them with ex traordinary freedom. The body looks
like a fixed ob ject, but we ca n starve it or fatten it up, build its
muscles or let them go to flab. The question is just how malleable
the whole “thingness” of thin gs really is. I think of it as a kind of
thawing proce ss. When ice jams break up in spring, th ey don’t
thaw immediately. There is a transition from a frozen river to a
flowing one. The same is tru e of how we experience the physical
world. I nstead of being one b ig, frozen block, it is reducib le to the
tiniest experie nces, like a rock cliff reduced over time by the
pounding sea to fine grains of sand. The five senses are exquisitelyattuned to fleeting, transient events. I had kept in the back of my
mind a small but impressive finding, that the human retina can
detect a  single photon of ligh t, but recently this isolated piece of
data was expanded in quite a startling way.
T h e  Q u a n t u m  B e c o m e s  H u m a n
Without achiev ing widesprea d popular attention through mass
media, researc h has verified t hat at least four of the five se nses are
actually capable of experien cing the quantum domain directly,
without the use of sophisticated scientific instruments. The basic
findings, which come from leading university laboratories, can be
briefly summarized.
SIGHT :  Th e human e ye, as just mentioned, can detect a single
photon. This is the smallest unit of light in the universe, and our
ability to detect a photon has inspired researchers to explore
whether they can probe the quantum world with the naked eye.
HEARING:  Th e inner e ar is so sensitive that it can detect
vibrations less than the diameter of an atom. It can distinguish
sounds that are only ten millionths of a second apart.
SMELL:  It was previously estimated that the human olfactory
system could detect ten thousand distinct smells, but the latest
research suggests that smell is a quantum sense that can
distinguish a trillion different inputs.
T OUCH:  We can detect  tactile sensations down to one billionth of
a meter.
T ASTE:  Thi s sense has n’t been traced to the quantum level, but it
is a lready known that the h uman tongue detects the five tastes
(sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami, or savory) at the molecularlevel. Taste requires smell to distinguish at a finer level, so even
taste, when combined with smell, is involved in quantum
detection.
Why did evolution give us this micro-sensitivity? To answer
this que stion, you have to ap preciate the enormous leap that the
new res earch h as taken. Previously, the five senses were thought
to o perate on the molecular l evel, like taste. To tell the di fference
between salty and sweet, for example, the receptors in your taste
buds are designed to latch o n to the specific molecule of each.
Physically, the  accepted view has been that we interact with the
world through a myriad of similar receptors on the outer
membrane of cells. These receptors have been described as
keyholes into which very specific molecules (the keys) fit. To smell
a rose, for example, molecules of its scent drift through the air and
fit i nto the receptors of olfa ctory cells in the nose. Beca use this
process occurs at the molecular level, even primitive organisms
are physically micro-sensitive.
The mo st ancient sense is touch, which evolved in single-c elled
organisms that respond to being touched, like the amoeba, as well
as some  plants; the Venus flytrap closes its jawlike