 damaged becomes more permeable (“leaky”) to large molecules
of undigested food and to microorganisms that enter the bloodstream and circulate
throughout the body. This occurrence provokes chronic immune responses
manifested as food allergies and other inflammatory conditions, and such
inflammatory conditions may be the basis of all chronic disease.
These immune responses sometimes create antibodies that match certain body
tissues and attack them, resulting in autoimmune diseases such as lupus or arthritis.
A person who has a damaged gut may eat an excellent diet but still suffer
malnutrition because of nutrient malabsorption.
Adding malabsorption to an already deficient diet is catastrophic to long-term
health. Excessive immune reactions produce much debris, called immune
complexes, which can overburden the kidneys and cause kidney disease. In fact,
allergic reactions may be the leading cause of kidney disease. Major and uncorrected
maldigestion can lead to extreme weight loss and greater susceptibility to
opportunistic infections, commonly experienced in people with AIDS.
Vaccinations
Popular opinion regards vaccinations as one of modern medicine’s greatest
achievements, preventing more suffering and saving more lives than any other
medical procedure. Nothing could be further from the truth. Any risks or “side
effects” from vaccinations supposedly far outweigh the inherent benefits. However,
finding benefits is difficult and finding risks is easy.
You have a better chance of being healthy if your cells are healthy; vaccinations
damage your cells. In fact, modern medicine’s practice of mass vaccinations may be
a blunder that ranks with X rays and antibiotics for damage done to health. No
reliable safety study has ever been performed on any vaccine, and evidence suggests
that they are both ineffective and harmful. Yet, individuals are forced, without
consent, to risk injury or even death.In October 2000, at the annual meeting of the Association of American Physicians
and Surgeons (AAPS), a resolution called for an end to all government-mandated
vaccinations. Even more astounding, the resolution passed without a single
dissenting vote. Jane Orient, M.D., executive director of the AAPS, said, “Our
children face the possibility of death or serious long-term adverse effects from
mandated vaccines that aren’t necessary or that have limited benefits.” The AAPS’s
resolution read that “mass vaccination is equivalent to human experimentation and
subject to the Nuremberg Code, which re-quires voluntary informed consent.” By
failing to inform us of the dangers, and taking away our power to choose otherwise,
mandated vaccinations become a crime against humanity.
The dramatic decline of infectious diseases, such as smallpox, diphtheria and
polio, often is cited (inaccurately) as proof of vaccinations’ effectiveness. The
incidence of infectious disease dramatically decreased
before
the introduction of
vaccines; in other words, vaccines get credit for something they did not do. In 1950,
the polio epidemic was at its height in Great Britain. By the time polio vaccine was
introduced in 1956, polio had already declined by 82 percent. Similarly, tuberculosis
was a persistent killer throughout the 1800s and by 1945 had already declined by 97
percent. Other infectious diseases that already were in decline before the
introduction of their vaccines include pneumonia, influenza, whooping cough and
measles. Continuing decline merely followed the existing trend.
Countries that did
not vaccinate against specific diseases experienced similar declines as countries
that did.
A strong argument for the decline of infectious diseases can be made for a variety
of factors, including better sanitation, less crowded living conditions and the
absence of hunger. In addition, diseases tend to have their own evolutionary cycles;
they go away as the population gains “herd” immunity. Diseases like bubonic plague
and scarlet fever experienced declines similar to other infectious diseases; they
disappeared without any immunization programs.
Finding any studies that prove vaccines’ effectiveness is difficult. To prove
efficacy, we must analyze studies of vaccinated groups versus unvaccinated ones.
Very few of such studies ever have been conducted; the few that have been indicate
that the vaccines are ineffective. Recent worldwide outbreaks of virulent forms of
TB have demonstrated that alleged “protection” by TB vaccine has little to do with
whether or not anyone contracts the disease.
Not only ineffective, vaccines can also be harmful. Viera Scheibner, Ph.D., a
world authority on immunizations and author of the 1993 book
Vaccination,
wrote:
“Immunizations... not only did not prevent any infectious diseases, they caused
more suffering and more deaths than any other human activity in the entire history
of medical intervention.” Having assembled and researched the world’s largest
collection of data on immunizations, Dr. Scheibner concludes that “there is noevidence whatsoever that vaccines of any kind— but especially those against
childhood diseases—are effective in preventing the infectious diseases they are
supposed to prevent.... One hundred years of orthodox research shows that
vaccines represent a medical assault on the immune system.”
Each generation is subjected to more vaccinations and, as a result, is experiencing
more immune dysfunction diseases. Many children have as many as twenty-two
vaccinations before they go to the first grade, and as more vaccines become
available, the number keeps increasing. At an international conference in 1997,
Terry Phillips, Ph.D., D.Sc., professor of medicine at George Washington University
Medical Center, reported that the foreign proteins in virtually all vaccines wreak
havoc on the human immune system. Vaccines are toxic mixtures loaded with
various substances that never should be injected into a human body—including
foreign proteins and dangerous viruses from chickens, guinea pigs, calves and
monkeys. Some researchers believe these viruses put a permanent burden on our
immune systems and do continuous damage both to the immune and nervous
systems. Vaccines also contain toxic chemicals, like mercury (a neurotoxin),
ethylene glycol (antifreeze), formaldehyde (a carcinogen), aluminum (a carcinogen
and also associated with Alzheimer’s), plus antibiotics like Streptomycin (which can
cause allergic reactions). Even the FDA has called for cessation of mercury in
vaccines because our children are being exposed to unsafe amounts of it.
Dr. Harris Coulter, in his various writings on vaccinations, says that the allergic
response initiated with an injected vaccine is capable of causing encephalitis (an
inflammation of the brain). Encephalitis can cause permanent brain damage and lead
to lifelong problems of autism, dyslexia, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders
and antisocial syndromes. Dr. Coulter estimates that 50 percent of the children who
experience a fever after vaccination actually are suffering from encephalitis; he
blames vaccines for the “new morbidity” of learning disabilities and behavioral
disorders.
Decisions about whether to be vaccinated before a trip to a foreign country, or
whether to vaccinate your children, should be based on accurate information.
Unfortunately, the public has had little access to research questioning the safety and
effectiveness of vaccinations.
Compulsory vaccination laws exist in every state. However, there are legal
exemptions. Learn what the exemptions are in your state and obtain an appropriate
one. All states have a medical exemption that a doctor can sign, and many states
have religious exemptions, which do not require affiliation with any specific
religion.
Regarding the common flu shot, consider this study published in
Lancet:
Absenteeism of more than one hundred thousand employees was noted each winter
for three years, and the conclusion was that flu shots did not confer any protection.What about tetanus? Probably the single most important factor in preventing tetanus
is thorough cleansing of the wound by removing all foreign bodies and dead tissue.
On rare occasion, “tetanus-prone” wounds might justify a booster vaccine for those
individuals already immunized, and immune globulin in those who never have been
vaccinated.
To avoid an infectious disease, you don’t need to have vaccinations; you need to
keep your immunity strong. From the beginning, breastfeeding protects against
many infections. Avoid allergenic foods like milk and wheat. Allergies lower
immunity and predispose the body to infections. Nutritional status is critical to
immune competence. Refined sugars are well known to depress immunity. Regular
exercise, a good diet, and avoidance of allergens and toxins help to maintain a
healthy immune system. Moreover, a high-quality supplement program is essential.
Give Credit Where It Is Due
While a dramatic decline has occurred in mortality during the last century, this
decline has little to do with the “advancement” of our health-care system.
Researchers at Harvard University and Boston University have determined that
drugs, vaccines and other medical measures contributed a mere 1 to 3.5 percent to
the decline in U.S. mortality since the turn of the century. This data appeared in a
1977 article (published in the summer edition of the
Milbank Memorial Fund
Quarterly
), which concluded that increased life expectancy was due to
improvements in sanitation and living conditions rather than advances in medicine.
That view was supported in a study reported in the September 1977 issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association,
concluding that “the most dramatic
improvements in the health of our people as a group have been from cleaning up the
water supply: sanitation, not medical care.” The decline in mortality is primarily
attributable to the decline in killer epidemics such as tuberculosis, scarlet fever,
smallpox, diphtheria and others. The development of city sewer systems


  no less  than ten
doctors in succession;  and at the end of his adventures  he still retained
his headaches.  As the story  is so significant  and  not unfraught  with its
ironic and humorous  side, it may  be condensed  here.
The first  doctor told him he had  an obstruction  in his nose, and  must
see a nose specialist;  the second told him there was nothing the matter
with his nose, but he must see an oculist ; the third told him he had low
blood  pressure,  and  must have injections  ; the fourth told him he had
high  blood  pressure,  and  must diet himself to lower it ; the fifth told
him his liver was enlarged,  and  he must  have  electrical treatment  ; the
sixth told him his liver was not enlarged but it secreted insufficient  bile ;
the seventh told him that his pituitary gland  was  not functioning
properly, and  he must  have  glandular  injections  the eighth told him he
was suffering from intestinal  poisoning,  and must  cut down his eating
and smoking ; the ninth told him that his was a case  of nervous debility, 22
 and  he must  take some pills for the trouble, the tenth told him there
was nothing really the matter with him, and that his headaches  were
just headaches…!  In citing this article  I am not implying that doctors are
ignoramus.  On the contrary, they are so full of erudition that "they
cannot see the wood of truth  for the trees of learning"!  That is one very
cogent reason why sooner or later they  reject the simple remedy  or
treatment  for the  complex,  no matter how efficacious  that simple
remedy  has proved to be.
A final objection  which  may  be raised against urine intake by the
fastidious  (although  it constitutes  no argument  against its therapeutical
value)  is that the taste must  be so " utterly revolting " that only heroes
could bring themselves  to drink  it. This assumption,  however,  is
incorrect.  The taste  of healthy urine is not nearly as objectionable  as,
say, Epsom salts. Fresh morning urine is merely  somewhat  bitter  and
salty. But as already mentioned,  the more frequently  it is taken the
more  innocuous  does it become; and as might be expected,  its taste
varies from day to day and even from hour to hour according  to the
foods  which  have been eaten. Even the urine which  is passed  in some
serious diseases is not as obnoxious  to taste  as its appearance  may
often  suggest.
And now, having cited testimonials  both ancient and  modern as to the
therapeutical  value of urine, and  having also dealt with the  afore‐
mentioned  objections.  I will sum up the evidence contained  through
many years of practice and personal experience  on the part of those
who are in a position to know  the real facts.  23
 Urine on being taken  into the body, is filtered; it becomes purer and
purer even in the course of one day's living upon it plus tap‐water, if
required. First, it cleanses, then frees from obstruction  and  finally
rebuilds  the vital  organs  and passages after they  have been wasted by
the ravages of disease. In fact it rebuilds  not only the lungs,  páncreas,
liver,  brain, heart.  etc., but also repairs the linings  of brain  and bowel
and other  linings, as has been demonstrated  in the case  of many "killing
" diseases, such as consumption  of the intestines  and the worst form of
colitis. In fine, it accomplishes  what fasting merely on water or fruit
juices (as some naturopaths  advocate)  can never achieve.
The proof of this statement  will be found in the casehistories  adduced
in the following  pages.

  24
 CHAPTER  IV.
MY SELF‐ CURE

Although I should prefer to avoid the first personal  pronoun in this
book, it is not possible to do so in the circumstances  if I am to carry
conviction.  For, as already implied, one ounce of experience  outweighs
a ton of arguments!
My first  patient was myself. It happened  in this wise. During the last
war at the age of thirty‐four.  I presented  myself for medical
examination  under  what was called The Derby  Scheme, and  was
rejected by four examining  doctors on the grounds  that I was
consumptive.  Moreover  I was urged to put myself under  the care of a
physician.  Consequently  I consulted  a specialist.  He however,  treated
my condition  as not very serious, told me I was more  a catarrhal subject
than a consumptive  one, and advised  plenty of fresh  air, sunshine and a
nourishing  diet. I followed his advice,  and  in one year put on 28 lbs. in
weight. Nevertheless,  not being satisfied with my condition  I consulted
another  specialist,  who i nformed  me that both my lungs  were affected,
and  despite what the previous  specialist  had  said, I was consumptive,
and  must  keep up my strength on a diet rich in sugars and  starches.
Finally, diabetes set in, and I was placed on an entirely new  and drastic
regime,  which  consisted  of fasting on six half‐ pints a day of cold water
(sipped) during four days of every week, whilst  on the fifth and  two


 wrigglin g her hips,
bumping  and grinding  in respons e to the pressure  of the  man as
he presses  dow n and thrusts  inside.  These  movements create  a
certain  kind  of Chi  pressure  in the  organs  and glands,  doubling  the
Chi in the  cavities  of the  body, there by permitting the  energ y to
circulate  much faster  and exchange  more easil y.
    (6)  In this position,  the farthe r up in the  air the woman  legs  are,
the deeper  the penetratio n the man can  accomp lish in his thrustin g,
making this a particularl y good  position  for a couple  trying for a
pregna ncy. It is important,  how ever to make sure  that the uterus  is
not penetrat ed.
- 216  -Chapter  VIII
Fig. 8.6 Wom an on Top  Position
C. Wo man on Top Position (Fi g. 8.6)
   Kno wn as the  sixth position  in the  Plain Lady book,  the position
with the woma n on top will help  to increase  blood  circulation.
   As we  live our  modern  lives, we have  a tendency  to overeat  fatty
foods  which cause  the blood  to clot  and settle in certain  parts  of
the organs.  This clotting  causes  a slow -down of the blood  flow and
creates  a situation  in which heat  cannot  be release d or circulated
to a cooler  part of the body  where the temperatures  can be
exchanged. The tem peratu re of the  whole body  rises,  resulting  in
an overheatin g of the organs.  During  love making  when we generat e
sexual,  organ,  and gland  energ y and fuse  them into  a ver y special
kind of  energ y which we call Love’s  Special Energ y, a harmonic
- 217  -Dual Cultivation
fusion  occurs  which helps  to dissolve  these  blood  clots.  The kidney s
and liver pla y the major role  in this w ork.
    In this position,  the man can  easil y pull sexual  energ y to the
kidney s and liver. When the woman  is on top,  the woman  is freer  to
be active and  so it is easy  for her  to direct  the stimulation  of the
vagina  and clitoris  and maintain  a certain  angle  to her  sexual  organs
in a way that only  she knows will stim ulate  her. Therefore,  this
position  can help  a woman  with menstrual  problems, such  as
cramps, mo st of which are caused  by insufficient  blood  circulation
in the  ovaries  and cervix.  By directly  stimulating  the sexual  glands,
the clitoris,  and the G-Spot, and  pulling  the sexual  healing  energy
directly  to the  ovaries  and cervix, the  problem can  be alleviated.
    To attain  this position  the man lies on  his back  and the woma n,
on her knees  and facing  him, low ers herself  onto  his erect  penis.
Either the man or w oman  can guide  the penis  into the  vagina.
Couples  may  start  in this position  or arrive  at it by rolling  over  from
the man on top or  the side  by side  position.  Begin  with the man in
motion in  order  for the woman  to receive  the healing  energy  and
reach  the boiling  point.  Embrace  each  other  making sure  you do
not bend  the penis  or let it slip out  of the vagina.
D. Benefits and Drawbacks of the Woman on Top Positi on
There  are both  good  and bad points  to this position.
   (1) The w oman  on top  makes the  woman  experience  a mo re
active role, a sense  of superiorit y, a free  feeling  of mo vement, and
a sense  of doing  whatever she wishes. This helps  to ma ke the
woma n more open  to the w orld and able  to better  unde rstan d men.
Some women  become tense  when they  consider  that men try to
rule the world in every  respect.  However it is the rule of nature  that
Yin and Yang must be balanc ed. In ever y situation  women  play  an
equally  important  role.  In Taois m we regard  timing as ver y important.
When the Y ang is too  extreme, the  Yin takes  over.  When the Yin is
too extre me, the  Yang takes  over.  Like wise, during  the begin ning of
sex the  man is on  top to arouse  the woman, because  he, like fire,
is aroused  more easil y than  the woma n. Once  the woman  is
aroused,  she will assume the  top position  to arous e the man. In
this w ay the roles  are interch angeable.
   In the top  position  the w oman  can experie nce putting  the penis
into her vagina,  and can take  as long  as she desires  to insert  it to
give the  feeling  of prolon ged genital  sensitivit y. Both w ill feel the
- 218  -Chapter VIII
gentleness  of the  slowly spreadi ng vagina  as the  penis  is inserted.
    (2)  The w oman  can direct  the glans  of the penis  to stim ulate  it in
the most sensitive way by placing  it only in the two inches  that form
the outer  vagina.  It is difficult for a man to remain in only the first
two inches.  The ma n tends  to w ant to plunge  deepe r into the tighter
area which alleviates  his anticipatio n, but which also, becaus e of
its tightness,  makes him finish  fast.
    The w oman  receives  the sexual  healing  energ y by permitting
the man to do  the thrusting  as she  guides  his penis to the  area  she
would like to have  stim ulated.  In this position  the man or w oman
can use their  hands  to stim ulate  the clitoris  which will help  the
woma n reach  the boiling  point  faster.
    (3)  The ma n can enjoy  the stim ulation  of liver  energ y by using
his e yes to w atch the expression  of the  arouse d woman,  her face
and her breasts,  and see the  sexual  organs  in contact,  moving in
and out of each  other.  Once  the eyes are stim ulated,  the man can
bring  the sexual  energy  to the  liver b y slightly  contracti ng the right
size of  the anus.  The woma n can use her free hand  to arouse  her
nipples,  or her partne r’s nipples.  This w ill greatly  stim ulate  both
partners’  organs  and glands.
    (4)  The w oman  on top  is a good  position  for the later  months of
pregna ncy since  it allow s interco urse without her growing belly
getting  in the w ay. It is also  good  for the man wh o has a  big stomach
in relieving  the pressu re since,  during  the sexual  act, the  stom achs
will meet first rather  than  the sex organs. Older  men, and  men wh o
have  heart  problems, are also helped  by this position  since  the
man does  not expend  vigoro us energ y Because  the man can  be
less active,  he can easil y guide  the energ y to strengt hen the heart.
    (5)  The w oman  on top  has to be ver y careful  that she does  not
move too  vigorously  which may bend  and hurt the erect  penis.
This type of injury takes a long  time to heal.  Mak e sure  that the
penis  has a full erection. If the  penis  becomes soft,  start  with slow
movements to  build up again  to the  high  energ y point.  When the
penis  is soft, or  during  vigorous  thrusting,  the penis  can slip out  or
half-way out of the  vagina,  and this is w hen it can  get hurt easily
2. Traditional Lovemaking Positi ons and He aling
The follow ing are a few classic lovem aking  and healing  positions
as outlined  in the  Plain  Lady book.  We list these  positions  for your
referenc e only. With a properl y opened  energy  chann el you can
guide  the energ y to heal


 finally put onthis list in 2003; however, you wouldn’t know it because it isnever mentioned.
Morning sickness is only caused by too much estrogen. But
doctors don’t realize that. They don’t know that you can preventmorning sickness and also prevent miscarriages by prescribingbio-identical progesterone. Natural hormones can help womenwith common problems like these, but doctors are generallyunaware of it.
Estrogen has always been promoted for the treatment of
osteoporosis, and it appears that in some studies it may preventosteoporosis temporarily. Yet there have been no studies toshow that estrogen reverses osteoporosis. In fact, it is primarilya lack of progesterone that causes osteoporosis. Studies are nowfinding that women on birth control pills, which suppressprogesterone production, have an earlier onset of osteoporosis.19 ESTR OGEN DOMINANCE AND BRENDA J. In women, progesterone is one of the hormones of choice
in the treatment of osteoporosis. It stimulates osteoblasts in thebone to make new bone. Estrogen does not do this.
STANDING UP TO ESTROGEN DOMINANCE
I am not the first doctor to point out the over-use of estrogen
in medicine today. The term “estrogen dominance” was coinedby Dr. John R. Lee in his 1996 book,
What Your Doctor May
Not T ell You about Menopause. He was the first physician to
go public decrying the use of estrogen to “cure” women’smenopause.
Unfortunately, the concept of estrogen dominance is not
widely accepted in the medical community—a result of the factthat many doctors have very little understanding of hormones atall. This is a point I’ll come back to again and again. It’s one ofthe primary themes of this book: the conventional medicalcommunity is largely unaware of how important hormones arein regulating every aspect of our physical well being; or rather,they understand its importance intellectually but do not applythis in their practices.
Most doctors were never taught in medical school that a
person can have too much estrogen. T o the medical communitythere’s no such thing as a disease caused by too much estrogen.They know that there are conditions called fibroids andendometriosis, they know that women get fibrocystic disease intheir breasts and so on, but they don’t seem concerned aboutestrogen’s role in causing these conditions. Women with theseproblems should never be given estrogen because they are at riskfor even more serious complications from estrogen dominance.
It is very difficult for people, doctors included, to separate
the hype associated with estrogen from the reality. Most of the20 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  research on estrogen has been bought and paid for by drug
companies, who have almost 100 percent control over what getspublished and, more importantly, what doesn’t.
It’s long been proposed by drug companies, and therefore by
the doctors who tend to believe what these companies have tosay, that estrogen is good for the heart. Yet five recent majorstudies have indicated that women starting on estrogen havehigher incidences of heart attacks and strokes. For this reason,estrogen is now contra-indicated for women with coronaryartery disease and women who have had strokes. Anothernegative side effect of estrogen is that it elevates levels of homo-cysteine, the substance that makes blood vessels sticky, leading toclot and plaque formation. The American Heart Association isnow telling doctors to be much more selective in givingwomen estrogen.
This is a good place to make a comment about the term
“estrogen” as it is used throughout the book. There are threebasic types of estrogen: estradiol, estrone, and estriol, listed herefrom the strongest to the weakest. Estradiol is the one associatedwith most of the unpleasant side effects women experience, aswell as the hormonal cancers that occur in both men andwomen. (However, using it transdermally appears to provide alevel of safety in this regard.) Accordingly, when I mention thenegative aspects of estrogen, I am usually referring to estradiol.
Estriol, the weakest and thereby the safest estrogen, does not
cause cancerous changes in the cells. In fact, it is so safe that ithas been used to treat breast cancer, since it occupies estrogenreceptor sites and blocks stronger forms of estrogen. It is also thebest type of estrogen for vaginal dryness.
T ransdermal estrogens, even estradiol when applied
transdermally, are basically safer than estrogens taken orally.However, they should never be used without concomitantprogesterone cream to counteract the estrogen and avoid21 ESTR OGEN DOMINANCE AND BRENDA J. potential side effects. And keep in mind that all estrogens are
lipogenic—they all create fat.
THE HEALING POWERS OF PROGESTERONE
When you realize that there are over 300 receptor sites for
progesterone throughout the body, you can begin to appreciatethe powerful effects patients can experience when they aregiven this hormone.
In general, progesterone is wonderful for brain tissue. In
fact, progesterone levels are higher in brain tissue than anywhereelse in the body. So progesterone influences memory function,and some studies indicate that it’s very good for preventing andpossibly even treating Alzheimer’s disease.
Progesterone is also wonderful for nerve tissue. I’ve used it
with diabetics who have a burning neuropathy in their feet.Sometimes the neuropathy is gone within three days.Progesterone also stimulates the Schwann cells that line the axisof a nerve and produce myelin. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is acondition associated with the demyelinization of nerve cells.Most of the patients with MS who I have treated have beenestrogen dominant. Could this condition possibly be related tolow progesterone levels?
Progesterone also has a healing effect on blood vessels. It
undoes all the damage that estrogen causes. That’s why it worksso well for preventing and treating menstrual migraines, andwhy it’s effective in preventing coronary artery spasm.
One of the best treatments for osteoporosis happens to be
progesterone. It’s much better than estrogen in this regard. Andbecause progesterone reduces the level of insulin—the numberone hormone that causes the accumulation of fat in mostpeople—it can be used to help control weight.22 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  Being a feel-good hormone, especially for women, proges-
terone is also a natural anti-depressant. As the antidote toestrogen, it helps prevent breast cancer, cancer of the ovaries, andprobably cancer of the colon. In my view, it can also preventcancer of the prostate, which I believe is another cancer causedby estrogen.
Brenda would have had a completely different life if the
benefits of progesterone had been understood by the medicalcommunity. Instead, she was estrogen dominant, which ledto her hysterectomy and brought on a surgically inducedmenopause. At that point, Brenda became a victim of thePremarin trend, also known as estrogen replacement therapy(ERT), which began in earnest in the 1970s. Before the1970s, there was nothing in the gynecological canon thatdictated giving women estrogen at menopause. I discuss thestory of Premarin and ERT in chapter 10, the chapter onmenopause and perimenopause.
FIBROMYALGIA
The pain that Brenda began to experience in her 30s was due
to fibromyalgia. In my practice I come across many patients inwhom physical pain—arthritis, fibromyalgia, and so forth—isintermixed with symptoms of hormone imbalance. Just gettingtheir hormones in balance often leads to relief. Thosehormones most often involved include progesterone, insulin,adrenaline, cortisol, and thyroid.
For the most part, these people are angry. Their hormone
imbalances are allowed to go on year after year. They take partin expensive, time-consuming efforts to treat their symptoms,and the symptoms stubbornly persist. It’s understandable thatthey’d develop anger about their lot in life. I’ve found23 ESTR OGEN DOMINANCE AND BRENDA J. fibromyalgia to be present in many of the people who seek out
my services, and, as with Brenda, it usually has not beenproperly diagnosed.
Anger can cause muscles to tense. When you tense a
muscle, it produces lactic acid which causes pain, and thepersistent tensing of the muscles utilizes a lot of energy, whichcauses fatigue.
Although Brenda doesn’t mention it in her story, she told
me during her intake interview that she was also operated onfor TMJ, or pain in the temporomandibular joint. TMJ iscaused by tensing of the jaw muscles, which occurs usually atnight and is always associated with anger. Brenda had a lot ofgood reasons to be angry. She was being misled by the medicalcommunity, and she had—let’s face it—a hard life raising herchildren on her own. I find her situation almost tragic. She wascrying out for help, exhibiting classic symptoms that shouldhave been impossible to miss, yet no one would listen to her.
In chapter 7 I discuss the way I treat patients with
fibromyalgia, which is to deal with the underlying cause oftheir anger and to get their hormones back in balance.
/Iswashf
If you can balance a patient’s hormones,
you can often treat their problems at the source
without resorting to surgery and drugs.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of utilizing
hormones correctly. Some women are more sensitive


 the average person was fortunate
to live to 35, Cornaro lived to 103 and remained active and clear-headed to
the end. His method for achieving this feat was to abstain from drinking and
to eat very spari ngly: In essence, he fasted from age 37 onward, following
ancient Greek and Roman notions of frugal diet as the secret of longevity.
Cornaro’ s prescription gained scientific credence centuries later, at least
in anima l experi ments. In the 1930s Dr. Clive McKay of Cornell University
took newly weaned rats and fed them only 60 percent of the calorie intake
of a rat with food available all the time. This restricted diet was
supplemented with adequate vitamins and minerals. The diet-restricted rats
grew very slowly compared to normal rats, but they appeared  extremely
healthy througho ut their long lives; they could be held in a growth-retarded
cycle for a thousand days, by which time all the rats on unres tricted diets
had died. When the restricted rats were allowed to return to a full diet, they
started growing normally, and they showed interest in sexual activity, which
had been missing before.
To date, McKay’ s method of “undernutrition”—supplying complete
nutrients on a very-low-calorie diet—is the only proven way to extend the
maximum life span of animals. Follow-up research indicated that the
average maximum life span of approximately a thousand days for fully fed
rats could be extended to sixtee n hundred days for undernourished rats, an
increase of 60 percent. Would the technique work for humans? Perhaps. But
the test cannot be done on newl y weaned babies, given the risk of stunting
their growth and the obvious ethical objections. A human diet restricted to
60 percent of normal calories—roughly fourteen hundred calories per day
for an average adult—is on the borderline of fasting. It would be intolerable
to impose this on children, and since young adults can’t see signs of the
aging process yet, they don’t have much incentive to prevent  it. Cornaro
took up his fast in middle age, which may be early enough.
Dr. Roy Walford, a noted gerontologist at UCLA and an outspoken
advocate of undernutrition, is one of the few scientists actually to take up
the method himself. Walford believes that cutting back on calories is safe
and effective long after infancy. To support this view, he started mice on arestricted diet at the equivalent age of 30 to 33 in humans and found that
they lived 20 percent longer. Unlike the animals who followed a restricted
diet from  birth, these did not outstrip the maximum age of mice. On the
other hand, a 20 percent increase in life span represents about fifteen years
for humans. The animals displa yed excellent health all their lives and aged
with a fraction of the heart disease and tumors of fully fed mice.
Walford did not subject the animals to total fasting every day. Earlier
research had shown that eating  a restricted diet only every other day was
highly effective in increasing life span. In addition, the mice were tapered
into their new diet gradually, allowing their bodies to shift their metabolic
set point to accommodate dietary restrictions without abrupt changes.
Your metabolic set point is a brain mechanism that regulates how fast
your body burns fuel. It also indicates when you feel hungry or satisfied. If
you try to impo se a diet on yourself that disagrees with your metabolic set
point, the brain will create cravings for food until more is supplied. By
changing the metabolic set point gradually, Walford coaxed it into line with
the meager calories called for in undernutrition. He advises the same
tapering process  for people who adopt his method, taking several months or
years to adjust to a 40 percent reduction in caloric intake.
This graduated plan forms the basis of Walford’ s diet, which he believes
will allow anyone to surpass Cornaro and live to age 120 or older. “The idea
is to lose weight gradually over the next four to six years,” he says, “until
you’re 10 to 25 percent below your set point. That’ s the weight you’ll drift
toward if you neither overeat nor undereat. Usually it’s what you weighed
between ages 25 and 30.” The gradual restriction of calories has to include
careful food selection to make sure that all vitamins and minerals are
included—undernutrition is not the same as malnutrition. From a
physician’ s viewpoint, Walford’ s diet would lead to almost certain
improvements in health, particularly in the areas of cancer and
cardiovascular disease.
Instead of eating anything like the 37 percent fat that the average
American consu mes daily, or even the 30 percent advised by prevention
experts, Walford ’s regime cuts fat to a marginal 11 percent—ap proximately
the fat in one tablespoon of vegetable oil, plus traces in grains, vegetables,
and fruits. Altho ugh this intake is so minimal that only the most intenselymotivated person could realistically expect to live on it, 11 percent fat is
normally not dangerous over the short term. The widely publicized program
for reversing heart disease devised by cardiologist Dean Ornish contains
only this much fat, as does the Pritikin Plan and the Duke Univ ersity “rice
diet” that preceded it.
Another advantage of dietary restriction is its elimination of useless
calories and processed foods. On a regimen of twelve hundre d to fifteen
hundred calorie s a day, there is no room for cakes, cookies, ice cream,
hambur gers, and french fries. Sugar and fat have to be excised to make
room for an abundance of whole foods. This is desirable even if longevity
doesn’ t result from Walford’ s plan. Some gerontologists point out that the
animals who are of real interest are not the diet-restricted ones but those
that were allowed to eat all they wanted. Dr. Leonard Hayflick, one of the
country’ s leadin g research gerontologists, says that the argument should be
reversed: “The restricted mice are merely being allowed to reach the limit
of their life span. It’ s overfeeding that kills the control group.”
This contention makes a good deal of sense when applied to humans; the
rampant degene rative disease that afflicts our society in old age indicates
that we are being held back from the long, healthy life spans that a few
achieve—approximately 15 percent of people over 65 have no major
degenerative disorder such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, or
osteoporosis.
No one has yet discovered why calorie restriction extends life span in
animals. Walfor d speculates that it postpones a breakdown in the immune
system. Presently a huge government facility in Arkansas has been turned
over to undernourishing thirty thousand rats, with similar extensive trials
being run on monkeys. In the near future, announcements of the results,
which have been favorable so far, will no doubt be widely aired.
It seems unlikely that many people will ever undertake severe calorie
restriction as a longevity program, given its rigors, but my cultural
background predisposes me to favor the principle of occasional fasting. In
India there is a tradition, centuri es old, that longevity can result from taking
little or no food one day a week (in the form of fruit juice, warm water with
honey, or low-fat milk). The principle at work is simple: The digestive
system is allowed to take a rest, to recover its balance and flush outaccumulated impurities. Modern physiology has not accepted these
principles, yet every spiritual tradition boasts long-lived people who
adhered to them. The success of frugal eating, I believe, is that it must be
blended with a lifestyle in which fasting is neither a punishment nor a
discipline but a respite from daily activity. The time one would ordinarily
devote to eating  would be spent quietly, alone. Fasting would then allow the
body to participate in a feeling of peaceful non-doing.
It seems to me that centenarians tend to be far ahead of geronto logists in
what they know about living. There’ s something woefully lacking in any
fragmentary approach to life, however intriguing any single fragment
happens to be. Dietary restricti on doesn’ t address the rich psychology of
humans, and what we know about longevity so far indicates that this factor
is extremely important. I recently read an interview with an inspiring 100-
year-old woman named Edna Olson. She is very devout; all her life she has
sung and prayed  and written poetry expressing her faith. When asked about
her life, she said, “I was only about 2 years old when God spoke to me. He
told me he was God and He wanted me to believe in Him, and He said, ‘I
will take care of you.’
“And He has. He said, ‘Don’ t tell your mother yet. She’ll just say you’re
a silly child and you don’t know  what you’re talking about. I will send you
dreams.’ And God did send me dreams in the morning—before  I woke up
—and they would always be true dreams. They would tell me what I should
do. That’ s how I’ve lived my whole life.”
A woman nourished by visions, or thirty thousand rats on short rations—
I know


isonouselementwidelyfoundin
nature.Itishighlyflammableandglowsinthedark.It
burstsintoabrilliantwhiteflameoncontactwithair
andiskeptunderwaterorinalcohol.Itisuniqueamongthenon-radioactive substancesinthatinthe
processofoxidation itspontaneously givesofflight
withoutheat.Whenheated,whitephosphorusturns
intoapowdercalledredphosphorus,whichisless
poisonousandisusedtomakematches.Industrial
poisoninginthemanufactureofmatchesledtoa
complaintknownas'phossyjaw'wheretheboneof
thejawdiedoff.
Phosphorus isanelementessentialtolife-both
vegetableandanimal-andmuchofthefoodweeat
containsphosphate.Largeamountsofitaremined
andusedasfertilisers.
Medicinally,phosphoruswasuseduntilthe
nineteenthcentury,whenitfelloutofusebecauseof
itshighlypoisonousnature,thesymptomsofwhich
areviolentburningpainsinthechestandstomach,
vomitinganddiarrhoea,prostration,haemorrhaging
anddeath-eitherwithinafewdaysorafewmonths.
Ithasbeenusedasaratpoisonandaninsecticide.
Thehomeopathicremedyispreparedfromthe
elementitselfbytrituration.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Anaemia.Bleeding:occurseasily;brightred;
profuse.Complaintsfrom:anychangeofweather;
gettingchilled.Dischargesblood-streaked. Dislikes
hotfood.Faceredinspots.Hairloss.Haemorrhages.
Heavyfeeling.Hotflushes.Likes:colddrinks;cold
food;spicyfood;ice-cream;milk;chocolate;salt.
Pains:inglands;burning.Sweat:onsinglepartsof
thebody;fromslightestphysicalexertion;clammy.
Taste:mouthtastessour.Thirsty:unquenchable for
ice-colddrinks;forwater.Tonguered-coated.
Betteraftersleep;forcolddrinks;formassage.
Worseforcold;beforeeating;forchangeofweather;
duringtheevening;duringthemorning;forwind.
Phosphorustypesareusuallytallandslimwithlong
darkeyelashes,orred-hairedwithfreckles.Despite
beingthintheyarealwayshungryandburnuptheir
foodquicklv;theythereforeneedtoeatoften.Theyare
alsoverythirstyandwantcoldoriceddrinks(es-
peciallycoldmilk).Theymaybewarmbloodedbut
moreoftenthevarechillyindividualswhofeelworse
forchangesintheweatherandforgettingcold,and
whohatethewind.
Theybleedeasilyandcopiously,producingalotof
brightredbloodwhichisslowtocoagulate.Smallcuts
ortoothextractionswillbleedalot,andtheysuffer
heavyperiodsandnosebleeds.Theyaretherefore
pronetoanaemia; iftheyareanaemic,theirhairmay
fallout,probablyinhandfuls.
Phosphoruspatientsareweak,delicateandchesty.
Theirweaknessisoftenduetonervousexhaustion,
andtheyarethenpronetofeelingheavyandcold;feet
INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Phosphorus(Phos.)•131
andhandsbecomeicycold,especiallyinbedandfrom
mentalstrain.Legsfallasleepeasily.Sleep,however
brief,andmassagemakethemfeelbetter.Theyprefer
sleepingontherightside.
Phosphoruspainsareusuallyburningpains,wher-
evertheyare.Morningsandevenings,betweendusk
andmidnight,aretheirworsttimesofday.
EMOTIONAL/MENTAL SYMPTOMS
Affectionate.Anxious.Apathetic.Desirescompany.
Excitable.Fearful:generally;ofbeingalone;ofthe
dark;ofdeath;duringastorm.Jumpy.Irritable.
Sensitive:generally;topain;tolight.Slowness.
Sympathetic.Uncommunicative.
Inhealththeseindividualsarelively,affectionateand
excitable-althoughtheymayalsohavetheclassic
Phosphorusfears.Theyhatetobealone,especiallyin
thedarkatnightwhentheirvividimaginationscon-
jureupallsortsofghostsandmonsterscreepingoutof
theshadows.Theyarealsoscaredofthunderstorms,
andjumpwitheachthunderclap,butastheygrow
oldertheymayfindthelightningexciting.Theseare
peoplewhowantcompany,whofeelthingsstrongly
andareverysensitive,but,beinghighlystrung,they
areveryeasilystartled.
Whensick,allthischanges.Theybecomeirritable
andsluggishmentally(likePhosphoricacid)and
apatheticandtheydon'twanttothink,talkorwork.
Illnessdebilitatesthesetypes;thoughtheirenergy
mayflareupinexcitedbursts,thiswillbefollowedby
areturntotheirexhaustedstates.Theyneedsym-
pathywhenill,and,despitebeingfearfulandproneto
becomingirritableiftiredorupset,theyareeasily
comfortedandreassured.Theylovemassage,touch
andaffection.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Backache
SymptomsPains:betweenshoulderblades;inlower
back;asifbroken;burning.
Betterforrubbing/massage.
Worseongettingupfromsitting.
Bleedinggums
Causestoothextraction.
Commoncold
SymptomsNasalcatarrh:blood-streaked; profuse;
one-sided;dry.Senseoftaste/smell lost.With
hoarseness;sorethroat(seebelow).
Thenosemayrunprofuselyorbeblocked(whenitwillfeelverydryandtherewillbenodischarge).The
catarrhisusuallyblood-streaked.
Cough
SymptomsBreathing: difficult;fast.Cough:dryat
night;duringfever;hacking;irritating;racking;tick-
ling;tight;violent;fromticklinginlarynx;wakens
personatnight;personmustsitup.Larynxraw.
Mucus:tastessweet;salty;transparent;white;yellow;
green;copious;bloody.Paininchest:burning.With
sweating.
Betterforheat.
Worseforchangeoftemperaturefromwarmtocoldor
coldtowarm;forcoldair;forfreshair;duringfever;for
lyingonleftside;duringthemorningaftergettingup;
duringtheeveninguntilmidnight;readingaloud.
Thereisafeelingofaweighton,andburningpainsin,
thechest,whicharebothworseforcoughing.The
airwaysfeelirritatedandtheticklinginthechestis
worseforcoldair.Thepersonwillwakefromsleep
withthecoughandwillthenhavetosituptocough.
Hewillcoughupcopiousquantitiesofsputum,
especiallyinthemorning,whichisusuallyblood-
streakedandrangesincolourfromcleartowhiteto
yelloworgreen.
Croup
Symptomsofcough(seeabove).
Diarrhoea
SymptomsStools:blood-streaked; frequent;pain-
less;profuse;watery.Withicy-coldhandsandfeet.
Befferaftereatingcoldfood.
Worseduringthemorning;gettingchilled.
Theabdomenmaybebloatedandgurgling,andthe
stoolsblood-streaked.Thepersonmayfeelbetterfor
colddrinks.
Exhaustion
SymptomsExhaustion:nervous;paralytic.With
fever(seebelow).
Worseforslightestexertion;forwalking.
Causesdiarrhoea;fever;sweating.
Thepatientissotiredduringanacuteillnessthathe
cannotevenstaysittinguprightinbedbutcontinually
slidesdown.
Fever
SymptomsIncreasedappetite.Heat:dry;burningat
night;one-sided;worseontherightside.
Worseintheafternoon/evening/night.
Thepersonwiththisfeverwillhaveanunquenchable
thirstforcolddrinksandabiggerappetitethan
132•Phytolaccadecandra(Phyt.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
normal.Childrenwithahighfevermayplaynor-
mallyandappearquitewellinthemselves(withrosy
cheeks)andeveneatwell.
Hairloss
SymptomsHairfallsoutinhandfuls.
Causesacuteillness.
Headache
SymptomsHungerbefore/duringheadache.Pains:
inforehead;insidesofhead;burning;bursting;
pressing;throbbing.
Betteraftersleep;forcold;forcoldcompresses;for
freshair;ongettingup;formassage;forwalking.
Worseforgettingcold;forcoughing;fordaylight;for
hotdrinks;inastuffyroom;forwrappinguphead.
Causesbeforeathunderstorm.
Duringthis


. Doctors at the hospital then prescribe these medicines for their patients. The rise in popularity of herbal medicines, however, also directly threatens the survival  of some wild species. Demand for goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis, p. 105) has become so  great that it now fetches around $140 a pound (£170 a kilo). It was a common plant in the woodlands of northern America two centuries ago, but is now an endangered species, with its survival in the wild threatened by overcollection. This example is by no means unique, and, sadly, many species are similarly threatened across the planet. The extinction of plant species as a result of over-intensive collecting is nothing new. The herb silphion, a member  of the carrot family, was used extensively as a contraceptive by the women of ancient Rome.
US_006-007_Introduction.indd   6 26/02/16   4:42 pm7Silphion proved difficult to cultivate and was gathered from the wild in such large quantities
that it became extinct during the 3rd century ce.
 Today, if herbal medicine continues to grow at its present rate, it is imperative that
manufacturers, suppliers, practitioners, and the public use only produce that has been
cultivated or wildcrafted in an ecologically sensitive manner.
About This Book
In the past, books on herbal medicine have tended to focus either on the traditional and
folkloric use of plants or on their active constituents and pharmacology. The Encyclopedia
of Herbal Medicine, which features over 550 plants, aims to cover both aspects. It discusses
each plant’s history, traditions, and folklore, and explains in simple terms what is known from
scientific research about its active constituents, actions, and potential new uses.
 It is easy when concentrating on the scientific aspect of herbal medicine to forget that
much, in some cases all, that we currently know about a particular plant results from its
traditional use. Moreover, even when a plant has been well researched, herbal medicines are
so complex and variable that what is currently known is rarely definitive, but rather a sound
pointer as to how it works. Sometimes the traditional use, insofar as it is based on the
experience of practitioners, provides an insight into how best to use an herb that is missing
from scientific knowledge alone. Herbal medicine is, after all, both a science and an art.
 In choosing the plants profiled in the Encyclopedia, the aim has been to select herbs that are
commonly used in different parts of the world and are considered to have particular health
benefits. The index of key medicinal plants (pp. 54–155) contains many herbs that are
readily available in health stores and pharmacies, for example St. John’s wort ( Hypericum
perforatum, p. 106). It also includes herbs that are more commonly known as foods, such as
lemon ( Citrus limon, p. 82), but which, nonetheless, are valuable medicines. The index of other
medicinal plants (pp. 156–283) contains some less commonly known but important medicinal
herbs, such as andrographis ( Andrographis paniculata, p. 167), a traditional Indian medicinal
plant that stimulates recovery from infection and supports normal liver function.
 A global overview of the history of herbal medicine puts the development of different
herbal traditions from earliest origins to the present day into perspective. This is complemented
with features on herbal medicine in Europe, India, China, Africa, Australia, and the Americas,
providing a rounded picture of herbal medicine worldwide.
 Herbal medicine is nothing if not practical in its approach, and the Encyclopedia  has a
detailed self-help section with advice on preparing and using herbal medicines to treat
a range of common health problems.
 If more people come to appreciate the immense richness of the world of herbal
medicine and are able to benefit from the curative properties of medicinal herbs, this
book will have achieved its aim.
US_006-007_Introduction.indd   7 07/04/16   4:36 pm
US_008-009_The_Development_of_Herbal_Medicine.indd   8 26/02/16   4:42 pmThe
developmen T
of herbal
medicine
From the earliest times, herbs have been prized for their pain-relieving and
healing abilities, and today we still rely on the curative properties of plants
in about 75 percent of our medicines. Over the centuries, societies around
the world have developed their own traditions to make sense of medicinal
plants and their uses. Some of these traditions and medicinal practices may
seem strange and magical, others appear rational and sensible, but all are
attempts to overcome illness and suffering, and to enhance quality of life.
 “a wise man ought
to realize that health
is his most valuable
 possession.”
Hippocrates
US_008-009_The_Development_of_Herbal_Medicine.indd   9 26/02/16   4:42 pm
10
The developmen T of herbal medicineHow Medicinal Plants Work
Many of the thousands of plant species growing throughout the world have medicinal
uses, containing active constituents that have a direct action on the body. They are used  both in herbal and conventional medicine and offer benefits that pharmaceutical drugs  often lack, helping to combat illness and support the body’s efforts to regain good health.
There is no doubt that in extreme situations, the treatments
devised by modern medicine can offer an unparalleled opportunity to relieve symptoms and save lives. A newspaper article in 1993 described the terrible conditions in a hospital in war-torn Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Deprived of conventional medical supplies and drugs, the doctors were forced to use a well-known European herb, valerian (Valeriana officinalis, p. 148), as a painkiller for the wounded and as an anesthetic. Valerian is an effective herbal medicine for anxiety and nervous tension, but it is woefully inadequate as an analgesic or anesthetic. Orthodox pharmaceutical medicines sustain life and counter
infections in situations where other types of treatment
may have little to offer. Modern surgical techniques, such as keyhole surgery and plastic surgery, and the whole range of diagnostics and of life-support machinery now available, can
all be used to improve the chances of recovery from serious illness or injury.
The Benefits of Herbal Medicine
Y et despite the dramatic advances and advantages of conventional medicine, or biomedicine as it is also known,
it is clear that herbal medicine has much to offer. We tend  to forget that in all but the past 70 years or so, humans
have relied almost entirely on plants to treat all manner
of illnesses, from minor problems such as coughs and colds
to life-threatening diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Today, herbal remedies are coming back into prominence because the efficacy of conventional medicines such as antibiotics, which once had near-universal effectiveness against serious infections, is on the wane. Over the years, infectious organisms have developed resistance to synthesized drugs, and the herb sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua, p. 67) and
its active constituent artemisinin, for example, are now the standard treatment for malaria in tropical areas where
the protozoa causing the infection no longer respond to conventional treatment. Herbal medicine often complements conventional
treatments, providing safe, well-tolerated remedies for chronic illnesses. It is experiencing a dramatic renaissance in Western countries, partly because no effective conventional treatment as yet exists for many chronic illnesses, such as asthma, arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, concern over the side effects of biomedicine is encouraging people  to look for more gentle forms of treatment. It is estimated that 10–20% of hospital patients in the West are there due to the side effects of conventional medical treatment.
Using Herbs Wisely
Most commonly used herbs are extremely safe to use.
But some plants can produce side effects and, like all medicines, herbal remedies must be treated with respect.  It is essential to take or use certain plants only under the guidance of a well-trained practitioner, to avoid adverse consequences. Ma huang (Ephedra sinica, p. 95), for example, can be extremely toxic at the wrong dosage, and comfrey (Symphytum officinale, p. 138), a very popular herb in the
past, is thought to cause severe or even fatal liver damage
in rare circumstances. When an herbal medicine is used correctly, however, the chances of developing a serious side effect are remote.
Potent Plant Chemicals
The ability of an herbal medicine to affect body systems depends on the chemical constituents that it contains. Scientists first started extracting and isolating chemicals from plants in the 18th century, and since that time we have grown accustomed to looking at herbs and their effects in terms of the active constituents they contain. This Encyclopedia
is no exception, providing details of all the main active constituents of the medicinal herbs featured and explaining their actions.
Opium poppy fields in Tasmania. Opium, derived from the seed capsules of the opium
poppy, yields the narcotic alkaloids morphine and codeine, powerful painkillers that are widely used in conventional medicine.
US_010-013_How_Medicinal_Plants_work.indd   10 26/02/16   4:42 pm11 How Medicinal Plants workResearch into isolated plant
constituents is of great
importance, for it has given rise
to many of the world’s most
useful drugs. Tubocurarine, the
most powerful muscle relaxant
in existence, is derived from


, hollow stem,
compound leaves, and many white flowers in umbels.Fagopyrum esculentum
(Polygonaceae)
Buckwheat
Description Annual growing to about 20 in
(50 cm). Has arrow-shaped leaves and clusters of
white or pink 5-petaled flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Buckwheat is native
to central and northern Asia, and is cultivated extensively in temperate regions, especially the  U.S. It is harvested in summer.
Parts Used Leaves, flowers.
Constituents Buckwheat contains bioflavonoids,
especially rutin, which is strongly antioxidant. Rutin strengthens the inner lining of blood vessels.
History & Folklore Buckwheat’s French name,
blé Sarrasin, alludes to its ancient Middle Eastern origins. The grain was either introduced to Europe
US_202-223_Digitalis_lutea_Iris_versicolor.indd   210 17/03/16   4:01 pm211 other medicinal plantsFicus carica
Habitat & Cultivation Native to Iran,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan, asafoetida produces a
gum obtained in summer from 4-year-old plants.
The stems are cut off and successive slices are
made through the roots. The gum wells up and
is collected after it has hardened.
Part Used Oleo-gum-resin.
Constituents Asafoetida exudate contains
6–17% volatile oil, as well as resin and gum. The
volatile oil contains disulphides (about 58%),
which have an expectorant action. The oil also
settles the digestion. Asafoetida resin contains
sesquiterpenoid coumarins, including foetidin.
History & Folklore In the 4th century
bce, Charaka Samhita, a Hindu medical treatise,
proclaimed asafoetida the best remedy for
clearing gas and bloating. The name devil’s
dung notwithstanding, the plant is thought to
have been the most popular spice in ancient
Rome. Asafoetida is as persistent in aroma as
garlic ( Allium sativum, p. 59), and is still used
as a flavoring.
Medicinal Actions & Uses In Middle Eastern
and Indian herbal medicine, asafoetida is used for
simple digestive problems such as gas, bloating,
indigestion, and constipation. Asafoetida’s volatile
oil, like that of garlic, has components that leave
the body via the respiratory system and aid the
coughing up of congested mucus. Asafoetida
is taken (usually in tablet form) for bronchitis,
bronchial asthma, whooping cough, and other
chest problems. Asafoetida also lowers blood
pressure and thins the blood. The herb has a
reputation for helping in neurotic states.
Related Species F. silphion  was used in ancient
Rome as a contraceptive. It was overharvested and
died out in about 300 ce. F. persica  is used in the
Middle East for rheumatic problems and backache.
The central Asian F. sumbul  is used as a nerve tonic.
F. jaeschkeana  has recently been investigated as a
potential contraceptive. See also F. gummosa
(following entry).
Caution While safe in adults, asafoetida may be
harmful to young babies.Constituents Galbanum exudate contains
a volatile oil, resins, gums, as well as a
coumarin (umbelliferone).
History & Folklore Galbanum has been used
medicinally for centuries.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Galbanum is a
digestive stimulant and antispasmodic, reducing
flatulence, cramps, and colic. It is also
expectorant. Applied as an ointment, the gum
may help heal wounds.
Related Species See asafoetida ( F. assa-foetida,
preceding entry).
Self-help Use Acidity & indigestion, p. 307.
Ficus benghalensis (Moraceae)
Banyan Tree
Description Tree growing to 65 ft (20 m) with
oval leaves, fig-type fruit, and roots that grow into
the ground from branches.
Habitat & Cultivation Growing wild in India
and Pakistan, the banyan tree is also cultivated
across the Indian subcontinent.
Parts Used Fruit, bark, leaves, latex,
aerial roots.
Constituents Banyan tree contains
ketones, sterols, ficusin, and bergaptin.
History & Folklore The banyan tree is
sacred to Hindus and is frequently found in
the proximity of Hindu temples. The god Shiva
is often shown sitting peacefully in the shade of
a banyan tree. The banyan tree is the national
tree of India.
Medicinal Actions & Uses The astringent
leaves and bark of the tree are employed to relieve
diarrhea and dysentery and to reduce bleeding. As
with other Ficus species, the latex is applied to hemorrhoids, warts, and aching joints. The fruit is
laxative and the roots are chewed to prevent gum
disease. The bark is used in Ayurvedic medicine
for diabetes.
Research In laboratory studies an extract of the
leaves was shown to counter diarrhea. Glycosides
in banyan have been shown to have an antidiabetic
activity, lowering blood-sugar levels.
Related Species See fig ( F. carica, following entry).
Caution The latex is toxic and should not be
taken internally.
Ficus carica (Moraceae)
Fig
Description  Deciduous tree growing to 13 ft
(4 m). Has large leaves and fleshy receptacles that
ripen into purple-brown, pear-shaped fruit.
Banyan tree leaves are astringent and are used to tighten
mucous membranes.Ferula gummosa syn. F. galbaniflua
(Apiaceae)
Galbanum
Description Perennial with a smooth, hollow
stem, finely toothed compound leaves, and umbels
of small white flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Native to central
Asia, galbanum produces a gum that is obtained
when stems are cut off and successive slices are
made through the roots. Gum wells to the surface
and is collected after it has hardened.
Part Used Oleo-gum-resin.Fig’s pulpy flesh is
emollient and soothing
to inflamed skin.
Habitat & Cultivation Native to western
Asia, fig now grows wild and is cultivated in many
temperate and subtropical regions. Fruit is
harvested in summer.
Parts Used Fruit, latex.
Constituents Figs contain around 50% fruit
sugars (mainly glucose), flavonoids, vitamins,
and enzymes.
History & Folklore The fig leaf was used
by Adam and Eve to hide their nakedness in the
Garden of Eden. There are many other references
to the plant in the Old Testament, mainly to the
sweetness of the fruit and to its use as a medicine.
Spartan athletes in Ancient Greece were said to
eat figs in order to improve their performance.
Medicinal Actions & Uses The fruit sugars
within the fig (especially the dried fruit) have a
pronounced but gentle laxative effect; syrup of figs
is still a remedy for mild constipation. The fruit’s
US_202-223_Digitalis_lutea_Iris_versicolor.indd   211 26/02/16   12:47 pm
212
other medicinal plantsFicus religiosa
emollient pulp helps relieve pain and inflammation,
and it has been used to treat tumors, swellings, and gum abscesses—the fruit often being roasted before application. Figs are also mildly expectorant and, when used with herbs such as elecampane (Inula helenium, p. 107), are helpful in treating dry and irritable coughs and bronchitis. The milky latex from leaves and stems is reputed to be analgesic, and has long been used to treat warts, insect bites, and stings.
Related Species Research published in 1999
showed that an extract of leaves of F. racemosa,  a native of northern India, had a marked protective activity on the liver in rats. The juice  and powdered bark of the Central American  F. cotinifolia are applied to wounds and bruises.  F. indica is used in Ayurvedic medicine as a tonic, diuretic, and treatment for gonorrhea. F. lacor  is used in Chinese herbal medicine to induce sweating, while F. retusa, which is native to China, Indonesia, and Australia, is used in the Chinese tradition to treat toothache and tooth decay. See also banyan tree (F. benghalensis, preceding entry) and peepal (F. religiosa, following entry).
Cautions The latex is toxic and should not be
used internally. Applied to the skin, it may cause  an allergic reaction to sunlight.Foeniculum vulgare (Apiaceae)
Fennel
Description Aromatic perennial growing to
about 5 ft (1.5 m). Has dark green, feathery leaves, umbels of yellow flowers


icrobials, I have made a selectio n of remedies with a good track record in natural medicine
especially in regard to antifungal properties. Unfortunately, most of them are under attack by health authorities in various countries,
and you just need to go with those that you can obtain.
Two good fungicides, mainly for external use, are sodium thiosulphate and copper salicylate (www.health-science-
spirit.com/copper.html ). Other useful remedies that may be used in addition are propolis, extract of Neem leaves, and the oils of tea
tree, Neem tree, cinnamon, eucalyptus, lavender, mustard, oregano, or thyme. You may ingest 1 or 2 drops of diluted essential oils
four times daily. Also try direct treatment of af fected areas, such as douching, gargling, enemas and skin applications.
It is advisable to alternate between different remedies in cycles from daily to weekly and longer. With this rotation it is less likely that
microbes will become treatment resistant. Also, if a strain of microbes is resistant to one of the remedies it may be eliminated with10/30/24, 3:30 PM Health-Science-Spirit - The Ultimate Cleanse
https://health-science-spirit.com/Diseases/The-Ultimate-Cleanse.html 2/7one of the others.
Further, instead of using high doses of any one remedy you may try moderate amounts of several different remedies taken at
different times at the same day, and you may also continue taking fresh raw garlic. However, in the beginning it is preferable for a
while to build up to a high dose of a strong remedy to dislodge or eliminate microbes protected by bioﬁlms or in other poorly
accessible areas.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms you may continue this systemic therapy for one to two months, or until you feel that your
microbe-related problems have disappeared or are under control. Then you may continue for a much longer time with a reduced
maintenance dose. If symptoms come back at a later time, then just repeat a high-dose therapy.
The recommended dosages are for average body weight, overweight individuals may take somewhat more and underweight
individuals or children somewhat less. These remedies may not be suitable in high doses during pregnancy, in this case consult a
health professional. For maintenance you may use half the indicated amounts and may have periodic breaks from therapy to see if
microbes remain under control.
It is common to experience occasi onal bouts of diarrhoea during antimicrobial therapy. This may be from die-back reactions of
Candida and other microbes, but it may also be from toxins released by the liver. Often this can be associated with headaches and
intestinal discomfort. In this case make an attempt to clean the intestinal tract with psyllium, garlic and lots of water, and also with
enemas and possibly colonics. The quicker you get such irritating toxic material out of your system the better.
Iodine Therapy
Iodine is an excellent fungicide. It helps to prevent and remove internal cysts and is especially important with breast cancer or breast
problems in general. Most commonly used is Lugol's solution. At full-strength it contains 10% potassium iodide and 5% iodine. Each
drop has 6.5 mg of iodine/iodide.
If you buy a weaker iodine solution, then take more drops than for the standard solution. Iodoral tablets available in the US have 13
mg iodine/iodide per tablet. Iosol, an iodine/ammonium iodide remedy, has 1.8 mg of iodine/iodide per drop.
Before starting take a drop to test your reaction. This may happen when on thyroid medication, or with goitre or an overactive thyroid.
In this case, start with ¼ to ½ drop and increase only very slowly.
With the standard program you gradually increase up to 10 drops of Lugol's solution 3 times daily with food or drink. You may use
water, warm, but not hot, coffee or tea, but avoid antioxidants for an hour before or after taking Lugol’ s. Continue for 3 weeks with the
full dose, but interrupt or reduce while you experience a reaction. After 3 weeks, continue with 1 or 2 drops daily more or less
indeﬁnitely. See: www.health-science-spirit.com/iodine.html  for more information.
MMS – Sodium Chlorite
Acidiﬁed sodium chlorite (NaClO2) is one of the strongest broad-range microbicides. In solution it is very alkaline and stable but when
acidiﬁed it forms unstable chlorous acid and chlorine dioxide gas (ClO2 ) with strong oxidising effects. I prefer using MMS therapy
periodically, e.g. for several weeks gradually increasing the daily amounts and frequency up to the tolerated limit, and then
decreasing again to a rest period while at the same time increasing other antimicrobials. Jim Humble prefers continuous high-dose
MMS treatment. For Jim’ s protocols see mmswiki.is/index.php/Main_Page  or any other of his websites.
As part of the systemic therapy, you may start taking 1 or 2 drops of MMS, gradually increasing this up to a maximum of 15 drops
daily or until some nausea develops. In this case you may cut back by 2 drops and stay at this level for several days until increasing
again by 1 drop a day. Generally, it is better to have some food in the stomach. One can also absorb the gas from the mouth or the
rectum and this usually does not cause nausea.
An alternative method for intensifying the antimicrobial program or for overcoming an acute infection is by taking 3 to 4 drops of
acidiﬁed and diluted MMS every hour or every 2 hours for several days. Temporarily reduce the dose if nausea occurs.
In all cases mix the MMS with ﬁve times the number of drops of lemon or lime juice or white vinegar. Commonly a more effective 10%
solution of citric acid in water has been used but this causes more nausea and instead an equal number of drops of MMS and 4%
hydrochloric acid (HCl) may be used.
Three minutes after adding the weaker acids or 20-30 seconds after adding the HCl dilute with half a glass of water, herb tea, or juice
without added vitamin C, e.g., apple or grape juice but not orange juice. Do not take any antioxidant supplements close to MMS; best
keep them 3 or more hours apart.
To quickly stop nausea, you may take 1000 mg or more of vitamin C, but this also stops the anti-microbial activity. To avoid or
minimize oxidative damage I recommend taking MMS only in the mornin g and evening or only once a day and use a combination of
antioxidants, including vitamin C, at lunchtime or several hours away from the MMS. To minimize unpleasant side effects, try to
alkalize the body before going on a course of MMS.
The main danger after a high dose of MMS is from low blood pressure and hypoglycaemic shock caused by ﬂuid loss after vomiting
and diarrhoea. If this should happen take immediately a high dose of vitamin C to stop the reaction, lie down, and drink lots of lightly
salted and sweetened water. A general recommendation for rehydrating after vomiting and diarrhoea is a ﬂuid made with 6 level
teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 level teaspoon of salt dissolved in 1 litre of water, or alternatively use salted rice water. Further,
Individuals with a tendency to haemolytic anaemia must avoid MMS and other oxidising substances.
Chlorine Dioxide Solution (CDS)  is now available over the Internet as a concentrated solution of the gas in water. It is easier to take
than acidiﬁed MMS and does not seem to cause nausea.10/30/24, 3:30 PM Health-Science-Spirit - The Ultimate Cleanse
https://health-science-spirit.com/Diseases/The-Ultimate-Cleanse.html 3/7CDH - A New MMS Protocol: CDH means Chlorine Dioxide Holding Solution and stands between classic MMS and CDS.
Advantages are: It is less nauseating than MMS, causes less stomach upset, once made it does not need activation, lasts for weeks,
and appears to have better results.
For making CDH use a ratio of 22 parts of water with 1-part MMS and
1-part activator. To make 240ml of CDH order put the ingredients in the following order into a 250 to 300ml glass bottle with a good
sealing plastic cap: 220ml puriﬁed water; 10ml MMS; 10ml of 3 to 4% HCl. Immediately cap the bottle tightly so that no CLO2 gas
escapes. Shake the bottle to mix the ingredients, repeat shaking several times later. Store the bottle in a dark place at room
temperature for a day. Then keep the bottle of CDH refrigerated; once cooled the CDH can be used and will last for weeks, no further
activation is needed.
Every ml of CDH contains 1 pre-activated drop of MMS, so instead of dosing with drops, dose with millilitres of CDH, e.g., instead of
adding 3 drops of activated MMS to half a glass of water  you now put 3ml of CDH


 for less time, about 7 minutes.
6. Rinse kale thoroughly with fresh water. Strip it kale from the stems
and break the leaves into small pieces.
7. Add kale to the pan, then cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Mix well and serve hot.
Enjoy!B I T T E R  M E L O N  ( K A R E L A )
This vegetable has a special place in A yurvedic medicine. W ith its bitter
taste, it is light and quite benef icial for inflammation and diabetes. Serve
with lentil soup in small portions. Great for spring and summer meals.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves 2-4
M a i n  I n g r e d i e n t s
2 bitter melons (karelas)
1 small onion, cut in long and thin slices
H e r b s / S p i c e s
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon mango powderO i l / G h e e
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
K i t c h e n  G e a r
Paper towel Small frying pan
Bowl
D i r e c t i o n s
1. Coarsely scrape away the prickly parts of the karelas with a regular
knife and wash.
2. Dry with a paper towel.
3. Cut the karelas in half lengthwi se and scoop out the seeds if they are
red or too hard. If they are soft, you can leave them.
4. Cut the karelas in small, thin slices.
5. In a  frying pan, heat coconut oil on medium heat and fry slices of
kerala until lightly brown.
6. Pour contents of the pan into a bowl.
7. In the same pan, sauté onion u ntil light brown. Add turmeric, mix it
with onions.
8. Now add fried kerala pieces to the pan. Mix well. Add salt and mango
powder. (Addin g sour mango powder reduces the bitterness of the
karelas.)
Enjoy!B L A C K  C H I C K  P E A S  ( K A L E Y  C H O L L E Y )
A hearty, nourishing and satisfying dish, this is a great source of  protein and
fiber. Enjoy with rice or chapati. Since chick peas tends to be drying, it is
better to add a bit more ghee to this dish. This is a great dish to consider
when you are feeling run down or depleted.
Preparation time: 20 minutes (plus time for soaking and boiling)
Serves 4-6
M a i n  I n g r e d i e n t s
2 cups dried black chickpeas
10-12 cups water
1 chopped tomato
1 small onion, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1½ chopped green chili peppers (optional)H e r b s / S p i c e s
3-4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-2 teaspoons spice mix *
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
⅛ hing (asafetida)
1½ teaspoons salt
O i l / G h e e
5-6 tablespoons of ghee *
K i t c h e n  G e a r
Slow cooker
Food processor
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Serving spoon
Small pan
* recipe in Chapter 16
D i r e c t i o n s
1. Soak dri ed chick peas for a mini mum of 4 hours in warm water. Rinse
with fres h water  and place in slow cooker with 10-12 cups fresh water.
Add bay  leaves. Set the slow cooker to high heat for 4 hours. Cook
until soft. Add a little more water if dry.
2. Mash some of th e chick peas on  the sides of the cooker with a serving
spoon. This will make the gravy a little thicker.
3. Heat ghee in small pan for 15 seconds; add minced onions and sauté
until bro wn. After the onions are brown, add tomatoes and grated
ginger. Cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat.
4. Push the  mixtur e to the side of the pan and allow the ghee to pool in
the botto m. Add  cumin and cori ander seeds, let them splutter, and then
add the spice mix, turmeric powder, and salt. Cook for another 15
seconds. Mix and cook for another 2-3 minutes.5. Add this mixture to the slow cooker. Mix it well and serve it hot.
Garnish with cilantro and a dab of ghee.
Enjoy!C A B B A G E  W I T H  P O T A T O E S  A N D  P E A S
( B U N D  G H O B I  A L O O )
This is a light a nd slightly bitter side dish, usually served with  chapati or
rice. Adding potatoes and peas balances out the bitter cabbage.
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 2-4
M a i n  I n g r e d i e n t s
½ small cabbage
1 potato
1 teaspoon water
½ cup frozen peas
H e r b s / S p i c e s
1 teaspoon shredded ginger
1 teaspoon cumin seeds½ teaspoon turmeric powder
O i l / G h e e
2 teaspoons ghee *
K i t c h e n  G e a r
Flat pan with lid
* recipe in Chapter 16
D i r e c t i o n s
1. Cut cabbage into long thin str ands and dice potatoes into m edium
pieces.
2. Put ghee in the pan and let it heat on medium for 15 seconds. Add
ginger and
3. cumin. Cook for 15 seconds.
4. Add pot atoes and a teaspoon of  water. Cover the pan and cook for 5
minutes on
5. medium heat.
6. Add cabbage and stir. Cover the pan and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Add peas and mix. Cook for another 2 minutes.
Enjoy!C H I C K  P E A  B U R F I  ( B E S A N  B U R F I )
Think o f this as a modern day p rotein bar. It has the purest of ingredients,
and it’ s great as a snack with tea, as a desert, or as a quick breakfast.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Makes 10-12 pieces, can be stored in the pantry
M a i n  I n g r e d i e n t s
1 cup besan (chick pea flour)
Slightly less than ¼ cup sugar
H e r b s / S p i c e s
2 teaspoons chopped pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons milk
O i l / G h e e
½ cup ghee *K i t c h e n  G e a r
Heavy-bottomed pan
Flat metal plate
* recipe in Chapter 16
D i r e c t i o n s
1. Heat pan on medium.
2. Add ghee and besan to the pan, and stir.
3. Once the ghee has melted, turn heat to low.
4. Stir slowly and continuously for about 10 minutes.
5. When y ou begi n to smell the mixture, you know that it is c ooked.
Another sign that the mixture is  cooked is that the ghee will begin to
separate from the mixture. T est by adding a touch of extra ghe e. If it
separates instead of soaking in, cooking is complete.
6. T urn the heat of f, add sugar, and mix.
7. Add milk and mix.
8. Pour the  mixture into a lar ge pie plate (Be careful if using a non -metal
plate as the heat can break the plate).
9. Let mixture cool for at least 20 minutes.
10. Garnish with pistachios.
1 1. Cut in diagonal pieces.
Enjoy!C H I C K  P E A  F L O U R  A N D  Y O G U R T  D I S H
( K A R H I  P A K O R A )
This dish is bit on the heavy side, perfect for cooler weather in winter or fall
and more appropriate for lunch than dinner. Serve with hot chapati, or rice.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
F o r  K a r h i :
M a i n  I n g r e d i e n t s
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons besan (chick pea flour)
4½ cups water
2-3 green chili peppers cut into long, thin strands
1 medium onion cut into long, thin strands
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
H e r b s / S p i c e s
½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
4-6 fresh curry leaves
1 teaspoon basic spice mix *
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped cilantro
⅛ teaspoon hing (asafetida) powder
A pinch of black pepper
O i l / G h e e
3-4 tablespoons saf flower, coconut, or sunflower seed oil for the dish


 leave s on its
prey wh en an insect touches the sensitive hairs that line the leaf.
But despite being the oldest sense, touch is not yet fully
understood. Cameras and listening devices can duplicate the
sensitivity of our eyes and ears, but we can tell the di fference
between wood, metal, and glass by touching them, beyond what
engineers can do artificially. The fact that our fingers are sensitive
down to a s ingle molecule was only recently pro ved by
experimenters at the University of California–San Diego.
They took fifteen people and  gave them three silicon wafe rs to
touch, a sking t hem which of t he three felt different from the other
two. The wafers were identical except for the top layer, which was
a sin gle molecule thick. One s urface had an oxidized top la yer that
was mo stly oxygen, the other was coated with a Te flon-like
substance. Participants were able to pick out the different wafer
71 percent of the time.
Yet even molecules are massive compared with quanta, and the
eye’s sensitivity to a quantum of light led scientists to consider theother four senses. It now seems that the entire body is a quantum
detector. At first sight this seems remarkable—it certainly expands
human perception far beyond previous estimates. At a deeper
level, ho wever, these findings  indicate how we design and  control
the constructs of virtual reality. Through the body’s quantum
detectors, we are seamlessly woven into the universe at the finest
level. No longer simply receiving raw data from the world “out
there,” our bodies participate  at the crux where mind and matter
mingle.
Getting down to the nub of h ow we physically see, hear, touch,
taste, and smell says nothing  about what the five senses  are for.
Earlier on ( this page ), I com pared the retina’s re sponse to light
with a Geiger counter clicking every time it is bombarded with
beta particles and gamma rays. But a Geiger counter doesn’t
experience the world as we do. The sensitivity of our q uantum
detectors indic ates how finely calibrated our experiences actually
are. Pre viously, the fact that we are fine-tuned to the molecular
level le d to remarkable feats of perception before the recent
quantum discoveries.
Professional noses in the perfume industry go far beyond the
ordinary sense  of smell, be ing able to distinguish dozens of
different rose scents, for example, but the experts don’t
necessarily have super-refined olfactory nerves or more of them
than the rest of  us. They’ve trained their awareness of arom as. The
same holds true for professio nal wine tasters in the area  of taste
and marksmen in the area o f sight. These people may s tart out
with mo re acute senses than the average person, but a wine taster
or a marksman  doesn’t need an overabundance of cell re ceptors.
With a normal range of re ceptors, wine tasters sharpen their
perceptivity, which is mental.
So-called supertasters have thirty taste buds in a specified area
of the tongue, compared wit h average tasters who have between
fifteen and thirty taste buds in the same area, while s o-called
nontasters (a better term wo uld be dull tasters ) h ave fewer than
fifteen. Average tasters can improve their discernment of wine by
using their noses more, paying closer attention, and slowing down
to s avor the ta ste. It is certai nly relevant that between the ages of
forty an d sixty  we start to lose taste buds, and the remaining onesshrink. But that’s not enough to explain why older people often
lose interest in eating. There may be a general loss of interest in
life, or feeling alone and unwanted. The simple fact that some
babies are born without a sense of taste but grow up to have
healthy appetites points to the mental component that dominates
our sensory existence.
The dat a derived from measurements of how the eye, ear, or
tongue works say nothing about our actual experience: how a
sunset looks, how music sounds, and how chocolate tastes. Science
is a bout measuring life in all its quantities, large and small.
Experience is about life in all its qualities, w hich cannot be
counted. The question “Ho w many units of beauty did you
experience today?” is nonsensical. Beauty is experienced
subjectively, w hich no one d isputes. But every perception  is also
experienced su bjectively, which is where the huge gap occurs that
I ment ioned above. There  is a total mismatch bet ween a
measurement of wavelengths of light and the qualities of light,
particularly colors.
Color is created in conscious ness by crossing the gap between
quantity and quality. In this crossing, a magic trick takes place by
which q uantum vibrations ar e transformed into not just co lors but
everything delivered by the five senses. It would be convenient if
the new research explained h ow that trick is done, but it doesn’t.
Pinpointing the five senses down to the quantum level is like
having a dog’s sense of hearing, which extends far above human
hearing. If you suddenly woke up and heard the world as a dog
does, this wouldn’t explain music or speech or anything else about
hearing as an experience. The ear doesn’t hear; the mind does.
But at least we have an important clue about the magic trick
that turns quantum events into human experiences. By taking
perception down to the quantum level, we can say—or at least
strongly suppo se—that we live at the very level where nature
transforms vir tual reality into the solid physical world. H ere I’m
using virtual  in a sp ecific way. In physics there is a halfway house
where particles are invisible and have no fixed location.
This halfway house was needed because of the famous
uncertainty principle, which says that particles are actually the
collapse of energy waves. Wa ves extend infinitely in all dir ections;particles exist in one place i n time and space. A virtual  particle
bridges the two states. It hasn’t quite yet assumed the shape of a
particle, but it isn’t a wave extending in every direction, either.
It is very imp ortant to know, as we now do, that human
experience doesn’t have to wait for the physical world to appear;
we are able to perceive the b irth of particles, physically speaking.
I’m bein g quite  literal here. F or decades the “collapse of the wave”
function has been hotly debated in physics. The main point of
controversy is that standard q uantum theory holds that it takes an
observer to cause the collapse. This point rankles some physicists
and baffles almost everyone else. It is taken for granted in daily
life tha t observing somethin g is a passive act. “Look but don’t
touch,” we tell our children. Yet at the quantum level, looking is as
good as touching. A partic le stops being uncertain when an
observer is present. The wave function collapses and, voilà, a
particle can be detected.
I hope this abb reviated explanation makes sense; going into the
details leads to a tangle of complications. Suffice it to say that
researchers ar e seriously considering whether this my sterious
effect on the quantum, kno wn as the “observer effect,” can be
explained through quantum detection. If our eyes are physically
interacting with quanta, this helps us to understand that
observation wa s never passive. We have been participating at the
place where virtual reality gets an opportunity to create physical
reality.
H o w  t h e  M i n d  G i v e s  T h i n g s  T h e i r
T h i n g n e s s
The new findings don’t expla in the magic trick that occu rs in
the gap between quantity—things to be measured and counted—
and qualities, the sights, sounds, tastes, textures, and smells that
we experience as human beings. Humanizing the quantum is
exciting, but human beings don’t experience the world through a
microscopic level of differences, even though we theo reticallycould. Instead, we lump experiences together according to useful
concepts like color. Red is red, not every different vibratio n in the
wavelengths of light between 630 and 700 nanometers (a
nanometer is one billionth of a meter).
Likewise, sweet is sweet, not the molecular interaction between
sugar m olecules and recepto rs on the tongue. We are so used to
the clumping process that we don’t catch ourselves doing
anything. But we are constantly taking transient expe riences,
cramming them  into prearranged slots, turning discontinu ity into
continuity, and making solid what is actually fluid.
The technical term for what’s happening is reification —giving
immaterial experiences “thingness.” So convincing is this
transformation that rocks seem solid and heavy when, in fact, your
mind reified them—you have created solidity and heaviness in
your own awareness. This constitutes another outrageous
conclusion to anyone who is out to reinforce and reaffirm the
spell/dream/illusion. But you cannot thaw out the “thingness” of
the physical world unless you break down the process that created


	to	control	the	noise	in	your
external	environment,	which	may	include	barking	dogs,	chattering	teenagers,
noisy	car	engines,	and	the	like.	As	much	as	we	would	like	to,	we	can’t	make	all
the	outside	signs	of	life	go	away	when	it’s	time	for	bed.	But	you
can
	control	the
noise	inside	your	cave.	Creating	white	noise	by	using	a	fan,	an	excellent	air
filter,	or	even	a	specific	white-noise	maker	can	help	you	sleep	more	soundly.
Another	option	is	to	block	out	the	noise	as	much	as	possible	with	earplugs.	The
more	disruptive	outer	noises	you	can	avoid,	the	more	peaceful	your	innersleeping	cave	will	be.
Bonus	Cave	Factor:
Comfort
Caves	in	nature	are	not	necessarily	“comfortable”	per	se,	as	they	are	made
mostly	of	rocks;	slippery,	damp	surfaces;	and	even	pools	of	water.	But	your
home	cave	can	deviate	from	the	strict	natural	variety	to	include	all	the	tools	to
help	you	get	comfortable	for	sleep.	These	include	soft	sheets	that	don’t	irritate
your	skin,	calming	scents,	an	excellent	mattress,	and	the	right	pillows.
What’s	the	best	kind	of	mattress?	There	isn’t	a	lot	of	scientific	evidence	to
conclusively	show	that	one	type	of	mattress	is	better	than	another	kind.
7
	Plus
the	right	mattress	for	your	neighbor	or	brother	may	not	necessarily	be	the	best
one	for	you.	It’s	best	to	lie	down	on	different	mattresses	and	see	which	one	feels
best	for	you,	especially	if	you	have	neck	or	back	pain.
Howard	Levy,	MD,	an
Emory	University	assistant	professor	of	orthopedics,	physical	medicine,	and
rehabilitation,	comments,	“If	you’re	on	too	soft	[of]	a	mattress,	you’ll	start	to
sink	down	to	the	bottom.	But	on	too	hard	of	a	mattress	you	have	too	much
pressure	on	the	sacrum,	and	on	the	shoulders,	and	on	the	back	of	the	head.”
8
	In
other	words,	a	mattress	of	medium	firmness	might	work	the	best	for	your	spine
and	give	you	enough	balance	and	support.
If	you	have	medical	conditions	such	as	chronic	obstructive	pulmonary
disorder	(COPD)	or	frequent	heartburn	from	gastroesophageal	reflux	disease
(GERD),	you	may	want	to	utilize	an	adjustable	bed	that	can	help	you	elevate
your	head	at	night	when	you	sleep	to	help	you	breathe	easier	and	experience
fewer	symptoms.	If	you	have	allergies	to	dust	mites,	try	getting	a	washable
mattress	cover	that	you	can	slip	on	and	off	and	wash	easily.
The
Better	Sleep	Council	recommends	spending	at	least	15	minutes	on	the
bed	in	the	store	before	buying	it,	as	it	may	take	that	much	time	to	relax	and
really	feel	out	your	new	mattress.
9
	So	don’t	be	embarrassed	to	march	right	into
the	store	and	plop	down	on	the	mattresses	for	a	little	while	on	each	one.	It’s
your
	beauty	sleep.	Set	aside	a	few	hours	on	a	Sunday	afternoon,	roll	into	the
local	mattress	stores,	and	prepare	to	spend	some	time	curled	up	on	the	various
beds	you	find.	Toting	a	good	read	along	is	totally	optional	(but	recommended!).
Pillows	are	also	pretty	important	when	it	comes	to	sleep	comfort.	They	can
greatly	contribute	to	your	beauty	sleep	or	diminish	it.	If	you	have	headaches	or
aches	and	pains	through	your	neck,	shoulder,	or	upper	back,	your	pillow	can
either	help	provide	relief	or	exacerbate	these	pesky	issues.
The	position	you	sleep	in	also	has	some	influence	over	the	type	of	pillow	youshould	choose.	If	you	sleep	on	your	back,	look	for	a	thinner	pillow	so	your
head	and	neck	are	not	positioned	too	far	forward,	which	can	consistently	throw
you	out	of	alignment.	You	can	also	seek	out	a	pillow	that	has	a	more	structured
shape	in	the	lower	part	to	help	cradle	your	neck	and	provide	more	support.	If
you	sleep	on	your	side,	look	for	a	firmer	pillow	that	can	stabilize	your	neck	and
head	and	keep	them	from	dropping	down	too	far.	This	will	help	fill	in	the
space	between	your	ear	and	shoulder	and	give	you	enough	support	to	avoid
tension	or	cramps	that	keep	you	from	falling	asleep	or	wake	you	up	with	an
aching	neck.	Stomach	sleeping	is	not	recommended	for	skin	beauty	reasons	(see
this	page
),	but	if	you	do	choose	to	sleep	on	your	stomach,	try	looking	for	a	flat
pillow	or	using	one	underneath	your	stomach	to	help	support	your	lower	back
and	spine.
The	right	scents	can	also	bolster	your	sleep	on	a	nightly	basis.	The	keys	to
enhance	all	the	moods	in	the	universe,	including	drowsiness	and	relaxation,	are
found	in	nature.	Certain	essential	oils	distilled	from	nature’s	bounty,	especially
lavender,	neroli,	vetiver,	valerian,	chamomile,	and	clary	sage,	activate	alpha
wave	activity	in	the	back	of	your	brain,	which	leads	to	relaxation	and	helps	you
sleep	more	soundly.	Lavender	is	believed	anecdotally	to	stimulate	the	pineal
gland	and	the	secretion	of	melatonin,	perhaps	promoting	sleep.
You	can	try	making	your	own	room	or	pillow	spray	by	mixing	a	few	drops	of
these	essential	oils	(alone	or	a	combo	that	suits	you)	and	some	distilled	water
into
a	spray	bottle.	Another	option	is	to	buy	an	essential	oil	ring	for	the
lightbulb	in	the	lamp	at	your	bedside	table.
PET	LOVE
Do	your	furry	friends	belong	in	your	cave?	Dogs	and	cats	may	be	unconditional
sources	of	love	and	comfort,	but	some	research	has	found	that	having	your	cats
and	dogs
sleep	in	the	bed	with	you	can	wake	you	up	during	the	night	and	interfere
with	your	best	sleep.
10
	While	you	love	your	four-legged	friends,	it	might	be	best	to
have	them	sleep	in	their	own	space	away	from	yours.
The
Best	Foods	for	Sleep
Many	people	don’t	realize	that	what	they	do	(and	don’t)	eat	can	have	a	dramatic
impact	on	the	quality	of	their	sleep.	Certain	foods	have	different	properties	and
qualities	that	can	help	promote	Peak	Beauty	Sleep.	Try	incorporating	these
foods	into	your	dietary	routine	in	the	afternoons	and	evenings	to	enhance	your
sleep	at	night.HEMP	MILK
Hemp	milk	is	high	in	the	amino	acid	tryptophan,	which	is	a	precursor	to
serotonin	and	helps	to	promote	sleep.	It	also	contains	all	the	essential	amino
acids	and	lots	of	minerals.	Try	the	Evening	Replenishing	Elixir	on
this	page
,
which	is	made	from	a	hemp	milk	base.
WHOLE,
UNREFINED	CARBOHYDRATES
Try	some	quinoa,	brown	rice,	amaranth,	gluten-free	teff-	or	brown	rice–based
wraps,	or	buckwheat	(soba)	noodles.	Carbohydrates	increase	the	level	of
tryptophan	in	your	blood,	helping	to	promote	sleep.
BANANAS
Bananas	help	prom