satisfy a ravenous appetite if all conditions ofingestion and preparation are favourable.
(15) Both quantitive and qualitive supply of
saliva are important factors; but attention tothese fundamental requirements of right eatingsoon regulates the supply of all of the digestivejuices, and in connection with the carerecommended above, ensures economy ofnutrition and, probably, immunity from disease.CHAPTER V
WHAT IS PROPER MASTICATION?
Not Excessive Chewing—Gladstone's Advice—Salival Action on Starch
Foods.
NOTWITHSTANDING  the fact that Fletcherizing
stands for tasting as the important thing toaccomplish before food is swallowed, and thatbiting, chewing, or masticating is merely ameans to secure the end of thorough tasting,nine-tenths of all who know anything about theclaims for Fletcherizing insist on thinking thatit merely means " excessive mastication." TheNational Food Reform Association of England,in a bulletin giving advice concerning thefeeding of school children, intended to be postedin schoolrooms and private dining rooms,speaks of Fletcherizing in its ideal practice as" Excessive Mastication."
This is just what Fletcherizing is not. The
very essence of the method of performing thepersonal responsibility is avoiding excess ofanything, excessive or laboured chewing amongthe rest.There is little if any harm in keeping food in
the mouth as long as possible, and I believe thatit is impossible to have too much saliva mixedwith it when it is swallowed, because when it isproperly tasted and insalivated it is almostimpossible to hold it back from the food gate atthe back of the mouth. There is always suctionthere ready to draw welcome nourishment inwhen it is ready, and readiness touches abutton, electrically relieving the muscularsprings that close the gate tightly duringtasting, and, literally a " team of horses couldnot hold it."
What the mystics of the stomach-diseases
profession called bradefagy, or, in plain English,
excessive chewing, can only be performed withpainful tediousness. It makes work—hardwork—of the act, and that is just as muchopposed to Fletcherizing as it is to common
sense, horse sense, and all of the natural senses.
Now just for one moment please pay
attention to one who is telling you somethingMother Nature wants you to know more thananything else in the whole category ofintelligence. Fletcherizing isNOT EXCESSIVE  CHEWING,
or tedious chewing, or long chewing. The things
that require to be chewed long are not goodfood, and by that sign you may find out theirunprofitableness better than in any other way.Good taste from good food is not long lasting.When the mouth is " watering " for the food insight, or even in thought of it, the coupons oftaste they carry with them are short, butrepresent large figures of satisfaction andnourishment.
MR. GLADSTONE 'S ADVICE.
Now listen to some figures regarding the
number of bites or chews that some foodsrequire under varying circumstances. Mr.Gladstone's advice to his children which hasbecome classic, viz.: " Chew your food thirty-twotimes at least, so as to give each of your thirty-two teeth a chance at it," was a generalrecommendation. Mr. Gladstone was observedonce when he was a guest at " high table " atTrinity College, Cambridge, and the averagenumber of his " bites " (masticatory movements)as far as they could be counted, was aboutseventy-five. That did not speak very well for
Trinity fare, unless Mr. Gladstone happened tochoose food that required that amount ofchewing.
Even if Mr. Gladstone did devote seventy-five
masticatory movements to each morsel, as anaverage, such thoroughness would not haveinvolved an unusual length of time for a heartymeal. If you will try the experiment when youare " good and hungry," having a " working-man's appetite," and disposing of good breadand butter the while, which should have nearly,or quite, seventy bites to the ordinary mouthful,you will find that thirty mouthfuls will prettynearly, or completely, satisfy your working-man's appetite. Mixed foods take much lesstime, usually about half, and still the seventy-five-rhythm act will consume only about twentyminutes to perform with physiologicthoroughness.
SALIVAL  ACTION  ON STARCH  FOODS.
Here are some statements easy to prove or
disprove by anyone, with real compensation inthe way of new revelations relative to thepossibilities of gustatory enjoyment.Starchy foods, such as bread, potatoes, etc.,
require from thirty to seventy masticatorymovements to assist saliva to turn the starchinto " grape sugar," which is the form in whichit can be used as nourishment. *
You will at once think, no doubt, that a range
of numbers extending from thirty to seventy ispretty wide. So it is; but conditions regardingthe qualities of not only breads, but potatoes,and also conditions relative to the strength orsupply of saliva, differ greatly. When theappetite is keen, the mouth watering, as theyare at the beginning of a meal, bread or potatoesmay be negotiated into nutriment ready for the
* Although I have been a close student of the subject for
more than fifteen years in the best physiological-chemicallaboratories for long periods of time—and always emulating the
man from Missouri in demanding of the wise ones in the science
of the laboratories to " Show me! "—I make the statementsrelative to what happens below the guillotine line in Mother
Nature's exclusive territory of responsibility on the authority of
the laboratory experts; but only, mind you, when my personalobservations and business logic approve the conclusion.
Therefore, when I tell you that starch turned into dextrose, or
" grape sugar," is assimilable as nourishment, and that starchwhich is not thus chemically transformed by saliva is not
capable of becoming nourishment, I am not " speaking by the
book," which Mother Nature has opened for me to read—unlessbiological-chemists can be considered to be extra-enlightened
forms of nature.THE AUTHOR  FEELING  HIMSELF  TO BE THE MOST  FORTUNATE
PERSON  ALIVE.
stomach in much less time than later on.
Appetite " peters put," as miners say, gradually,and does not stop with a bang and shut off likean electric light when connection is broken. Itchecks up, slows down, and tapers off gradually,and that is where the canny intelligence of afaithful Fletcherizer stands him in goodusefulness. When Appetite gently says: " Now,really, you are still rather good to my assistant
Taste, and he would not object to a few bitesmore ; but if you stop now and change off tosomething else which I have in mind, and forwhich I have a use in our organism, I will notobject." In plain words: " I have enough for thepresent; switch off on to ——."
The difference between putting on fat in the
case of the person who is disposed or permittedto put on more fat than is comfortable, andlosing some of the surplus carried on theabdomen or elsewhere, is the discriminationexercised in regard to the final satisfaction ofappetite. Those last two, three, or a few mouth-fuls after Appetite has said gently " Enough,"and before the same Appetite says, loudly, "Stop! " are the difference between obesity; anddecency of form.
I really believe, from the results of my
experiences for the past fifteen years in gettingtips from Mother Nature, and trying to inducemankind in general and my friends inparticular to accept them as " straight " fromMother Nature, that persons who have enoughrespect for themselves to be interested inphysical culture must come to the rescue of the
pseudo-scientists who are dulled by their owndope, and who are suffering from the malariawhich collects in the dark ruts they arefollowing in the tortuous complications of thealimentary canal. The physical culturists mustbuild models of normality for the scientists tostudy.
When giving information as to what happens
in the mouth, and as to what happens as aresult of proper head digestion, I feel as if I amsitting on the upper lip of Mother Natureherself, and entrusting her messages to thecurrent of her own sweet breath for distributionamong her human children.CHAPTER VI
WHAT IS HEAD DIGESTION?
My Study of the Subject—The Mouth as a Digestive Organ—Dr.
Cannon's Researches—Pawlow's Proofs
IN the latest comprehensive treatise on
human nutrition, under the title of " Food andthe Principles of Dietetics," by Dr. RobertHutchinson, of London, more than six hundredpages are devoted to the subject. Of these, justfifty lines are given to " Mouth Digestion." In afootnote of sixty-four words Dr. Hutchinson hasstated the case of the importance of carefuleating, with admission of a fact that wouldmean emancipation from most of the humandisabilities if it were repeated in nurseries andprimary schools as religiously as are theordinary rules of " polite conduct," and held bySociety to be the basis of respectability, which itreally is.
When I first took up the study of dietetics in
academic circles, nearly fifteen years ago,physiologists did not concede that there was anymouth digestion at all. Putting food in themouth was for the purpose of mixing it with
saliva so that it could be formed into a "


ate-reducing bacteria would
make sulphur unavailable for the body to use, turning it into toxic sub
stances like hydrogen sulphide, which is the gas with a rotten egg smell.
Many parents of autistic children tell me that their child's stool and flatus
has this characteristic smell.
Here we have looked at some pathogens found in the gut of GAPS
patients. To their happy company we can add the measles virus found by
Dr A. Wakefield's research group. This is only one virus, which received such detailed attention. There are some indications in literature that mem
bers of the herpes virus family are also very active in these patients. How
many other viruses may there be in the GAPS gut, which have never been
studied? How many other pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa and other
microbes are there, which we have no methods to detect or study yet? I
have no doubt that sooner or later science will catch up with them and we
will learn what they are and how to deal with them. In the meantime, what
should we do to help our GAPS children and adults now? As always, Nature
has a good answer - the beneficial flora. Having good bacteria in the gut is
the best way to keep Clostridia, Candida, Bacteroids, viruses and many
many other microbes under control. Well-functioning healthy gut flora
would not only keep those pathogens down but would maintain the
integrity of the gut wall so it does not let through the toxins from those
pathogenic microbes. This is Nature's way of dealing with them and the
smart thing for us is to try and copy it.
Due to the absence or greatly reduced numbers of beneficial bacteria,
the GAPS digestive system gets taken over by opportunistic and pathogenic
microbial flora, constantly producing a river of toxicity flowing from the
gut to the brain. This is the toxicity, which is probably making these chil
dren and adults autistic, schizophrenic, hyperactive, dyspraxic, dyslexic,
psychotic, depressed, obsessed, etc., etc.
We have already looked at some of these toxins. Let us have a look at
more. 6. THE GUT-BRAIN
CONNECTION
One only sees what one looks for,
one only looks for what one knows.
Goethe
Modern medicine has divided us, human beings, into different systems
and areas: cardio-vascular system, digestive system, nervous system, etc.
According to this division different medical specialities have been created,
each concentrating on a particular bit of the human body: cardiology
gastroenterology gynaecology neurology, psychiatry etc., etc. There is a
reason for that. Medical science over the years has accumulated an enor
mous amount of knowledge. No doctor in the world can possibly know it
all in detail, so specialising allows doctors to concentrate on a particular
area of knowledge, to learn it thoroughly and to become an expert in that
area.
However, from the early years of this specialisation many doctors have
recognised a problem developing. A specialist in a particular area tends to
pay attention to the organs, which he or she knows best, ignoring the rest
of the body. The fact that every organ in the body exists and works in con
tact with the rest gets forgotten. The body lives and functions^as a whole,
where every system, organ, tissue and even cell depend on each other,
affect each other and communicate with each other. One should not look
at, let alone treat, any organ without taking the rest of the body into
account, f
One area of medicine is particularly prone to look at its organ separately
from the rest of the body. That area is psychiatry. Mental problems are
examined from all sorts of angles: genetics, childhood experiences and
psychological influences. The last thing that would be considered is look
ing at the patient's digestive system. Modern psychiatry just does not do
that. And yet medical history has plenty of examples, where severe psychi
atric conditions were cured by simply "cleaning out" the patient's gut. A
renowned Japanese Professor Kazudzo Nishi has estimated that at least
one in ten psychiatric conditions are due to self-intoxication coming from
the bowel.
The vast majority of psychiatric patients suffer from digestive problems, which are largely ignored by their doctors. The gut-brain connection is
something which, for some reason, many modern doctors do not under
stand. As they give out millions of prescriptions for antidepressants, sleep
ing pills and other drugs, which the patients have to place into their diges
tive systems in order to affect their brains, they still fail to see the
connection between the digestive system and the brain. Everybody knows
what effect alcohol has on our brains. Where do we place alcoholic drinks?
Into our digestive systems of course. However, we don't have to consume
toxic substances to affect our brains. Having particular microbes in the
digestive system can provide us with our own permanent source of toxicity.
As discussed in the previous chapters, a GAPS (Gut And Psychology
Syndrome) person's digestive system becomes a major source of toxicity in
the body. An unknown number of various neurotoxins are produced by
abnormal flora in the gut of these children and adults, which get absorbed
through the damaged gut wall into the blood and taken to the brain. The
mixture of toxins can be very individual and this is one of the reasons why
all GAPS patients are so different. As I mentioned, the number of different
toxins is unknown. However, we have accumulated a considerable knowl
edge of some of the neurotoxins, commonly found in GAPS children and
adults. These are the kind of toxins, which can make anybody mentally ill.
In the previous chapter we looked at some of them. Unfortunately, there
are more to examine.
Ethanol and acetaldehyde
Thinking about autism, ADHD, schizophrenia, dyslexia, dyspraxia and
other psychological problems, not many people would think about alco
holism. And yet there is a very serious connection. We know that due to
various factors GAPS children and adults develop an overgrowth of patho
logical flora in their bodies. One group of these pathogens, almost without
exception, are yeasts, including Candida species. Yeast requires glucose as
food. Glucose comes from the digestion of carbohydrates. In healthy
people dietary glucose gets converted into lactic acid, water and energy
through a biochemical process called glycolysis. In people with yeast over
growth Candida highjacks the glucose and digests it in a different way,
called alcoholic fermentation. In this biochemical process Candida and
other yeasts convert dietary glucose into alcohol (ethanol) and its by
product acetaldehyde. This phenomenon was first described in adults,
who appeared to be drunk without consuming any alcohol. Later on it was found that these adults had an overgrowth of yeast in their gut, which
produced alcohol and made them permanently "drunk". These people
were particularly "drunk" after a carbohydrate meal, because carbohy
drates get consumed by Candida with the production of alcohol. Despite
the fact that these people did not consume alcohol, they developed some
typical symptoms of alcoholism.
Alcohol and its by-products have a small molecular weight, which makes
it very easy for them to cross any barrier in the body. They get absorbed
into the blood very quickly and have a very good ability to get through
placenta to a developing foetus. Pregnancy is a natural state of immune
suppression. If a woman already has Candida overgrowth in her body,
pregnancy would make this problem worse. Overgrowing yeast in a preg
nant woman would produce alcohol and its by-products, affecting the
child's development. After the child is born it will continue to get alcohol
and its by-products through breast milk, which usually contains the same
amount as the woman's blood. Then as the child inherits the mother's
bodily flora, overrun by yeast, the child starts producing its own alcohol
and many other toxins. Alcohol consumption and yeast overgrowth in
fathers also has an effect on the child's development, so fathers with yeast
overgrowth contribute to the problem as well. Indeed in my clinic more
than 50% of fathers of autistic children suffer from abnormal gut flora and
related health problems.
So what does alcohol and its by-products do to us? Everybody knows
that alcohol is very toxic, particularly for a child. There is no^part of the
body that will not suffer from the constant supply of alcohol even in tiny
amounts. Here are just a few influences of chronic presence of alcohol in
the body:
• Reduced ability of the stomach wall to produce stomach acid.
• Pancreas degeneration with reduced ability to produce pancreatic
enzymes, which would impair digestion.
• Direct damage to gut lining, causing malabsorption.
• Nutritional deficiencies through malabsorption of most vitamins,
minerals and amino acids. Deficiencies in B and A vitamins are partic
ularly common.
• Damage to the immune system.
• Liver damage with reduced ability to detoxify drugs, pollutants and
other toxins.
• Inability of the liver to dispose of old neurotransmitters, hormones and other by-products of normal metabolism. As a result these sub
stances accumulate in the body, causing behavioural abnormalities
and many other


, spasms and cramping, including
those in the liver area or in any part of the body that is painful. They increase circulation, relax
muscles and disperse toxicity, and act fast and reliably.
To prepare a castor oil pack, a piece of white wool flannel is cut into three identical pieces,
large enough to cover the affected area. The usual size is about 9” by 11.” One piece of flannel is
placed on a flat surface and covered with a thin layer of castor oil. The second piece goes on top
of this and is also spread with the oil. The third piece covers this, making something like a triple-
decker sandwich. This basic pack is laid on the skin over the painful area, covered with a slightly
larger sheet of plastic to prevent nasty stains on bedclothes or nightwear, and kept securely in
position with a bandage or other suitable material. Finally a mildly warm ( not hot)  water bottle
is placed on top of the pack. This is preferable to an electric heating pad, whose electro-magnetic
output would interfere with the body’s own energy field.
The pack can be left in place for several hours or even all day and all night, provided that the
water in the bottle is replaced as it cools. A few patients have felt discomfort, as the castor oil pack
increased the liver’s healing activity. In such cases the pack was removed and re-used another
time. The castor oil pack can be saved and re-used. Some patients reported the best results from
alternating the clay and the castor oil packs, which is perfectly acceptable.
The “Triad”
Dr. Gerson used this combination of three tablets successfully in many cases. Once the
patient is sufficiently detoxified, the three tablets together act more powerfully than they would
separately. This combination, now named the “Triad,” continues to work well in pain relief, as
well as in promoting sound sleep.
It consists simply of one regular aspirin, one 500 mg tablet of Vitamin C, and one 50 mg
tablet of the regular niacin, which is part of the patient’s normal medication. This combination
may be used up to five times a day, every four hours, if needed.
Hyperthermia (Hydrotherapy)
When a patient suffers from pain, especially bone pain, or if she/he is uneasy because the
expected healing reaction has not taken place, certain procedures can be helpful. One of these
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 124Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comis hyperthermia, a warm water treatment. It consists of immersing the patient up to the chin in
a tub of unfluoridated water that is considerably warmer than what would be used for a regular
bath. When the patient has got used to the warmth, the temperature of the water can be cautiously
increased, by adding more hot water, to 102o  Fahrenheit, or even a little above. The purpose
of this treatment is not only to increase circulation (which alleviates pain), but also to raise the
patient’s temperature; in other words, to create a fever.
Malignant tissue is sensitive to an increase in temperature and can be killed by fever. Hence
raising the body temperature to 102o or above is extremely beneficial. We have never seen a
fever in excess of 104o degrees. True body damage does not occur until the temperature reaches
106o  plus. A nurse or attendant should be present during hot baths for extra safety, and check
the water’s temperature with a bath thermometer. The patient may be given some hot herb tea to
replace fluids lost by perspiration, and have a cool (not ice-cold) cloth placed on the forehead for
comfort. At the end of the bath, which doesn’t usually last for more than 20 minutes, the patient
is quickly dried with warm towels and put into a warm bed, allowing his or her body temperature
to return slowly to normal.
Hyperthermia should not be used for patients who suffer from cardiac problems, high blood
pressure or breathing difficulties, or who, due to age, have a weak heart and constitution. It should
NEVER be used with fluoridated water.
To enhance the effect of the hyperthermia, some cancer patients are also given an intravenous
injection of Laetrile some fifteen minutes prior to going into the bath. Laetrile, also known as
Vitamin B-17, is derived from apricot pits. It is non-toxic, even though it contains a cyanide
fraction. This substance is not damaging to normal healthy cells (after all, the full name of Vitamin
B12 is cyano -cobalamine!),  for these cells contain an enzyme, rhodanase, that neutralizes the
cyanide fraction. Tumor cells, however, lack this enzyme, hence the laetrile is able to attack
and destroy them. It has also been experimentally established that after a laetrile injection the
temperature of the tumor rises by up to one degree. When the patient’s full body temperature is
raised by the hyperthermia treatment, this additionally helps to attack and destroy tumor tissue.
Oxygen Treatments

Two compounds containing extra oxygen are useful tools of pain control. One is hydrogen
peroxide, H2O2, namely water, H2O, plus an extra oxygen atom attached to it with a single bond.
The other basic compound, oxygen, O2, can also have an additional oxygen atom attached, resulting
in O3, i.e., ozone. Despite ozone’s reputation as an irritant, properly used oxygen treatments are a
powerful aid in pain control and healing.
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 125Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comThese are the four benefits of the oxygen treatment:
• It attacks and kills germs and viruses;
• It attacks and destroys tumor tissue;
• It increases oxygenation of the blood stream; and
• It attaches to toxic free radicals and helps the body to excrete them.
H2O2, or hydrogen peroxide, is easily and inexpensively available in drug stores or even
supermarkets. It comes in a 3% solution, which is safe to apply to the skin, or use in a tub of bath
water (NON-fluoridated), adding some 2 quarts to the tub. It is even more effective to rub the
peroxide into the skin after a warm tub bath, to be absorbed through the pores directly into the
blood stream.
It is more difficult to obtain ozone treatment, since this requires a special ozone generating
machine, and that is generally only available to persons trained in its proper use. There are also
machines that generate ozone to mix into the bath water, but these are expensive, require an
oxygen tank, and are not recommended for use in the patient’s home.
Rebounding
A small trampoline for gentle rebounding may sound a surprising choice for pain control,
yet it can serve that purpose extremely well. The patient must be told clearly that he/she must
not jump vigorously up and down on the trampoline, only raise his/her heels as though he was
walking, but staying on the spot. This movement causes an increase of weight on the way down,
and makes the patient feel weightless for an instant on the top of the bounce. This stimulates and
increases the lymphatic circulation, which in turn helps to overcome blockages and pain. The
gentle ‘walk’ on the trampoline may be repeated up to five or six times a day, but each exercise
must not last longer than 30 seconds.
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 126Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 16
Understanding Healing Reactions

Healing reactions, also known as flare-ups, are an essential part of the Gerson Therapy. It is
important that patients should understand their nature and function before embarking on the
full treatment, since healing reactions are somewhat paradoxical experiences: although they can
produce a number of unpleasant symptoms, they should be welcomed as evidence that the therapy
has kicked in and is working well.
 So let’s see how and when this necessary process is likely to begin. As a rule, after the first
few days on the full Gerson program the patients feel better, suffering less pain, their appetite
improves, their external or palpable tumors are beginning to reduce; naturally they are greatly
encouraged by these positive developments.  That is the moment to remind patients that a healing
reaction may be on the way, and to explain how it is going to promote detoxification. Without
proper preparation the sudden shift from well-being to its opposite would be hard to bear!
     When the body is first turned around from advancing cancer (or other chronic diseases)
towards healing, what Dr. Gerson called the healing mechanism  is being activated, and the
immune system begins to kick in. What happens is that the body produces a healing inflammation
and releases toxins from the tissues, producing a massive toxic load that has to be eliminated from
the liver. The process is sometimes accompanied by


 refer to
the Appendix.

If iodine levels are low, I recommend taking enough iodine to ensure that there will be enough substrate to organify (iodinate)
lipids. As previously mentioned, it is impossible to achieve this with the RDA for iodine. My clinical experience has shown that
most people need from 12-50mg/day of a combination of iodine and iodide. Lugol’s solution or tableted Lugol’s solution have
both proven effective. More information on where to purchase iodine can be found in the Appendix. However, I suggest working
with a health care provider
knowledgeable in how to dose iodine in order to get the best results.
2.
Take Vitamins B2 and B3 in amounts necessary to stimulate the NADPH system to produce adequate
amounts of H
2
O
2
.
The amounts of vitamins B2 and B3 must be sufficient to overcome deficiencies in the system. Dr. G. Abraham’s research has
shown that using 100mg of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and 500mg of vitamin B3 (niacinamide) twice per day will help to stimulate
ATP production and provide adequate H
2
O
2
 for oxidation of iodide.
3. Correct oxidant stress in the thyroid gland and the mitochondria with antioxidants.
I have used higher-dosed vitamin C in my practice for years with excellent results. My clinical experience has shown that
larger doses of vitamin C are needed when one is suffering an exacerbation of any illness. Generally, between 3-10,000 mg/day
of vitamin C provides the antioxidant protection necessary to overcome oxidative damage for most patients. Some people may
require more. If the illness is severe, intravenous vitamin C can be very helpful. The only major side effect of vitamin C is diarrhea,
which can easily be rectified by reducing the dose.
4. Ensure adequate magnesium levels.
At the present time, my research has shown that magnesium deficiency is widespread. Magnesium levels can be ascertained
by a red blood cell magnesium test. Magnesium acts as an antagonist to excess intracellular calcium levels which can fuel the
oxidative pathways as shown in
Figure 10
.
5.
 Minimize oxidative stress in the body.
There are many ways to minimize oxidative stress in the body. Two of the most important ways are to drink adequate
amounts of pure water and to eat a healthy diet. Drinking adequate amounts of water keeps the body hydrated.
Table 5
 (next
page) shows you how to calculate your water intake. Furthermore, eat a healthy diet that supplies the proper nutrients for your
body. For information on eating a healthy diet, I refer the reader to my book,
The Guide to Healthy Eating.

Ensuring an adequate intake of unrefined salt in the body is also essential to minimize oxidative stress. More information on
salt can be found in my book,
Salt Your Way to Health.
 Finally, reduce stress in your daily life and make sure you get the rest
that you need.
Table 5: How to Calculate Your Water Intake
1
.
Take your weight in pounds2
.
Divide by 2
3
.
The calculated number is the amount of water you should ingest in ounces per day
FINAL THOUGHTS
My research and my clinical experience have been clear: the RDA dose for iodine is inadequate to prevent cancer. In fact, I
believe that lowered iodine levels will provide fertile ground for cancer to begin in many different hormonally sensitive tissues
including the thyroid, breasts, ovaries, uterus, and prostate gland. Optimal iodine supplementation varies in each individual;
however, average doses to achieve the best effects (including cancer prevention) occur with daily doses ranging from 12-
50mg/day for the vast majority of adults.

A diagnosis of an autoimmune thyroid disorder does not have to be a prescription for life-long suffering. In fact, following the
principles outlined in this chapter has proven effective for many of my patients in helping them overcome an autoimmune thyroid
disorder.

An autoimmune thyroid disorder (or any autoimmune disorder) is an example of excess oxidative stress in the body.
Remember, oxidative stress in the body is similar to a fire burning. You can put out this fire by providing the body with what it
needs: adequate intake of water, unrefined salt, and healthy food full of nutrients. Finally, it is important to reduce your stress
levels. To achieve the best results, you should find a health care practitioner who can help guide you as well as monitor your
symptoms. The best results will be achieved with a comprehensive holistic approach.
1
 Farber, J. Mechanisms of cell injury by activated oxygen species. Lab. Invest. 62:670-79. 1990
2
 Kohrle, J., et al. Selenium, the thyroid, and the endocrine system. Endocrine Reviews. 26(7):944-84
3
 Eur. J. of Endocrin. 132. 735-43. 1995
4
 Horm. Metab. Res. 26. 465-69. 1994
5
 Rabinovitz, JL. Identification by nuclear magnetic resonance of iodinated lipids in the dog thyroid. Biochem and Biophy
Res. Com. 1976; 68:1161-8
6
 Bachi, N. Thyroid cell injury is an initial event in the induction of autoimmune thyroiditis by iodine in obese strain chickens.
Endocrinology. 1995; 136:5054-60
7
 Krawiec, L. The inhibition of PB125I formation of calf thyroid caused by 14-iodo-15-hydroxy-eicosatrienoic acid is due to
decreased H2O2 availability. Horm. Metab. Res. 1988:20:86-90
8
 Pisarev, MA. Thyroid autoregulation. Inhibition of goiter growth and of cyclic AMP formation in rat thyroid by iodinated
derivatives of arachidonic acid. J. Endocrin. Invest. 1988; 11:669-74
9
 Abraham, G. Evidence of Defective Cellular Oxidation and Organification of Iodide in a Female with Fibromyalgia and
Chronic Fatigue. Original Internist. June, 2007.
10
 Abraham, GE, and Flechas, JD. Management of fibromyalgia rationale for the use of magnesium and malic acid. Journal of
Nutr. Med. 1992:3, 49-59
11
 Ohayon, R. Inhibition of thyroid NADPH-oxidase by 2-iodohexadecanal in a cell-free system. Molec. And Cell. Endocr.
1994; 99:133-41Chapter 6
Iodine and Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders
CHAPTER 6: IODINE AND AUTOIMMUNE THYROID DISEASE
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune illness whereby the thyroid gland is attacked by the body’s production of antibodies. This
causes an inflammation and swelling of the thyroid gland. Hyperthyroidism–an overactive metabolic state–is common in
Graves’
disease. However, the end-stage of Graves’ disease often results in a hypothyroid picture.
Graves’ disease occurs in 0.25-1% of the population and the number of individuals diagnosed with Graves’ disease is
increasing. Graves’ is more common in females and usually occurs in middle age. In conventional medicine, there is no known
cause of Graves’ disease. Some causative factors reported in the literature include a genetic predisposition, infections, and stress.
Hashimoto’s disease is also an autoimmune illness where the body produces antithyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO)
that cause an inflammation of the thyroid gland. Goiter is a common occurrence with Hashimoto’s disease. Both hyperthyroidism
and hypothyroidism can be associated with Hashimoto’s disease. Frequently, hypothyroidism is the end result of long-standing
Hashimoto’s disease. In conventional medicine, there is no known cause of Hashimoto’s disease. However, I have identified two
major causes of both Graves’ and Hashimoto’s disease: iodine deficiency and gluten sensitivity. More about these causes later.
Hashimoto’s disease is more prevalent than Graves’ disease. The incidence of autoimmune thyroid disease is commonly
reported to occur in 0.1-5% of the population. The incidence of Hashimoto’s disease is also rising rapidly. However, I
believe the
incidence of autoimmune thyroid disorders is much higher than the reported numbers. Over the last twenty years, I have been
checking every new patient for an autoimmune thyroid illness. My experience would lead me to believe that the incidence of
autoimmune thyroid disorders is much higher–in the range of 15-20% of the population. Part of this estimate is also based on
asking other doctors at my lectures around the country what their experience has been. Nearly 100% of these doctors have
reported finding similar (or sometimes higher) percentages of patients suffering from autoimmune thyroid disorders. Needless to
say, I feel that autoimmune thyroid disorders, particularly Hashimoto’s disease, are increasing at epidemic rates.
FALLING IODINE LEVELS = INCREASED INCIDENCE OF AUTOIMMUNE THYROID DISORDERS
Over the last 40 years, the rising incidence of Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease correlates with falling iodine levels. I believe
the increase in both Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease, which are occurring at near epidemic rates, are due, in large part


	an	old	birthday,	you	can	call	it
“my”	thought,	but	you	feel	no	personal	connection	to	synapses	and	dendrites
or	the	firestorm	of	signals	passing	over	them.	Brain	cells	work	by	totally
predictable	means	involving	exchanges	of	electrical	charges	between	sodium
and	potassium	atoms
and
	simple	oscillations	between	positive	and	negative
electrical	impulses.	Somehow	that	mechanical	stability	produces	free,
creative,	unpredictable	thought	forms.
The	rishis	asserted	the	same	about	Karma.	It	is	infinitely	flexible	and
infinitely	inflexible	depending	on	how	you	look	at	it.	Unknown	forces	are	freeto	reshape	you	without	your	knowledge.	They	do	it	all	the	time,	since	none	of
us	has	the	slightest	awareness	of	how	our	brains	move	from	thought	A	to
thought	B.	Neurology	is	witness	to	the	event,	but	that’s	far	from	knowing	the
how	or	why.	Two	people	can	say	the	word	“apple,”	and	their	brains	will
exhibit	the	same	pattern	of	activity.	This	pattern,	however	perfectly	mapped,
has	no	predictive	value	in	telling	us	the	next	word	each	person	will	speak—
event	B	could	be	any	word,	sound,	or	gesture,	perhaps	just	silence.
This	opens	the	question	of	how	much	choice	we	exercise	over	our	next
lifetime.	It’s	not	useful	simply	to	say	that	Karma	is	flexible	and	inflexible	at
the	same	time.	In	fact,	the	coexistence	of	opposites	is	a	paradox,	and	unless
we	solve	it	we	have	no	control	over	the	afterlife;	we	are	just	caught	in	the
meshes	of	a	machine	that	can	produce	any	outcome	according	to	its	own
whims.
From	This	Lifetime	to	the	Next
We	aren’t	in	control	of	the	afterlife	for	the	same	reason	that	we	aren’t	in
control	of	this	life.	We	don’t	yet	have	enough	consciousness.	The	gaps	of
ignorance	of	our	full	potential	are	too	large,	and	whatever	the	gap	claims	turns
into	the	unconscious.	In	Tibetan	Buddhism	one	lifetime	is	firmly	connected	to
another.	When	a	lama	dies,	it’s	expected	that	his	reincarnation	will	be	found.
Signs	are	left	behind	that	link	the	two	incarnations.	On	his	return,	the	baby
will	recognize	his	old	toys,	for	example,	and	the	adults	around	him	can
determine	beyond	doubt	that	the	chain	of	identity	hasn’t	been	broken.
This	is	the	same	as	saying	that	Tibetans	don’t	fall	into	the	gap	when	they
die.	Continuity	is	preserved.	The	famous	Tibetan	Book	of	the	Dead	elaborates
every	detail	of	conscious	dying,	in	the	belief	that	a	dying	person	should
remain	as	connected	as	possible	to	the	uninterrupted	flow	of	awareness.	To	a
Western	reader	the	book	is	baffling;	it	describes	so	many	gradations	of
awareness,	so	many	possible	destinations	in	the	Bardo	that	it	would	take	a
lifetime	of	Buddhist	practice	to	absorb	all	the	possibilities.	This	is	precisely
the	point,	for	Tibetans	don’t	want	to	wander	outside	their	belief	system;	it
upholds	who	they	are	and	where	they	are	going	on	the	path	to	liberation.
That’s	one	example	of	tightly	patterned	choice,	compared	to	which	a
Westerner	is	a	reckless	gambler.	We	do	not	typically	try	to	hold	on	to
unbroken	consciousness,	and	although	we	may	harbor	a	wish	to	come	back	to
a	lifetime	closely	resembling	the	one	we	left,	it’s	just	as	likely	that	we	may
yearn	for	something	completely	new.	In	any	event,	we	don’t	usually	assume
that	our	wishes	matter.	The	business	of	heaven	and	hell	will	take	care	of	itself,
which	means,	ironically,	that	Westerners	are	more	resigned	about	Karma	than
most	people	in	the	East,	who	always	keep	in	the	back	of	their	minds	some
notion	that	Karma	follows	a	person	from	lifetime	to	lifetime.	For	them,	everyaction	in	this	life	reverberates	into	the	next,	and	apparently	random	events	in
the	present	have	their	roots	in	decisions	made	in	the	past.
What	this	implies	is	that	there	are	many	ways	to	relate	to	Karma.	You	can
choose	to	be	as	aware	as	you	like,	or	as	unaware.	Karma	glues	events
together,	but	that	isn’t	the	same	as	being	fatalistic.	In	the	East	this	point	is
often	missed,	and	people	commonly	assume	that	bad	actions	are	like	crimes
with	set	punishments	while	good	actions	earn	fixed	rewards.	Logical	as	that
sounds,	it	denies	freedom	of	choice.
“I	used	to	think	that	karma	turned	me	into	a	kind	of	puppet,”	a	friend	of
mine	once	remarked.	“Having	made	millions	of	choices	in
the
	past,	each	one
with	its	own	consequence,	how	could	I	be	free	of	them?	Each	bad	choice	jerks
me	one	way,	each	good	choice	another.	Fate	holds	the	strings.”
“How	did	you	break	free	from	that	way	of	thinking?”	I	asked.
“I	couldn’t,”	he	said.	“But	then	one	day	it	hit	me.	What	does	it	matter	if
I’m	a	puppet?	I	can’t	feel	the	strings.	I	can’t	see	anybody	manipulating	them.
For	all	I	know,	every	decision	I	make	is	mine	and	mine	alone.	I	may	still	be
fate’s	puppet,	but	what	does	it	matter	if	I	can’t	tell	the	difference?”
It’s	hard	to	argue	with	such	pragmatism.	Only	afterward	did	I	think	about
its	flaws.	If	Karma	is	akin	to	the	invisible	working	of	the	brain,	we	can’t
ignore	it	just	because	it’s	unseen.	Our	brains	produce	all	kinds	of	disturbing
and	distorted	thoughts.	They	can	become	imbalanced	and	throw	us	into
depression	or	outright	madness.	They	are	subject	to	false	perceptions	and
hallucinations,	not	to	mention	crippling	disease,	which	may	be	treatable.
More	basically,	what	we	say	and	do	changes	the	brain.	The	hard	wiring	of
neurons	is	altered	by	experience,	so	that	the	brain	of	someone	who	has
suffered	a	terrible	calamity,	for	example,	becomes	different	from	someone
who	hasn’t.	Positive	and	negative	experiences	condition	the	mind	to	see	the
world	in	a	particular	way,	and	the	brain	then	adapts.
Let’s	apply	this	to	reincarnation.	At	death	the	visible	and	invisible	aspects
of	karma	mesh.	The	standard	version	recounted	in	India	goes	like	this:	When
you	die	you	leave	your	body	but	remain	aware	of	who	you	are.	You	may
continue	to	see	the	room	you	died	in;	you	retain	the	sensations	of	possessing	a
physical	body	for	a	time	(traditionally,	bodies	remain	untouched	immediately
after	death	in	the	belief	that	the	deceased	would	continue	to	feel	anything
done	to	them).
Next,	like	a	drowning	man	seeing	his	life	pass	before	his	eyes,	one’s
karma	unravels	like	thread	coming	off	a	spool,	and	the	events	of	this	lifetime
march	in	review	across	the	screen	of	the	mind.	You
re-experience
	all	your
significant	moments	since	birth,	only	this	time	with


 will now see nothing but the flow of shakti. Surrender to the
flow. Give your life to it. Merge into it, and it will take you the rest of the
way. That is the final surrender.
It has been such an honor to share these teachings with you. Please,
don’t let this be just another book you read and then go back to your normal
way of life. Do this work. This work is not about renunciation of life—it’ s
about truly experiencing life at the deepest level. If you let go of yourself on
a daily basis, under all circumstances, you will find what is greater than
yourself. That’ s just the way it works: Where you’re not, God is. Where
God is, you’re not.
Now do you understand why Christ said the Kingdom is within you? It
is the very essence of your being. Your heights are incompreh ensible, and
you are perfectly capable of doing this work. Your inner states will just keep
getting higher and higher as you keep letting go. The fact that you are even
interested in these teachings means you’ve changed the world. You who do
the work of liberating yourself are to be deeply respected.
With great love and respect,
Michael A. SingerAcknowledgments
Life is a great teacher. If you are open, every single situation has something
to teach you about yourself and the moment unfolding in front of you. I
begin by acknowledging how much this flow of life has taught me and has
led to the writing of Living Untether ed. I also acknowledge all those wise
beings who have walked this path before me and managed to guide me on
my exploration within.
It is with deep humility and appreciation that I recognize the
tremendous work that my friend and product manager, Karen Entner, did on
this book. Her tireless and selfless service has instilled this work with a
sense of commitment and perfection rarely found in this world.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my publishers, New
Harbinger Publications and Soun ds True, for their heartfelt work in bringing
Living Untether ed to fruition. They worked together seamlessly to meld
their great talents into one unifie d force behind the development, marketing,
and distribution of this very special book.
There were many early readers, all of whom deserve thanks. I would
like to single out James O’Dea, Bob Merrill, and Stephanie Davis, who
contributed detailed suggestions during the early writing of the book.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge you, the reader, for being
interested in deepening your relationship with yourself and the world around
you. Your willingness to take a second look at what is really going on,
outside and in, has the power to change the world.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>OceanofPDF.comPlease consult your doctor befor e practicing the yoga poses in this book,
especially if you ar e pregnant, have cervical spine issues, or have high or
low blood pr essur e.
Copyright © 2023 by Deepak Chopra
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Harmony Books, an imprint of Random
House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New Y ork.
HarmonyBooks.com
RandomHouseBooks.com
Harmony Books is a registered trademark, and the Circle colophon is a
trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon
request.
ISBN 9780593235423
Ebook ISBN 9780593235430
Book design, adapted for ebook: Andr ea Lau
Illustrations: Stephanie Singleton
This page  photograph: Makenna Colón
Cover design: Kathleen L ynch/Black Kat Design
Cover art: Benjavisa/iStock/Getty Images
ep_prh_6.0_142201960_c0_r0
OceanofPDF.comContents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Part I by Deepak Chopra, MD
Overview: Royal Y oga and the Light of Life
Week 1: Social Intelligence
Week 2: Emotional Intelligence
Week 3: Bringing the Light to Y our Body
Week 4: V ital Ener gy
Week 5: Staying in the Light
Week 6: The Power of Attention
Part II by Sarah Platt-Finger
The Asanas
Afterword: Where Do Y ou Go from Here?
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Authors
OceanofPDF.comPART I
By Deepak Chopra, MD
OceanofPDF.comOceanofPDF.comOVERVIEW
ROYAL YOGA AND THE LIGHT OF LIFE
Whatever you are doing to make your life better, Royal Yoga can bring
you more of everything you want.
In that opening sentence lies the essence of this book, an immense
promise that isn’t just a matter of belief. For centuries in India, a path to
fulfillment has been proven to work. In Sanskrit it is called Raja Yoga, Raja
meaning “kingly,” “royal,” or simply “the highest.” Royal Yoga is a
splendid way to put it. My aim is to show you why and how the path of
Royal Yoga is the highest and most important of all Yoga traditions,
explaining every thing in terms that apply to modern people and everyday
life. As far as I know, this goal is unique; I’ve never found another book
that accomplished it.
We are talking about personal transformation that reaches beyond any
lifestyle you might choose to follow, beyond any approach to wellness and
healing, beyond  any faith or religion. Royal Yoga is univer sal and all-
embracing.
The Yoga part of Royal Y oga needs a little clarification at the outset. The
basic Sanskrit word Yoga simply means to yoke, join, or unite (the English
word yoke can be directly traced back to its ancient roots). In my part of the
book (Part I), when I talk about Yoga, I mean the complete system  of Yoga,
namely, the union of all aspects  of life—physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Only one part of the whole Yoga system contains the exercises that people
learn in yoga class (I will put the exercise part in lowercase and refer to the
system of Yoga with a capital Y). The system is often called “Yoga
philosophy,” but that phrase sells the whole vision short. In Royal Yoga, no
aspect of existence is left out. Everyone is used to dividing life into distinctparts: mind, body, emotions, work, family, relationships, and so on. Those
are hand y divisi ons, of course. The experience of going to the doctor, the
gym, or yoga class can all be put in the compartment labeled “body.”
Raising a child, going on a family vacation, and planning for retirement can
all be placed in the compartment labeled “family.” As natural as it feels to
divide life in this way, this kind of compartmentalization creates a problem
that cuts to the very heart of existence.
Royal Yoga holds that these compartments are false to the whol eness of
life. There are hidden possibilities that you will never reach, an intensity of
fulfillment you will never experience, when your life is chopped into
separate pieces like a loaf of bread cut into neat slices. Imag ine yourself
going through certain rituals and habits of your day—you get up, eat
breakfast, go to work, call frien ds, do things with your family, and so on.
Take a moment to visualize some specific ways that might make your day
more satisfying. Perhaps a friend tells you a piece of good news, you
complete a project at work, or you watch your child or spouse smile at you
and you feel a rush of love.
If you rewind these experiences and evaluate them through the prism of
Yoga, each event might look the same on the surface. But if you practice
Royal Yoga, what happens inside is transformed: You find that you are
living in the light. The effect is all-embracing, because if there is life, there
should be light.
What is the light? For some this is a vague spiritual term that connotes
religion. A Christian might think  of the phrase, “Don’ t hide your light under
a bushel basket” or Jesus’ s declaration to his disciples, “You are the light of
the world.” In the rabbinical tradition of Judaism, the divine presence is
Shechinah, whic h brings the light of God into the world when it permeates
a devout or holy person. In many traditions, angelic beings are creatures of
light, and saintly people emanate (physically or symbolically) a pure white
light.
Royal Yoga transcends these religious connotations while embracing
their deeper meaning. “Light ” is pure awareness; it is the cosmic
consciousness that creates and maintains the universe and everything in it.In practical terms, living in the light is about living consciously, and the
ultimate goal in life is to live only in the light, having cast off every form of
ignorance, pain, and suf fering.
WHERE IS YOUR LIGHT?
Having read this far, you might be either skeptical or inspired.
Something as all-embracing as Royal Yoga feels strange, at the very least.
I’m not offering these concep ts from the viewpoint of a true believer,
because the vision of the Yoga tradition isn’t a set of beliefs. It is based on
experiences that everyone is already having. You already live in the light;
you just don’t live there all the time. Many people have experienced
happiness, joy, and sometimes even pure bliss. But


  then
that co ntradict our fixed views. Synchronicity is one kind of
message. It says, “Your world is disorganized, but reality isn’t.” In
a fle eting glimpse, we see th at a higher intelligence can o rganize
events so that meaning pops up unexpectedly. Moreover, a
synchronous e xperience defi es our limited conception of cause
and effe ct. Inst ead of A causi ng B, the two are invisibly meshed. If
you think of a word and the n ext minute someone on TV says that
word, you didn’t create the coincidence. But something  did.
You can feel yo ur physical body and listen to your thought s, but
the som ething that organizes all events cannot be sensed. Yet it is
here and now. The following exercise will show you what I mean.
E x e r c i s e :  I ’ m  S t i l l  H e r e
Wherever you  are now, look around the room and tak e an
inventory of what it contains. Notice the furniture, knickknacks,
books, even the windows and the view outside.
Now cl ose your eyes and s ee the room mentally. Begin to
remove its contents. (You can open your eyes to refresh your
memory if you need to.) See the furniture go poof! And n o longer
exist. Strip the room of the  knickknacks and books, then the
windows and the view outside. You will be left standing in an
empty b ox. If you have a me ntal image of your body stan ding in
the room, send it away, too.
In one final str oke, remove the ceiling, walls, and floor. You will
be standing in a space with no objects. It’s hard to have a n image
of noth ing, so you probably see white light or blackness. Notice,
after removing everything, that you are still here.
Now re verse the process. Bring back the floor, walls, and
ceiling. Reinstate the furnitu re, knickknacks, and books. Replace
the win dow and the view outside. Notice that you are still here.
Nothing about the room, whether full or empty, changed you.To p rove that you are still h ere, try to get rid of yourself. See
yourself stand ing in the roo m when it is full or the sp ace left
behind when the room has d isappeared. In either state, can you
remove yourse lf? No. “I’m still here” is untouchable, because you
are the one thing.
This ex ercise helps remind you of your true status. If you find
yourself in a busy place, full of distractions or stress, take an
inventory of everything you see. Close your eyes and empty the
place until there are no objects, people, or room. As you arrive at
nothing but emptiness, you a re still here. This gives you a feeling
of blissful self-sufficiency. To know that you are imperishable,
right this moment, is the ultimate validation that you are here
now.
You have discovered your bei ng. After that, everything you say,
do, or think is a passing shadow. Simply by being, you have
mastered the art of not-doing. The next stage is to let one thing
show you what it is capable of.
P r a c t i c a l  I m m o r t a l i t y
When you see yourself as th e unmoving point around which
everything mo ves, you are in  a special state of awareness.  We can
call this the state of practical immortality. Countless people
already live such a life if they  are part of a religion that believes in
a personal God. Believing that God is watching and judging them,
devout believers are basing their lives on an immortal being. The
ultimate rewar d from such a  being is going to Heaven, where the
believer gets to join in immortality.
In societies dominated by traditional religion, rules of morality
tend to be rigid and narrow. Dogmatic religions nail a set of rules
to the wall saying, “If you want to know what God wants, obey
these ru les.” The rules can be as basic as the Ten Comman dments
and the Golden Rule or as  complex as the hundreds of daily
instructions th at pertain to the life of an orthodox Bra hmin in
Hinduism. But living by the r ules depends on believing that therewas a line of communication between God and whoever delivers
the rul es here on Earth. R eligions tend to agree about what
constitutes a devout life (i.e., trying to please God and obey the
rules), but they disagree on which messenger to trust.
The direct path doesn’t propose that kind of practical
immortality. There are zero rules or even injunctions. Instead,
there is  a path that arrives at waking up. Once you are on the path,
you mu st comm unicate with immortality yourself, as best you can.
Moses, Jesus, and Buddha aren’t going to help you (a lthough,
because there are no rules, if you want to follow a religion, the
choice i s yours ). To begin to  communicate with immorta lity, the
first step is to believe that you can, which isn’t easy.
For our entire lives, all of us have been taught how to live i n the
state of practical mortality. Everything is gauged according to how
it fits in betwe en birth and death. People who squeeze the most
pleasure out of life, master many skills, work hard and play hard,
travel to  many places, amass money and possessions—they  are the
winners in the scheme of pr actical mortality. At its most basic,
however, every one lives in th e shadow of mortality. You see this in
our wo rship of youth, our o bsession with fending off aging, our
fear that our bodies might ge t injured. Protecting the body lies at
the heart of getting rich— money offers a surrogate form of
invulnerability. The rich and powerful come close to being
invulnerable to  life’s hardships. (Yet nothing is more untr ue than
the saying, “It’s better to die rich than poor.” Finality is finality, no
matter how much money you amass and throw around.)
In t his context, how can you believe that you can commun icate
with immortality, much less turn it into a way of life? All you
actually need is the insight that you are doing it already.
Wholeness—the one thing we ’ve been talking about—is immortal.
It communicat es with mortal life by emerging into the physical
world a s time, space, matter, and energy. Physics has no problem
with that assertion. The prec reated state or quantum vacuum is
not bound by time or space. It contains no matter and energy but
only the potential for matter and energy.
The direct path translates this basic fact into something
profoundly human. When yo u do the exercise in this chapter of
emptying a room until you a re left with a blank slate, you set thestage for filling the room up again with anything you want. As a
symbol of human creativity, the exercise is simple, but when you
look aro und you, the entire w orld has been constructed the same
way. Colors, textures, tastes,  smells, and the like are all symbols
for a quality human beings desired to have in virtual reality.
We kee p at this project, taking a possibility, plucking it out of
its s tate of pote ntial, and then making it real. We embrace dogs for
their human traits—loyalty, friendliness, obedience, and so on—
while in return, through a sort of bleed-through or osmosis, the
primal Siberian wolf from which all domesticated dogs are
descended has been given an evolutionary makeover. H umans
consciously selected the traits we consider desirable and excluded
those w e don’t wish to see. Ad orable eyes are a very desira ble trait,
and a golden L abrador puppy as young as eight weeks inst inctively
gazes into its owner’s eyes,  forming a bond that we instantly
recognize. (Wolves, on the other hand, retain a feral glare with no
connection to humans.) The dog is a human creation in the flesh
as well as in our creative imagination.
Hybridizing do gs and cats, li ke manipulating the genes of corn
and wh eat to resist pests, is physical manipulation, but t he force
behind it, imagination, isn’t. U sing our imagination is one way you
and I and eve ryone else are living the mystery. No one created
imagination, just as no one created creativity. No one created
evolution, either. When you get closer to the source, where
consciousness in all its diversity begins to narrow down to one
thing, it is evident that being human depends on contacting the
immortal domain constantly, not just every day but every second.
Diversity is a blinding spectacle. Seven billion people with the
capacity to see millions of co lors, write countless melodies, speak
infinite combinations of words, and pursue endless dreams and
obsessions—this whole panorama is diversity. Being human
cannot be confined to any se t of rules, whether handed down by
divine authority


alternatives.
How	about	the	air	quality	in	your	bedroom,	which	you	typically	breathe	for
eight	consecutive	hours	every	day?	What	is	the	composition	of	your	mattress?
We	spend	one-third	of	our	lives	in	bed,	and	spending	most	of	that	timeimmediately	next	to	even	mildly	toxic	chemicals	can	take	a	huge	toll.	Most
mattresses	today	are	made	of	synthetic	materials	(polyester,	polyurethane,
treated	with	dyes,	flame	retardants,	etc.),	which	can	off-gas	for	years	and	poison
you	while	you	are	sleeping.	Fortunately,	100	percent	natural	mattresses	are
available.	Also,	with	a	doctor’s	prescription	you	can	obtain	mattresses
manufactured	without	toxic	flame	retardants	that	otherwise	are	required	by	law.
At	the	very	least,	if	you	purchase	a	standard	mattress,	put	it	in	the	garage	and
allow	it	to	off-gas	for	a	few	months	before	sleeping	on	it.	Also,	enclose	the
mattress	with	a	thin	polyethylene	drop	cloth	or	a	tightly	woven	barrier-cloth	that
limits	the	amount	of	toxins	you	breathe	nightly.	Also,	use	pillows	made	from
natural	materials,	such	as	down.
Next,	look	in	your	bathrooms.	It’s	likely	that	enough	toxic	chemicals	are	there
to	make	anybody	sick.	The	toxic	products	include	not	only	toilet	bowl	cleaners
and	air	fresheners,	but	items	such	as	toothpaste,	mouthwash,	hair	spray,
cosmetics,	shampoo	and	soap	(not	to	mention	the	toxic	chlorinated	water	coming
out	of	the	tap).	All	of	these	products	can	be	replaced	with	safer,	simpler	items
available	in	health	food	stores;	they	will	be	equally	effective	without	harming
your	health.
The	laundry	room	is	another	toxic	site.	Detergents,	bleach,	spot	removers	and
fabric	softeners	all	contain	chemicals	that	are	toxic	to	you	and	to	the
environment.	Manufacturers	have	lulled	us	into	complacency	with	the	term
“biodegradable	detergents.”	This	fact	has	little	to	do	with	the	eventual	health	and
environmental	impact	of	these	synthetic	chemicals.	Biodegradable	means	only
that	at	some	point	the	detergent	will	lose	its	foaming	properties.	Purchase
unscented	products.	Detergents	can	be	replaced	with	soap-based	products,	while
bleach	can	be	replaced	with	safer	sodium	percarbonate	or	hydrogen	peroxide.
Furniture	anywhere	in	the	house,	but	especially	in	bedrooms,	can	present
significant	risks.	Today,	furniture	often	is	made	with	toxic	synthetic	materials
(polyester,	polyurethane,	polystyrene	and	polyvinyl	chloride),	which	off-gas
toxic	vapors;	likewise,	some	types	of	furniture	are	made	of	particle-board
(which,	as	already	mentioned,	will	off-gas	formaldehyde)	and	then	covered	with
a	wood	or	plastic	veneer.	Alarmingly,	most	children’s	furniture	is	made	with
toxic	par-ticleboard!	One	study	showed	that	introducing	particleboard	furniture
into	an	empty	house	tripled	the	formaldehyde	levels	in	the	air.	This	problem	can
be	particularly	acute	in	mobile	homes,	where
everything
may	be	made	from
particleboard.	Buy	furniture	made	from	natural	materials,	such	as	solid	wood	or
metal	furniture;	if	this	option	is	too	expensive,	consider	used	furniture	made	of
these	materials.Even	the	clothes	you	wear	can	be	toxic.	Have	you	ever	gone	into	a	clothing
store	and	noticed	the	chemical-laden	atmosphere?	Most	clothes	today	contain	or
are	made	of	toxic	synthetic	fibers	(such	as	nylon,	polyester,	acrylics	and
spandex),	which	will	affect	you	adversely	as	you	wear	them	and	also	contribute
to	toxic	indoor	air.	Clothes	are	often	treated	with	dyes,	formaldehyde	finishes
(permanent	press),	and	mothproofing	pesticides.	Dry	cleaning	clothing	brings
toxins	into	your	household	and	close	to	your	body;	clothes	that	have	been	dry-
cleaned	should	always	be	aired	out	before	they	are	put	into	a	closet	or	worn.
Laundry	detergents	and	fabric	softeners	can	also	be	problematic;	in	fact,	many
people	are	quite	sensitive	to	detergent	residues.	Have	you	ever	walked	down	the
detergent	aisle	at	the	grocery	store	and	had	your	eyes,	nose	or	throat	feel
irritated?	Toxins	in	those	boxes	are	off-gassing.	When	washing	your	clothes,	use
environmentally	friendly	and	unscented	laundry	products	available	in	health
food	stores.	Do	not	use	scented	fabric	softeners.	These	products	might	make
your	clothes	smell	“fresh	and	clean,”	but	that	smell	is	toxic.
Buy	clothes	made	of
natural	materials,	such	as	wool	and	cotton,	and	use	natural	cleaning	products.
After	you	have	taken	steps	to	reduce	or	eliminate	products	that	are	toxic,
make
sure	to	also
keep	your	home	or	office	well	ventilated.	Modern	homes	and	office
buildings	are	built	a	lot	“tighter”	than	older	construction	to	save	on	energy	costs.
While	reducing	energy	waste	is	a	good	thing,	reducing	air	circulation	allows
pollutants	to	accumulate	to	higher	concentrations.	For	this	reason,	high-quality
air	filters	(that	will	filter	out	both	particulate	matter	and	gaseous	hydrocarbons)
can	be	helpful.	Use	them	in	rooms	where	you	spend	a	great	deal	of	time,	such	as
your	office	or	bedroom.
Obvious	as	it	sounds,	the	most	important	thing	you	can	do	to	keep	your	indoor
air	clean	is	to	stop	introducing	pollutants	in	the	first	place.	Before	you	purchase
something	new,	consider	if	that	product	might	contribute	to	your	indoor
pollution.	As	mentioned	earlier,	after	you	buy	something,	give	it	a	chance	to	off-
gas	before	you	put	it	in	your	living	environment.	When	I	purchase	a	new
television	or	computer	monitor,	I	put	it	in	the	garage,	turn	it	on	and	leave	it	there
until	I	can	no	longer	detect	an	odor.	Hang	your	dry-cleaning	outdoors	or	in	a
well-ventilated	area	until	you	can	no	longer	detect	an	odor.	Do	not	use	products
that	have	powerful	chemical	odors,	such	as	mothballs	or	air	fresheners.	Use	heat
or	sunshine	to	help	expedite	the	off-gassing	process,	whenever	possible.
Health	and	Beauty	Products	That	Fail
Your	skin	provides	enormous	protection	from	microorganisms,	such	as	germs,but	skin	also	is	designed	to	be	permeable,	allowing	certain	molecules	in	and	out,
which	is	good	news	when	the	skin	allows	antioxidants	in	to	protect	against	the
sun	and	allows	toxins	out	through	the	sweat	and	oil	glands.	However,	easy
access	also	allows	environmental	toxins	to	penetrate.
Personal	care	products	are	the	largest	source	of	toxic	absorption	through	the
skin	and	mucus	membranes.	One	study	found	that	13	percent	of	the	commonly
used	cosmetic	preservative	BHT	(butylated	hydroxytoluene)	is	absorbed	by	your
skin


, we saw in many places mountain-like dunes rolling
slowly across the country, frequently so completely blocking former traffic routes that long detours
were necessary. When we were flying over eastern Australia in search of groups of primitive
aborigines, we saw great forests gradually being engulfed with these marching billows of sand so
that most of the trees were covered to their tips.
    Few people will realize that it is estimated that only about 45 per cent of the land surface of the
United States is now available for agricultural purposes and grazing. This includes vast areas that
are rapidly approaching the limit of utility.
    In one of my trips to the Western States I visited a large ranch of some fifty thousand acres. I
asked the rancher whether he was conscious of a depletion in the soil of the ranch in its ability to
carry pasture cattle. He said that it was very greatly depleted, that whereas formerly the cows on
the ranch were able to produce from ninety-three to ninety-five healthy calves per hundred cows
annually, nearly all of sufficiently high physical quality to be available for reproductive purposes,
now he was getting only forty to forty-four calves per hundred cows annually and usually only ten
or eleven of these were physically fit for reproductive purposes. He stated also that he was able to
raise as many calves for restocking the ranch on the plant food produced on the fifty acres to
which he was applying a high fertilization program as on the rest of the fifty-thousand-acre ranch.
Of late most of the calves for the ranch had to be imported from other states.
    In a city in the vicinity I inquired of the director of public health what the death rate was among
their children up to one year of age. He stated that the figures were progressively increasing in spite
of the fact that they were giving free hospitalization and free prenatal and postnatal care for all
mothers who could not afford to pay for the service. This death rate had more than doubled in fifty
years. I asked how he interpreted the increasing mortality rate among the infants and mothers. His
comment was in effect that they could not explain the cause, but that they knew that the mothers of
this last generation were far less fit physically for reproduction than their mothers or grandmothers
had been.
    To many uninformed people the answer will seem simple. Those who are responsible for these
programs, recognize the difficulty in replenishing the exhausted minerals and food elements in
adequate quantity. I have been informed by the director of the department of agriculture of the
state of Ohio that it would cost fifty dollars per acre to restore the phosphorus alone that has been
exhausted during the last fifty to one hundred years. He stated that the problem is still further
complicated by the fact that the farmer cannot go to a bank and borrow money to buy this
fertilizer. If, however, he buys adjoining acreage to double his own, he can then borrow twice as
much money as he can on his own farm. But this is not all of the difficulty. Recent data indicate that
if sufficient phosphorus in a form easily available for plant use were supplied to the land at once, it
would kill the plant life; it must be provided in a form in which by a process of weathering it is
made slowly available for plant utilization. Phosphorus is only one of the minerals that is readily
taken from the soil. Other minerals also are difficult to provide. I have been able practically to
double the weight and size of beets in five weeks by the addition of a tablespoonful of ferric
ammonium citrate to each square foot of garden soil.
    An important commentary on soil depletion is provided by the large number of farms that have
been abandoned in many districts throughout the United States. The severe industrial depression
which has thrown large numbers of shop and mill workers out of employment, has induced a
considerable number of these to return to the land for subsistence. As one drives through farming
districts that once were very fertile many farms are seen apparently abandoned insofar as tillage is
concerned.
    In my studies on the relation of the physiognomy of the people of various districts to the soil, I
have found a difference in the facial type of the last generation of young adults when compared
with that of their parents. The new generation has inherited depleted soil. In many communities
three generations of adults are available for study. The yardstick for these comparisons has been
developed in the preceding chapters. It will be of interest for the readers to apply this yardstick to7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 235/250their own brothers and sisters in comparison with the parents and particularly their grandparents.
The most serious problem confronting the coming generations is this nearly unsurmountable
handicap of depletion of the quality of the foods because of the depletion of the minerals of the
soil.
REFERENCES
1. PRICE, W. A. New light on the control of dental caries and the degenerative diseases. J.
Am. Dent. Assn., 18:1889, 1931.
2. ORR, J. B. The composition of the pasture. London, H. M. Stationery Office. E.M.B., 18,
1929.
3. THEILER, A. and GREEN, H. Aphosphoris in ruminants. Nutrition Absts. and Rev.,
1:359, 1932.
4. TISDALL, BROWN and KELLEY. The age, sex, and seasonal incidence in children. Am.
J. Dis. Child., 39:163, 1930.
5. SEARS, P. B. Deserts on the March. Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1935.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 21
PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF PRIMITIVE WISDOM
IF THE observations and deductions presented in the foregoing chapters are exerting as
controlling an influence on individual and national character as seems to be indicated, the problem
of the outlook for our modern civilization is changed in many important aspects. One of the most
urgent changes in our viewpoint should be to look upon the assortment of physical, mental and
moral distortions as due, in considerable part, to nutritional disturbances in one or both parents
which modify the development of the child, rather than to accepted factors in the inheritance. The
evidence indicates that these parental disturbances of nutritional origin may affect the germ plasm,
thus modifying the architecture, or may prevent the mother from building a complete fetal structure,
including the brain. In other words, these data indicate that instead of dealing entirely with
hereditary factors, we are dealing in part with distortions due to inhibitions of normal hereditary
processes. This changes the prospects for the offspring of succeeding generations. Atavism will still
have plenty to her credit even if she must give up her claim to distortions of individual
characteristics.
    Jacobson (1) has summarized the determining factors in individuality and personality when he
says "The Jekyll-Hydes of our common life are ethnic hybrids." Most current interpretations are
fatalistic and leave practically no escape from our succession of modern physical, mental and moral
cripples. Jacobson says of our modern young people:
    Very much of the strange behavior of our young people to-day is simply due to their lack of
ethnical anchorage; they are bewildered hybrids, unable to believe sincerely in anything, and
disowned by their own ancestral manes. To turn these neurotic hybrids loose in the world by
the million, with no background, no heritage, no code, is as bad as imposing illegitimacy; their
behavior, instead of expressing easily, naturally and spontaneously a long-used credo, will be
determined by fears and senseless taboos. How can character be built upon such foundations?
There is a ludicrous as well as a pathetic side to the situation presented by a Greek puzzled by
his predominantly German children, or by the German woman unable to understand her
predominantly Spanish progeny. It is a foolish case over again of hen hatching ducklings, of
wolf fostering foundlings.7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 236/250   If our modern degeneration were largely the result of incompatible racial stocks as indicated by
these premises, the outlook would be gloomy in the extreme. Those who find themselves
depressed by this current interpretation of controlling forces would do well to recall the
experiments on pigs referred to in Chapters 17 and 18, in which a large colony all born blind and
maimed because of maternal nutritional deficiency--from deficient vitamin A--were able to beget
offspring with normal eyes and normal bodies when they themselves had normal nutrition.
    Much emphasis has been placed on the incompatibility of certain racial bloods. According to
Jacobson, (1)
   Aside from the effects of environment, it may safely be assumed that when two strains of
blood will not mix well a kind of "molecular insult" occurs which the biologists may some day be
able to detect beforehand, just as blood is now tested and matched for transfusion.
    It is fortunate that there is a new explanation for the distressing old doctrine which holds that
geniuses cannot be born unless there is an abundant crop of defectives. In this connection
Jacobson says,
   The genius tends to be a product of mixed ethnic and nervously peculiar stock--stock so
peculiar that it exhibits an unusual amount of badness. The human family pays dearly for its
geniuses. Just as nature in general is prodigal in wasting individuals


 Kapha digestion is always
good for balance. Dry cooking methods (baking, broiling, grilling,
sautéing) are better for Kaphas than moist ones (steaming, boiling,
poaching).
Before you eat, stimulate your appetite with bitter or pungent tastes
instead of salty or sour. The bitterness of romaine lettuce, endive, or
tonic water will wake up your taste buds without encouraging you to
overeat. Ginger tea or even a pinch of fresh gingerroot is also highly
recommended. In general, you want to be sure that bitter and astringent
tastes are present in every meal. To get them, it is not necessary to seek
out bitter food in quantity. A little bitterness in a salad or the
astringency of herbs supplies enough. Among the household spices,
cumin, fenugreek, sesame seed, and turmeric are both bitter and
astringent.
Adding pungent tastes to your diet with spices is one of the best ways to
balance Kapha. Anything spicy is good, including very hot Mexican or
Indian food that makes your eyes water. This action flushes out all the
mucous membranes. Contrary to what we tend to think, hot, spicy food
is best not in the summer but in the winter; it of fsets the cold, damp
quality that Kapha resents.
Kaphas need to eat breakfast mainly to get them started in the morning,
not for solid nourishment. Rather than relying on a jolt of caf feine from
coffee, wake your body up with light, Kapha-reducing foods, such as
hot spiced cider, buckwheat pancakes with apple butter, corn muf fins,
and bitter cocoa made with skim milk and a touch of honey. In general,
anything hot and light is good, while anything cold, heavy, or sweet is
not so good. Cold cereals, cold juice or milk, and sugary pastries tend to
create congestion, particularly in damp winter weather. Bacon and
sausage are Kapha-aggravating because of their salt and oil. If you
don’t feel hungry in the morning, it is all right to skip breakfast, which
Ayurveda considers optional, especially for Kapha types.
If you wake up feeling congested in the morning, a sign of excess
Kapha, the best things to take are honey, hot water, lemon juice, andginger. Hot ginger tea (page 301) is excellent for Kapha types in
general, since it stimulates the system and flushes out excess Kapha. If
you occasionally skip a meal—a good idea for many Kaphas—a
spoonful of honey in hot water will tide you over.
Cutting back on sweets is dif ficult for many Kaphas, but a trial week on
a low-sugar diet generally does result in feeling lighter and more
energetic. Honey is extensively recommended for Kapha types, but you
should not take more than a tablespoon or so per day; honey is not
suitable to cook with, either, since heating honey makes it
unwholesome, according to Ayurveda.
Out-of-balance Kapha types overindulge in dairy products, but butter,
ice cream, and cheese are among the worst for you, since they make
your system colder and more congested. Low-fat milk is best,
preferably pre-boiled to aid digestion, with only a minimum of other
dairy products. Sesame seeds on rolls and bread help to counteract the
sweet, heavy quality of the wheat, which is not the best for Kapha,
either. Because they combine too much heavy sweetness, a hambur ger
and milkshake, or even a sandwich with milk, should be eaten only
infrequently.
Raw fruits, vegetables, and salads are extremely good, since their fiber
tones the intestinal tract, in addition to the benefits of their astringent
tastes. Generally speaking, Ayurveda prefers all food cooked, but we
find that this is an exception that helps most Kapha types.
Deep-fried foods of any kind will aggravate Kapha; they are among the
few things you should try to eliminate from your diet. There is no need
to banish all fats, but make an ef fort to use less butter and oil in your
cooking. Corn oil is heating to the body; it is a good choice for you in
small quantities, along with almond and sunflower oils. Crisp-steamed
vegetables with a little ghee (clarified butter) drizzled over them is
good for a light supper; anything crisp, fresh, and stimulating balances
Kapha.Restaurant food has to be carefully chosen by Kapha people. Fast food
is far too oily, salty, and sweet—head for the salad bar and use a
minimum of salad dressing. If you are eating out in better restaurants,
Oriental cooking is the lightest, particularly if you concentrate on more
vegetables than meat. Wherever you go, order a glass of hot water
instead of iced, take salad instead of hot soup (except in cold weather),
avoid the rolls and butter, and make dessert small and not too rich—hot
fruit pies are probably the best choice.
One ef ficient and instant way to settle Kapha is to sprinkle a special
spice powder, called a Kapha churna, over your plate at the table. An
Internet source for churnas is on page 378.
Kapha-Pacifying Foods
THE SIX TASTES
Each of the six tastes speaks directly to the quantum mechanical body, and
each carries a different message. Our tongues know this instinctively. The
voluptuous sweetness of vanilla custard is diametrically opposed to the bitterbite of lemon peel; one is soothing, the other is a shock. Your whole body
reacts to the difference, which begins on your tongue but continues
throughout your body. Taste leaves a trail of reactions from your mouth to
the food’ s final destination, your cells.
Without knowing about nutritional balance in terms of fats, carbohydrates,
and proteins, native cultures around the world have realized that their diets
had to be dynamic. They had to have tastes that wake up the body, like bitter
and astringent, and others that soothe it, primarily sweet. Digestion
sometimes need ed to be increa sed with “hot” tastes—pungen t, sour, and
salty—and at other times decreased with “cold” tastes—bitter, astringent,
and sweet.
All of this was understood instinctively. In Mexico, the limited fare of
corn and beans could not by itself have supported a healt hy, balanced
existence, but with the addition of red chilies, it has served the native people
for many centu ries. Red chili adds vitamin C to a diet, but the more
important additi on it brings are the sweet and pungent tastes that round out
the six rasas. Curry spices serve the same purpose in India, where the staples
of rice, lentils, and wheat bread would be dramatically limited without them.
MESSAGES FROM NA TURE
Every food has its own profile of tastes. Simple foods, such as white sugar
or vineg ar, have  only one taste, but most others have at least two: lemon is
sour, but also sweet and bitter; carrots are sweet, bitter, and astringent;
cheese is sweet  and sour. Milk  is considered a complete food, having the
subtle presence of all six rasas besides its obvious sweetness; for this reason,
Ayurveda recommends drinking milk alone rather than combin ing it with a
meal. (Having milk with other sweet foods—fruit, grains, and sugar—is
good, however; in fact, milk is the best buffer for refined white sugar, which
enters the system in a rush if digested alone.)
The major food groups all revolve around the rasa of sweet, but with the
five other tastes carefully blended in:Fruits—primarily sweet and astringent, with citrus fruits adding sour
Vegetables—primarily sweet and astringent, with leafy gr eens adding bitter
Dairy—primarily sweet, with yogurt and cheese adding sour and astringent
Meat—primarily sweet and astringent
Oils—primarily sweet
Grains and Nuts—primarily sweet
Legumes—primarily sweet and astringent
Herbs and Spices—primarily pungent, with all other flavors added
secondarily
Just as most foods are sweet, so is Kapha dosha, the builder of tissues; the
human body as a whole is therefore sweet, too. Herbs and spices fill in the
spectrum of tastes, but, more important, they evoke a complete range of
bodily responses. Black pepper makes your mouth water, fenugreek dries it
up; mustard heats the body, mint cools it off. The only blank space is salt,
which is provided by salt itself.
Using its taste profile, every food can be described as either increasing or
decreasing one or more dosha s, as we saw. Since the three doshas are
connected, an increase of one is so crucial that Ayurveda has described every
food according to whether it will increase or decrease a particular dosha.
Cabbage, for instance, is known  to increase Vata, onions to increase Pitta, all
oils to increase Kapha.
Considering that half a dozen messages are being relayed to the body
simultaneously by any one food


this	page
)	and	an	oxygen-
magnesium	supplement	(such	as	Detoxy	+),	which	is	a	nonlaxative,	non-
habit-forming,	and	nonirritating	internal	cleanser	that	is	free	of
gluten,
animal	products,	and	corn.
Here	are	a	few	good	skin-care	ingredients	to	target	acne:
TEA	TREE	OIL
This	has	antibacterial	and	soothing	properties	and	is	a	great	alternative	to
benzoyl	peroxide,	which	can	be	drying	and	irritating.CLAY
This	is	great,	especially	in	face	masks,	as	it	helps	to	calm	the	skin	and	balance
sebum	production	(see
this	page
	for	more	details).
RADICALLY	CLEAR	SKIN	MASK
The	bentonite	clay	in	this	mask	will	help	draw	out	impurities	in	your	skin	and	balance	oils,	while	raw
honey	has	both	antibacterial	and	antiseptic	properties.
1	tablespoon	water
1	teaspoon	raw,	organic	honey
1½	teaspoons	bentonite	clay
Mix	the	water	with	the	honey	first,	then	stir	in	the	clay	and	mix	well	to	form	a	paste.	Apply	to	your
entire	face,	being	careful	to	avoid	contact	with	your	eyes.	Leave	on	for	about	20	minutes,	then	rinse
well.	Try	using	this	mask	once	or	twice	a	week	for	problematic	skin.
ALPHA	HYDROXY	ACIDS	(AHAS)
These	help	to	exfoliate	dead	skin	cells,	prevent	clogged	pores,	and	leave	your
skin	smoother	(see
this	page
	for	more	details).
ACNE-PREVENTING	TONIC
Used	externally,	cranberries	and	oregano	both	have	some	astringent	properties,	which	helps	cleanse
the	skin	and	balance	its	oils.
2	to	3	tablespoons	filtered	water	plus	a	bit	more	as
needed
1	tablespoon	dried	oregano
½	cup	cranberries	(dried	is	okay)
Boil	the	water	and	stir	in	the	oregano.	Turn	off	the	heat,	cover,	and	allow	the	oregano	to	steep	for	15
minutes.	Strain	and	set	aside.	Next,	puree	the	cranberries	in	a	food	processor	or	blender	(adding	a	few
tablespoons	of	filtered	water	as	needed	for	dried	cranberries).	Strain	through	a	cheesecloth.	Combine
the	cranberry	puree	with	the	oregano	liquid.	Soak	a	washcloth	in	the	liquid,	place	it	on	your	face,	and
relax	for	15	minutes.	(Listen	to	some	calming	music	so	you	aren’t	tempted	to	move	around!)	Rinse
with	warm	water.
Bags	Under	the
Eyes
Poor	drainage	of	fluids	can	contribute	to	puffy,
baggy	under-eye	circles.	It’s
important	to	keep	your	circulation	working	optimally	and	prevent	a	buildup	offluids,	which	can	be	done	by	eating	foods	with	balanced	electrolytes	(essential
minerals	that	affect	your	body-fluid	balance,	among	other	critical	processes)
and	avoiding	too	much	sodium.	Bags	under	the	eyes	can	also	mean	you	have	a
buildup	of	impurities	from	sluggish	digestion	or	overtaxed	adrenals,	so	be	sure
to	incorporate	lots	of	lemons	and	lemon	water	to	flush	out	your	system	and	to
supply	your	body	with	vitamin	C.	Before	we	talk	about	some	of	the	remedies
for	the	skin	around	your	eyes,	here	are	some	more	tips	to	avoid	or	improve	the
existence	of	bags	under	your	eyes:
•
Increase	your	rest	and	sleep,	especially	if	you’re	a	woman	on	your	moon,	or
menstrual,	cycle;	a	lack	of	sleep	can	exacerbate	the	visibility	of	under-eye
issues.
•
Avoid	(or	at	least	cut	down	as	much	as	possible)	on
caffeine	and
alcohol,
which	can	leach	minerals	from	your	system	and	tax	your	adrenals,
contributing	to	under-eye	bags	and	circles.
•
Avoid	smoked,	grilled,	or	barbecued	foods,	which	tend	to	be	excessively	high
in	sodium	(as	well	as	nitrosamines,	which	are	considered	carcinogenic).
•
Incorporate	coconut	water,	which	helps	balance	electrolytes	such	as
potassium	and	sodium.
•
Hydrate	more	in	general,	as	some	research	out	of
Oxford	University	has
shown	the	appearance	of	the	skin	under	the	eyes	is	linked	to	kidney	health,
2
and	your	kidneys	function	best	in	the	presence	of	abundant
hydration.
•
Make	sure	to	incorporate	banana	into	your
Glowing	Green	Smoothie	(see
this	page
	for	recipe),	which	is	high	in	B	vitamins	and	potassium;	these	are
great	for	helping	to	keep	your	skin	smooth	and	puffiness	at	bay.
•
Cut	out	refined	sugars	and	use	only	stevia	or	raw	coconut	nectar	as	your	go-
to	sweeteners.	Unlike	refined	white	or	artificial	sugars,	stevia	and	raw
coconut	nectar	won’t	tax	your	adrenals	and	cause	inflammation,	a	by-
product	of	which	can	be	under-eye	bags	and	puffiness.
•
Avoid	consuming	other	foods	with	high	sodium,	such	as	soy	sauce,	close	to
bedtime.	This	can	contribute	to	greater
dehydration	throughout	the	night
and	can	cause	you	to	wake	up	sporting	prominently	pronounced	under-eye
bags.
Here	are	a	few	good	skin-care	ingredients	to	target	under-eye	bags:
PeptidesLook	for	this	on	ingredient	lists.	They	are	great	for	supporting	healthy	collagen
and	elastin	in	the	structure	of	your	skin,	which	will	help	it	stay	taut	and	less
prone	to	bagginess.
Topical
Coenzyme	Q10
This	can	support	the	amount	of	adenosine	triphosphate	(ATP),	which
transports	chemical	energy	between	skin	cells	for	improved	overall	function
and	enhanced	skin	repair	and	regeneration.
BAG-BANISHING	SKIN	TREATMENT
Almond	milk	is	full	of	vitamin	E	and	is	believed	to	be	anti-inflammatory,
3
	while	rose	water	also
possesses	anti-inflammatory	properties	and	is	soothing	to	the	skin,	helping	to	make	it	soft	and
smooth.
1	tablespoon	rose	water
1	tablespoon	cold	almond	milk
Mix	the	two	ingredients	together.	Dip	a	washcloth	into	the	mixture	and	place	over	your	eyes	for	10
minutes	in	the	evening	while	you	lie	down	and	relax.
Cellulite
Beyond	just	a	simple	accumulation	of	fat,	cellulite	can	involve	the	breakdown
of	collagen	and	the	buildup	of	heavy	metals	and	toxins	in	fat	cells.	Many	of	us
believe	that	cellulite	is	something	they	just	have	to	live	with,	and	it’s	true	that
it’s	a	natural	phenomenon	in	at	least	70	percent	of	people,	but	there	are	things
you	can	do	to	cut	down	on	the	appearance	of	it.	Here	are	some	of	the	most
effective	methods:
•
Infrared	sauna	sessions	help	penetrate	tissues	and	fat	cells	and	encourage
your
body	to	let	go	of	heavy	metals	that	can	expand	fat	cells.
•
Perform	dry	brushing	(see
this	page
)	on	a	regular	basis	over	the	cellulite-
infected	areas	to	move	stagnant	lymph.
•
Cook	only	with	coconut	oil	and	avoid	cooking	with	vegetable	oils	that
become	rancid	at	higher	temperatures.	Rancid	oils	can	be	very	diff


 most common of
these is that of rotation followed by forward or backward displacement of a single vertebra. Compensation always succeeds the se
changes so that the disturbance is communicated to the vertebrae above or below, thus for ming a group. These lesions and others
are detected by the touch and are verified by tenderness of the surrounding parts.

    Chiropractic is defined as "a system of therapeutic treatment for disease through the adjustment of the articulations of the human
body, particularly those of the spine, with the object of relieving pressure or tension upon nerve filaments." As in osteopat hy, the
operations necessary are performed with the hands, no drugs being administered.

    There is no doubt that mobility of  the spinal column is of first importance, for in health there is motion between adjacent
vertebrae. Lack of movement may be caused by muscular tension, by stretching of ligaments, or by a union of the parts because  of
bony deposit. Following any of these conditions, both osteopathy and chiropractic hold, are functional or organic disturbances,
acute becoming chronic. Nerves are pinched or impinged, and, as circulation of blood to an organ depends upon its nerve contr ol,
organic mechanism is interfered with, and disease results.

    That these two schools are closely related in theory is evident. But each falls short of its greatest possibilities when offe red as a
sole agency for the relief of human ills. Osteopathy has begun to recognize this fundamental fallacy in principle, but in doing so, it
has to a degree departed from the vision of its founder, a departure which, in the opinion of the author, is vital error. At the time
this is written osteopathy is leaning backward towards that profession which Dr.  Still repudiated a half century ago, and only its
leading members can save it from amalgamation with the dominant cult, a union which will surely prove its annihilation. Alrea dy
in the osteopathic curriculum there have been introduced materia medica, phar macology, and minor surgery, with side journeys
into bacteriology. The official magazines of the profession now carry articles on subjects which, if not strictly medical in tone, are
in essence applications of medical theory, as witness in a recent number of one of their journals a dissertation upon colonic therapy
with the recommendation that strong cultures of certain bacteria be introduced into the bowel to combat other so -called
pathological bacteria. And why should osteopathy concern itself, as it does  in the same columns, with the use of insulin in the
treatment of diabetes?

    On the other hand it is refreshing to discover in editorial comment the following: "Some say, if the science of osteopathy is
developed and practiced, what is the difference whether we do it alone or unite with the medics and do it with them? It is this: as
an independent profession, untrammeled by a hodge -podge of useless empirical chemical therapy, faulty lines of reasoning, and
age-old prejudices, with a recognized excuse f or our existence --clinical results scientifically proven --we can bring to suffering
humanity generally the truths of osteopathy in a way better to advance the world's well -being. We have a responsibility. Let us not
shirk it. Let us live up to it."

    With the exception of sanctioning those surgical operations which it is necessary at times to perform upon the human body,
osteopathy, a system of natural therapeutics, has no need to revert to the system of error out of which it grew and from whic h it
long since separated itself. Its fundamental principles deny all save natural methods for prevention, relief, and cure of disease,  and
by its excursions into medical therapy, it belies, not only the tenets of its right to exist as a profession distinct from ot her healing
cults, but it depreciates and disparages the wisdom of its founder.

    The criticism offered concerning retrogression in principle on the part of osteopathy does not apply to chiropractic as a
profession. Both of these schools may be arraign ed before the bar of natural therapy in that each is seen to reason from effect to
cause when it claims that spinal lesions primarily lower nutrition. Barring forcible displacement of vertebrae, accidentally brought
about, there is but one source from whic h may arise a condition of lowered nutrition in any of the tissues of the body, and this is
faulty digestion. Perfect digestion in large degree insures perfect assimilation, and perfect assimilation must conserve musc ular
Page 72 of  72 tone. Muscles that are built when a state of malnutrition exists are not adequate for the work of supporting bony structure with the
delicate adjustment that combines strength with the necessary measure off flexibility.

    Manotherapy at all times is limited in its field of practice whe n used alone, but, in connection with the method outlined in the
text, its efficiency is greatly extended, and, used in conjunction with the fast and its immediate accessories, an almost per fect
combination for the prevention and cure of disease is present ed.

    To illustrate further, in the presence of a full stomach manotherapy becomes a method of mere force and stimulation, which in
the circumstances is usually detrimental to health It can then be classed only as passive physical culture in which a su bject permits
the operator to exercise his muscles instead of doing the work himself. But, doing a fast, all muscles of the body are in a s tate of
relaxation, a natural consequence of the process of rest and elimination in progress. They respond in this co ndition to every
impetus, and blood circulation at the same time is directly amenable to the stimulation offered.

    And in pregnancy and confinement, the trained hands of the osteopath, hands that possess what is known as "lesion sense,"
perform with a ccuracy, expedition, and intelligence those acts that are so essential in facilitating delivery, and, if beforehand, the
general dietetic regimen outlined herein for pregnant women be observed, labor is eased, and the work of the manotherapist is
rendered less difficult. In correcting uterine displacement, fasting removes congestion, relaxes muscles, while manual adjustment
assists in completing cure. Body manipulation, properly administered, is at all times an aid to elimination, but especially i s this so
during fasting; and, when a patient is weak and despondent, circulation, thus stimulated, buoys. Congested glands that so oft en
suppurate, and that may develop into growths, benign or malignant, may through judicious combination of fasting and
manipulation  be caused to disappear. And this applies to all morbid enlargements, the procedures mentioned compelling natural
augmentation of blood in the parts, thus inducing an increased power of absorption. And it must not be forgotten that in virt ually
all forms o f paralysis, manual release of the atlas, the uppermost of the cervical vertebrae, a movement known to all efficient
operators in manotherapy, often is the first step towards restoration of sensation in the paralyzed area. And here the purify ing
processes impelled by a fast complete recovery.

    The chief cause which deters general acceptance of natural therapy is the diversity of the methods presented and the
completeness of none of them when depended upon alone. To say that any one method is a cure -all is arrant nonsense. In order to
secure the greatest good both for the physician and humanity a broader vision is needed, and natural therapy must be extended  to
embrace that which is good in all of the systems of healing; and that which is good is that wh ich, while conserving and stimulating
vitality, will not interfere with natural function. The osteopathic physician, the chiropractic doctor, and even the fasting specialist,
fails if the theory upon which his art is based is alone depended upon for each a nd every case presented for advice and guidance.
Casting aside sectarian prejudices and differences, let the good that is in all be combined in one common school of therapeut ics, a
school that then will demonstrate that which makes nature itself distinctiv e and powerful, catholic in theory, which is science, and
catholic in art, which is science applied.

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A  SOURCE
OF  HARMONY

EDMOND BORDEAU X SZEKELY

ESSENE SCHOOL OF LIFE

1.  We believe that, in the present state of society, it is possible for every
one, by judicious use of the best available methods of hygiene and individual
improvement, to achieve considerable betterment of the quality of his life.
2.  We  believe that it is the  wort h  of individuals which makes the worth
of societies and which cond itions the effec tiveness of public institutions.
3.  We believe, consequently, that every man owes a bounden duty to
himself, to the community and to the future of Humanity to make his own
improvement the essential task of his life.
4.  We believe that this work of improvement has the sure effect of
introducing into the life of