In Chin ese med ical therapy acupuncture-moxibustion, Interna l Medicine
(therapeutic use of medicinal substances), dietetics, massage and remedial
exercises are utilized as the pr inciple modalities. All these modalities share a
common theoret ical foundation and if required, can be applied in combination.
Sur gery is used sometimes when all else fails. The venerated physician Hua T uo
who live d in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D.) is cred ited for his great
sur gical skill and promoted the use of Indian hemp anesthesia. It was unfortunate,
however, that after the era of Hua T uo, sur gery was lar gely neglected until
modern times.
Diet and  the usage of medicinal substances from plant, animal and mineral
kingdoms depended upon the or ganizational models of Y in-Y ang and the Five
Element theories. Specifically, substances were classified by temperature, i.e.
cold, coo l, warm  and hot; by taste, which is broken down into sour, bitter, sweet,
pungent and salty; by direction of action, which indicates whet her the substancehas a n a scending, descending, fl oating or sinking tendency; and by the Or gan and
Meridian they af fect.
In Intern al Medicine and pharmacology the four divisions of a medicinal
substance’ s tem perature relate to the thermal ef fect it has upon the body. For
example, skullcap root and chrysanthemum flowers are known to be cold in
nature a nd therefore useful in t reating fevers; while cinnamon bark and ginger
root being hot, w arm the body w hen chilled. In terms of Y in and Y ang theory the
hot and warm temperatures are Y ang  in nature, while cold and cool temperatures
are Y in.
The five tastes are each representative of one of the Five Elements as
follows, W ood.sour, Fire:bitter, Earth:sweet, Metal:pungent and W atensalty. In
addition, some substances are classified as being bland or lacking in flavor. These
are grouped with the sweet taste. In general sweet, bland and pungent are
considered to be Y ang in ef fect; while sour, bitter and salty have a Y in ef fect.
Specifically the tastes are associated with certain actions and ef fects on the Qi.
Sourness has an astringent actio n; it arrests dischar ge, promotes digestion
and has an overall concentrating  ef fect on the Qi. Hawthorne berries and lemons
are examples of plants with a sour taste.
Bitterness is considered to be eliminative, anti-inflammatory and
detoxifying in action, with the  ef fect of dischar ging Qi dow nward. Mugwort
leaves, rhubarb root and cascara bark may be cited as examples of bitter taste.
Sweetness and those substances that are bland in taste have a nourishing,
harmonizing an d tonic action, while tending to slow down the flow of Qi.
Licorice root and dates are predominately of the sweet taste.
Pungency or spiciness have bot h a stimulating and dispersing action that
raises and quickens the pace of Qi. Ginger root, prepared aconite root and
peppers are noted for their pungent taste.
Saltiness has a softening and moistening action, with the ef fect of
dissolving Qi that has become congealed as, for example, in hard abdominal
masses. Most forms of seaweed typically possess a salty taste.
T o understand a substance comprehensively both temperature and taste
must be  taken into account toge ther. For example, if two plants  are both hot but
possess dif ferent flavors (such as pungent and bitter), their actions will be
dif ferent in the body. Also substances are recognized to have particular af finities
to ce rtain specific Or gans and M eridians; these associations ar e usually derived
from empirical experience.Generally the direction of action is in harmony with a substance’ s taste and
temperature acco rding to their re lationship with Y in or Y ang. This is summarized
below:
The ascending and descending tendencies refer explicitly to a substance’ s
ef fect on  redirec ting the Qi eith er upwards or downwards. Floating has the main
ef fect of dispersing the Qi outward to dispel external Pernicious Influences.
Sinking has a co ncentrating ef fe ct on the Qi, moving it inward and downwards;
this being specifically useful in promoting mental tranquillity. In the most general
sense, su bstances are used therapeutically to counteract the nature of the illness.
Thus Y i n sympt om patterns are treated with substances that h ave a Y ang taste,
temperature and direction of action, and vice versa for Y ang diseases.
Historically the configuration of a plant or mineral has also be en used in
Chinese medicin e to determine its appropriate use. Configuratio n refers to shape,
texture, color, moisture and its n atural environmental origins. A  good example of
this con cept is the ginseng root  that is shaped similar to the h uman body, with
head, arms and legs. This plant  is native to cold, mountainous  regions of north
China a nd Kore a. It has a long growth cycle that takes about 7 years to reach
maturity. Ginseng is said to be an excellent tonic that nourishe s and warms the
whole body, and also promotes longevity. In fact, the Chinese characters for
ginseng (or ren shen in pinyin) literally mean “man root".
A unique feature of Internal Medicine is the highly evolved art of
formulation. A physician is not only required to know the individual substances,
but also the strategies of treatment and most importantly the complex ways in
which medicina l substances combine and interact therapeutic ally. Specifically
there are 8 gen eral strategies of treatment and around 20 types of formula
categories to select from.
The traditional strategies of treatment in Internal Medicine include:
sweating, vomiting, clearing, d raining, harmonizing, warming, reducing, and
tonifying. Each strategy focuses on dif ferent key causes to ill health, principally:
sweating is utilized to dispel invading Pernicious Influenc es; vomiting is
ef fective in excess toxic conditions in the upper digestive tract; clearing refers to
loosening and de-congesting the Blood, Qi or Fluids; draining is useful to pur gethe lar ge intestine of accumulation; harmonizing denotes restoring balance
amongst the malfunctioning Or gans; warming dispels coldness and strengthens
the Y an g; reducing refers to lowering the body’ s temperature when there is
excess heat; and lastly, tonifyin g is used to build up the defici ent conditions of
Y in, Y ang, Blood or Qi.
The form ula categories are extensions of these treatment strategies and
broadly or ganiz e the formulas according to their clinical pr esentation. Each
formula or prescription will normally contain four classes of ingredients arranged
in a hierarchica l fashion, being referred to as the chief, deputy, assistant and
envoy. The chief is the principal ingredient, specific to the patient’ s pattern or
illness and thus indispensable to the formula. The deputy either acts to strengthen
the principal ingredient’ s ef fect or serves as the main ingredient directed against a
co-existing pattern. The assistant helps to reinforce the ef fect of the chief and
deputy i ngredients or treats secondary manifestations of the disease pattern, or
contains ingredi ents that check the toxic side ef fects of the oth er ingredients in
the formula. The envoy direc ts the above to their appropriate site and/or
harmonizes the various actions of the other ingredients.
Not all formula s contain the f ull hierarchy of ingredients, while others
contain a number of ingredient s in each class within the hierarchy. There are
hundreds of formulas of both classical and modern origins in use today. Ideally
each formula is tailored to meet the needs of a particular patient’ s condition,
although pre-made standardized formulas are now readily available. These
combinations of  medicines have a syner getic ef fect that is dif ferent from the sum
total of its ingredients. The medicines are administered in a wide variety of
forms: decoction, pills, powders, plasters, medicinal wines and syrups.
Acupuncture and  massage therapy are considered more of a Y an g, external
form of therapy. The focus of these therapies is to remove blockages (especially
of Qi) in the M eridian System  so that Y in-Y ang, Substances and Or gans can
communicate an d function harmoniously. This idea is express ed in the axiom
found in  the Inner Classic:  “Where there is communication there is no pain;
where th ere is pain, communication is obstructed.” “Pain” here includes both
somatic and emotional suf ferin g. Acupuncture is not only ef fe ctive for painful
syndromes, but  also for all sort of illnesses like chronic indigestion or
gastrointestinal ulcers; menstrual problems; musculoskeletal co mplaints such as
lower b ack pain and tendinitis; mental depression and emotional disorders;
hearing loss; asthma; viral illne sses, such as chronic fatigue syndrome and viral
hepatitis; and so on.Acupuncture is the method of applying delicate


liver pâ té and terrines, or with duck, goose, pork or sausages. It
complements roasted chicken a nd vegetables. I often serve individual pots
of it with a cheese and fruit plate after a meal. It can be brought out at
breakfast or served with egg puddings and frittatas.
o n i o n  a n d  f e n n e l  s o u p
Of a ll th e soups  you might mak e ahead and fr eeze, I think this is the most
versatile. Fr eezi ng softens the te xtur e and mellows the flavours. I find that I
turn to this as a base and use it as a stock for other soup r ecipes. Of course,
when I want to make Fr ench onion soup, all I need do is tha w, top with
garlic to asts and lots of shr edd ed mozzar ella and Parmesan cheese, and
heat in the oven for a hearty lunch or light dinner.MAKES 12 CUPS (3 L)
4 tbsp (50 mL) olive oil, divided
2 cups (500 mL) chopped fennel bulb
6 large yellow or white onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
5 cups (1.25 L) chicken br oth
1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine
2 tbsp (25 mL) balsamic vinegar sea salt and fr eshly gr ound pepper

1. In a Maslin pan or canning kettle, heat 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the olive oil
over medium heat. Add fennel and cook, stirring, for a minute to soften
slightly Add onions and garlic and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring
frequently for 15 to 20 minute s, adding more oil as needed to keep the
vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
2. A dd c hicken b roth, wine and balsamic vinegar. Increase heat and bring to
a b oil, stirring frequently Lower  heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for
7 to  10 minutes, stirring occasionally Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Let cool.
3. Pack into quart (1 L) containers, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) headspace.
Remove air, label and seal. Freeze for up to 9 months.

F r e e z i n g  O n i o n s
Because of the year -round ava ilability of fresh onions and th eir superior
quality i n cooking, I do not recommend freezing them. Howe ver, onions
can be the key ingredients in fro zen dishes such as soups. Use dry storage-
type onions for recipes that will be frozen.P a r s n i p s
AS ALL MARKET GARDENERS KNOW,  the very best time to
preserve and cook with parsnips (Pastinaca sativa)  is in the fall, after
several w eeks of frost, because the starch in the root is changed  into sugar,
making them sweet and delicious. Once a vegetable of the very poor in
Europe, tapered root varieties cultivated in North America are sweet with
smooth, light skin and white flesh.
Good Pr eserving V arieties
Some parsnip varieties (e.g., White Gem)  are short and s tubby and not as
easy to use whole for pickles, but they do slice easily into matchsticks.
Examples of long, slender, fine-skinned varieties are:
Gladiator:  Long, tapering; white skin and flesh.
Hollow Cr own:  Long and tapered; relatively free of hair -like side roots.
Lancer:  A hardy  variety  with sweet, sm ooth-skinned, uniform colour; v ery
slender, which makes them excellent for pickles.
T ender and T rue:  Long, smooth-skinned roots; traditional yellow-white.
P u r c h a s i n g / S t o r i n g
1 lb (500 g) yields 2 cups (500 mL) chopped parsnips.
Y ou will need 1-1/2 lb (750 g) for each 1-quart (1 L) jar.
Select sm all, thi n, smooth parsnips without blemishes. It is bes t if the tops
are intact. A void lar ge, woody roots because they will be  tough andtasteless. Y ou can store parsnips unwashed, with tops removed, for up to 3
weeks, but it is best to preserve them as soon as possible after harvesting.
Good W ith
Herbs such as p arsley, basil, bay, thyme, sage, chervil, dill,
chives.
Sweet se asonings such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg,
mace, cumin, coriander, curry blends.
Other vegetables, such as garlic, onions, carrots, rutabaga,
turnips, cabbage, peas, tomatoes.
Dried fruit such as raisins, currants, apricots.
Meat and vegetable soups and stews, giving them a sweet
note.
Pr eparation
Immerse parsnip s in a basin of c ool water to which a drop of food-safe soap
has been added. Scrub, rinse and drain. Pat dry. Blanch whole or cut
parsnips in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes. Lift out and plunge into cold
water. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Shred, s lice or dice
parsnips or cut into uniform sticks.
Canning Parsnips
Canning tends to turn parsnips bitter, so pickles, jam or marmalades are
best, along with freezing blanched or puréed parsnips.
Fr eezing Parsnips
1. Select Equipment:  Se lect suitable-size freezer c ontainers, bags or
Mason jars ( Freezing ).
2. Blanch and cut parsnips as dir ected above.  Pac k into containers,
leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) headspace. Remove air, label and seal. Freeze for
up to 9 months.c i n n a m o n - s c e n t e d  p a r s n i p  p e a r  j a m
The cinn amon c omplements the sweetness of the parsnips in this quick jam,
and the pear adds dimension. Y ou can have this cooling in the jars in less
than 1-1/2 hours, and no one w ill guess that you made it with parsnips. If
you want to ma ke this for you r family because you like the thought of
serving parsnips in a completely differ ent way (one that doesn’ t involve
turned-up noses), but if the tho ught of all that sugar is daunting, you can
use “no sugar” pectin. My advice would be to use a small amount of sugar
(follow the instructions with the package) rather than an artificial
sweetener.
MAKES 8 CUPS (2 L)
2 cups (500 mL) chopped blanched parsnips
2 cups (500 mL) chopped ripe pears
1/3 cup (75 mL) fr eshly squeezed lemon juice
8 cups (2 L) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) gr ound cinnamon
1 pouch (3 oz/85 mL) liquid pectin
8 cinnamon stick pieces, each 1 inch (2.5 cm), optional
1. Heat eight 1-c up (250 mL) ja rs in boiling water, and scald the lids, lifter,
funnel and tongs ( Boiling W ater Method, Step by Step ).
2. In  a Maslin p an or canning k ettle, combine parsnips, pears, lemon juice,
sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring
constantly Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
3. Sk im of f and discard any foam. Fill hot jars to the halfway point with the
hot jam.  Slide a cinnamon stick  down the side of the jar, if using. Fill jar,
leaving a 1/4-inch (5 mm) he adspace. Run a thin non-metallic utensil
around the inside of the jar to allow air to escape. Add jam, if necessary to
leave a 1/4-inch (5 mm) headsp ace. W ipe rims, top with flat lids and screw
on metal rings. R eturn jars to th e hot water bath, topping up with hot waterif neces sary Bri ng to a full rolling boil and process jars for 10 minutes
( Boiling W ater Method, Step by Step ).
4. Remo ve cann er lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars t o a towel or
rack to cool completely Check seals, label and store in a cool place for up to
1 year.
Use: I like to th in this jam with  a little orange juice and use i t as a glaze
for carrots and even for brai sed or steamed parsnips. The low-sugar
version makes a good condiment for cheese platters and meat dishes.
f r o z e n  m o r o c c a n  p a r s n i p  p u r é e
I thi nk t he idea of vegetable purée is so sophisticated—they ar e popular


 does not impactiron absorption which implies that it is much lower in the potent plant toxins found in grains and
beans. Traditional societies shred coconut and usually cook it. This is not the same as commercially
sold coconut flour. Coconut meal is a less powdered form of coconut flour. Coconut flour is made
from the byproduct of coconut milk or coconut oil production. Coconut meal is usually used as animal
feed. Even as an animal feed, its low protein digestibility causes pigs not to grow fully when it is
used as a protein supplement.
7c
 It contains twice the fiber of the bran of grains. Because of the phytic
acid content of coconut flour, consuming it regularly may affect your calcium / phosphorous
metabolism. If you do consume coconut flour, make sure to have plenty of the vitamins and minerals
that protect against phytic acid. Again, these are calcium, vitamin C, and fat-soluble vitamins A and
D.
Nut Suggestions
Nuts in moderation should not be a problem for most people with minor cavities. If you have
severe tooth cavities, or have some nagging cavities that do not heal, consider avoiding nuts entirely
until the problem resolves.
Basic Guidelines

Avoid commercially produced nut butters.
Moderate the amount of nuts you eat; do not make them your staple food.
Make sure to have plenty of food-based vitamin C, or calcium-rich foods with your nuts, such as
roasted and skinless almonds with cheese.
Be careful with almonds; they seem to be very high in plant toxins. The skins must be removed.
Additional Intermediate Guidelines

Only consume nuts, and nut butters made from them, that are soaked and dehydrated.
Advanced Nut Guidelines

Roast nuts and use them for cooking, particularly with meat-based soups and stews.
Extract the oil from freshly roasted nuts.
Or, avoid nuts entirely.Trace Minerals Repair Cavities
The subject of trace minerals can get rather sticky since the utilization and balance of every
mineral in our body is connected to all the other minerals in our body. I am not aware of any
recognized minerals that are not important for our teeth. Minerals left out of the discussion here are
still important. We have discussed the two essential minerals to remineralize teeth, calcium and
phosphorus. Dentist and researcher Ralph Steinman recognized that magnesium, copper, iron, and
manganese could all significantly influence tooth decay.
Iron
 deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in both less-developed
as well as industrialized countries worldwide.
8c
 This deficiency is explained by the iron binding
effects of phytic acid from grains and beans.
Iron Content of Some Foods
Food
 (100 gram servings, about 3.5 ounces)
Iron in Milligrams
beef / lamb spleen
45
duck / goose liver
31
clams
12
caviar
12
lamb kidneys
12
chicken / turkey liver
12
sun dried tomatoes
9
potatoes
7
parsley, raw
6
beef liver
5
In general mollusks and organ meats are high in iron. Certain herbs like nettles are said to be
high in iron. People eating diets containing grains are going to be much more susceptible to iron
deficiencies due to the iron-binding qualities of phytic acid. Interestingly enough, cocoa powder is
high in iron and copper. This may explain people’s addiction to chocolate, in particular people who
do not eat meat.
Copper
 supports iron utilization in your body. Copper is the glue that holds tooth and bone
together.
9c
 Liver and mollusks are high in copper. Mushrooms have small amounts of copper.
Vitamins B 12 and folic acid
 work together to help iron function properly in your body. Green
leafy vegetables that are high in folate include asparagus, seaweed, spinach and okra. Animal sources
of folate are clams, livers from a variety of animals, octopus, poultry giblets, kidneys, fish eggs and
fish. I have found liver to be an almost magical cure for tooth decay. It is also a well known solution
for anemia. Liver can be consumed cooked, seared or raw.
Zinc
is necessary to produce enzymes and aids in controlling our blood sugar levels. Typically
the factors inhibiting iron absorption such as phytic acid often have an even more pronounced
negative effect on zinc absorption. Oysters are very high in zinc, with lesser amounts found in liver,
red meats (beef, bison and lamb), shellfish, and turkey.
Manganese
helps control blood sugar levels and aids in tooth mineralization.
10c
 Mussels, nuts,
sweet potato, liver, kidney, blueberries, pineapple, and green and black tea, are more concentrated intheir manganese content than other foods. Somewhat smaller amounts of manganese are present in
most vegetables, berries, beans and sea foods. Phytic acid inhibits the absorption of manganese.
Iodine
is helpful for fat metabolism and is found in sea foods, sea weeds, fish broth, butter,
pineapple, artichokes, asparagus and dark green vegetables.
Liver Stops Cavities
Liver helps your body live. It contains nearly every vitamin and mineral needed to build healthy
teeth and bones except for fat-soluble vitamin D, magnesium and calcium.Do Multi-Vitamins Fight Tooth Decay?
Synthetic vitamins, and foods with synthetic vitamins added, offer little real benefit to your
body. Synthetic vitamins are made with cheap substances and are not in a biochemical form that is
easily absorbed by your body. As a result, most supplemental vitamins do little good and put quite a
bit of internal stress on our organs. There is a reason why nature provides us with plant and animal
food, and that we cannot live just by eating dirt or rocks. Our bodies view the synthetic vitamins as
toxic substances that need to be rapidly eliminated. Hence the unusual odor or color of urine you may
notice after consuming multi-vitamins. However when someone is very deficient in certain vitamins,
even low quality vitamins can help. A stalk of celery or a serving of greens has more absorbable
vitamins and minerals than a bottle of synthetic vitamin tablets.
There are a handful of good vitamin supplements on the market. They will be made from whole
foods. This keeps vitamins in a form that is recognizable and absorbable by your body. If you need to
use a vitamin supplement, I recommend looking for a vitamin that does not have any type of sugar
added, and a vitamin made as close to nature as possible using plants or herbs. Standard Process®
makes many food-based nutritional supplements. They are generally not sold to the public but are
available through many health care practitioners, particularly chiropractors and naturopathic doctors.
One product from Standard Process® is called Bio-dent®. The ingredients include bovine adrenal,
bovine spleen, bone meal and calcium lactate. I have seen amazing results with this vitamin, but
unfortunately not everyone gets excellent results with it.
There are other trace mineral supplements from the land and the sea. One example is shilajit
which is an asphalt-like, mineral-rich pitch, or tar. Fulvic mineral deposits are from plant life that has
been broken down millions of years ago. Consult with your health care practitioner to discover if
these are right for you.Soy Products
A friend of mine thought eating large portions of tofu was a good idea. In a short time her hair
began falling out and her skin turned pale. Soy contains plant hormones that need to be disabled
through a careful fermentation process, which tofu does not undergo. High levels of phytic acid in soy
reduce the assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not
neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting, and long, slow cooking. High
phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
12c
 Fermented soy products, such as special
fermented soy drinks (not available in the store), natural soy sauce, miso and tempeh can be
acceptable. However, use fermented soy with care and awareness.
Fake Milks
Soy milk
 contains enzyme inhibitors and excess estrogen. I have read of a fermented soy drink
that can cure cancer, but this is not the same as the cheap, denatured, anti-nutrient-rich and overly
processed soy products sold in grocery stores.
Store-bought
rice milk
 and other nut milks may contain large amounts of grain and nut anti-
nutrients like phytic acid. Although it may not say it on the label, rice bran may be the main ingredient
of some rice milks.
Nut and seed milks
 may also contain high concentrations of plant toxins. Nuts are highly prized
by native groups for their oils, and can be made at home. Yet homemade milks may contain highly
potent anti-nutrients or plant toxins if they are not thoroughly cooked.
If you are a rice milk or nut milk lover, make it at home yourself. Use recipes that use cooked
ingredients, or involve heating or fermentation. Do not settle for cheap imitations.Nightshades
Tomatoes, potatoes (but not sweet potatoes or yams), eggplant, goji berries, and peppers of
every sort fall into the nightshade category. Nightshades contain calcitrol. The amount of calcitrol
varies for each particular nightshade. Calcitrol is a hormone that signals our body to use calcium from
our diet and it can easily lead to too much blood calcium,
13c
 thus calcitrol can imbalance our calcium
to phosphorous blood ratio. This can easily lead to tooth decay.
14c
 Symptoms of too much blood
calcium can include tooth decay


 the skin and hair. An excellent diuretic salad may
be made by combining cabbage and onions — finely sliced — with crushed raw
garlic, parsley, and herbs like sage, cumin, and juniper berries, if available. Cover this
mixture with very hot RO filtered water or distilled water and place a lid over it for 10
minutes. Drain the mixture (the liquid is good to save for soup bases, grains, etc.) and
97
Winning The Cancer War
squeeze a lemon over it. It can be eaten as is or refrigerated first. It can also be mixed
with other salads.
In extreme fluid retention, one's physician may prescribe a diuretic drug, which is
permissible, and the doctor w ill normally increase the intake of potassium to
compensate for its loss due to the drug.
In kidney disease the protein intake should be limited and extra vitamins and
minerals taken.
Cleansing The Lungs
Life is dependent upon the adequate exchanges of gases in the lungs. The most
significant are the removal of carbonic acid and the flow of oxygen into the blood.
The lungs give off many other gaseous wastes. Sometimes before, but more frequently
after the start of Metabolic Medicine's Cancer Cure Program the patient or those close
to him or her may notice a foul odor on the breath. No amount of toothpaste or
mouthwash will remove it for long, since it comes from the bloodstream. One can be
assured, however, that this is only a phase and that the poisons are leaving the body.
If there is excessive accumulation of mucus in the nostrils and/or bronchial system,
this inhibits the detoxification functions of the lungs. Mucus-forming food should be
avoided if mucus is a problem. These are principally dairy products, with the
exception of butter and cream, and baked flour products. Anti-mucus foods such as
raw onions and garlic, cayenne pepper, freshly ground black pepper, fresh ginger,
and horseradish should be eaten liberally.
Cleansing The Skin
Most people overlook the skin as an organ of detoxification. But it is sometimes
called "the third kidney," since many of its functions in fluid and electrolyte balance
are similar to those of the kidneys. When great amounts of poisons flood the body, all
systems are overloaded and this function of the skin is sorely needed. As the skin is
utilized, all sorts of eruptions, odors, colors, and blemishes may appear. These
conditions will disappear as the body becomes purified.
One can quickly assess the relative efficiency of elimination through the skin by
looking at his iris (the colored portion of the eye). The skin is represented by the
outermost part of the iris. If it is very dark and dense, the condition is called a "scurf
rim" in iridology, and it means that the skin is relatively blocked as an organ of
elimination. To open it up, skin brushing before a shower and vigorous use of a
loofah sponge in the shower are recommended. A good quality vegetable-bristle, skin
98
Winning The Cancer War
brush should be purchased from the health food store or pharmacy. One should
brush up the front of the body and down the back, over all exposed skin surfaces,
until a warm glow is felt. Then one should take a warm shower and rub briskly with a
loofah sponge (available in most health food stores) to remove the layers of dead skin
loosened by the brushing. (We have found it best to take a hot shower each morning.)
Castile or other pure soap should be used — but in a minimal amount, since heavy
soaping w ill wash all the valuable skin oils off and can cause the skin to overproduce
oil in order to compensate. The hair should be shampooed frequently with a non
chemical soap or shampoo, which can be found in health food stores.
At the end of the shower, one should turn the water to cool, then to warm. As one
becomes accustomed to the temperature change, he or she may go from hot to cold
and back several times. This exercises the tiny muscles in the skin, which control
dilation and contraction of the pores. As they become stronger, they can respond
better to the physiological demands of the body.
After the shower, one can sit in a tub of water with a cup of apple cider vinegar
added, to restore and strengthen the acid mantle of the skin. Afterward, the body
should be dried and rubbed briskly with a towel until a warm glow is felt.
Epsom salt baths may also be used to help draw toxins out of the skin. These baths
are especially beneficial if one is going through a "healing crisis" and is especially
toxic and feeling bad. Such a bath works best after the skin brushing and use of a
loofah sponge. A tub is filled with warm to hot water and 4 or more cups of Epsom
salt are dissolved in it. This bath is quite relaxing and good for tense, sore muscles,
and may be taken as often as needed.
Every fourth night the cancer patient should be rubbed from head to toe with a
mixture of olive oil and castor oil in equal parts. Then a hot soaking bath should be
taken for 15 minutes to allow the oil to penetrate. This is followed by going to bed
under heavy covers for about one hour to sweat the poisons out. Then a cleansing
shower is taken. This may be discontinued after three months.
Irrigating the Nostrils
Salt-water irrigation of the nostrils is very helpful with nasal mucus and sinus
congestion alike. If one cannot breathe through the nose, he or she is bypassing a
crucial filtering mechanism which warms and humidifies the air, and which removes
large amounts of smoke and dust before this air reaches the back of one's throat.
Mouth breathing places incalculable stress on the lungs, nearly equivalent to that of
cigarette smoking if one lives in urban pollution.
99
Winning The Cancer War
To irrigate the nostrils, dissolve 1  teaspoon of sea salt in 16 ounces of warm water
in a bowl of appropriate size. While bending forward, block one nostril and place the
other below the water surface in the bowl. The water should be gently pulled up the
nostril until one can taste the salty mixture trickling to the back of the throat; then it
should be blown out. This should be repeated with the other nostril and alternated
several times.
Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises should follow the cleansing of the nostrils. If done on a regular
basis, these yield tremendous benefits. They increase the body's supply of oxygen
(which is the basic currency for repair and for burning up toxins), step up the removal
of waste products and stagnant air from portions of the lungs otherwise unused, and
exercise the diaphragm — which serves as a pump for the flow of oxygen and nerve
energy.
Deep breathing yields a multitude of benefits through maximum use of lung
capacity.
Rapid breathing is an energizing exercise, which promotes flow of energy into the
lungs and digestive organs. It should be done before meals, after being in a stuffy
room, or whenever a lift is needed.
Alternate-nostril breathing has a calming effect on the nervous system. It can be
used effectively to overcome anxiety states and insomnia, and sometimes to relieve
headaches.
Breath is the external manifestation of our life force. It is our very life. We can live for
a while without food or drink, but not without breath.
Exercising
In almost every case of cancer, particularly those cases of long standing, the protein
from the muscles has been used to maintain life. In other words protein metabolism
has been so poor that the body had to take protein from the muscles and, to a very
great degree, the muscles have been consumed.
After the cancer is destroyed, the muscles begin to rebuild. This takes
approximately three years. If the muscles are exercised strenuously during this time a
hernia may develop. For this reason we have found it best to replace strenuous
exercise with a brisk walk at least once a day for three years following therapy.
100
Winning The Cancer War
Diagram  Of Digestive  System
Esophagus
Food is carried down I he
esophagus by peristaltic
action and enters the stomach
Stomach
The pancreatic enzyme
must be in an enteric
matrix. Food is broken
down further by
churning and by the
action of hydrochloric )f hydroc
d (fiuesti acid and digestivePancreasenzymes secreted hy the
In some stomach lining. Food
individuals, the remains in the stomach
pancreas does not until it is reduced to a
produce enough semiliquid consistency
o) these enzymes (chyme), when it passes
all oj the time. into the duodenum.
therefore
Duodenumsupplementation
may he a goodThe pancreatin startsidea as insuranceits functions As fo o dto assure thattravels along thethere is noduodenum, it isdeficiency.broken down further
hv digestive enzymes
from the liver
gallbladder, and
The pancreas
duodenum leads
directly into the
small intestine
Small Intestine
Additional enzymes
secreted by glands in oy giant
»o f  th e. small the lining
intestine complete the
digestive process
Nutrients are absorbed
through the intestinal
lining


	anxiety	or	financial	cost.	Suppose	that	a	particular	medical	test	is
95	percent	accurate.	For	every	twenty	tests	given,	one	false	result	will	occur,
usually	a	false	positive.	If	a	person	has	this	test	twenty	times	in	a	lifetime,	the
odds	are	in	favor	of	at	least	one	false	result.	In	fact,	many	diseases	can	be
“cured”	simply	by	redoing	the	test.	In	1975,	the	Centers	for	Disease	Control	and
Prevention	surveyed	medical	testing	labs	nationally	and	concluded	that	more
than	25	percent	of	all	test	results	were	wrong;	for	certain	clinical	chemistry	tests,
the	error	rate	was	50	percent.	Not	a	lot	has	changed	since	then.
A	study	in	the	May	1997	issue	of
Hippocrates
examined	169	different	kinds
of	medical	diagnostic	tests	and	concluded	that	only	nine	of	them	actually	did
anything	for	the	patient	for	reducing	the	incidence	of	disease.	According	to	the
article,	many	of	these	tests	regularly	led	to	faulty	diagnoses,	resulting	in
unnecessary	treatments	the	patients	did	not	need,	and	people	with	passing	chest
or	back	pain	were	“being	marched	off	to	surgery	to	get	their	hearts	repaired	or
spines	fixed.”
About	70	percent	of	all	pregnant	American	women	undergo	ultrasound
evaluations,	yet	studies	published	in	medical	journals	including
Lancet
and	theCanadian	Medical	Association	Journal
show	that	ultrasound	may	affect	fetal
growth,	resulting	in	babies	with	lower	birth	weight.	In	addition,	children	are
twice	as	likely	to	have	delayed	speech	development	if	they	were	examined	via
ultrasound	as	a	fetus.	A	1995	study	done	at	the	Massachusetts	Institute	of
Technology	and	reported	in
Science
found	that	low-frequency	ultrasound
increases	the	permeability	of	human	skin,	allowing	proteins	to	pass	through
more	easily.	Ultrasound	definitely	affects	the	body’s	tissues,	yet	it	is	presented	to
patients	as	a	procedure	free	of	risks	and	side	effects.
Should	You	Have	Surgery?
Modern	surgery	certainly	is	one	of	the	crowning	achievements	in	modern
medicine.	Surgery	works	very	well	to	correct	physical	problems,	such	as	those
sustained	in	accidents,	sports	injuries	and	from	birth	defects,	but	surgery	does
not	solve	disease	problems.	Unfortunately,	most	surgery	is	performed	to	address
disease	problems,	wasting	resources	and	permanently	damaging	the	patient.
Every	part	of	the	human	body	is	important	to	the	functioning	of	the	whole;
removing	malfunctioning	body	parts	does	not	solve	the	real	problem.	Surgery
should	not	be	performed	unless	there	is	absolutely	no	alternative,	and	there	is
almost	always	an	alternative.
Most	conventional	cancer	treatments—especially	surgery—	are	directed	by
the	mechanistic	belief	system	described	earlier.	Cancer	is	regarded	as	affecting	a
specific	location	or	body	part	that	should	be	removed	physically	or	otherwise
poisoned	and	killed.	Completely	forgotten	is	that	cancer	is	a	systemic	disease
affecting	the	entire	body,	and	that	a	sounder	approach	is	to	restore	cancerous
cells	to	normal	by	addressing	their	deficiency	and	toxicity.
Cancer	patients	who	properly	address	their	deficiency	and	toxicity	may
experience	what	is	termed	“spontaneous	remission.”	A	study	by	Dr.	Harold
Foster	at	the	University	of	British	Columbia	in	1988	found	that	virtually	every
one	of	two	hundred	cancer	patients	who	had	experienced	a	spontaneous	cancer
remission	had	actually	done	something	to	improve	their	cell	chemistry.	Eighty-
seven	percent	had	made	major	changes	to	their	diet,	while	others	had	used
nutritional	supplements	and	detoxification	programs.	Currently,	numerous
alternative	treatments	for	cancer	are	available	(see	appendix	D).
A	heart	bypass	operation	is	another	example	of	unnecessary	surgery.	In	1992,
Nortin	Hadler,	M.D.,	a	professor	of	medicine	at	the	University	of	North	Carolina
Medical	School,	concluded	that	95	to	97	percent	of	the	coronary	bypass
surgeries	done	that	year	were	unnecessary—even	though	patients	usually	aretold	that	without	the	surgery	they	will	die.	In	truth,	almost	all	coronary	disease	is
preventable	with	diet,	supplements	and	exercise.	Likewise,	coronary	disease	is
reversible,	as	pioneers	like	Nathan	Pritikin,	more	recently	Dean	Ornish,	M.D.,
and	others,	have	proven.
How	much	surgery	is	necessary?	Dr.	Robert	Mendelsohn,	in
Confessions	of	a
Medical	Heretic,
said,	“My	feeling	is	that	somewhere	around	ninety	percent	of
surgery	is	a	waste	of	time,	money,	energy,	and	life.”	Dr.	Mendelsohn	cites	an
independent	review	of	people	recommended	for	surgery.	The	study	found	that
most	of	these	patients	did	not	need	surgery	and	half	of	them	needed	no	medical
treatment	at	all.	In	another	case,	a	hospital	oversight	committee	reviewed
surgically	removed	tissues.	In	the	year	prior	to	the	formation	of	the	committee,
the	hospital	performed	262	appendectomies—after	the	committee	was	formed,
the	number	dropped	to	62.	The	committee	found	that	most	of	the	tissues	being
removed	were	healthy!	In	March	1997,	the	Physicians	Committee	for
Responsible	Medicine	published	a	statement	saying	that	only	10	percent	of
hysterectomies	are	justified.	In	addition	to	being	almost	entirely	unnecessary,
surgery	is	risky;	possibilities	exist	for	surgical	error,	complications	from
anesthesia	and	infection,	not	to	mention	the	physical,	mental	and	emotional
shock	to	the	body.
Should	You	Take	Medicine?
All	drugs	have	potentially	damaging	“side	effects.”	Because	a	malfunctioning
cell	is	the	definition	of	disease,	and	drugs	deliberately	cause	cells	to	malfunction,
drugs	cause	disease.	Drugs	are	foreign	to	the	body;	the	mechanism	by	which
drugs	work	is	to	alter	the	body’s	biochemistry	in	order	to	suppress	symptoms.
Side	effects	often	are	worse	than	the	diseases	the	drugs	are	used	to	treat.	Perhaps
these	hazards	would	be	justified	if	drugs	cured	disease,	but	they	do	not,	they
control	and	suppress	symptoms.	Even	with	symptoms	suppressed,	the	true	cause
of	the	problem	may	be	growing	worse	while	the	body’s	natural	healing
mechanisms	are	being	compromised	by	the	drugs.
Billions	of	dollars	are	spent	in	the	war	against	street	drugs,	but	the	number	of
people	killed	and	injured	by	street	drugs	is	minor	compared	to	prescription
drugs.	Prescription	drugs	kill	a	couple	of	hundred	thousand	people	every	year
and	are	a	leading	cause	of	disease	and	death.	If	your	doctor	prescribes	a	drug,
consider	that	it	may	cause	your	cells	to	malfunction,	and	that	alternatives	exist
that	are	both	safe	and	effective.
Even	aspirin	and	other	common	over-the-counter	drugs	are	dangerous,	so	findalternatives	that	work	for	you.	Books	such	as
Alternative	Medicine:	The
Definitive	Guide,
edited	by	the	Burton	Goldberg	Group,	and
Finding	the	Right
Treatment,
by	Jacqueline	Krohn


.
Getting to Know the Mind
Can one imagine being put into the driver's seat of an
automobile with the engine running and not knowing
how to drive, not knowing how to use the brakes, the
steering wheel or the clutch? Naturally we would get into
an accident and, should we survive, would end up perma-
nently afraid of driving.
We are in a not too different situation with our minds.
Our awareness is placed in the mind when we are bom, but
we are not taught how to use the mind, its sensitivities and
emotions. We are not taught the meaning of its states of
waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. We are not shown the
comparative functions of reason, feeling, will and sensory
perception. We are left in the dark because our parents and
society do not understand the mind and how it works. The
mind is the main vehicle we use for all that we do, yet few,
if any of us, know how to use and care for it properly.
We all suffer from ignorance of the nature of the mind.
All problems we encounter in life are based ultimately
upon not knowing the mind and its functions. From this
primary problem, various secondary problems arise — like
how to fulfill our desires, or how to avoid what we fear —
which, however important these may appear, are merely The Nature of the Mind
the natural consequence of this basic ignorance about the
mind. For example, if we do not know how to drive a car
properly, the issue of where to go with it is not important.
However, we take these derivative problems as primary or
blame others for them, turning them into social, moral, or
political issues, not realizing, that they are just one prob-
lem — not understanding the mind. From a wrong under-
standing of the mind, we develop wrong ideas about the
world and run into difficulty in our social interactions.
To use another analogy, if we do not understand how
fire works, we may bum ourselves. This does not mean we
are a bad person or that fire is bad, but only that we do not
understand fire and its properties. The mind has its quali-
ties and, like fire, can be used for both good and bad. It can
provide great happiness or wreak tremendous havoc in the
world, as history has shown again and again. All psycho-
logical problems are nothing more than a wrong use of the
mind, which arises from ignorance of how the mind works.
The solution to all our mental problems is to leam to use
the mind properly. This is tme whatever our psychological
problems may be.
More important than any examination of our personal
or social problems is educating ourselves about the nature
of the mind. All the problems that appear so immediate
and important — like whether we will be loved or if our
friends and family can be happy — are not the real issue
and cannot be solved directly. The real issue is how to use
the most important and central instrument in our lives —
the mind itself.
Learning the right use of the mind not only solves our
psychological problems, but directs us to our higher
potential of Self-realization. It leads to the spiritual life,
which is our real occupation as conscious beings. Then we Ayurveda and the Mind
can transcend the mind — which is inherently limited —
to Pure Awareness unbounded by time, space or causation.
For all things in life, we must start with understanding the
mind.
Mind as an Object
Though we have always had a mind, most of us have
never taken the time to observe it. Let us look at our
minds. For this we must step back internally and take the
role of the observer. We must begin to witness the mind
and its functions.11 Imagine that your thoughts are a
stream and you are sitting on the bank watching them
flow by. Learn to see the contents of the mind flowing by,
without judgment or interference, just as you might
observe the currents or debris floating down a river.
By taking such a witnessing attitude, we can easily get
to know the mind and its activities. We can perceive vari-
ous fluctuations in thoughts, feelings and impressions, and
various states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep. We
should strive to maintain our awareness in the attitude of
witnessing the mind. This is the key for learning what the
mind is. As long as we are caught up in the mind's activi-
ties, we cannot see the mind as it is, just as we cannot
observe what is going in a theater if our attention is
engrossed in the movie.
Whatever we can observe, like a cup upon the table, is
an object and exists apart from our awareness, which is its
perceiver. Yet we cannot only observe external objects, we
can also observe internal objects. We can note whether our
sense organs are acute or impaired, as when our vision
begins to fail. Similarly we can observe our emotions, our
thoughts, and even our own ego, which are all fluctuating
phenomena, if we look deeply. We can observe the func- The Nature of the Mind
tions of the mind just as we can observe the movements of
our body.
Just as the eye is not damaged when a cup falls onto the
floor and breaks, so consciousness is not damaged when the
contents of the mind get altered or damaged. The witness-
ing consciousness is apart from the objects and conditions
that it observes. Therefore, the first thing we observe
about the mind is that, as something observable, the mind
is an object. The mind is material and part of the external
world. It belongs to us but it is not who we really are, just
as our house belongs to us but is not us. This may be
shocking to consider, but it is really something intuitive-
ly known to us. When we speak of "my mind," we are
defining the mind as an object that belongs to us and not
as ourselves.
The mind has a material structure, a set of observable
energies and conditions. This is not to say that the mind is
a gross object like a stone or that it is an organ in the phys-
ical body like the brain, or that it is merely chemical in
nature. The mind is not physical matter, but it is matter of
a subtle nature, ethereal and luminous. As an organic enti-
ty, the mind has a structure, a cycle of nutrition, an origin
and an end. The mind is invested with a certain quantum
of energy that produces various tangible effects.
Just as we can both see and use our hands, so awareness
can perceive and use the mind. But this requires a very
high state of attention. It requires detachment from the
mind, which means detachment from the mind's activities
and interests.
Mind as an Instrument
The second important fact about the mind, which fol-
lows from the mind's material nature, is that the mind is Ayurveda and the Mind
an instrument or tool. The sense organs themselves are
instruments — the eye an instrument of seeing, the ear an
instrument of hearing, and so on. Similarly, the mind that
works to process sensory information is itself an instru-
ment. The mind is a means of deriving information from
the external world. The mind is the main instrument we
use to function in life. The mind is an instrumentality of
knowing devised by Cosmic Intelligence to allow for con-
sciousness to gain experience. The mind is the ultimate
machine, the best computer, the highest organization of
matter possible, which allows for the material world to be
cognized.
Notice that we are speaking of the mind, not the brain.
The brain is the physical organ through which the mind
works. We are not conscious of the brain itself or its struc-
ture. We are only conscious of our actual thought process.
The mind is not the brain, but is more subtle. The brain is
the vehicle for the mind and mirrors its operations, but the
mind is not limited to the physical apparatus of the brain,
any more than a person is limited to his shadow.
Note that we speak of "my" mind, indicating that we
view the mind like an instrument. We can direct our
attention. We can employ our reasoning faculty. We can
develop our will. We can cultivate our feelings. But if the
mind is an instrument, then we are not the mind, just as
we are not any other instrument we use in life. Like any
instrument, we are the one who uses and must master it,
not let it tell us what to do.
However, we have forgotten that the mind is our
instrument, though we speak of the mind as ours and not
of ourselves as the mind. We let the mind tell us who we
are and what to do. Having become slaves of the mind, we
lose control of our destiny and fall under the desires of the The Nature of the Mind
mind, which are not our own but come from the external
world.
Awareness and the Mind
Behind changing mental fluctuations is a constant
awareness, an unbroken sense of self or being, an ongoing
ability to observe, witness and perceive.12 Though the con-
tents of the mind constantly shift, like clouds in the sky,
there is an ongoing continuity to our consciousness, like
the purity of space, through which we can observe these
with detachment.


 can it meditate?
How be at peace? When you know no peace, how can you know joy?By reconnecting to God we move up to a higher/faster spiritual vibration.
This is accomplished by going to the indivisible place of silence. In silent
meditation we also come to the place of unity—oneness. That which is
indivisible. Here is where peace and joy are experienced. Here is the
solution to any and all problems that arise from a disunited mind.
Sri Krishna:  Use all your power to set the senses fr ee from attachment and
aversion alike, and live in the full wisdom of the Self. Such a sage awakes to
light in the night of all cr eatur es. That which the world calls day is the night
of ignorance to the wise.
Darkness disappears when you come to know the light that always shines.
The light of the sun, and the light of God never go out, despite what your
senses and attachments might tell you.
Sri Krishna:  As the rivers flow into the ocean but cannot make the vast
ocean overflow, so flow the magic str eams of the sense-world into the sea of
peace that is the sage.
God’ s abundance is unlimited. Y ou can drink from the inexhaustible source
of love, light, joy, and harmony at will, and when you do, you will come to
know perfect peace.
Sri Krishna:  They ar e forever fr ee who br eak away fr om the ego-cage of I,
me and mine to be united with the Lor d of Love. This is the supr eme state.
Attain to this and pass fr om death to immortality.
This says it all. When you move into the ener gy field of God you will never
again doubt the knowing that there truly is a spiritual solution to every
problem.
OceanofPDF.comI wish to acknowledge
Francesco di Pietro di Bernardone (1 181–1226),
aka Saint Francis of Assisi.
Your spirit is always with me,
and was particularly evident
in the creation of this book.
—W AYNE W. D YER
OceanofPDF.comAbout the Author
Wayne Dyer is the best-selling author of twenty books, and has a doctorate
in counseling psychology. He lectures across the country to groups
numbering in the thousands, and appears regularly on radio and television.
He lives with his family in southern Florida.

Discover great authors, exclusive of fers, and more at hc.com.
OceanofPDF.comBooks by W ayne W. Dyer
Your Err oneous Zones
Pulling Y our Own Strings
The Sky's the Limit
Gifts fr om Eykis
What Do Y ou Really W ant for Y our Childr en?
No Mor e Holiday Blues
You'll See It When Y ou Believe It
Manifest Y our Destiny
Wisdom of the Ages
Your Sacr ed Self
There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Pr oblem
Real Magic
OceanofPDF.comCredits
Designer: Eric Fuenticilla
Photographer: Patricia Eagan
Text design by Jessica Shatan
OceanofPDF.comCopyright
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following publishers for permission to quote copyrighted material:
The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living, Vol 1., by Eknath Easwaran, founder of the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, copyright
© 1975; reprinted by permission of Nilgiri Press, Tomales, California, www.nilgiri.org.
The Poems of W. B. Yeats: A New Edition, adapted with the permission of Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., edited by
Richard J. Finneran. Copyright 1933 by Macmillan Publishing Company; copyright renewed © 1961 by Bertha Georgie Yeats.
THERE’S A SPIRITUAL SOLUTION TO EVERY PROBLEM. Copyright © 2001 by Wayne W. Dyer. All rights reserved under International and
Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-
transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted,
downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any
form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission
of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition © AUGUST 2001 ISBN: 9780061796852
Version 03022018
Print edition first published in 2001 by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
OceanofPDF.comAbout the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON M4W 1A8, Canada
www.harpercollins.ca
India
HarperCollins India
A 75, Sector 57
Noida
Uttar Pradesh 201 301
www.harpercollins.co.in
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New Y ork, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com
OceanofPDF.com<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Gut and Psychology
Syndrome
Natural treatment for
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD,
MMedSci(neurology), MMedSci(nutrition) Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride set up The Cambridge
Nutrition Clinic in 1998. As a parent of a child
diagnosed with learning disabilities, she was acutely
aware of the difficulties facing other parents like her, and she
has devoted much of her time to helping these families. She
realised that nutrition played a critical role in helping
children and adults to overcome their disabilities, and has
pioneered the use of probiotics in this field.
Her willingness to share her knowledge has resulted in her
contributing to many publications, as well as presenting at
numerous seminars and conferences on the subjects of learning disabilities and
digestive disorders. This book captures her experience and knowledge, incorporating
her most recent work.
She believes that the link between learning disabilities, the food and drink that we
take, and the condition of our digestive system is absolute, and the results of her work
have supported her position on this subject. In her clinic, parents discuss all aspects
of their child's condition, confident in the knowledge that they are not only talking to
a professional but to a parent who has lived their experience. Her deep
understanding of the challenges they face, puts her advice in a class of it's own.
Natasha Campbell-McBride holds a Degree in Medicine and Postgraduate Degrees in
both Neurology and Human Nutrition. In her clinic in Cambridge she specialises in
Nutrition for Children and Adults with Behavioural and learning Disabilities, and
Adults with Digestive and Immune System Disorders
Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride is to be congratulated on putting
together such a well-researched and provocative book. I warmly
recommend it.
Dr Basant KPuri, Consultant Psychiatrist, Imperial College, London, UK
Dr Campbell-McBride has done an excellent job of summarising
the nutritional biochemical connections with psychiatric and
neurological disorders and gastrointestinal function. The book is
full of valuable and interesting facts that can be used by people to
optimise the health of themselves and their children.
Dr. William Shaw, Ph.D., Great Plains Laboratories, Kansas, USA
The book contains basic information for the
beginner as well as in-depth information  ISBN  0-9548520-0-1
for those at an advance level. Thank you
Dr Campbell-McBride for writing this book.
Dr. Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D., Centre for the
Study of Autism, Oregon, USA
£14.95 9 780954 852009 > | Gut and Psychology
Syndrome
Natural treatment for
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD,
MMedSci(neurology), MMedSci(nutrition) Copyright © 2004 by Natasha Campbell-McBride
Gut and Psychology Syndrome
ISBN 10: 0-9548520-0-1
ISBN 13: 978-0-954-85200-9
First published in United Kingdom in September 2004 by
Medinform Publishing
10 Adelaide Close
Soham
Cambridge CB7 5FJ
First reprint February 2005
Second reprint August 2005
Third reprint March 2006
Fourth reprint July 2006
Fifth reprint October 2006
Sixth reprint November 2006
Seventh reprint May 2007
Eighth reprint November 2007
Ninth reprint April 2008
Tenth reprint August 2008
Eleventh reprint November 2008
The right of Dr. Natasha


 from the cup of urine and place one
or two drops under your tongue. This method lets you get used to
the taste slowly and will still give you health benefits. You. can
slowly increase and adjust the amount later when you've
determined what amount is right for your condition.
1. Start by taking 1-5 drops of morning urine on the first day.
2. The second day, take 5-10 drops in the morning.
3. Third day, take 5-10 drops m the morning, and the same
amount in the evening before you go to bed.
4. Once you feel accustomed to the therapy, gradually increase
the amount as needed for obtaining results for your condition. As
you use the therapy, you will learn to adjust the amount you need
by observing your reactions to the therapy. More information on
dosage is given further on in this chapter.
4. Do Not Boil Or Dilute The Urine
Research studies show that boiling urine destroys many oi its
medicinal properties, so when taking it internally, use it only in its
fresh, natural form. Research studies have also shown that
diluting urine (or urea) decreases its antibacterial activity, so
rather than diluting it in juice or water to get accustomed to using
it, use a few oral drops instead.
5. Homeopathic Urine
The importance of using urine collected at the beginning or height
of acute symptoms of illness, particularly infections and allergies,
has been suggested by some researchers, because this urine
contains the greatest amount of antibodies and immune-defense
agents with which the body is already fighting the illness. A
homeopathic preparation preserves this potent first-stage-illness
urine and can then be used throughout the duration of the illness.
Homeopathic urine is also excellent for children. For those of you
with extreme sensitivity or toxicity, who may feel that you are
getting too strong a reaction to the urine initially, try using it as a
homeopathic dilution. I
6. Monitor And Balance Your Ph
pH refers to the acid/alkaline condition of the body. The body is
189normally mildly acidic, and maintaining the proper pH is crucial in
urine therapy. pH values naturally change throughout the day.
Morning urine is generally more acidic than mid-day urine, and pH
also changes in response to diet - in general, foods like meats,
coffee, alco- hol, milk, eggs and beans make the body more acidic
while most fruits and vegetables have an. alkaline effect. (See
Appendix for a more complete listing of add/alkaline foods). It's
always good to keep an eye on both your urine and saliva pH
levels, because both should present a proper acid/alkaline
balance. The ideal pH range of saliva is about 6.4 - 7.2, (below 6.4
is too acidic, above 72. \s too alkaline). Saliva usually becomes
more alkaline after eating and with a vegetarian diet. Urine pH
should ideally vary from approximately 5.0 (acid in the morning)
to 8.0 (alkaline at night) during each 24-hour period. If your urine
or saliva pH levels are consistently out of range for a long period,
of time, it means that your body is not functioning correctly or
that your diet is consistently too add or too alkaline. pH
measuring strips with numerical values are commercially
available for testing your acid/alkaline levels and make it simple
to regularly monitor your pH at home, (or see order form on last
page). The tendency to overacidity is called acidosis which can be
caused by such things as kidney, liver or adrenal disorders,
improper diet, starvation, anger, stress, fear, fever or excess
vitamin C, aspirin or niacin. Symptoms may include insomnia,
water retention, migraine headaches, frequent sighing,
abnormally low blood pressure, dry hard stools, alternating
constipation and dianhea, sensitivity of the teeth, difficulty
swallowing and recessed eyes. Alkalosis (when the body is too
alkaline) can be caused by such things as excessive use of
antacids or by poor diet, excessive vomiting (bulimia), endocrine
imbalances, high cholesterol, osteo-arthritis, or diarrhea.
Symptoms may include drowsiness, protruding eyes, creaking
joints, sore muscles, bursitis, edema, night coughs, menstrual
problems, allergies, night cramps, chronic indigestion, or asthma.
The first and easiest methods that you can use to correct pH are
to increase relaxation, rest, fresh air, and exercise, decrease
stress and make dietary adjustments. If you're too acid, decrease
acid foods in your diet and eat more alkaline foods; if you're too
alkaline, decrease alkaline foods and eat more acid foods. (For a
190list of acid or alkaline foods see the Appendix at the back of the
book).
It's extremely important to monitor your pH levels during urine
therapy because if your urine is too alkaline, it may decrease its
antibacterial activity. On the other hand, if the urine is
consistently excessively acidic, urine therapy could create too
much of an acid burden in your body. In this case, make certain
that your diet is primarily alkaline-promoting foods, so that you
are balancing your pH and not adding to your body's acid burden
through ingesting extremely acidic urine. Also, if you have a
severe chronic problem with acidosis (this is often tine of
diabetics), use only a few drops of urine at a time, or substitute a
homeopathic urine preparation. Test your urine pH once or twice
each day for a few days when using urine therapy for the first
time or when using it intensively. Do not ingest the same urine
that you dip the pH strip into for testing. If you are taking only a
small mamtenance dose per day, test pH once every three to five
days in order to determine whether dietary adjustments are
needed. If you find that your urine pH is very acid, add a pinch of
baking soda to the urine you'll be ingesting to reduce the acidity.
7. Do not use urine therapy if you are pregnant without a
doctor's supervision:
Although pregnant women have been treated with successfully
urine therapy for morning sicimess or edema, the therapy should
not be used during pregnancy without the supervision of a doctor
familiar with the medical use of urine. Doctors have reported that
they have used urine therapy for morning sickness in pregnancy
with excellent results, but there are reports of two spontaneous
abortions which occurred after urine therapy treatments (Dunne
and Plesch), possibly because of the natural release of toxins
which occur with urine therapy.
Fertility: On the other hand, if you're trying to get pregnant,
several successful fertility drugs such as Pergonai are made from
urine extracts and a few women have reported to me that they
feel urine therapy helped them to conceive. The best and safest
method in this case is to use urine therapy for a certain time
191period (six months) before trying to conceive and to discontinue
its use during the days that you're attempting to conceive. You
can use urine diagnostic tests to determine when you're ovulating
and when you've conceived, and you can gear your use of urine
accordingly.
Urine Therapy and Drugs: In the past I have recommended that
you do not use urine therapy if you are taking any type of drugs
or are a heavy smoker, alcohol user or coffee drinker. However,
new research has come to my attention that shows that urine
therapy can be beneficial under all of these conditions. Dr.
William Hitt, an American doctor who actually has urine therapy
clinics in Mexico, has reported to me that he has treated 20,000
patients in a 2? year period with urine therapy injections. These
patients include those with cancer, asthma and other diseases
and also patients with severe alcoholism, drug and smoking
addictions. Dr. Hitt reports startling success with no side effects in
using urine infections for addictive disorders and also in
combination with pre-scription. drugs. The amount of drugs or
contaminants passed into urine is so infinitesimal that they pose
no threat and, in fact, appear to act as vaccine-type agents which
improve or cure these types of disorders. This is also supported
by the book Urinalysis in Clinical Laboratory Practice from Miles
Laboratories, in which the authors state that even in a case of
severe mercury poisoning, the actual amount of mercury passed
into the urine is infinitesimal. When these types of conditions are
present, start on 1-5 drops orally per day for 3-5 days in order to
avoid heavy detoxificatiorL Increase the drops by one or two each
day according to how well you're tolerating the therapy, gradually
increase the amount as needed to obtain results for your
individual condition.
8. Improve Your Diet & Avoid Meat When Using Urine
Therapy Intensively Before Fasting
In general, your diet should consist of balanced amounts oi whole
grains, fresh vegetables and small amounts of lean meats and
fish. If you are eating large amounts of refined foods, sugar, soda,
coffee, etc. you will not get the full benefits of urine therapy and,
depending on how poor your diet is, you may experience
192unpleasant symptoms of headache,


 on and on.
Suppressed grief can go on for years.
In facing grief, we often have to acknowledge and let go of our shame
and embarrassment about having the feeling in the first place. For men this
is especially so. W e have to relinquish our fear of the feeling and our fear of
being swamped and overwhelmed by it. It helps to realize that letting go of
the resistance to the feeling moves us quickly through it. T raditionally,
women have said out of their own experience and wisdom: “A good cry
makes me feel better.” Many a man has been surprised when he learned the
truth of this.
Experientially, there was the surprising and almost immediate relief
from a pounding headache as soon as the grief about a past situation was
allowed to come up. As the grief surfaced, there was the sentence, “Men
don’ t cry.” After letting go of the masculine pride about crying, then up
came a fear that the crying would never stop once it was allowed to start.As soon as that fear was gone, then there was anger. It was anger at a
society that forces men to suppress their feelings, and anger at the notion
that men are not even supposed to have feelings. W ith the letting go of that
anger, the level of courage was reached, and then the needed crying could
be allowed. Not only was there relief from the headache but, when the
torrent of sobs subsided, a profound peacefulness settled. Henceforth, the
subject did not have to be avoided.
Once a man has fully let the grief come up and totally freed himself
from that suppressed ener gy, he is peaceful and his view of his own
masculinity changes. He realizes that his masculinity is now more
complete. He is still just as much of a man, but now he is a man who can
also be in touch with and handle his own feelings. Consequently, he is more
adequate, more capable, more well-rounded, more understanding, more
mature, more capable of relating to and understanding others, more
compassionate, and more loving.
The psychological basis of all grief and mourning is attachment.
Attachment and dependence occur because we feel incomplete within
ourselves; therefore, we seek objects, people, relationships, places, and
concepts to fulfill inner needs. Because they are unconsciously utilized to
fulfill an inner need, they come to be identified as “mine.” As more ener gy
is poured into them, there is a transition from identifying with the external
objects as “mine” to being an actual extension of “me.” Loss of the object
or person is experienced as a loss of our own self and an important part of
our emotional economy. Loss is experienced as a diminution of the quality
of ourselves, which the object or person represented. The more emotional
ener gy invested in the object or person, the greater will be the feeling of
loss and the greater the pain associated with the undoing of the bonds of
dependence. Attachment creates a dependency, and dependency, because of
its nature, intrinsically carries with it a fear of loss.
W ithin each person, there is the child, parent, and adult. When grief
comes up, it is rewarding to ask, “W ithin myself, is it the child, parent, or
adult that is the source of this feeling?” For example, the “child” within a
person is scared that something will happen to a beloved dog. It wonders,
“How will I make it?” The inner adult also feels grief, but the adult accepts
the inevitable. The little kitty or doggie is not immortal. The adult in us
regretfully accepts that impermanency is a reality of life. W e accept that ouryouth is not permanent, that many romantic relationships are not life-long,
and that our dog will one day die.
Handling Loss
Because of the nature of attachment, the first state preceding the actual
experiencing of loss is that of fear of loss. This is usually defended in one
of two ways. One is to increase the intensity of the attachment by ever -
persistent attempts to strengthen the bonds. This approach is based on the
fantasy that “the greater the bond, the less likelihood of loss.” However, this
is the very maneuver that often precipitates loss in personal relationships,
because the other person struggles to be free of the possessive attachment
and the amount of restrictive control they feel being placed upon them.
Thus, because what we hold in mind tends to manifest, the fear of a loss
can, paradoxically, be the mechanism of bringing about that loss.
The second way that fear of loss is handled is by the psychological
mechanism of denial which is, in common language, called “playing
ostrich.” W e see this around us every day in its various forms of refusing to
face the inevitable. All the warning signs are there, but the person does not
take heed. Thus, the man who is obviously in the process of losing his job
tends not to notice. The partners in a marriage that is going down the drain
take no corrective action. The person with a serious disease ignores all of
the symptoms and avoids medical attention. The politicians fail to look at
social problems, hoping they will go away. Whole countries are oblivious to
the precarious state of existence (e.g., 9-11 attack). The motorist ignores the
ominous warning signals of a misbehaving engine. W e have all experienced
regret that we didn’ t pay attention to the warning signals of trouble ahead.
T o handle the fear of loss, we have to look at what purpose the external
person or object serves in our life. What emotional need is being fulfilled?
What emotions would arise were we to lose the object or the person? Loss
can be anticipated, and we can handle the various fears associated with the
sense of loss by disassembling the emotional complexes that they represent,
and letting go of the individual component feelings.
Let’ s say, for example, that you have a pet dog to which you have been
attached for many years. It is obvious that old Rover is getting older. Y ou
find that you don’ t like to think about his advanced age, feeling
uncomfortable at the prospect of his death and putting it out of mind. As
you catch yourself doing this, you realize that these feelings are warningsignals and that you are not handling the emotional situation. And so, you
ask yourself, “What purpose is the dog serving in my life? What is his
emotional service to me?” Love, companionship, devotion, amusement, and
diversion. “W ill losing the dog leave these personal emotional needs
unfulfilled?” In looking at this, some of the fear can be acknowledged and
relinquished. Once the fear is let go, you don’ t have to resort to denial and
pretend to yourself that Rover will live forever.
Another emotion associated with grief and mourning is that of anger.
The loss of that which is important frequently brings up a feeling of rage,
which may be projected onto the world, society, individuals and, ultimately,
God, who is held to be responsible for the nature of the universe. Anger
results from prior refusal to accept the fact that all relationships and
possessions in this life are transitory. Even the physical body, which is our
biggest attachment, eventually has to be relinquished, as everyone is aware.
W e feel that what has become important or comforting to us is a
permanent attachment. Consequently, when that illusion is threatened, there
is anger, resentment, and self-pity, feelings which can result in chronic
bitterness. “Impotent rage” is associated with the desire to change the
nature of the world and the impossibility of doing so. In facing this fact of
existence, a major loss can therefore bring about a shift in our philosophical
position. One major loss can awaken us to the nature of all attachments and
all relationships, or we may again deny the obvious fact that all
relationships are transitory and furiously re-intensify existing bonds to
compensate for the loss.
A part of handling denial of the inevitability of loss is seeing through
attempts at manipulation. In fantasy, the mind tries to develop tactics so as
to avoid the loss. This may take the form of becoming “gooder” or more
hard-working, more honest, more persevering, or more loyal. In religious
persons, this may take the form of trying to manipulate God by promises
and bar gains. In relationships, it may take the form of over -compensatory
behavior. The spouse becomes ever more dutiful, loving, and attentive in an
attempt to prevent a breakup. The inattentive husband suddenly starts
bringing home gifts and flowers instead of getting to the root cause of the
problem.
When the denial breaks down, the manipulations have not worked, and
the fear has been passed through, then the depression itself, the actual
process of mourning and grief, takes place. All of these emotional stagescan be worked through much more rapidly by the process of letting go, in
which the inevitability of the emotion of grief is surrendered to and
replaced by a willingness to let go of resistance and let the process pass
through and complete itself. There can be a decision to let go of resisting
the grief. Instead of denial and resistance, you plunge into it and get over it.
Y ou have a “good cry” over old Rover or the lost relationship.
Associated with the feeling of grief is always a variable amount of
guilt. This is based on the fantasy that the loss represents a punishment or
that a dif ferent attitude or behavior would


 the  causes  of  disease  and  death.   The  former
employs drug poisons, because they are found to be very sure in their
effects ; the latter aims to use only healthful agencies.
But the duty of the physician is not simply to cure diseases, but to
restore the patient to health, and hence he is not justified in being
content with subduing the symptoms.  He is called upon, rather, to
supply the conditions for health.  No man need hope to recover as
long as the appropriate conditions for recovery are wanting.  Vital
action  in  this  respect  is  properly  comparable  to  mechanical  or
chemical  action.   When  the  mechanic  supplies  the  conditions  for
mechanical  action,  he  gets  that  action  with  unvarying  certainty.
When the chemist supplies the conditions for chemical action, theresult is equally certain ; and we have both analogy and experience
to prove that when the physician supplies the conditions for normal
vital action or health, he gets it with the same certainty.  Health is
the  normal  condition  of  man,  and  this  health  will  always  be
maintained if the causes of ill health are not forced upon him ; while
if, for any reason, ill health has been produced, the remedy is to
remove the cause that the effect may cease.  Nature cures when the
conditions are supplied ; and the province of the true physician is to
investigate  the  causes  of  the  disease,  remove  them,  supply  the
conditions for health, and allow nature to resume her normal actions.
CAUSES CONSIDERED.
But causes are varied in kind as well as frequently obscure, and in
order  to  a  proper  investigation  must  be  correctly  classified.   We
adopt the classification of Hippocrates, “The Father of Medicine,” as
being consistent with truth. This is :
First: Remote or predisposing.
Second : Exciting or incidental.
Third : Proximate or existing.
The  remote  or  predisposing  causes  comprise  the  habits  of  the
individual.   They  are  termed  remote  because  they  are  not
immediately connected with the disease ; and predisposing, because
though they prepare the organism for its onset, they nevertheless donot necessitate its existence.   The  power of a living organism to
accommodate itself to existing circumstances is so great that bad
habits, ill conditions, injurious tendencies may be operating upon it
for  nearly  a  life-time,  if  the  vital  powers  are  vigorous,  without
producing obvious disease ; and when disease is produced it is so
remotely connected with the real cause that the latter is lost sight of,
and the physician contents himself with treating the effect, while the
cause  remains.   This fact accounts largely for the  universality  of
disease, as well as for the varied and diverse methods of treating it.
If men could but realize that though a habit does not make them
immediately sick, it may nevertheless prepare them for sickness ; and
though it may even seem to strengthen and benefit them by causing
exhibition and consequent expenditure of power, it is nevertheless
depleting  the  vital  resources,  they  would  be  more  careful  to
scrutinize their indulgences.  And that physicians should be deceived,
as well as patients, is not wonderful, when we consider that they are
but  human,  subject  to  and  deceived  by  the  same  appetites  and
passions as are other men, and are in the habit of prescribing' for
their  patients  what  seems  to  agree  with  themselves.   The  same
principle of delusion which deceives the user of alcohol, tobacco,
opium, or hasheesh, deceives the physician who prescribes and the
patient who uses drug medicines.
These  causes,  though  they  are  remote  from  the  disease,  are,
nevertheless, by all means, the most important ; because withoutthem the other causes would not be likely to exist.  If the organism
were not predisposed, if its vital resources were not depleted, and its
instincts rendered abnormal by bad habits, the exciting causes would
seldom be brought into operation, or the proximate causes be made
to  exist.   The  proximate  or  existing  causes,  those  which  are
immediately connected with the disease, are necessarily the result of
the doings, habits, or conditions of the patient; while the exciting
causes stimulate these into operation and precipitate disease.
Second: Exciting or Incidental Causes.  These are, in general terms,
dependent  for  their  existence  upon  the  remote  or  predisposing
causes already considered.  Sudden exposures to low temperatures,
to contagions and miasmas, etc., belong to this class.  So also, as a
rule,  are  common  colds.  But  the  superficial  observer  seldom
perceives the connection between the predisposing causes and these
exciting causes, so that the latter, being closely connected with the
onset  of  the  disease,  are  clothed  with  undue  importance,  and
considered as the real enemy.  Colds and contagions are supposed to
affect the organism without reference to previous habits, and the
victims  are  considered  unfortunate  rather  than  unwise.  This  is  a
great mistake.  The truth is that no such exposure as people are
commonly subjected to will cause common colds in an organism that
has not been debauched by bad habits; and miasms and contagions
would be comparatively ineffective if the constitutional vigor were
not depleted, and the  organism thereby made good soil in which
these influences may germinate and multiply.  Highly vitalized people
rarely  catch  cold,  and  those  whose  blood  and  tissues  are  pure,seldom become victims of contagious diseases.  Epidemics spread
among  the  poor,  ill  fed,  exhausted  denizens  of  filthy  lanes  and
tenement-houses,  while  the  thoroughly  vitalized  person  may  bid
defiance  to  them.   The  cholera  carries  off  the  whiskey-drinking
multitude, and the small-pox ravages among the users of impure and
unwholesome food and drink ; while the diphtheria multiplies by the
deadly sewer gas, which enters the dwellings of both rich and poor.
Accidents  belong  also  to  this  class  of  causes,  but  are  partially
exceptional as to their connection with the habits of the individual.
Third: Proximate or Existing Causes. These are properly obstructions
existing in the organism, as the immediate cause of the disease. They
are called proximate because they are immediately connected with
the functional derangement, and existing, because they are found in
the organism as existing facts. They are constituted of,
First: Irritating conditions or substances, including what is popularly
known as impure blood.
Second : Congestions, or, more properly, unbalanced circulation.
Third : Faulty nutrition.
With the existence of these causes disease begins. Irritation is the
first step in every form of it—a truth admitted partly or in whole by
the profession —and irritation presupposes an irritant.  This irritant
may be in the form of poisons, of which drug medicines are the chiefrepresentatives  ;  of  miasmas  and  contagions,  and  all  forms  of
stimulating foods, drinks, and indulgences, such as alcohol, tobacco,
etc. Second, retained excretions, consequent upon overtaxation of
the  organs of excretion.  Third, the abuse of the ordinary health
agents.
THE GREAT DELUSION.
Out of this principle of irritation grows the most important delusion
that ever afflicted mankind.  Irritation means increased action of the
part  irritated,  and  consequently  of  all  parts  sympathetically
connected  therewith,  and  increased  action  is  almost  invariably
mistaken  for  improved  vigor  and  increased  strength.   Tonics,
nervines,  and  stimulants  produce  their  effects  only  through  this
principle.  It is in this way that alcohol and tobacco increase the
action  of  the  brain  and  nervous  system;  that  calomel  and
podophyllum apparently improve the functions of the liver ; that all
other drugs produce their effects ; that arsenic and strychnine, nitric,
muriatic,  hydrochloric,  prussic,  sulphuric  acids,  etc.,  increase  the
apparent vigor of the whole system, largely through its sympathy
with  the  stomach,  which  has  been  termed  the  great  organ  of
sympathy.  For this same reason men often feel more than ordinarily
vigorous just previous to a severe attack of sickness : they sometimes
retire to bed feeling well, only to wake up in another world.


ceanofPDF.come Birth of Your Babe 5
Do not let our cultur e take the magic and the immensity of this
transition to mother hood away fr om you. W e discuss things like work-
life balance, getting your body back, having it all, bouncing back…
but what we should r eally discuss is the pr ofound portal of a woman
in transition between two worlds.
—Narelle Melnick, Ayurvedic postpartum doula
No matter how much you have prepared, how many books you have read,
how thoughtfully you have planned and or ganized and nested and gathered,
there may still be a point during labor where you feel completely lost. You
may for get everything you have learned and wonder if you are capable, if
you are “doing” this right, if your baby will ever come out. Know that your
labor is the perfect experience to prepare you, mama, for your little one.
You will stretch, grow, be challenged, and transform in exactly the ways
needed to mother your little angel. You will know a strength and resilience
you never knew. You will give yourself completely, as you move through
the profound portal that leads you toward the most selfless, unconditional
love that you will ever experience.
Your body knows what to do.
Please trust that.
All the ways you have prepared;
a lifetime of experience and growth;
everything that came before
led you here.
Mama,
You were born for this.Birth is natural. Your body was made for this. You know what to do. So
much of the doing is simply getting out of the way and allowing your body
to do what it does. Remember every woman that has labored and birthed
before you; feel their strength and wisdom pulsating through your cells.
Remember that even in the moments where you for get…your body
remembers. Your body knows how to birth. Your baby will come out. And
you? You will forever be changed.
This chapter provides an overview of terms to familiarize yourself with as
your due date is approaching. I also want to introduce you to the natural
flow of labor and some things that you may experience, ways to know if the
doshas become imbalanced and how to support them, and finally some
beautiful Ayurvedic practices to support you in your birthing experience.
At the end of this chapter, I share my birth stories. I encourage you to
honor your own birthing experience by writing down every detail you can
remember (after the first few days of soaking up that sweet babe in your
arms, of course!). This is a beautiful and meditative way to process and
integrate your experience and make peace with it, especially if part of your
labor or birth did not turn out the way you hoped. Every birth story is
sacred, as it ends in new life—a spirit soul continuing its journey to the
Divine.
I just can’t believe you’re a little person in there,
and I can’t believe I get to see you so soon.
I wonder what you’ll look like,
where your freckles will be.
I wonder what color your hair is;
if you have hair;
if it will be blond and curly like both of ours were when we were
little babes.
I wonder what your temperament is;if you’re happy in there;
if you’re scared at all.
I wonder if I will be able to make you feel safe;
if you’ll breathe when you’re out;
if you’ll sleep well
and be comfortable in the world.
I wonder
if you’ll remember being inside of me
and if I’ll remember what it feels like.
I hope so.
Because you are truly the most magical experience of my life.
TERMS TO KNOW FOR LABOR
BRAXTON-HICKS CONTRACTIONS
Braxton-Hicks contractions are a tightening of the uterine muscles for one
to two minutes and are thought to be an aid to your body in its preparation
for birth. Braxton-Hicks are your body’ s way of preparing for true labor,
toning the uterine muscles so that they will all work together, but they do
not indicate that labor has begun or is going to start. Sometimes they are
referred to as prodromal, or “false labor,” pains, although they do not
generally hurt; they are more of a feeling of tightening and then releasing of
the belly muscles. They start around six weeks gestation but usually are not
felt until the second or third trimester of pregnancy.
Braxton-Hicks are irregular in duration and intensity, are unpredictable
and nonrhythmic, and are not usually painful. Unlike true labor
contractions, Braxton-Hicks do not increase in frequency, duration, or
intensity. They lessen and then disappear, only to reappear at some time in
the future. Braxton-Hicks contractions tend to increase in frequency and
intensity near the end of the pregnancy.MUCUS PLUG
During pregnancy, the cervix secretes a thick, jelly-like fluid to keep the
area moist and protected. This fluid eventually accumulates and seals the
cervical canal, creating a thick plug of mucus. The mucus plug acts as a
barrier and can keep unwanted bacteria and other sources of infection from
traveling into your uterus.
As your cervix starts to soften or open (dilate) later in pregnancy (called
“cervical ripening,” this softening and dilation of the cervix typically begins
prior to the onset of labor contractions and is necessary for the passage of
the baby), the mucus is released into the vagina. You might notice an
increase in vaginal dischar ge when this happens that can be clear, pink,
brownish, or even blood-tinged. Sometimes it appears as small amounts of
mucus when you wipe, or in your underwear, or it can be a bigger, thicker,
jelly-like glob.
When you lose your mucus plug it does not necessarily mean that you
are actually in labor; it can be anywhere between a few hours to a few
weeks before labor starts. Your mucus plug may not even dislodge until you
are in labor!
WATER BREAKING
In movies, a pregnant woman generally seems to experience a gush of
liquid between her legs as the indicator that labor is starting. In reality, the
release of amniotic fluid—“water breaking”—before labor starts only
happens in about 8 to 10 percent of births. For some women, their water
does not break until they are well progressed into labor, or even moments
before the baby is actually delivered. On rare occasions, a baby can be born
“en caul,” meaning that the child is born inside of the unbroken, or partially
broken, amniotic sac.
When the water breaks, it means that the amniotic sac that carries your
baby has punctured, and the fluid is starting to drain. It should be clear in
color and odorless. Depending on where the puncture is, the water mightgush out or drip out a little at a time. If labor has not already started, after
your water breaks, labor generally begins (or intensifies) soon after.
INDUCTION
Induction  is the term used for artificially starting labor, either through
natural methods or by using medical procedures or drugs. The reasons for
induction vary: sometimes legitimate health threats to the mother or baby
require labor to start immediately; other times induction is simply a
scheduling convenience for the doctor or the birthing mother. Before
utilizing any induction method to start your labor, familiarize yourself with
the dif ferent potential benefits and risks of each method. Induction can have
disadvantages to both mama and baby, and although induction may be the
safest choice in some circumstances, make sure you are educated and
informed of the risks.
In the medical model of care, induction methods may involve a care
professional manually breaking the amniotic sac to initiate labor, or using
drugs (such as Pitocin IV  or prostaglandins including Cervidil, Prepidil, or
Cytotec) to expedite the labor process, or both.
In the midwifery model of care, induction methods may include sexual
intercourse between the pregnant woman and her partner, breast/nipple
stimulation, or consuming castor oil, as well as a practice of sweeping the
membranes, wherein the midwife separates the bag of waters (amniotic sac)
from the inside of the cervix with two fingers.
EPISIOTOMY
An episiotomy is a medical procedure common mostly between 1940 and
1980 in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in the United Kingdom and
Australia. The care provider would cut an incision into the perineal tissue of
the birthing mama in order to prevent tearing and to allow for the baby’ s
head to come out more easily during the pushing phase. This procedure is
mostly outdated and should no longer be done routinely unless there is amedical reason for it, such as a risk to the safety of the baby. Care providers
have learned methods of massaging the perineal tissue around the baby’ s
head to help it come out during pushes without tearing and have found that
even if the mama does tear, the perineal laceration is often smaller than it
would be if an incision were made.
You are entering into the mystery.
Know that your experience will be unique,
and totally perfect
to prepare you
to care for
your little angel.
LABOR
EARLY LABOR