 free ranging cows, the reality is that very few
dairies selling organic milk meet these standards.
Pasteurization Kills Milk
Many people have learned that milk makes them sick and as a result they avoid it. This is rarely
due to the commonly blamed lactose intolerance; it is due to
pasteurization
 and grain-fed milk
intolerance. Probably pasteurization's worst offense is that it makes the major portion of the calcium
contained in raw milk nonabsorbable. Pasteurization came into being to try to clean up dirty milk
from “distillery dairies” in the mid 1800s.
4a
 It was never meant for clean milk from healthy animals
on pasture.
In order to absorb calcium from milk, we need the enzyme phosphatase which is naturally
present in raw milk. High temperature pasteurization heats milk typically to 165 degrees or more, and
destroys phosphatase.
5a
 Significant portions of other vitamins are lost in the pasteurization process as
well, in particular the highly important vitamin C. Typically the conventional type of milk that most
people drink contains fecal matter, blood, and pus. Commercial milk must then be pasteurized to
make it even drinkable. Pasteurization cooks this material. It makes sense that significant portions of
the population are going to be allergic to this toxic soup.
Because pasteurization damages the probiotic content of raw milk, pathogenic organisms
associated with disease can easily grow in pasteurized milk. When the probiotic organisms are
destroyed, pasteurized milk lacks its own protective mechanism against harboring toxins that make
people sick. In 2007, three people died from drinking pasteurized milk in Massachusetts. Many times
when people get sick from milk, it is assumed that the milk was not pasteurized properly. Again, as
with tooth decay, bacteria are always blamed. Toxic foods, sick animals, residues of antibiotics and
growth hormones are never considered to be the cause of poisoning from pasteurized milk. Even
worse, because milk was pasteurized doctors will automatically eliminate it as a likely source of
causing a particular disease. As a result, sickness caused by pasteurized milk is vastly under reported
while sickness claimed to be caused by raw milk is vastly over reported. With clean hygienic milking
standards healthy raw milk from grass-fed animals will be safer than pasteurized milk.
Homogenized milk renders the milk unusable because it breaks apart the milk’s cellular
structure. It does so by forcing milk at high pressure through extremely small holes which rupture the
milk cells. Do not drink homogenized milk. Many commercial ice creams are made with homogenized
milk to give it a creamier texture.
Commercial dairy animals are injected with rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone), and
they are fed genetically modified grains, which are not a part of their natural diet. Avoid non-organic
dairy foods. Consuming pasteurized commercial milk raises the level of nonabsorbable calcium in
one’s diet.
6a
Avoid powdered milk because it has been heated and the protein structure destroyed. Low-fat
milk is not satisfying to drink, but it can be used to make some good cheese.
Obtaining Raw MilkDue to laws that assault our personal freedom, liberty and right to choice guaranteed by states
and the US Constitution, raw milk can be difficult to obtain. In many states raw milk is harder to get
than hard liquor, cigarettes, guns, prescription drugs that have known dangerous side effects, and even
marijuana. The term for raw milk where it is illegal to be sold is moo-shine.
www.realmilk.com
 - One easy way to find raw milk in your vicinity.
www.westonaprice.org/chapters -
Get involved with and contact your local Weston A. Price
Foundation chapter leader. Many times they can direct you to lesser known cow-share programs and
legal direct-from-the-farmer dairy products.
Whole Foods® has a very nice artisan cheese section with many raw milk cheeses. You can tell
if a cheese is grass-fed typically by how pungent it is. Grain-fed cheese has a bland or “normal” milk
flavor. Grass-fed cheese is flavorful, usually pungent, and sometimes contains hints of a grassy
flavor. In cities or more affluent areas, you can often find cheesemongers who will have several
varieties of grass-fed raw cheeses, many of which are imported from Europe.
Non-Dairy Options and Calcium Alternatives
Many people are told that they cannot digest dairy foods, or experience known negative effects
from pasteurized milk. Yet for a majority of people these negative effects do not occur when they
drink raw grass-fed milk. This is because raw grass-fed milk is a completely different product from
pasteurized confinement dairy milk. If raw cow’s milk does not work for you, do not be afraid to try
some raw milk cheese, or raw sheep, goat or mare’s milk. Many people who have problems with raw
milk find that soured milk such as kefir works well with their system. Over a period of months,
consuming kefir will restore most people’s ability to drink raw milk.
Calcium Content in Foods
Food
Calcium in Milligrams
7a
Hard / Soft Cheeses – 2 ounces
404
Canned Sardines with bones – 1 can 3.75 ounces
351
Yogurt, Whole Milk – 1 cup
296
Canned Salmon with bones 3.5 ounces
277
Whole Milk – 1 cup
276
Cooked Collard Greens 1 cup
266
Cooked Tahitian Taro Root – 1 cup
204
Cooked Kale – 1 cup
171
Cooked Dandelion Greens – 1 cup
147
Cooked Broccoli – 2 cups
120
Cooked Scallops – 3.5 ounces
115
Herring – 3 ounces
90
Cottage Cheese- ½ cup
69
Halibut – 3 ounces
50
One Medium Sweet Potato
40Shrimp – 3 ounces
33
Salmon without Bones – 3.5 ounces
28
The goal for calcium consumption for an adult is somewhere between 1 – 1 ½ grams of calcium
per day. To obtain adequate dietary calcium without using dairy foods, dentist Melvin Page
recommended eating: salmon, oysters, clams, shrimp, other sea-foods, broccoli, beet greens, nuts,
beans, cauliflower, figs and olives.
8a
 Green vegetables that are very high in calcium come from the
brassica family and include: broccoli, kale, bok choy, cabbage, mustard and turnip greens. Seaweed
is another excellent source of calcium. Other sources of calcium could be taro root, and herbs. If you
need to look up the calcium content, or nutrient contents of other foods, I like to use
www.nutritiondata.com
Calcium Supplements
Many, but not all calcium supplements contain forms of calcium that are not recognized by your
body. Non-absorbable calcium raises blood calcium levels in an unhealthy way which can lead to
excess calculus deposits. I do not have any recommendations for calcium supplements even though
there may be some good ones on the market. I suggest getting non-dairy calcium from plenty of
vegetables and sea food.
For a dairy-free diet, you will need to consume lots and lots of vegetables every day, 1-2 cups
of bone broth, and a moderate amount of sea food to get adequate calcium. To obtain one gram of
calcium from vegetables, for example, you will need to eat: 7 cups of chopped raw kale, which is
about one bunch of kale (and cook that amount), or an entire bunch of collard greens, about 20 ounces
cooked, per day. Canned fish with bones is high in calcium, but fresh fish will be much lower
because the bones are not consumed.Good Soup Heals Your Teeth
There’s nothing like delicious soup that warms your insides. Homemade broths are one of the
most potent medicines for tooth decay. In the diet of the people in the Swiss Alps who were largely
immune to cavities, soups were served throughout the week.
9a
 Broth from nourishing soup is made by
boiling cartilage-rich bones of chicken, beef, fish, and so on. Good broth is rich in gelatin, and when
refrigerated it will gel. Excellent gravy can be made with beef or lamb broth.
Gelatin can help heal and rebuild your digestive tract. It enhances nutrient absorption. Aloe vera
and slippery elm gruel can also aid in soothing the intestines. Part of Dr. Price’s successful tooth
decay controlling protocol was the almost daily use of beef or fish stews. The beef stew was
prepared with plenty of bone marrow. The best bone broth for tooth decay reversal is broth made
from the carcasses of wild fish. The carcass ideally should have the head, and if it has the organs –
even better. This broth is especially potent and rich in minerals.
Instructions for broth are found in
the recipe section later in the book.
Healthy cultures around the world know the value of soup made
with fish heads. The meat, eyes and brain from the fish are all eaten as they are rich in minerals and
fat-soluble vitamins.
Suggested Broth Consumption
1-2 cups of broth per day. Consume it as a tea, in soups, in stews or as gravy.
Blood Sugar
An important insight from dentist Melvin Page explains how blood sugar fluctuations can


 experiment to test the synergic potential of DMSO-FDP, male CD-1 mice
weighing 22–29 g were restrained and their heads were positioned under a head injury apparatus with their chins resting firmly on a flat surface at the base of the apparatus.
161 The apparatus consisted of a 25 cm long glass shaft held vertically by
clamps on a ring stand and a tubular lead cylinder weighing 40 g. The lead cylin -
der was allowed to drop 20 cm through the shaft onto the center of the head, thus creating an 800 g/cm force injury on the cranium. An imaginary line was drawn coronally just anterior to the ears in order to create a consistent injury site on the animal’s head. This head injury mouse model has been previously used to screen the effectiveness of potential pharmacological agents after brain trauma.
165 FDP was
given at 350 mg/kg in a 10% solution, and DMSO was administered at 1 gm/kg in a 28% solution both intravenously via the tail vein.
All mice were pretested on the string prior to head injury, and all were able to
grasp the string for a 90 s trial period and to travel with ease from the center of the string to one of the end posts holding the string. The extent of motor deficits reflected by the reduced ability of mice to remain gripping the string after head injury has been shown to be inversely proportional to the increased severity of the head injury.
166
Following head injury, testing showed 11 of 12 mice treated with DMSO + FDP
retained sensory function as compared with 5 of 12 mice given vehicle nontreatment, 8 of 12 treated with DMSO only, and 7 of 12 treated with FDP.
161 The combination
of DMSO + FDP significantly protected mice from motor deficits after injury, as
indicated by an increased mean grip test score (76.3 s) shown by this group 1 h after
head injury when compared with vehicle nontreated (5.8 s), FDP-treated (20.8 s), and DMSO-treated (19.6 s) animals. The pattern of protection continued for at least 2 h after head injury, with all groups showing some improvement over the previous grip 159 DMSO in Basic Neuroprotection
test taken 1 h after head injury. However, the only significant protection after 2 h was
observed in the group treated with DMSO + FDP. Two hours after head injury, the group treated with FDP + DMSO had a mean grip test score of 86.5 s, which was significantly better than from the DMSO only (33.8 s), FDP only (24.3 s), and vehicle nontreated groups (12.2 s).
161
This study was the first to demonstrate that the combined DMSO + FDP given to
mice that have been subjected to a moderate 800 g/cm concussion head injury can significantly modify the sensory-motor deficits, incidence of mortality, and histopa-thology. DMSO + FDP appeared superior in reducing the trauma-induced neurologi -
cal deficits and fatal outcome to either agent administered alone.
Besides the improved sensory-motor function of mice treated with DMSO + FDP,
a possible fringe benefit to the head-injured brain where inadequate cerebral perfu -
sion is expected may be the ability of these two agents to allow RBCs to maintain their deformability. Under normal conditions, RBCs with a 7–8  µm diameter can
squeeze through capillaries that are 3–5  µm wide so that oxygen can be delivered to
the tissues. The RBCs’ viscoelastic properties or deformability is possible because of a spectrin–actin interaction within the erythrocyte, which is dependent on its stored ATP and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate.
167
If 2,3-diphosphoglycerate or ATP stores are reduced by ischemia-hypoxia
(Heckler/Marcel), it is probable that RBCs will increase their rigidity and thus be unable to adequately perfuse the cerebral microvasculature. This consequence would prevent optimal oxygen delivery to neurons and glial cells, which rely on oxy -
gen for the elaboration of ATP and for their basic cellular metabolism. Infusion of FDP raises the concentration of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate,
168 allowing RBCs to deform
normally and consequently facilitating oxygen disassociation from hemoglobin169,170
during ischemia-hypoxia. Conversely, DMSO is reported to promote the formation of ATP from ADP
171 and to preserve mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, thus
ensuring ATP production after experimental brain ischemia172 This activity could
additionally favor RBC deformability during tissue ischemic-hypoxia, a process that would improve cerebral perfusion.
Another advantage of adding FDP to DMSO is that FDP has been shown to be
effective in preventing ischemic injury to the brain
173,174 ostensibly by inhibiting exci -
totoxic release of glutamate during brain ischemia and preventing ATP loss by sub -
stantially increasing the flux of glucose into the pentose-phosphate pathway. Indirect evidence has also demonstrated that FDP can modulate cerebrovascular tone, myo -
cardial contractility, platelet aggregation, and blood pressure,
175,176 systems that can
exacerbate damage following severe head injury.
The exact mechanism for the synergic activity demonstrated by the DMSO + FDP
combination has not yet been determined, but it may be assumed to lie in the abil -
ity of each agent to address different but critical metabolic abnormalities associated with the pathogenesis of severe head injury, for example, ATP loss leading to neu -
ronal energy deficiency, metabolic acidosis, abnormal Ca
2+ entry into cells, platelet
aggregation, inflammatory response, cerebrovascular constriction, glutamate toxic -
ity, ICP increase, and free radical formation. This drug combination is reviewed in terms of its effect on experimental and clinical ischemic strokes in this chapter and Chapter 9.160 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
DMSO IN EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN ISCHEMIA
Stroke is the most fatal neurological disease and the leading cause of long-term dis -
ability in the United States. Stroke is divided into two major types, ischemic stroke,
where an artery is blocked by a blood clot, and hemorrhagic stroke, where a brain vessel bleeds from a leak or a rupture. About 80% of strokes involve blockage of a major cerebral artery, and this is where most of the animal research in brain isch -
emia is presently focused.
177 A considerable amount in our current understanding of
cerebral ischemia induced by stroke comes from animal models representing global and focal ischemia.
Global ischemia is the product of mild-to-severe reduction of cerebral blood
flow throughout the brain, which can occur either acutely or chronically. If blood flow  cannot be restored within a given time limit (depending on the cause),
 permanent damage to the brain or death can result. When blood flow is restored
after global ischemia, reperfusion injury can occur if the brain is not pharmaco -
logically protected. Many diseases can cause chronic global brain ischemia such as atherosclerosis of a conducting brain artery, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, cardiac arrhythmias, and congenital heart defects, while acute global ischemia can result from a heart attack.
178
Focal brain ischemia is less severe than global ischemia but more common
both clinically and using experimental animal models. Focal ischemia reduces blood supply to a specific region of the brain where immediate or delayed neuro -
nal death can occur.
178 This area of injury is called the core ischemic zone and is
marked by severe ischemia with blood flow falling 75%–90% of baseline in con -
junction with the loss of oxygen and glucose, leading to rapid depletion energy stores.
178 Severe focal ischemia can result in brain cell death from the necrosis of
neurons within the ischemic core, but glial cells may be spared if blood flow is restored early.
179
Surrounding the ischemic core is an area called the penumbra where brain cells
are kept structurally intact by collateral blood vessels but functionally impaired.180
The ischemic penumbra is a zone where pharmacological therapy could most
likely be effective in restoring the loss of function.181 The ischemic penumbra blood
perfusion is generally too low to maintain electric activity but sufficient to preserve ion channels and structural integrity.
180
Research using animal models of stroke have provided not only an understand -
ing of the pathomechanisms underlying injury after ischemic stroke but also a way to develop effective therapy to prevent and arrest the severe pathology associated with stroke. Although many models of stroke have been used for research, includ-ing nonhuman primates, rodents are more often used due to their lower cost, ease of handling, substantial characterization of pathological expectations from previous research, and potential for genetic engineering.
Experimental focal ischemia has generally involved occlusion of the MCA that is
the largest branch of the internal carotid artery (ICA) that supplies a portion of the anterolateral frontal lobe, most of the temporal lobe, and the parietal lobe. Occlusion of the MCA in animals can result in sensory-motor deficits and cognitive impairment 161 DMSO in Basic Neuroprotection
that can be monitored, quantitated, and analyzed by a variety of research tools when
drug evaluation is done.
In the context of cerebral arterial thrombosis, the effects


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1965, in Italian


 birth
of osteopathy (a system of healing
based upon the manipulation
of bones) and chiropractic
(a similar system primarily
involving manipulation of
the spine).
Western Influences on
Asian Medicine
Across the world in
China, Thomson’s
practices might have
been looked on with
a measure of surprise,
but they would have
been familiar. In Chinese
medicine, there has
always been a debate
as to what degree
illness arises from
cold, and to what
degree it arises from heat.  The Shanghanlun (On Cold-Induced Maladies), written in the 2nd
century ce, and revised and reinterpreted in commentaries
over the last 1,800 years, recommends the herb cinnamon
(Cinnamomum spp., p. 81) as a principal remedy when the
patient “shivers with fever, breathes heavily, and feels
nauseous.” In the 14th century, Wang Lu distinguished
between cold-induced illness and febrile illness, and treated
them in different ways, and this distinction was elaborated in
greater and greater detail by different Chinese herbalists right
up to the 19th century.
 During the early 19th century, the influence of Western
biomedicine was beginning to affect traditional practices in both
China and India. This was certainly beneficial in many respects.
The judicious incorporation of scientific principles and methods
into traditional herbal healing offers the possibility of greatly
refining the effectiveness of treatment.
 But in India under British rule, Western medicine eventually
became the only alternative. Ayurveda was seen as inferior to
biomedicine ( see India & the Middle East, p. 39). Western
practice was introduced not as a complement to traditional
medicine, but rather as a means to supplant it. According to
one authority, “before 1835 Western physicians and their
Indian counterparts exchanged knowledge; thereafter only
Western medicine was recognised as legitimate and the
Eastern systems were actively discouraged” (Robert
Svoboda, Ayurveda, Life, Health and Longevity, 1992).
 In China, the influx of Western ideas was less traumatic.
Increasing numbers of Chinese medical students studied
Western medicine, but this did not stop the continuing
development of traditional herbal practice. By and large,
each tradition was recognized as having both advantages
and disadvantages.
Herbalism Outlawed 1850–1900
In Europe, conventional medicine was seeking to establish
a monopoly for its own type of practice. In 1858, the British
Parliament was asked to impose legislation banning the
practice of medicine by anyone who had not been trained in
a conventional medical school. Fortunately, this proposal was
rejected, but in countries such as France, Spain, and Italy, and
in some states of the U.S., it became illegal to practice herbal
medicine without an orthodox qualification. Herbalists were
forced to risk fines or imprisonment simply for providing
herbal medicine to patients who had sought their help.
 In Britain, concerns such as these, combined with a desire
to establish Western herbal medicine as an alternative to
conventional practices, particularly in the industrial cities
of the North of England, led to the formation in 1864 of the
National Institute of Medical Herbalists, the first professional
body of herbal practitioners in the world. Its history is an
example of how tenacious herbal practitioners have had
to be simply to retain their right to give safe, gentle, and
effective herbal medicines to their patients.Ginseng  has been used
as a tonic remedy in
Chinese medicine for
at least 5,000 years.
US_018-027_Early_Origins_To_The_19_Century.indd   27 26/02/16   4:42 pm
28
The developmen T of herbal medicine20th Century Onward
For most of us, modern medicine is exemplified by drugs such as antibiotics and highly technical
methods of diagnosis and treatment. However, many might be surprised to discover that,  for much of the last century, herbal medicines have been the primary form of treatment,  even in Western countries.
Even as late as the 1930s, around 90 percent of medicines
prescribed by doctors or sold over the counter were herbal in origin. It is only during the last 70 years that laboratory-produced medicines have become the norm. During the  First World War (1914–1918), for example, garlic (Allium sativum, p. 59) and sphagnum moss (Sphagnum spp.) were used by the ton in the battle trenches to dress wounds and
to treat infections. Garlic is an excellent natural antibiotic,
and was the most effective antiseptic available at the time,
and sphagnum moss, gathered from the moorlands, makes  a natural aseptic dressing.
Science & Medicine
The development of new medicines in the laboratory—either extracted from medicinal plants or synthesized—stretches back to the early 19th century, when chemists first isolated constituents such as morphine, from opium poppy (Papaver somniferum, p. 244), and cocaine,
from coca (Erythroxylum coca, p. 206). From that time onward, scientists made tremendous progress in understanding how isolated chemicals affect the body, as well as how the body works in health and disease. From the 1860s, scientists—most notably Louis Pasteur (1822–1895)—began to identify the microorganisms that were ultimately responsible for causing infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and malaria. Naturally enough, the first aim of those engaged in medical
research was to seek out medicines that would act as “magic bullets,” directly attacking the microorganisms concerned and ridding the body of the threat. This eventually led to the
discovery, or, more accurately, the rediscovery of penicillin  by a number of medical researchers, most notably Alexander Fleming (1881–1955) in 1929. However, while 20th-century scientists were the first to scientifically evaluate antibiotics as medicines, they were not the first to employ them in healing. Antibiotic molds had been grown and used to combat infection in ancient Egypt, 14th-century Peru, and in recent European folk medicine. In the decades following the Second World War (1939– 1945), when antibiotics first came into use, it seemed as though a new era had dawned in which infection could  be conquered, and life-threatening diseases such as syphilis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis would cease to be major causes of death in the developed world. Modern medicine also provided other highly effective drugs such as steroid anti-inflammatories, and it seemed as if it was simply a question  of time until cures for most illnesses were found.
Ascendancy of Biomedicine
As Americans and Europeans became accustomed to medication that led to an almost instant short-term improvement in symptoms (if not in underlying health), herbal medicines came to be seen by the public as outmoded and ineffective. Increasingly, the practice of herbal medicine was outlawed in North America and most of Europe, while the wealthy in developing countries abandoned herbal medicine in favor of the new treatments available. This was in no small part due to the medical profession itself, which saw herbal medicine as a throwback to the superstitions of the past. From the late 19th century onward, the aim of organizations such as the American Medical Association and the British Medical Association had been to monopolize conventional medical practice. Herbal medicine thus neared extinction in many countries, especially
in the U.S. and Britain. In Britain, for example, from 1941 until 1968 it was illegal to practice herbal medicine without medical qualifications.
The Tide Turns
Although there were spectacular successes with modern chemical medicines,
there were also horrific disasters, most notably the thalidomide tragedy in 1962 in Britain and Germany, when 3,000 deformed babies were born to mothers who had taken the drug for morning sickness during pregnancy. This event marked a turning point in the public’s opinion of chemical medicines. Louis Pasteur was a pioneer in the
identification of bacteria.
An electron micrograph of the parasite Plasmodium. Transmitted to man by infected mosquitoes, it causes the disease malaria.
US_028-031_20th_Century_and_Beyond.indd   28 26/02/16   4:42 pm29 20th century onward
People began to realize that a serious cost could accompany
the benefits of treatment with modern pharmaceutical
drugs. This, and the factors described below, have brought
about a sea change in public perceptions of the value of
herbal medicine.
The Chinese Example
Herbal medicine experienced a major gain in fortune in
1949 in China, when Mao Zedong and the Communist
Red Army gained control of the country.
 Traditional Western medicine by that time was well
established in China, but most of the population had little
hope of access to modern hospitals, let alone to new drugs.
Out of necessity, traditional Chinese medicine—essentially
herbal medicine and acupuncture—once more began to
be used alongside Western conventional medicine. The
authorities aimed to provide the best of both worlds. Five
teaching hospitals for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
were established, where it was taught on a scientific basis.
In addition, great efforts were made to improve the quality
of plant medicines.
 Contrary to the trend in conventional Western medicine
that makes the patient ever more dependent upon the
doctor and high-tech machinery, TCM, like other forms
of complementary medicine, stresses the patient’s personal
responsibility for his or her own cure


 peoples to reduce
fevers, as a stimulant, and as a post-malarial treatment.
Caution  Do not take guarana if suffering
from cardiovascular disease or from high blood
pressure. It should also not be taken during
pregnancy or while breastfeeding.Peganum harmala
(Zygophyllaceae)
Harmala,
African Rue
Description  Multi-branched shrubby perennial
growing to 20 in (50 cm). Has deeply cleft linear
leaves, white 5-petaled flowers, and rounded
3-celled seed capsules.
Habitat & Cultivation  Native to the Middle
East, North Africa, and southern Europe, harmala
is naturalized in other subtropical regions, including
Australia. It thrives in saline soil in semidesert areas.
The seeds are gathered in summer.
Parts Used  Seeds, root.
Constituents  Harmala contains up to 4%
indole alkaloids (including harmine, harmaline,
and harmalol). Harmine has been used to help
alleviate the tremors of Parkinsonism.
Harmala,  which thrives in dry conditions, has been used
as an intoxicant in the Middle East.
SeedsHistory & Folklore  Since the earliest times,
harmala has been used in the Middle East as
a means to induce intoxication. Known to the
Greek physicians Dioscorides (40–90 ce) and
Galen (131–200 ce), as well as to their Arabic
counterpart Avicenna (980–1037 ce), harmala
was also used to expel intestinal worms and to
promote the onset of menstrual flow.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Despite its long
history as a euphoric and purportedly aphrodisiac
herb, harmala is little used in contemporary
Western herbal medicine because of its potential
toxicity. The seeds have been taken, especially
in the Middle East, to treat a very wide range
of conditions, including high blood pressure, eye
problems, psychiatric disorders, depression,
Parkinson’s disease, and cancer. In central Asia, the
root is a popular medicinal remedy that is used to
treat rheumatism and nervous conditions.
 RCaution  This plant is toxic and should not be
used under any circumstances.Paullinia cupana syn. P. sorbilis
(Sapindaceae)
Guarana
Description  Woody vine growing to a height
of 33 ft (10 m). Has divided compound leaves,
clusters of inconspicuous yellow flowers, and pear-
shaped fruit that contains small shiny brown seeds.
Habitat & Cultivation  Guarana is native
to tropical forests of the Brazilian Amazon, and
is also cultivated in Brazil. The seeds are gathered
when ripe.
Parts Used  Seeds.
Constituents  Guarana contains xanthine
derivatives (including up to 7% caffeine, together
with theobromine and theophylline), tannins, and
saponins. The xanthines are stimulant and diuretic,
and reduce fatigue over the short term.
History & Folklore  In Brazil,
guarana is traditionally prepared
by roasting, crushing, and drying
the seeds. The resulting “cakes”
are made into a tea, which is taken
to counter fatigue or to treat
diarrhea. Guarana has recently
become a popular alternative to coffee.Pausinystalia yohimbe
syn. Corynanthe yohimbe
(Rubiaceae)
Y ohimbe
Description  Evergreen tree growing to
100 ft (30 m). Has reddish-brown bark,
oblong or elliptical leaves, and clusters of small
yellow flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation  Y ohimbe is native to
the forests of western Africa, especially Cameroon,
Zaïre, and Gabon. The bark is gathered at any time
of year.
Part Used  Bark.
Constituents  Y ohimbe contains approximately
6% indole alkaloids (including yohimbine), pigments,
and tannins. The alkaloids have a cerebral stimulant
action at moderate doses, but are highly toxic in
large doses.
History & Folklore  Y ohimbe has an ancient
reputation in western Africa, especially among
the Bantu people, as a male aphrodisiac and
mild hallucinogen.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Y ohimbe is little
used in herbal medicine owing to its potential
toxicity. In western Africa, it is often employed
as a stimulant and as a means to counter erectile
dysfunction. Y ohimbine has been used in
conventional medicine in the treatment of
erectile dysfunction.
 QCautions  T ake yohimbe only under
professional supervision. The herb is subject to
legal restrictions in many countries.
US_224-245_Jasmine_Harmala.indd   245 26/02/16   12:47 pm
246
other medicinal plantsPergularia extensa
Pergularia extensa
(Asclepiadaceae)
Pergularia
Description Perennial climber with broad oval
leaves and small greenish-white flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Pergularia is native
to India. Its aerial parts are gathered throughout
the year.
Parts Used Aerial parts.
Constituents Pergularia contains a resin, bitter
principles, and plant sterols.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Pergularia is
thought to have bitter, expectorant, diuretic, and laxative properties, and is employed in several
ways in Indian herbal medicine. It is prescribed as  a treatment for bronchitis and asthma. Pergularia  is also used as a means to curtail heavy menstrual or non-menstrual uterine bleeding. Juice from the leaves may be applied to relieve the pain and swelling of cysts and rheumatic joints. Habitat & Cultivation Suma is native to
rainforests of South America, from Venezuela  to southern Brazil.
Parts Used  Root.
Constituents Suma contains triterpene
saponins (pfaffosides), sterols (including beta-ecdysone), and minerals (including significant  levels of germanium).
History & Folklore Suma has been used by
the people of the Amazon rainforest from the earliest times for conditions as varied as wound healing, diabetes, and cancer. Also taken for its aphrodisiac qualities, suma has become a popular herbal medicine in Brazil, where it is known as
para todo (“for all”), or Brazilian ginseng.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Suma has many
medicinal applications, most centred around three areas of activity: as a hormonal and glandular tonic, as an immune stimulant and detoxifying agent,  and in cancer prevention and treatment. Suma is perhaps best known as a male sexual tonic, but  it is equally effective for women and has value in treating menstrual and menopausal problems. Suma root enhances nonspecific immunity and has a role to play in treating chronic infection and lowered immune resistance.
Research Research  into suma suggests that it can
be useful in cancer prevention and treatment;  several of the pfaffosides have been shown to prevent tumor growth in laboratory conditions. The pfaffosides are chemically similar to the ginsenosides found in ginseng (Panax ginseng, p. 118), and, like ginseng, suma’s acclaimed value as an aphrodisiac appears to have a scientific basis. Male rats with depressed sexual function were observed to become more sexually active on being given a suma extract.
Cautions Avoid taking suma during pregnancy
and while breastfeeding.treatment of gout, rheumatism, and arthritis. Both plants act by encouraging the flushing out of waste products from the inflamed joints, and the waste’s subsequent elimination via the kidneys. Parsley root is taken as a treatment for flatulence, cystitis, and rheumatic conditions. Parsley is also valued as a promoter of menstruation, being helpful both
in stimulating a delayed period and in relieving menstrual pain.
Cautions Parsley is a safe herb at normal dosage
and consumption levels, but excessive quantities of the seeds are toxic. Do not take the seeds during pregnancy or if suffering from kidney disease.
Peumus boldus (Apiaceae)
Boldo
Description Strongly aromatic multibranched
evergreen shrub or tree growing to 20 ft (6 m). Has egg-shaped leathery leaves with a lemony scent, clusters of white or yellow bell-shaped flowers, and small yellow berries.
Habitat & Cultivation
Boldo is native to Chile and Peru, and has become naturalized in the Mediterranean region and the West Coast of North America. It grows on dry  sunny slopes and in mountain pastures in the Andes, where it is widely cultivated. The leaves  are gathered throughout the year.
Parts Used Leaves.
Constituents Boldo contains 0.7% isoquinoline
alkaloids (including boldine), as well as a volatile oil and flavonoids.
History & Folklore Boldo is a valued remedy
in Latin American herbal medicine and is used by the Araucanian people in Chile as a tonic.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Boldo stimulates
liver activity and bile flow and is chiefly valued as a remedy for gallstones and liver or gallbladder pain. It is normally taken for a few weeks at a time, either as a tincture or infusion. Boldo


,
113
Peristalsis,
64–65
Persistence,
113
Physiological compensation,
35–36
Physiological rest,
36
,
48
,
76
Physiology,
70
Pituitary gland,
125
,
126
Plants in food scarcity,
26
Pleurisy,
89
Pneumonia,
41
,
83
,
89
,
90
,
105
Poise, emotional,
80
Pope Leo XIII,
91
Post-fasting period
food,
64–70
new habits,
67–70
supervision,
63–67
Pregnancy,
165–167
fasting in,
51
,
166
,
167
nature’s supervision,
166
,
167
Processes, functional,
47
,
48
listed,
48
Proctitis,
134
Progression of disease,
96
 (See Disease, evolution of)
Prognosis, favorable,
159–160
Prostatic disorders,
144
cause,
145
,
146
effects,
144
fasting,
70
,
146
,
147
relapse,
146
,
147
159surgery,
146
Prostatitis,
146
Proteins,
22
,
29
,
66
,
68
,
69
,
78
,
79
,
80
,
102
Psoriasis and Eczema,
140
,
143
bathing,
142
,
143
causes,
141
dietetic errors,
142
fast, supervised,
140
Psychosis, depressive,
135
Psychotics,
135
Putrefaction,
83
,
111
,
139
Pyloric inflammation,
119
Pylorus,
114
,
118
,
119
Rabogliati, A.,
21
Rally—Relapse,
40–41
Raynaud's disease,
46
Recovery,
67–68
,
113
,
119
full,
102
,
153–154
partial,
151
Recuperation,
66
Regeneration,
29
,
75–76
Rejuvenation,
29
,
36
,
71–72
,
75–77
Rest,
59–60
,
92
mental,
59
physical,
36
,
59
,
100
physiological,
35
,
48
,
80
 (See Fasting)
sensory,
60
Rickets,
29
Rules of hygiene,
33
,
50
,
53
,
59
,
119
Salad,
66
,
69
Salt (Sodium chloride),
129
,
130
Satiety,
111
,
153
Scar tissue,
119
Sciatica,
110
,
147
Sclerosis,
100
,
131
 (See also Multiple Sclerosis)
Scurvy,
29
Self-control,
22
,
63
,
113
Self-repair,
73
Sex,
71
,
114
,
125
sexual excesses,
114
,
125
,
145
,
153
Shelton, H. M.
160first fast,
59
longest fast,
19
,
53
own fasts,
23–24
supervisor,
19
,
41
,
53
teenage anecdote,
34
Singh, Tara,
76
Sinusitis,
20
,
93
,
94
Soft drinks,
67
,
82
,
83
Spasma,
84
Spontaneous remissions,
100
Starvation,
17–18
,
30
,
31
,
43
,
81
cases,
43–45
Stasis,
116
,
130
renal,
130
Steinach,
77
Stenosis,
146
Sterility,
164
,
165
absolute,
165
overcome,
165
Stimulation,
60
,
84
Stones,
111
,
159
 (See Calculi)
Strangury,
146
Strength returns,
41
 (See Fasting)
Sufferer,
62
,
63
,
81
Sunbathing,
61–62
,
80
,
102
,
107
Sweet fruits,
70
,
82
Symptoms,
96
,
114
,
120
,
135
,
151–152
distal,
96
oculoplegic.
120
proximal,
96
psychic,
120
Systemic impairment,
125
Systems of the body at rest,
36
names of,
36
Tanner, Henry S.,
16
Tea,
110
,
125
,
127
,
147
Tensions,
125
Terminal cases,
45
,
63
Thyroid gland,
125
,
126
Tic douloureux,
46
Tilden, John H.,
36
,
46
,
95
,
96
,
114
Tissue, fatty,
78
161Tobacco,
33
,
105
,
110
,
125
,
147
,
149
,
154
Tonsils enlarged,
83
Toxemia,
96
,
106
,
110
,
123
Toxemic supersaturation,
74
,
89
,
123
Tremors,
151
,
152
,
154
,
162
in Parkinson’s,
151
in other diseases,
151
Tuberculosis,
63
,
96
Tumor, cancerous,
39
Tumors (neoplasms, benign),
162
,
163
classified,
162
fasting,
162
,
163
breast,
162
absorption, rate of,
163
growth,
163
Ulceration,
114
,
115
,
116
Ulcers,
113
,
116
cause,
115
development,
116
fasting for,
118–119
gastric,
114
,
115
other,
115
symptoms,
114
treatment,
117–118
varicose,
45
,
115
Underfeeding,
29
Unsolved question,
74
Underweight,
79
,
81
cause,
79
fasting,
79–80
total hygiene for,
80
Urticaria,
45
Vetrano, Dr. Virginia,
64
Vitamins,
29
,
68
,
70
,
82
,
91
Vomiting,
56–57
,
83
,
84
,
120
,
165
,
166
Voronoff,
77
Walter, Robert,
35
Water, temperature of
bathing,
61
,
150
drinking,
61
,
84
,
150
162Weakness
feeling of,
40
,
56
real,
152
Weger, George S.,
45
,
46
,
94
,
119
,
121
,
159
Weight gain,
66
,
77–80
Weight loss,
24
,
35
,
56
,
63
,
67
exercise permitted during fast,
25–26
experiments,
24
rate of,
24
seven advantages in fasting,
23
supervision,
22
,
26
When, where and how to fast (See Fasting)
WHO,
148
,
149
Wilsons's disease,
152
X-ray, inconclusive,
114
Youth, protracted,
77
163About the Author
No one was
ever better qualified to write a book about fasting for health. Having supervised
more fasts than anyone in recent history, Herbert M. Shelton ranks among the foremost authorities
on this subject. For over fifty years, he managed his own institution where people from all parts of
the world, in varying states of health and impairment, came to fast and learn how to preserve
health.
Born in 1895, Herbert M. Shelton was a persistent and uncompromising student and teacher of
Natural Hygiene. Early in life, he discovered the errors and inconsistencies of all the various
therapeutic systems and began to explore, on his own, the ramifications of the fact that health is
maintainable only by healthful living.
A prolific writer, he authored innumerable articles and more than 40 books. He was both editor
and publisher of the
Hygienic Review
 from 1939–1980. For more than 50 years he was the
director of Dr. Shelton’s Health School. Here he pursued his foremost goal of eliminating peoples’
fear and ignorance of disease and teaching them how they could help themselves to the health
which is their birthright.
164Learn how to live the health


 the vitamins and minerals, many of them needed for the
efficient use of the calories. So it is that foods like white flour and sugar, and indeed potato and other preponderantly starchy foods, can only be properly metabolized by tapping into the body's reserves of certain vitamins and minerals. When these reserves run
low, zeal and efficiency fall, and ultimately, disease results.
With the new abundance, in a few decades, diseases which had
formerly largely attacked the privileged, became the common affliction of the masses—diseases of the blood vessels, of the heart, strokes, kidney diseases, and the increasing list of diseases
associated with over-weight. While this abundance gives to youth a
greater appearance of health in increased stature, maturity and old age are increasingly associated w ith the functional, degenerating diseases, of which cancer and heart disease now claims the largest
number of victims. But the young are also becoming affected by such disease.
Although hygiene overcame premature death due to infections,
and so increased the life-span from the beginning of the nineteenth
century, the virus diseases have in creased steadily. The virus barely
deserves the designation of being alive: it is no more than a minute cluster of protein molecules, ve ry closely related to the DNA and
RNA proteins manufactured by the genes in the cells of all plants
and animals. There is increasi ng evidence that viruses can arise
within the body, owing to faulty manufacture of RNA by the genes. Once manufactured, they continue replicating their kind by forcing the genes of other cells to manufacture the mistake that brought them into being, so that viruses assume an apparent independence.
The demarcation between unnatura l virus and natural gene is
becoming all the more blurred, as the protein processes of the cell are unravelled. It may well turn out that viruses are the result of faulty protein metabolism, which could mean faulty protein feeding. It is certainly striking that as the amount of high protein animal
foods has increased in the diet of the prosperous communities, so
have the virus diseases. Some cancers are now suspected of being virus induced.
Although the eye is easily deceived by size, assuming that large
size is the right size, many people are now sensing the deception. This illusion is a part of the quantity bias of quantity-geared,
materialistic industrial civilizati on. Once sensitivity is restored,
there is an inherent aversion to the oversized, just as the oversized
flowers produced by horticulturists are felt by the more sensitive to be vulgar and monstrous. There is a 'feel' about the large fruits and vegetables which is wrong. Perhaps those closer to the soil have
retained something of this sensitivity, for the more canny farmers do
not use chemicals or insecticides on the crops they will consume themselves. More people are realizing that the risk of a maggot is preferable to an invisible puff of arsenic.
Until the full momentum of the industrial revolution was felt in
the furthest lands, the varieties of human dietary were infinite. Some
were no doubt as deviant as the modern diet, but many others were
more humanly compatible. In many parts of the world, especially in the more congenial and benevolen t environments, human beings
abandoned the ways acquired in the Ice Ages for patterns of life closer to the human norm, in soil-respecting farming communities
and in peaceful relationship with their neighbours. This was largely
the case in India before the popul ation stampede and nutritional
failures of modern times, in the Polynesian islands, among the native tribes of South America. Possibly these more gentle and humane peoples escaped the worst onslaught of the Ice Ages; the
full anger against nature seems to be  particular to the more Northern
peoples, in Europe as in the Far East, and it is these peoples,
particularly the Europeans, who are responsible for what has become an unwhole, and a denaturing planetary civilization.
It is this planetary influence wh ich is so distressing, for the few
remaining instances of a more humanizing situation are being
rapidly assaulted. Soon, there will be no evidence left of a once
happier and fairer condition. The de leterious influence of the West
on the more benign peoples of the earth, in the guise of colonialism, of warfare, of alcoholism, of comme rcial exploitation, of disease, is
well known. What is as yet not realized, is that the gluttony of the West, which may well have fed its  restlessness and anger, and so
prompted its planetary dominance, h as been largely paid for by the
misappropriation of planetary resources and the further impoverishment of the poorer peoples of the earth.

10. The Impoverishmen ts of Prosperity

The Industrial Revolution was prec eded, and has been accompanied,
by a frantic commercial adventuring, which has brought the
European with his trading practi ces all over the world. The essential
feature of European trading is the exclusive priority it places on
profits. Profitability has conditione d, and still conditions, practice,
often at the detriment of the less easily definable human values. The
introduction of rice refining in India is an example. Previously, the
removal of the husk, the sifting away of the chaff, left much of the
germ behind, the ritualized preoccupation of women, a labour of
love and gratitude. Mildew, insects and rats no doubt took a
considerable toll of the rice stores, but this was taken as one of the
inevitables of existence; the rats also had a right to live! The
European influence brought in qu ite another mentality, and a new
class of European and Indian merc hants, who set about correcting
these wastes, by proper storage follo wing the refining of the rice. In
an age when the merits of hygiene were being widely promoted,
white rice could be put over as a superior, cleaner product; with the
losses due to spoilage overcome, the refined rice could be sold more
cheaply while still leaving large profits to the merchants.
There was at first much resist ance against these changes, which
the Indian felt was a dismantling of a ritualized act of immense
importance, but cheapness, and the withdrawal of whole rice by the
merchants, forced the habit upon the Indian masses, aided perhaps
by the fact that the European, because of his'mixed diet', found the fibreless white rice more congenial to his taste. But the consequences were soon calamitous. Deficiencies of the B vitamins
had been virtually unknown in India before. Now they became
rampant, affecting whole communities, resulting in an apathy which in return affected the labour ava ilable to the colonial powers. An
attempt was made, as soon as it w as realized that the essential
vitamins were contained in the e ndosperm and germ, to remedy this
state of affairs by parboiling the rice before it was refined. Thereby
some of the B vitamins penetrated the white grain. This not only added to the cost of the eventual product, but left behind an unpleasant soggy taste and smell. When the British Government attempted to make the eating of parboiled rice compulsory, there were riots.
The effect of rice refining in India, as elsewhere, has been
utterly disastrous, leading to a chronic malnutrition that has debased the enterprise and the viability of the people. It is unfortunately true that a vegetarian is all the more damaged by eating refined cereals than a mixed eater, for the latter obtains considerable amounts of the
B vitamins from the animal ingredient in his diet, whereas the
vegetarian depends very largely on the B vitamins in cereals.
Sugar is another example of an impoverishment in the name of
technical progress. By itself, sugar should not be considered a food.
Although the natural fuel of all anim al life, it is offered in nature with other essentials—particularly Vitamin C in the case of fruits—
and is intended to be part of a whole dietary which supplies the essentials needed by the body for the proper metabolism of sugar,
chiefly the B vitamins and certain minerals. Taken by itself, sugar is
an anti-food. In combination with other refined foods, deprived of
the B vitamins and minerals, it becomes a pernicious and evil
ingredient in the diet, especially in one already inadequate and impoverished, the case in many parts of the world today.
It is depressing to contemplate how a delightful inducement,
the primate love of sweetness, which is the natural demand for
fruits, should have become so deceived, with deleterious consequences only now becoming better understood. Besides the well established responsibility for dental caries, sugar has recently been incriminated in a particular  form of listlessness in children,
often with fit-like attacks and destructive behaviour, seriously
affecting the ability of such children to learn and to behave in a socially constructive manner. Sugar has been also invoked in heart
attacks, in diseases of the skin and eye, in diabetes and other metabolic disturbances, as well as being the main contributor to the
diseases of overweight.
Although other questionable crops, such as the vine, are grown
on lands often inappropriate to the production of primary foods,
beet sugar has become an established rotational crop on some of the best lands in Europe. Easy to gr ow and profitable, the acreage under
beet has had to be limited, but it is a perversion of land use to grow
sugar beet at all. Its place could be better taken by other rotational
crops which could be used as a primar y food. As for cane sugar, it is
true that it is the most efficient means of fixing solar


 considered to be a folk remedy for
digestive problems.
4. Fats for cooking
Cooking (roasting, frying, etc.) should be done with fully saturated fats,
because these fats do not alter their chemical structure when heated.
These fats are: pork dripping, goose fat, duck fat, natural lard, lamb fat,
coconut oil, butter and ghee. You can purchase many of these fats in shops.
It is also easy to make many of these fats at home which has an advantage:
you know exactly what is in it. For more information on this subject please
look in the chapter: Fats: the good and the bad.
Ghee
Ghee is a clarified butter. It is traditionally used in many cultures around
the world for cooking and baking. Butter can be used for cooking very
effectively. However, small amounts of whey in the butter often burn. Also
whey contains lactose and some milk proteins, which many GAPS patients
have to avoid in the initial stages of the diet. Ghee on the other hand does
not contain any whey, milk protein or lactose at all, just milk fat, and does
not burn.
Preheat your oven to around 6o-i20°C (250°F). Put a large block of
organic, preferably unsalted butter into a metal dish or pan. Leave it in the
oven for 45-60 minutes. Take it out and carefully pore the golden fat from
the top (ghee), making sure that the white liquid at the bottom stays in the
pan. Discard the white liquid. Keep in glass jars and refrigerate.
Goose or duck fat
Roast a goose or a duck in the oven in the usual way. Take the bird out and
pour the fat through a cheese-cloth or a fine metal sieve. Keep in glass jars and refrigerate. Use for cooking meats and vegetables. These fats give a
nice flavour to roasted vegetables in particular.
Pork, lamb or beef fat (lard)
You can collect these fats in much the same way as the duck and goose fats.
You need any bits of fat from the animal. It is particularly good to use internal
fat layer from the animal, which the butcher often gives away almost free.
You will be amazed how much cooking fat you will collect from a fairly small
piece. It is wise to use organic animals for this purpose, as fat is a natural
body storage for various toxins. Investing in a small piece of organic fat once
or twice a year will not cost you much and will last for many months.
Roast the fat on a fairly low heat (i2o-i30°C) for 2-3 hours depending on
the size of the piece. Pour the fat through the cheese-cloth or a fine metal
sieve. Store in glass jars and refrigerate.
Coconut  oil is very good for cooking. It contains largely saturated fats and
hence does not change its chemical structure, when heated. However,
make sure that you buy good quality natural coconut oil, as a lot of brands,
sold in the west have been hydrogenated to increase shelf-life.
5. Main dishes
An Italian meat casserole
This is an alternative way of making an excellent meat stock as well as
preparing a meal for the whole family. You can use any of the following: a
leg or a shoulder of lamb, a joint of pork, a joint of beef, a pheasant, 2-4
pigeons, 2 quails, a joint of venison, a whole chicken, turkey legs. You need
a large casserole with a lid for this dish. Put your meat joint or a whole
bird(s) into the casserole, add water to fill % of the casserole, add some salt,
pepper corns, dried herbs to taste, bay leaves and a sprig of rosemary.
Cover with the lid and put into the oven for 5-6 hours on low heat
(125-140°C or 250°F). Add various vegetables 40-50 minutes before your
dinner time into the casserole: rosettes of broccoli and cauliflower, whole
peeled small red or white onions, Brussels sprouts and large pieces of
carrots. When ready take the meat and vegetables out and serve to
your family. Put the meat stock through a sieve and serve it in bouillon
cups with the dinner. Meat stock left from this dinner will keep well in the
refrigerator and can be used for making soups or warming up as a nourish
ing drink. Stuffed peppers
6 large peppers (a combination of green, red, yellow and orange)
7* kg of minced meat (a mixture ofL pork and lL beef is best)
2 medium-size carrots
I large onion
salt and pepper
Grind the carrots and chop the onion. Mix them well together with the
minced meat adding salt and pepper to taste.
Cut off the tops of the peppers and take out the seeds. Fill the peppers
with the mixture of the meat and vegetables. Place the stuffed peppers
upright into a pan. You will need the correct size pan to fit all the peppers,
so they stand upright and support each other. Add 3-4 cups of water to the
bottom of the pan and cover it with the lid. Bring up to boil, reduce the heat
to a minimum and simmer for an hour. Serve a pepper per person with a
ladle of the stock from the bottom (best to serve in a soup bowl}. Put a
tablespoon of your home-made yoghurt (if well tolerated) with a clove of
crushed garlic mixed into it. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Meatballs
500g of minced meat (a mixture of pork and beef is best)
1 large onion
lh red pepper
1 courgette
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh garlic
1 tablespoon tomato puree
salt, pepper, 2-3 bay leaves
To make the sauce cover the bottom of the pan with water 3-4 cm high. Mix
into the water tomato paste, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. With your hands
shape balls out of the mincemeat about 4 cm in diameter. Put the balls one
at a time into the boiling sauce. Make sure that you use a large enough pan
to fit all the balls in one layer. Cover with the lid and simmer on low heat for
30 minutes.
In the meantime prepare the vegetables. Finely chop the onion and red
pepper. Cut the courgette into small cubes. Chop the garlic.
After cooking the meatballs for 30 minutes add the chopped onion,
pepper and courgette, mix with the sauce gently in order to preserve the shape of the meatballs. Cover and cook for another 25 minutes. Add the
bay leaves and garlic. Cover and turn the heat off. Let it sit for 10 minutes
before serving. Sprinkle with finely chopped coriander and serve with
cooked vegetables.
Meat cutlets
5oog of minced pork
5oog of minced beef or lamb
1 large onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
Mix all the ingredients well and make oval shaped cutlets. In a frying pan
warm up some pork dripping (goose or duck fat) and fry the cutlets slightly
on both sides. Place the cutlets into a greased baking tray add 7 2 a cup of
water and bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 150-170*0 (300-350 oF). Serve
with cooked vegetables and a salad.
Fish cutlets
2-3 fairly large freshwater or sea fish, a mixture of
different fish works very well
3-5 tablespoons of butter (ghee, goose fat, duck fat,
pork dripping or coconut oil)
1-2 cups of shredded coconut
salt and pepper
Cut all the meat off the fish, remove skin and large bones. Use the bones,
heads and skin for making a very nourishing fish stock (recipe in the soup
section). Alternatively you can buy fish fillets already without skin and
large bones.
In the food processor put the meat of the fish, one egg, butter, salt and
pepper to your taste and grind it to make mince. If you have a meat mincer
it will do the same job for you. With your hands make oval-shaped flat cut
lets about 2 cm thick, roll them in shredded coconut and slightly fry them
on both sides. Use coconut oil (or butter, ghee, pork dripping, lard, goose
fat or duck fat) for frying. Move the cutlets into a large oven tray, greased
with any of the mentioned fats. Add half a cup of water and put into pre
heated oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes at iso°C (300T). Swedish Gravlax - the best way to eat fresh salmon
skinless and boneless salmon fillet
11 water at room temperature
th tablespoons of salt
1 tablespoon of honey
fresh dill and coarsely ground black pepper
The fish has to be very fresh. Cut the fish into 0.5cm thick slices and place
in a dip tray (any baking tray will do). Sprinkle with finely chopped dill
and black pepper. Dissolve the salt and the honey in the water to make
a brine. Cover the fish with the brine and leave at room temperature for
l-i'A hours. Pour the water out and serve the fish with some lettuce and
mayonnaise.


5 to 6.2 million/microliter (4.5 to 6.2 x 1012/L) of venous blood; in adult females
from 4.2 to 5.4 million/microliter (4.2 to 5.4 x 1012/L) of venous blood; in children, 4.6 to 4.8
million/microliter of venous blood; in full-term infants, 4.4 to 5.8 million/microliter (4.4 to 5.8 x
1012/L). An elevated RBC count indicates polycythemia or dehydration; a depressed count shows
anemia, fluid overload, or recent hemorrhage. With total bed rest, RBC counts drop considerably
from decreased oxygen requirements.
The Total Hemoglobin (HgB)
Laboratory Test
The total hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration in a deciliter (l00ml) of whole blood is measured
by the total hemoglobin laboratory test. The Hgb-RBC ratio (mean corpuscular hemoglobin or
MCH) and free plasma Hgb affect the RBC count. This test, a usual part of the complete blood
count, measures the severity of anemia or polycythemia, monitors therapy response, and supplies
figures for calculating MCH and mean corpuscular Hgb concentration.
Based on venous blood samples, normal values for different patients are:
Age      Hemoglobin Level (g/dL)
Less than 7 days    17-22
1 week     15-20
1 month     11-15
Age      Hemoglobin Level (g/dL)
Children     11-13
Adult males    14-18
Elderly males    12.4-14.9
Adult females    12-16
Elderly females    11.7-13.8
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 191Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comThe Hematocrit (Hct)
Laboratory Test
The volume of RBCs packed in a whole blood sample is measured by the hematocrit (Hct)
laboratory test. Number and size of the RBCs determine the Hct concentration, and such a readout
aids in the diagnosis of abnormal states of hydration, polycythemia, anemia, fluid imbalance,
blood loss, blood replacement, and red cell indices. According to a patient’s sex, age, laboratory
competence, and type of blood sample, the test routinely screens one’s blood in a complete blood
count.
Hct reference values range from 40 percent to 54 percent (0.4 to 0.54) for men and from 37
percent to 47 percent (0.37 to 0.47) for women. Low Hct indicates anemia or hemodilution; high
Hct shows polycythemia or hemoconcentration caused by blood loss. If a hematoma develops at
the venipuncture site, ease discomfort by applying ice, followed later by warm soaks.
The Erythrocyte Indices Laboratory Test
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean
corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) are the three measurements accomplished by
the erythrocyte indices laboratory test. The MCV expresses the average size of erythrocytes
and indicates whether they are undersized (microcytic), oversized (macrocytic), or normal
(normocytic). MCH gives the weight of hemoglobin in an average red cell. MCHC defines the
concentration of Hgb in 100 mL of packed red cells.
The normal RBC indices are:
 MCV = 84 to 99 cubic microliters/red cell (femtoliters (fl)/red cell)
 MCH = 26 to 32 picograms (pg)/red cell
 MCHC = 30% to 36% (300 to 360 g/L)
These indices aid in diagnosing and classifying anemia. Low MCV and MCHC show
microcytic hypochromic anemias caused by iron deficiency anemia, pyridoxine-responsive
anemia, or thalassemia. High MCV indicates macrocytic anemia caused by megaloblastic
anemias coming from folic acid or vitamin BIZ deficiency, inherited disorders of DNA synthesis,
or reticulocytosis.
The Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
Measuring the time required for erythrocytes in a whole blood sample to settle to the bottom
of a vertical tube, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a sensitive but nonspecific test that
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 192Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comindicates the presence of disease when other chemical or physical signs are normal. It rises in
widespread inflammatory disorders caused by infection, autoimmune disease, or malignancy.
Thus, the ESR monitors inflammatory or malignant illness and detects occult disease such as
tuberculosis (TB), tissue necrosis, or connective tissue disorders. The normal ESR ranges from
0 to 20 mm/hour. It rises in pregnancy, acute or chronic inflammation, TB, paraproteinemias,
rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, and some cancers. ESR also rises in anemia. ESR drops in
polycythemia, sickle cell anemia, hyperviscosity, and low plasma protein.
Note: ESR  is frequently raised during and after reactions and fevers induced by the Gerson
Therapy.
The Platelet Count
Platelets, or thrombocytes, are tiny formed elements in the blood which create th’e hemostatic
plug in vascular injury. They promote coagulation by supplying phospholipids to the intrinsic
thromboplastin pathway. The platelet count is vital for monitoring chemotherapy, radiation
therapy, or severe thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia. A platelet count that falls below 50,000
brings on spontaneous bleeding; below 5,000, fatal central nervous system bleeding or massive
gastrointestinal hemorrhage is possible.
The platelet count evaluates platelet production, assesses effects of cytotoxic therapy, aids
the diagnosing of thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis, and confirms visual estimate of platelet
number and morphology from a stained blood film. Normal platelet counts range from 130,000 to
370,000/mm (130 to 370 x 1011/L).
A decreased count comes from aplastic or hypoplastic bone marrow; infiltrative bone marrow
diseases like carcinoma, leukemia, or disseminated infection; megakaryocytic hypoplasia;
ineffective thrombopoiesis caused by folic acid or vitamin B1 deficiency; pooling of platelets in an
enlarged spleen; increased platelet destruction from drug use or immune disorders; disseminated
intravascular coagulation; Bernard-Soulier syndrome; or mechanical injury to platelets.
Medications decreasing the count include acetazolamid, acetohexamide, antimony,
antineoplastics, brompheniramine maleate, carbamazepine, chloramphenicol, ethacrynic acid,
furosemide, gold salts, hydroxychloroquine, indomethacin, isoniazid, mephenytoin, mefenamic
acid, methazolamide, methimazole, methyidopa, oral diaoxide, oxyphenbetazone, penicillamine,
penicillin, phenylbutazone, phenytoin, pyrimethamine, quinidine sulfate, quinine, salicylates,
streptomycin, sulfonamides, thiazide, thiazidelike diuretics, and tricyclic antidepressants. Heparin
causes transient reversible thrombocytopenia.
An increased platelet count results from such diseases as hemorrhage; infectious disorders;
malignancies; iron deficiency anemia; myelofibrosis; primary thrombocytosis; polycythemia
vera; myelogenous leukemia; recent surgery, pregnancy, or splenectomy; and inflammatory
disorders, such as collagen vascular disease.
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 193Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comThe Leukocyte (White Blood Cell, WBC) Count
Reporting on the number of white blood cells (WBCs) found in a microliter (cubic
millimeter) of whole blood by use of a hemacytometer or Coulter counter, the leukocyte count
varies with strenuous exercise, stress, or digestion. It’s used to detect infection or inflammation,
the need for further tests such as the WBC differential or bone marrow biopsy, and the


 the iodine. Shirley was instructed to take
microgram doses of iodine in the form of Atomidine
®
 (Edgar Cayce’s iodine formulation) three days per
week. Since
reducing her dose, all of her hypothyroid symptoms have improved and she is not having palpitations. Shirley’s case is
very rare. I have only had to use microgram amounts of iodine a few times over the last 12 years. This has occurred in
patients who are extremely sensitive to nearly everything.
The above cases illustrate that every patient needs to have an individualized treatment plan. Those that are sensitive to
medications may need a lowered dose, and may need to titrate their dose of iodine. If one is deficient in iodine, it is rare not to be
able to find an appropriate dose to improve the clinical condition.
Amanda, a 23-year-old fitness instructor, complained of coldness of her extremities and fatigue. “I teach four aerobic
classes per day and I am exhausted after each class,” she said. Amanda’s saliva/serum of iodide could not be calculated
since her iodine level was too low. In addition, she was found to have a large amount of bromide in her serum (127mg/L).
As established in
Chapter 11
, bromide is a toxic halogen that inhibits iodine absorption and binding in the body. Amanda
was started on 25mg/day of iodine/iodide (Iodoral
®
). Immediately, her symptoms improved. “I was not exhausted after
teaching my aerobics class. Also, my hands and feet warmed up,” she said. Amanda was also complaining of a rash on
her skin after teaching a pool aerobics class. The pool was sanitized with bromine. After taking the
iodine, the rash
immediately disappeared. Follow-up testing revealed that Amanda’s saliva/serum iodide improved to 42.5 and her serum
bromine level fell to 16.7mg/L.
Update on Amanda’s case: Amanda has now been on iodine for three years. “I would not stop taking it because it
makes me feel so good. The biggest difference I have found is that my energy level declines when I go a few days without
iodine,” she said.
New (5
th
 Edition) update on Amanda’s case: Amanda continues to take 25mg/day of iodine. She has had her first
baby and took the same dose of iodine throughout her pregnancy. Amanda recently reported to me, “Of all the things I
have taken over the years, iodine is the best. If I miss taking it for a few days, I start to get puffy and my energy drops.
My body will tell me when I forget to take iodine. I never want to stop taking it.”
Amanda’s case is very common. The correction of iodine deficiency can resolve the symptoms of hypothyroidism. In fact, if
there is iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism present, iodine deficiency needs to be corrected first. This was explained in
Chapter
6
. In Amanda’s case, correcting an iodine deficit was probably helping the body rid itself of the toxic halide bromine. The
improvement in her skin was evidence of this.
Kim, a 42-year-old business woman, wanted desperately to have another child. She said, “My son is 11 and I want
him to
have a brother or sister.” Kim had two miscarriages over the last two years and she had a difficult time getting
pregnant. Her first pregnancy was very hard for her as she was extremely fatigued and had a very difficult delivery. Kim
was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after the birth of her first child and placed on thyroid hormone (Armour
®
 thyroid). “I
did feel better with the Armour
®
 thyroid, but I was still cold. The worst thing was that my energy never really returned
after the birth of my son,” she said. Kim heard a lecture that I gave on iodine and had her iodine levels checked. Her
iodine-loading test was low at 22% excretion (normal >90%) and she was placed on 50mg/day of Iodoral
®
. “I felt a
huge change immediately. My energy returned and all of my remaining hypothyroid symptoms resolved within weeks. It
felt like a miracle,” she said. Kim became pregnant shortly after starting the iodine supplementation and she delivered a
healthy baby boy nine months later. During the pregnancy, she continued the iodine supplement. “At 42 years old, thiswas the easiest pregnancy. I gained 16 pounds and could fit into all my regular clothes right after I delivered. My midwife
was amazed at how easy this pregnancy was on me. I wasn’t even fatigued after the delivery. I wish that I had taken
iodine earlier in my life,” she claimed.
Kim’s story is repeated over and over in my practice. Iodine supplementation often helps improve a hypothyroid
condition.
Many times, even with the supplementation of thyroid hormone, some hypothyroid symptoms still remain. My experience has
shown that the best results in treating a thyroid condition will occur when iodine deficiency is rectified.
1
 Vitale, M. Endocrinology. 2000 Feb; 141(2):598-605.Chapter 15
Questions and Answers
CHAPTER 15: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
This chapter will help to answer common questions regarding iodine.
Q: Is there a difference between Lugol’s iodine and tableted Lugol’s such as Iodoral
®
 or Iodozyme HP™?
A: No. All three items contain iodine and iodide. Two drops of Lugol’s equals one Iodoral
®
 or Iodozyme HP™ tablet
(with both supplying 12.5mg of iodine/iodide). Lugol’s solution has a fairly strong metallic taste that many find offensive.
For doses under 50mg, I generally prefer tableted iodine. For doses greater than 50mg, I suggest taking Lugol’s iodine
since the price is less expensive.
Q: Do children need iodine?
A: Yes. Children and adults need adequate amounts of iodine. Children need smaller amounts due to their size. Iodine
dosing guidelines for children were covered in
Chapter 10
.
Q: Is the iodine patch test reliable?
A: No. The iodine patch test does not provide useful information on the body’s total iodine status. Approximately
20% of the body’s iodine load is found in the skin. The iodine patch test may provide information about how much iodine
is in the skin, but the studies have not been done to verify that. One study found that over 85% of the iodine applied to
the skin sublimated (evaporated) into the air. A more reliable indicator of the total body iodine load is the 24-hour
urinary iodine-loading test.
Q: If I have no thyroid gland, do I need iodine?
A: Yes. Iodine is found in all the tissues of the body, not just the thyroid gland. Even without a thyroid gland, the rest
of the body needs iodine.
Q: Does iodine supplementation cause goiter?
A: No. Iodine deficiency causes goiter. Medical research has shown this for over 100 years.
Q: Does everyone need to take 50mg/day of iodine?
A: No. There is no single dose that is effective for everyone. I suggest working with a health care provider who is
iodine knowledgeable.
Q: Is iodine deficiency more prevalent now than it was in the past?
A: Yes. Due to the increased toxicity of our modern
surroundings, iodine deficiency is more pronounced now. The
onslaught of chemicals and goitrogens such as bromine and fluoride has risen dramatically over the last 40 years. What
has happened to our iodine levels during that time period? They have fallen by over 50%. Goitrogens can bind to iodine
receptors and also bind to and damage the transport mechanisms for iodine. Goitrogens can exacerbate the iodine-
deficiency problem that already is present. Combined with a declining nutrient level in our food supply, it is no wonder
that people need to ingest larger amounts of iodine compared to past times.

Q: Does iodine cause autoimmune thyroid illness such as Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease?
A: No. Autoimmune thyroid illnesses have been increasing over the last 40 years, while iodine levels have been
falling. If iodine was the cause of autoimmune thyroid illness, as iodine levels fall, you would expect to see a decline in
the incidence of Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease. That has not happened. In fact, the opposite has happened–over the
last 40 years, autoimmune thyroid illnesses have increased at epidemic rates.

Q: Are there side effects with iodine supplementation?
A: There are potential side effects from supplementing with anything, iodine included. With proper follow-up visits
and
monitoring, adverse effects are easily treated.
Chapters 5
-
7
 review how to minimize adverse effects with
autoimmune thyroid disorders and
Chapter 13
 describes the adverse effects of iodine in more detail.

Q: Why hasn’t conventional medicine recognized that iodine deficiency is still present today?
A: A natural product cannot be patented. A patentable product can be very profitable for a pharmaceutical company.
Big Pharma cartel’s main interest is to make a profit. Big Pharma has shown little interest in any natural


	a	disciple	Ramana	had	found
the	teaching	difficult.	He	often	stumbled	but	never	fell.	Everything	his	master
foretold	came	true.	The	time	came	when	the	disciple	no	longer	needed	the
support	of	his	family.	But	this	wasn’t	a	loss,	because	he	now	saw	them	with
great	compassion.	He	didn’t	need	the	support	of	society,	but	this	wasn’t	a	loss,
because	he	saw	himself	as	part	of	all	humanity.	He	didn’t	need	the	support	of
his	physical	body,	but	this	wasn’t	a	loss,	because	his	body	took	care	of	itself
better	when	he	stopped	worrying	about	it.
The	one	thing	Ramana	never	quite	gave	up	was	the	support	of	his	mind.
“Ah,	you	fear	that	without	a	mind	you	will	die,”	his	master	said	patiently.
Ramana	adopted	the	same	patience.	He	learned	to	go	inward	in
samadhi
	to
experience	silence,	and	over	the	years	this	became	home	to	him,	a	place	free
of	the	constant	activity	of	the	mind.
On	the	day	his	master	died,	Ramana	knelt	by	his	bed	and	wept.	“So	you
imagine	that	I	am	leaving	you,”	his	master	whispered.	“Your	mind	still	has
you	in	its	spell.”	He	said	this	affectionately,	not	in	reproof,	and	that	consoled
Ramana.	An	hour	later	his	master	went	into	the	deepest	of	all	silences,
maha
samadhi
.
Ramana	could	remember	all	these	things	now	that	he	too	had	died.	He
looked	around.	There	was	no	one	to	greet	him,	no	family,	not	even	his	master.
For	a	second	a	shiver	of	fear	gripped	him,	then	it	faded,	and	with	it	the	power
to	think.	Ramana	didn’t	even	get	to	think,
There	goes	my	mind
.	He	slipped
effortlessly	to	where	mind	was	no	longer	needed.	There	was	no	whiteness
around	him	anymore,	but	even	this	perception	lasted	for	only	an	instant,
because	there	was	no	darkness,	either.	When	his	mind	slipped	away,	it	took
light	and	dark	with	it.Now	he	was	enveloped	in	silence,	which	came	as	an	indescribable	relief.
Like	thieves	in	the	night,	whole	worlds	wanted	to	enter	him	and	take	his
silence	away.	But	all	they	could	do	was	glance	off	him	ever	so	lightly,	like
feathers	off	a	rock.	He	was	impenetrable	now.	There	was	no	universe	and	no
God,	no	divine	presence,	no	love.
He	lingered	like	that,	in	the	womb	of	the	timeless,	for	a	while.	Then
Ramana	felt	a	soft	breath,	and	it	beckoned	him	back.	He	was	stirring	to	life
again.	Not	because	he	wanted	to	live	on	earth,	for	that	would	have	been	a
thought.	The	breath	was	its	own	reason.	There	was	a	split	second	when	he
could	choose	not	to	return.	Eternal	peace	was	just	as	possible	as	another
lifetime.
Only	then	did	he	realize	that	he	was	free	at	last.	Human	life	could	be	his
again,	only	now	he	also	would	have	eternal	peace,	the	two	together.	Ramana
smiled	to	himself,	if	one	can	say	that	the	cosmos	smiles.	The	breathing	grew
louder.	He	relaxed	and	let	it	carry	him	downward	back	to	earth.	One	breath,
then	another,	always	louder,	until	it	became	like	the	monsoons	drifting	down
the	mountain,	or	the	knocking	of	the	gods.	He	couldn’t	see	what	family	he
would	be	born	into,	but	Ramana	knew	his	new	purpose:	to	show	these
dreaming	humans,	whom	he	loved	so	much,	how	to	wake	up.READING	NOTES
There	will	never	be	a	definitive	book	on	the	afterlife,	which	I	think	is	good,
because	no	single	book	will	ever	convince	skeptics	or	console	everyone	who
has	wondered	what	happens	after	death.	What	might	change	society’s	fear	and
doubt	is	a	rising	tide	of	evidence.	Below	I	have	listed	every	book	and	Web
site	that	helped	me	write	this	book.	They	constitute	a	mountain	of	evidence
that	life	continues	after	death;	more	important,	each	one	is	a	symptom	of
rising	consciousness.	Too	long	has	death	been	a	mysterious	subject.	The	best	I
can	hope	for	is	to	shed	a	little	light	into	that	darkness,	but	I	couldn’t	have
done	it	without	the	countless	other	people	trying	to	shed	the	same	light.
Chapter	1:	Death	at	the	Door
We	have	entered	a	new	era	in	research	where	the	Internet	has	become	as
valuable	as	standard	book	references.	Besides	Googling	any	general	topic
(e.g.,	ghosts,	near-death	experiences,	heaven)	at
www.google.com
,	one	can
turn	to	the	ever-expanding	online	encyclopedia	at
www.wikipedia.com
.	The
only	flaw	with	Web	references	is	that	they	tend	to	be	overwhelming	in
number	but	sometimes	shallow	in	coverage.
The
	great	virtue	of	online
referencing	is	that	the	reader	can	go	deeper	than	the	author	on	any	particular
topic	with	the	push	of	a	button.
I	touched	only	briefly	on	the	physical	changes	caused	by	death.	Sherwin
B.	Nuland	won	a	National	Book	Award	on	the	subject	with
How	We	Die:
Reflections	on	Life’s	Final	Chapter
	(Knopf,	1994).	Nuland,	a	senior	Yale
physician,	goes	into	clinical	detail	about	the	biology	of	the	dying	process,
covering	heart	disease,	cancer,	Alzheimer’s,	and	AIDS,	among	other	topics,	in
his	exploration	of	how	every	person’s	death	is	as	unique	as	his	life.
Spiritual	experiences	also	cause	physical	changes,	making	them	just	as
real,	if	you	are	a	materialist,	as	the	changes	caused	by	death.	An	early	popular
book	on	the	subject	is	Nona	Coxhead,
Mindpower
	(Penguin,	1976),	which
emphasizes	research	into	ESP	and	other	areas	of	parapsychology.	For	a
contemporary	study	of	how	current	breakthroughs	in	brain	science	are
changing	our	view	of	consciousness,	I	turned	to	Joseph	Chilton	Pearce,
The
Biology	of	Transcendence:	A	Blueprint	for	the	Human	Spirit
	(Park	Street
Press,	2002),	which	is	refreshingly	humane	and	far-ranging.	Pearce	writes	for
the	general	reader	and	intersperses	neurology	with	intriguing	anecdotes.
I	have	tried	to	be	as	nontechnical	as	possible	when	discussing	the	vast
philosophical	system	known	as	Vedanta.	Readers	who	want	to	go	back	to	thesource	should	begin	with
The	Concise	Yoga	Vasistha
	(State	University	of	New
York	Press,	1984),	in	a	clear	and	readable	translation	by	Swami
Venkatesananda.	This	great	work	describes	the	education	of	Lord	Rama,	an
incarnation	of	God	in	human	form,	at	the	feet	of	an	immortal	rishi,	Vasistha,
who


 in action.” The organization of our body as
conscious action is asana.
WHAT IS ASANA?The word asana, meaning “seat of awareness,” is formally introduced
in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which was written and compiled sometime
around 400–500  CE. The word asana  is only referenc ed three times in the
Yoga Sutras : once as part of the eight limbs of ashtanga yoga  (sutra 2.29)
and twice as a reference to sthiram sukham  asana: asana as a steady,
comfortable seat (sutra 2.46, 2.47). About a millennium later, Svātmār āma
compiled the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. In this classic text, eighty-four  asanas,
most of which are seated, are referenced as postures for purification,
optimal health, and vitality.
In the West, we have adapted asana to reflect the entire spectrum of
yoga, when, really, it is only one aspect of it. The other seven limbs— yama,
niyama, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi —are also
integral pathways to the experience of yoga. In this section, we are putting a
lens on the limb of asana as a gateway to the light of pure consciousness.
The body is so much more than a shape; it is a process. Asanas are
shapes that we make with our physical body to tap into this process, to tap
into this state of awareness. But why do different shapes impact us
differently? For some of us, one shape might feel glorious, while for others
it might feel like torture. The answer lies in the unseen realm.
THE SHARIRAS
According to the ancient teachings of yoga, human existence is
experienced through three bodies of ener gy, known as the shariras.
The sthula sharira is the physical body, which consists of
the body’s muscles, bones, joints, and ﬂuids. It is the
densest energy body and is experienced through the
senses.
The sukshma sharira is the subtle body, which includes
the 72,000 channels of energy that map our body,
known as the nadis, as well as the chakra system, nerves,prana, thoughts, and feelings. The sukshma sharira can
be felt but not measured.
The karana sharira is the causal body. This consists of our
karma, or the force that brought us into manifestation,
and our spirit, the jiva atman. The karana sharira exists in
pure potentiality and can only be accessed when we
transcend the mind.
It is important to remember that, although we separate the shariras  into
three different bodies, they are integrally connected with each other. We can
access the causal body from the physical, and we can also access the
physical from the causal. When we practice yoga asanas, we move through
these different densities of energy and can tap into the subtle energetic
forces that govern us.
THE CHAKRAS
The word chakra  in Sanskrit means “wheel” or “circle.” Just as the
Earth’ s rotation creates electromagnetic fields of energy, so, too, do these
vortices of energy that run along the spine within our bodies. The chakras
lie in our subtle  body, but they govern our physical body and are governed
by our causal body. There are seven main chakras, and the first five are
essentially the headquarters of the elements that exist within us, known as
the maha bhutas.  They are earth, water, fire, air, and space.
In addition to its elemental quality, each chakra has a sound, shape,
color, energy, and physical locat ion in the body. They also have a front and
a back gate, represented by the front and the back of the body, which we
will explore later in this book. For our present purposes, we are most
interested in the physical location and the ener getic qualities associated with
each chakra:
Chakra: Muladhara (Root center)Element Earth
Location Base of the spine
Body Parts Associated with Chakra Feet, legs, pelvic ﬂoor, bowel
Energetic Qualities Grounded, steady, connected to survival
needs, healthy boundaries
Chakra: Svadishthana (Abode of self)
Element Water
Location In front of the sacrum, below the navel
Body Parts Associated with Chakra Pelvis, bladder, reproductive organs
Energetic Qualities Creative, spontaneous, ﬂexible, connected
to sensuality and sexuality
Chakra: Manipura (City of gems)
Element Fire
Location Navel center
Body Parts Associated with Chakra Lumbar spine, abdomen, digestive organs
Energetic Qualities Empowered, brave, process-oriented,
autonomous, healthy sense of self
Chakra: Anahata (Unstruck)
Element Air
Location Center of the chest
Body Parts Associated with Chakra Thoracic spine, rib cage, diaphragm, heart,
lungs, shoulder girdle, arms, hands
Energetic Qualities Balance, harmony, connection, empathy,
intimacy, unconditional love
Chakra: Vishuddha (Puriﬁcation center)
Element SpaceLocation Throat
Body Parts Associated with Chakra Cervical spine, shoulder girdle, arms,
hands, throat, jaw, tongue, ears
Energetic Qualities Clear communication with the universe and
others, ability to be in silence, resonance
Chakra: Ajna (Command center)
Element Light
Location In between eyebrows and slightly above
Body Parts Associated with Chakra Eyes, forehead, brain
Energetic Qualities Imagination, clear vision, innovation,
intuition, insight
Chakra: Sahasrara (Crown chakra)
Element None
Location Top fontanel
Body Parts Associated with Chakra Top fontanel, back crown (bindu)
Energetic Qualities Faith, trust, surrender, transcendence,
liberation, embodiment
THE GUNAS
The gunas  are the qualities of Nature that exist in all of matter. The
quality of a rock, which is heavy, solid, and unmoving, is very different
from the quality of a river, which is active, flowing, and constantly
changing. We can see these different qualities play out in the natural world
around us and experience them  within us. The three gunas  are: rajas,
volition or desire; tamas, inertia; and satva, homeostasis.
The gunas  manifest in the subtle body via the chakras. Each chakra can
have either a positive charge, which activates and enlivens its qualities
(rajas ), or a negative  charge, which soothes and reduces those qualities(tamas ). When  we are in balance in a particular chakra, it is in a state of
harmony, or satva guna.
We also experience the gunas  in the physical body, via the breath and
our posture.
Let’s look at the gunas  and how they manifest in the physical body:
Rajas manifests in the front of the body. It involves
inhalation and is the force that literally projects our
bodies forward into the future. When we stretch the front
of the body, we open the chakras’ front gate, which
positively charges them and enhances their energetic
qualities. By opening the front of the body, we
externalize our energy. This stimulates a sense of
extroversion and promotes connection to others.
Tamas manifests in the back of the body. It is ushered in
by the exhalation and is the force that connects us to the
past. When we stretch the back of the body, we open
the back gate of the chakras, which negatively charges
the gunas and reduces their energetic qualities. By
opening the back of the body, we internalize our energy
and create a space for introspection and introversion,
enhancing a sense of intimacy with ourselves.
Satva manifests along the central line of the spine,
known as brahma nadi. Brahma nadi is the energetic
streak of intelligence that connects our lower
consciousness to our higher consciousness. It can guide
us to either manifestation or liberation, depending on
the direction in which we move our energy along it.
Satva guna is revealed when we balance the breath in
and the breath out. It is present in the pauses between
our thoughts and our connection to the present
moment. When we balance the front and back of thebody, and come into our own personal alignment, we
bring the qualities of the chakras into harmony as well.
This enables us to rest in our awareness without
attachment, judgment, or projection into the future.
THE BREATH
Our breath is our source of life. It sustains us and all the functions in
our body  withou t us even trying. It is also the bridge that connects the mind
and the body. If we want to know how we are feeling in the present
moment, we must listen to our breath. When we breathe in longer than we
breathe out, it usually indicates nervousness or anxiety. When  we breathe
out longer than we breathe in, it means we are feeling unmotivated or
lethar gic. When our breath is loud and effortful, it means that we are in a
state of anger or tension. When  our breath is quiet, it means that