 find it essential to soap making, and it eliminates a slew of other
chemicals that you would need to add to recreate its effects.
4. Weight Loss
Coconut oil and weight loss-what’s really going on? Well, if you sit around eating coconut oil, you aren’t going
to lose weight. However, if used to substitute other fats, it can help you drop the pounds by taking the place of
those other calories. Unlike most saturated fats, it’s mainly comprised of medium chain fatty acids, versus long
chain fatty acids. This difference in molecular structure means that it doesn’t get packed away as fat as easily and instead is sent straight to the liver to be metabolized, giving you a boost in energy. This energy in turn
makes exercising easier, and the exercise in turn helps you lose weight. Another major factor that it plays is as
an appetite suppressant. Craving something you shouldn’t be? Have a tablespoon or 2 of coconut oil, and that sensation won’t last long!
5. Energy Booster
If weight loss isn’t your goal, just run with the fact (no pun intended) that it gives you a great boost in energy-and who doesn’t need some help in that department every now and again? Some people also feel it helps
boost their mental alertness. There’s been a lot of hype about coconut oil lately, and there are so many claims
being made that it sounds nothing short of a miracle. Well it’s really not a cure-all, and what works for other people may not work for you, but it still is pretty dandy to have around. With a little bit of resourcefulness and a dash of creativity, you can find over one hundred ways to utilize this handy product.
Get a FREE 15oz Jar of Organic Coconut Oil - just pay $1.95 S&H!6. Prevent Stretch Marks
There is no proven way to completely prevent stretch marks- if or how extreme you get them actually comes
down largely to genetics-but anecdotal evidence is strong: keeping your belly soft and moisturized seems to
help. Coconut oil is deeply nourishing, and doesn’t just provide empty moisture that dries up quickly. Rich in
fatty acids and vitamin E, it penetrates the skin to provide moisture and (possibly) elasticity, as well as forming a barrier to help retain moisture. Apply 1-2 times daily over the course of pregnancy.
7. Itchy Dogs
My pup has atopic dermatitis, also known as the world’s worst allergies. He gets goopy eyes, scabby ears from scratching them too much, and will literally scratch himself raw and bloody without treatment. In addition to
his daily care regime, he gets coconut oil. From the inside out, coconut oil can help nourish the dry, irritated,
or inflamed skin that is the result of the inappropriate response to various allergens. It did not cure him of his allergies, though there are people who say it has gotten rid of their dog’s allergies completely, but it does
help reduce the itching. If your pup chews their paws and stains them red/pink/brown it can help in that
department as well, as that is also a sign of allergies. Start with ½ teaspoon a day and work your way up to 1 tablespoon for 40+ pound dogs, and 1-2 teaspoons for dogs that weigh less. They usually go crazy for it!
8. Fungal Infections
The medium chain fatty acids found abundantly in coconut oil are incredibly effective natural fungicides. In a (coco)nut shell, they naturally insert themselves into the fungal membrane, which is crucial to maintaining
the life of the fungus. This destruction of the membrane leads to the destruction of the fungus as a whole
and voila! The fungus is eradicated. It is important to be diligent with applications of the coconut oil until your symptoms have cleared.
9. Cold Sores
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, generally type 1, and as such they have no cure. If you harken back to science class, you’ll recall that bacteria can be wiped out, while a virus cannot. So how can
coconut oil possibly help? It doesn’t wipe out the virus, but it can inhibit its assembly and how it spreads.
Coconut oil contains a substance known as lauric acid. When combined with glycerol, it creates a substance known as monolaurin. Studies done so far have shown that monolaurin affects the lipid envelope of the virus,
and prevents the virus from reproducing how it normally would. In turn, it is not able to spread as efficiently
and tends not to last as long. Apply a bit of coconut oil directly to the sore several times a day.
10. Coffee Creamer
In replacement of higher calorie coffee creamers (such milk and sugar) stir a little coconut oil into your coffee for a sweet (but not “too sweet”) and healthy touch. Make sure to stir it in well! If you notice it floating to the
top, try stirring partway through your drink, or just add a little less next time. Make sure your joe is piping hot
when you add it in, otherwise you might get some unwanted unmelted coconut oil popping up.
Get a FREE 15oz Jar of Organic Coconut Oil - just pay $1.95 S&H!11. Healthy Wood Polish
Most wood polish coats surfaces in a slick layer of synthetic chemicals, which makes the wood look all sleek
and shiny…for a little bit. Coconut oil, on the other hand, sinks into the wood and keeps it looking “healthy”
longer. The appearance is much more natural, and it stays that way. It may not look as dramatic as a store
bought polisher, but I find it a much more pleasant and effective option to keeping wood looking it’s best.
12. Lower Cholesterol and Risk of Heart Disease
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found your cells, which helps continuously build more vital cells. It goes about its way through your blood stream attached to proteins known as lipoproteins. There are low-density
lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL.) HDL is the “good” cholesterol-you want to lower LDL,
but raise HDL. LDL carries cholesterol throughout your body and delivers it to organs and tissues. The problem is, if you have too much cholesterol, the excess keeps circulating. The constantly circulating LDL will eventually
penetrate blood vessel walls where they build up plaques and narrow blood vessels, sometimes to the point
blocking blood flow, causing coronary artery disease. HDL, on the other hand, picks up excess cholesterol and brings it to your liver to be broken down. Coconut oil, probably due to its high levels of lauric acid, will
boost HDL.  There’s no solid evidence saying that coconut oil alone will prevent heart disease, but there is
solid evidence that it boosts HDL, therefore lowering cholesterol, and hypothetically reducing the risk of heart disease. Take ½-1 tablespoon daily.
13. Reduce Risk (or effect) of Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is devastating to all who experience it, whether personally or with a friend or family member. It is no wonder that we search so desperately for a cure. The word that coconut oil could possibly “cure” or
prevent Alzheimer’s started circulating with vigor when a pediatrician published a book about feeding coconut
oil to her husband, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, and got positive results. Other studies have confirmed that ketones, which are essentially “brain food” provided to keep the brain functioning when the body runs lower
on glucose, can help improve memory, and potentially “reverse” the effects of Alzheimer’s. It’s a much more
complex subject and process, but that’s it in a really wrapped up nutshell. The dosing that I have uncovered implies 2 teaspoons taken daily with food to help improve cognitive function.
14. Soothe Fly Bites
Oh the sweet relief of coconut oil. When the black flies start biting, it’s the first thing to reach for. I use it the most on my horse come summertime to soothe any nasty bites that she gets, but don’t hesitate to dab a little
on myself (or the dogs.) Just get a little on your fingertips and apply it directly to the bite.
15. Fight Acne
Our bodies are rich with bacteria that are naturally present, and necessary, to maintain our health. There are
instances though where some people find themselves with a specific strain of bacteria (generally thought to be
Propionibacterium acnes) that grows its population past the point of being welcome, as too much of it causes
acne. While P. acnes is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, coconut oil is an all-natural way to reduce the overgrowth. You can also mix in a little drop of tee tree oil for an extra anti-bacterial kick. Be aware that tea
tree has a very…distinct aroma. Not bad per say, just strong.
Get a FREE 15oz Jar of Organic Coconut Oil - just pay $1.95 S&H!16. Oil/Butter Replacement
There’s no better way to get the benefits of coconut oil than to replace other less desirable fats with it. When
cooking or baking, substitute it for butter or just about any oil. It lends moisture, freshness, and richness to
baked goods, and a subtle complimentary flavor to savory dishes.  How much you substitute will depend on
the recipe you are making. For baking, most people will fall in the 1:1 ratio or 80% coconut oil 20% water when subbing for butter. For basic cakes, cookies, and brownies I find 1:1 to be sufficient.


To completely eliminate phytates, beans need to be soaked overnight in warm water, geminated
for several days, and then soured. Most people will not be able to go through the lengths to remove
all of the phytic acid in beans. Soaking beans overnight and then cooking them eliminates a good
portion of phytic acid in smaller beans like lentils. Simply soaking beans overnight may be good
enough for most people. Just boiling beans that are unsoaked will not remove a significant amount of
phytic acid.
As with grains, different beans have different concentrations of plant toxins, and require
different types of preparation methods. The exact details for indigenous cultures’ preparation of
commonly used beans are unobtainable by me at this time. But we can look at a few examples. In
Latin America, beans are often fermented after the cooking process to make a sour porridge called
chugo. In India lentils are typically consumed split. That means the outer layer, the husk, (equivalent
to the bran in grains) is removed. Lentils without the bran are probably the safest beans to eat. Lentils
can be soured into tasty cakes with rice called dosas. Take the same food combining precautions with
beans as you would with grains. Eat beans with cheese, beans with vitamin D-containing-foods, and
beans with vitamin C-rich vegetables and berries.
Bean Suggestions
Basic

Soak beans overnight and cook with kombu (sea vegetable) to soften them and aid digestion.
Beans should be very soft and easy to digest when cooked.
Choose smaller sized beans over larger ones.
Advanced

Prepare soured beans in dishes like dosas.Breakfast Cereals and Granola
Breakfast cereals are manufactured at high temperatures. One study found that rats that ate only
puffed wheat died before rats that were given no food at all. At least one breakfast cereal has killed
lab rats faster than when the rats ate only the cardboard cereal box.
2c
 Many people unwisely continue
to eat cold breakfast cereals because of the sugar-powered high it provides, and ignore the digestive
distress that follows. Avoid the rancid and improperly prepared seeds, nuts and grains found in
granolas, quick-rise breads and extruded breakfast cereals.
Many people eat store-bought granola, which is almost always unhealthy because of its high
sugar content and high level of phytic acid from oats. Breakfast cereals, even when labeled organic,
are not healthy foods. They contain few nutrients that your body can absorb. The sugar and flour
combination will cause a rapid rise in blood sugar and thus promote tooth decay. The cartoon
character on the cereal box does not really care if you or your child is healthy or not. Organic cereal
may not have pesticides or additives, but it is not a nourishing food. If you must have cereal I suggest
making soured homemade rice or hot rye cereal. Flour products need to be combined with protein,
calcium, and fat.Nuts and Nut Butters
I read a comedic story of an indigenous group in the Amazon being introduced to peanut butter.
They refused to eat it because it looked like human waste. Dogs are highly allergic to many types of
nuts like walnuts and macadamia nuts. The symptoms that dogs suffer from nut poisoning include
muscle tremors, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, and elevated heart rate. As with grains, nuts
are very high in plant toxins including phytic acid. The symptoms suffered by dogs that ingest nuts
strongly suggest that nuts seem to have some substance, possibly lectins, which can affect the central
nervous system. This nervous system effect is seen more clearly with dogs than with humans. Peanut
allergies in humans can cause anaphylactic shock. This is just another potential sign of the potent
plant toxins hidden in nuts. It is common for people with rampant tooth decay to rely on raw nut and
seed butters as staples, including too much raw tahini.
Nuts are powerful inhibitors of iron absorption.
3c
 But phytic acid levels in nuts do not directly
correlate with the decrease in iron absorption. Even though fresh coconut has a moderate amount of
phytic acid, fresh coconut has little or no impact on iron absorption. Sprouting nuts improves iron
absorption but only modestly. Vitamin C in the dose of 25 milligrams can prevent compounds in nuts
from blocking iron absorption. Interestingly the iron-blocking characteristics of nuts may have to do
with how nut proteins are digested.
4c
 This may explain the indigenous cultures’ propensity to mix nuts
with animal proteins.
Phytic Acid Content of Nuts

Almon 1.14
Walnut 0.98
Peanut 0.82
Roasted Peanut 0.95
Sprouted Peanut 0.61
Hazel Nut 0.65
Brazil Nut 1.72
Just so you understand these figures, nuts contain about the same level of phytic acid as grains.
Do not misunderstand me; I think nuts are delicious—especially when they have been sprouted
and low-temperature dehydrated, and then roasted to eliminate a large amount of phytic acid. It seems
almost universal that indigenous cultures cooked their nuts in some way, such as adding them to meat
soups and stews. The problem people have with nuts is that they are consuming too many raw, which
means they are high in phytic acid, and too much as a staple, rather than as a part of a wholesome diet.
An interesting note about macadamia nuts is that they are an aboriginal nut from Australia. Aboriginal
peoples also had access to the highest vitamin C rich fruit on the planet, the kakadu plum. The high
amounts of vitamin C in the aboriginal diet may have protected Australia’s Aborigines from plant
toxins from macadamia nuts. Many types of macadamia nuts are known to be toxic and are not
cultivated. A certain nut from Thailand needs to be buried in volcanic soil for 100 days, and then
soaked for three days in water to make it safe to eat. Nuts contain nourishing vitamins, but also potent
plant toxins that could adversely affect the central nervous system.
Since many people consume coconut flour, I will mention that dried coconut flour has about the
same amount of phytic acid, 1.17 percent,
6c
as many grains and other nuts. Coconut does not impactiron absorption which implies that it is much lower in the potent plant toxins found in grains and
beans. Traditional societies shred coconut and usually cook it. This is not the same as commercially
sold coconut flour. Coconut meal is a less powdered form of coconut flour. Coconut flour is made
from the byproduct of coconut milk or coconut oil production. Coconut meal is usually used as animal
feed. Even as an animal feed, its low protein digestibility causes pigs not to grow fully when it is
used as a protein supplement.
7c
 It contains twice the fiber of the bran of grains. Because of the phytic
acid content of coconut flour, consuming it regularly may affect your calcium / phosphorous
metabolism. If you do consume coconut flour, make sure to have plenty of the vitamins and minerals
that protect against phytic acid. Again, these are calcium, vitamin C, and fat-soluble vitamins A and
D.
Nut Suggestions
Nuts in moderation should not be a problem for most people with minor cavities. If you have
severe tooth cavities, or have some nagging cavities that do not heal, consider avoiding nuts entirely
until the problem resolves.
Basic Guidelines

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

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

Roast nuts and use them for cooking, particularly with meat-based soups and stews.
Extract the oil from freshly roasted nuts.
Or, avoid nuts entirely.Trace Minerals Repair Cavities
The subject of trace minerals can get rather sticky since the utilization and balance of every
mineral in our body is connected to all the other minerals in our body. I am not aware of any
recognized minerals that are not important for our teeth. Minerals left out of the discussion here are
still important. We have discussed the two essential minerals to remineralize teeth, calcium and
phosphorus. Dentist and researcher Ralph Steinman recognized that magnesium, copper, iron, and
manganese could all significantly influence tooth decay.
Iron
 deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in both less-developed
as well as industrialized countries worldwide.
8c
 This deficiency is explained by the iron binding
effects of phytic acid from grains and beans.
Iron Content of Some Foods
Food
 (100 gram servings, about 3.5 ounces)
Iron in Milligrams
beef / lamb spleen
45
duck / goose liver
31
clams
12
caviar
12
lamb kidneys
12
chicken / turkey liver
12
sun dried tomatoes
9
potatoes
7
parsley, raw
6
beef liver
5
In general mollusks and organ meats are high in iron. Certain herbs like nettles are said to be
high in iron. People eating diets containing grains are going to be much more susceptible to iron
deficiencies due to the iron-binding qualities of phytic acid. Interestingly enough, cocoa powder


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 blocks excavated. Often
happened that thawed and put into heated water newts
revived, ate the food offered to them - flies, spiders, aquarium
fishes. In 1956 a team of mining in Magadan
the area found a 14-meter depth newt. When we returned
in a tent and light the fire, the animal gradually thawed frozen
and stirred. His life went on as long as 12 hours. At the same time
hastened to declare this event a great sensation: the alleged
found fossil newt, which, having been in a state of suspended animation
two million years, back to life. In fact, Newt was not
fossil and modern. But the question is how long can
save the life of the frozen amphibians, remains controversial.
Found in another time in Chukotka in a piece of eternal ice of the Siberian
salamander was subjected to radioisotope investigations. Kiev
scientists have concluded that his age is between 75
up to 105 years, while the reptiles were in control
many times younger.
Almost all species of reptiles in northern latitudes fall
winter hibernation. in most northern areas, it extends 7.8
months. South of their sleep is shorter. Lizards burrow into the soil,
arranging themselves burrows on steep dry slopes, which does not threaten
flood. in a good sunny day they wake up in the
few hours to bask in the sun and the hunt again
hiding, falling into a stupor. Land turtles climb on
half a meter deep into the soil in the natural cover or burrows of moles,
foxes, rodents, closing with peat moss and wet leaves.
Sometimes they wake up sometimes for a week. Marsh
turtles spend the winter buried in mud ponds. Snakes do not like
cold. Even in summer, if you put a snake for a few hours
19
19in the refrigerator, it can be treated as a piece of rope. Therefore,
winter quarters and carefully picked up the snake oblyubovyvayut
long. Usually it is the underground caves and cavities formed
around a large old tree stumps with rotten roots, or a gap in the rocks.
in such shelters is going to a large number of snakes, even different
species, forming huge balls. they sometimes are between
several tens to hundreds of snakes, which led to the erroneous
belief that snakes are going into the coils to warm up. Between
so the temperature of snakes during hibernation is not very different
ambient temperature, and gather them together
simply from a lack of suitable shelters - some of the "community"
used for decades.
How do animals manage to survive
frozen? Just as in the onset of cold weather
machines are added to the radiator coolant, freezing at minus
37 ° C in the body fluids of some cold-winter form
Antifreeze proteins, which appear in the body when the crystals
ice contact them and block further crystallization
water. in many fish, terrestrial arthropods, including spiders
and mites, the effectiveness of antifreeze proteins is so great
that prevents ice formation even at minus 15 ° C. Except
specific proteins in the body of some cold-blooded
beings produced more and carbohydrates, antifreeze, more
Mitigating the point of maximum exposure. For example,
in the tissues of many insects, winter stored carbohydrate antifreeze
glycerol, successfully preventing freezing. caterpillars
galloobrazuyuschey butterfly to the middle of winter, glycerol 19%
the whole body, allowing the supercool down to minus 30 ° C. A hairy
Arctic butterfly caterpillars in the frozen state
spend up to 10 months a year at minus 50 ° C and more! Originally
adapted to low temperatures, water, some fish
living in the North Atlantic and Arctic
waters - they are changing the composition of the blood. with decreasing temperature
water fall in their blood accumulate salt in a concentration
which is typical for sea water, which enhances cryoprotective
action, making it difficult to freeze the blood. Relatively recently
in the blood of these fish are found and special antifreeze proteins,
lowering the freezing point of solution to an even greater extent,
than salt.
If you have a very harsh winter in, the fall in cold-blooded
animals (particularly insects) before the first frost in the body
accumulate protecting ice cryogenic protectors
which increase the strength of cell membranes and inhibit both
called osmotic stress, when water from the cells tends
leak into the extracellular medium with ice, reducing the amount of cells
and making them vulnerable to ice crystals that pierce the shrunken
cell membranes. Cryoprotectants are moderated, and exchange
20
20substances. the frog, for example, has just begun the formation of ice
on the surface of the skin, a rapid synthesis of cryoprotectant
of glucose from liver glycogen. resulting in eight
hours it saturated all the organs, slowing down to a minimum exchange
substances, limited power consumption. Record of such
use of cryoprotectants owned turtles - they
metabolism drops to a level that ensures the survival without
oxygen consumption (!) throughout the winter. Moreover, at high
concentrations of glucose in the body are no phenomena inherent
a person with a high content of glucose in the blood - diabetes
and aging. Frost resistance is always cold-blooded animals
aroused keen interest of scientists.
In anabiotic state fall and some species of higher
plants. Record in this respect, the plant belongs bronets,
appearing before the prairies of the American continent. Put
in the herbarium, this plant has sustained more than 11 years in the dried
state without losing its vitality. Inevitably arises
question: What helps plants endure severe dehydration
and fall into a state of suspended animation in which metabolism proceeds
so slowly that practically almost zero? By
According to scientists, with dehydration in plants that can fall
anabiotic in the state is not disrupted the process of respiration, which
maintains its so-called energy usefulness.
When dehydration in plants continue to be produced rich
energy compounds such as ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Energy
formed in the process of respiration to almost complete drying
these plants is transferred almost all cellular structures and all
cellular content, which is dehydrating, passes
a jelly-like state, and the cells can for years to maintain its
viability.
WHETHER there are BIRDS, ВПАДА ЮЩИЕ in HIBERNATION?
Thus, we found that most of the animals with unstable
body temperature, which depends on the environmental flow
in a state of hibernation. But it is surprising that so many animals
with a constant body temperature, such as birds, can also
fall into hibernation during adverse seasons.
It is known that most birds avoid adverse winter
conditions through the flight. It became clear that some species of birds
may fall into such a state in bad seasons
year. There are observations that some species of swallows
(Village and rocky) also fall into winter hibernation.
State of short-term torpor, which scientists call
torpid, was observed in newly hatched chicks
Swifts, which flow into this state when parents
leave them for several days under adverse conditions
(For example, during the approaching cyclone). able
21
21torpor body temperature of chicks from 39 ° C dropped to 20 ° C
and even lower heart rate and breathing slows down, and in this state
They were kept 7-12 days. Reappearing, parents warmed
their own bodies, and the chicks are returned to life. in favorable
time, young swifts flew from the nest after 33-35 days, and
at a disadvantage when they fell into a stupor, they
were needed 40-50 days.
Has long been known that in such a torpid state flow
and chicks of some species of hummingbirds, if the mother will fly for food
delayed by more than ten minutes (the only female hummingbirds
feeding offspring). After her return, warmed
maternal warmth, they come back to life. Established that
adults of several hummingbird species in the Americas
continent are also able to fall into a state of torpor
in a particularly cold nights, when their body temperature drops to
8,8 ° C. Proved that the weight of the different kinds of hummingbirds ranging from 1,7 to
19.1 g, and oxygen consumption in small specimens in a state
rest - 11-16 ml per 1 g body weight per hour during the flight - 70-85 ml, and
in a state of torpor only 0.17 ml. Energy consumption in hummingbirds
high, and there is a danger that hummingbird with body temperature
44 ° C can not survive without food for a period when they sleep, so
as they do not have enough energy stocks. When such a situation
their bodies with excessive cooling at night from exhaustion
lose the opportunity to warm up again early in its active phase.
Meanwhile, as you know, night on the South and Central American
High Plateau, home to hummingbirds, cold. That is why hummingbirds
possess a protective mechanism - fall night in torpid
state, the temperature of their bodies compared with the temperature
environment, so that they do not give up their heat
and conserve


 conditions. Although they are now heavily influenced by the Western way
of life and have lost much of their plant lore, they continue to employ many indigenous plants medicinally. The stem of the seaweed Ecklonia maxima,  for example, is roasted, mixed with petroleum jelly, and rubbed into wounds and burns, while Hoodia currori, a low-lying cactus, is stripped of its thorns and outer skin and eaten raw to treat coughs and colds.
 Throughout Africa, thousands of different wild and locally grown
medicinal plants are sold in the markets. Some are prescribed as medicines for home use. Others, such as kanna (Membryanthemum spp.) and iboga Africa
In Africa there is a greater variety of herbal traditions
than on any other continent. During the colonial period, native herbal practices were largely suppressed, but today, in a marked turnaround, practitioners of conventional medicine often work closely with traditional healers.
Devil’s claw
(Harpagophytum
procumbens, p. 103)
is anti-inflammatory,
and is now widely
used in the West.Visnaga seeds
Visnaga leaves
Devil’s claw
rhizome
Devil’s claw chopped rhizome
US_044-045_Africa.indd   44 26/02/16   4:42 pm45Afric A
Kola nut powder
Senna decoction
Senna podsKola nut (Cola
acuminata, p. 192) is
taken in western and
central Africa to
relieve headaches.
Grains of paradise
(Aframomum melegueta )
are used as a condiment
in Africa and are taken
medicinally as a warming
remedy for nausea.
Pellitory (Anacyclus
pyrethrum, p. 166)
has an acrid, irritant
root that stimulates
the circulation when
applied to the skin.
Senna (Cassia senna, p. 75)
contains anthraquinones—
constituents that cause
the bowel to contract—
hence the plant’s laxative
effect. The plant’s first
recorded medicinal use was
in Arabia in the 9th century.
Aloe vera (Aloe vera,
p. 60) contains two
medicinal substances,
each with a markedly
different use. The clear
gel from the center of
the leaf speeds the
healing of wounds. Juice
from the base of the leaf,
known as “bitter aloes,”
has laxative properties. (Tabernanthe iboga ), are chewed to combat fatigue, and are taken as
intoxicants in religious ceremonies. According to local accounts in the
Congo and Gabon, iboga’s stimulant effect was discovered when observers
saw wild boars and gorillas dig up and eat the roots, and subsequently
become frenzied.
Traditional & Conventional Care
Conventional Western medicine is well established
throughout Africa, but in rural areas, far from
medical and hospital services, traditional medicine
remains the only form of health care available.
Even in urban areas conventional health care
services can be limited, and in this situation
traditional providers of care such as spiritualists,
herbalists, and midwives are the main
source of treatment available for
the majority of the population.
The World Health Organization
aims to achieve a level of health
care that will permit all people
to lead socially and economically
productive lives. In an attempt to
meet this, African countries have
pioneered the training of traditional
medicine practitioners in simple
medical techniques and basic
hygiene procedures. In one center
in Mampong, Ghana, conventionally
trained medical staff work hand
in hand with traditional herbal
practitioners, encouraging the
safer use of herbal medicines and
researching them in detail. In nearby Kumasi, the university now offers a
BS degree in herbal medicine. This represents a remarkable change in
attitude. In the 19th and much of the 20th centuries, colonial governments
and Christian missionaries viewed traditional herbalists as witch doctors,
whose practices were best suppressed.
The Discovery of New Herbal Cures
Along with encouraging the safer use of herbal medicines, medical centers
are researching their use in detail. The benefits of pygeum ( Pygeum africanum,
p. 260) have been conclusively established. This tree is traditionally used in
central and southern Africa to treat urinary problems. Today, it is regularly
prescribed in conventional French and Italian medicine for prostate problems.
Of the plants under investigation in Africa, Kigelia ( Kigelia pinnata, p.
225)—a sub-Saharan tree, and Sutherlandia ( Sutherlandia frutescens )—a
small South African shrub, are of particular interest. Kigelia has a marked
ability to prevent and heal skin lesions, including psoriasis, while
Sutherlandia is an adaptogen with anticancer activity.
 The reevaluation of traditional herbal medicine in Africa may result in
the acceptance of additional plant-based medicines. Today, the opportunity
exists to combine the best of traditional practice with conventional medical
knowledge, for mutual gain.This Nigerian divination bowl was used by traditional
healers in the diagnosis of illness via the interpretation
of magical signs.
US_044-045_Africa.indd   45 26/02/16   4:42 pm
46THE DEVELOPMENT OF HERBAL MEDICINE
Opium
poppy seeds
Kava rootOpium poppy (Papaver somniferum, p. 244) is cultivated commercially in Australia. It is used extensively in both conventional and herbal medicine  as a sedative and  is a very potent painkiller.
Australian wattle  (Acacia decurrens, see  A. nilotica, p. 159) is
a strongly antiseptic
herb used to treat conditions where
the skin or mucous membranes need tightening or protecting.
Vervain (Verbena
officinalis, p. 149) was brought to Australia by early British settlers. It is a tonic and restorative  for the nerves  and digestion.The cradle of the oldest continuous culture on earth, Australia is also
the home of an ancient herbal tradition. The Aborigines, believed to
have settled in Australia over 60,000 years ago, developed a sophisticated
empirical understanding of indigenous plants, many of which, such as eucalyptus (Eucalpytus globulus, p. 96), are unique to Australia. While much of this knowledge has vanished with its keepers, there is currently  a high level of interest in native herbal traditions.
Aboriginal Herbal Medicine
The Aborigines probably had a more robust health than the early European
settlers who displaced them. They had very different ideas of health, disease, and illness, in which the influence of the spirit world played a major role. In common with other hunter-gatherer societies, the Aborigines devoted much time to ritual, which reinforced the sense of place and purpose in the lives of each individual. They used healing plants and the laying on of hands
in a complex weave of culture and medicine. The influx of Europeans in the 18th century was disastrous for  the Aborigines. They were exploited and driven off the land, and their population was decimated by killings and infectious Western diseases.  Not only did the Europeans fail to discern any value in native customs,  but much of the orally based herbal tradition was lost through death  of the elders and the dispersal of tribal groupings. Nevertheless, a little is known of Aboriginal medicine. Aromatic herbs, such as eucalpytus, were crushed and inhaled to treat many common illnesses, including respiratory diseases such as flu. Without metal technology, water could not be boiled, but decoctions were made by heating water with hot stones. These were drunk or applied externally. Skin eruptions, such as boils and scabies, were common and were treated with acacia (Acacia spp., p. 158), while acute diarrhea was treated with eucalyptus or
kino (Pterocarpus marsupium, p. 258). In Queensland, fever bark (Alstonia
spp., p. 165) was used to treat fevers.
Indigenous & Foreign Herbs
Over the past 200 years, many native Australian plants have become
popular around the world. Research into fever bark resulted in the discovery of the alkaloid reserpine, which markedly lowers blood pressure. The substance is now prescribed by herbalists and conventional practi-tioners alike. Eucalyptus and tea tree ( Melaleuca alternifolia, p. 112) yield
essential oils that are employed worldwide as antiseptics. Other native Australian plants are now used in Australian herbalism because of their Australia and
New Zealand
Regrettably, much of the herbal knowledge of the Australian
Aborigines was lost after the arrival of the Europeans. The predominant strains of Australian herbalism today derive from  the West, China, and, increasingly, from other countries on the Pacific Rim.
Kava (Piper
methysticum, p. 122) forms an important part of ceremonial activities among the peoples of Melanesia and Polynesia. It is taken for herbal calming and urinary infections, and is used as a wash to treat rheumatic pain.
US_046-047_Australia_and_New_zealand.indd   46 26/02/16   4:42 pm47Austr Ali


 rate of
clearance of alcohol from the body, aiding recovery
from intoxication. Kudzu root, however, is thought
to act in a more or less opposite way—it slows the
liver’s ability to break down (and clear) alcohol from
the system. Kudzu root may therefore increase the
risks associated with alcohol consumption, and
should not be taken as a “hangover cure.”
Research Chinese studies indicate that kudzu
increases cerebral blood flow in patients with
arteriosclerosis, and eases neck pain and stiffness.
U.S. research indicates that kudzu may suppress
the desire for alcohol.
Related Species The closely related P. mirifica
and P. tuberosa  have been investigated for their
contraceptive effect.
Pulmonaria officinalis
(Boraginaceae)
Lungwort
Description Perennial growing to 1 ft (30 cm).
Has broad oval basal leaves, smaller upper leaves
mottled with white spots, and clusters of
pink-purple flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Lungwort is native to
Europe and the Caucasus. It flourishes in mountain
pastures and in damp sites. The leaves are gathered
in late spring.
Parts Used Leaves.
Constituents Lungwort contains allantoin,
flavonoids, tannins, mucilage, and saponins.
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids occur in the roots, but in
negligible quantities in the leaves.Pomegranate’s leathery
fruit and jewel-toned
seeds feature in ancient
Greek mythology.
Lungwort’s speckled leaves were once considered a sign of
its ability to cure lung problems.History & Folklore In 1500 bce, the pharaoh
Tuthmosis reputedly brought back pomegranate to
Egypt from Asia. Prized as a fruit, it was also sought
after as a remedy for worms. The Greek physician
Dioscorides, in the 1st century ce, knew of the
herb’s ability to expel worms, but this attribute was
subsequently forgotten in Europe for nearly 1,800
years. In the early 19th century, after an Indian
herbalist used pomegranate to cure an Englishman
of tapeworms, English doctors in India became
interested in pomegranate and its medicinal
properties were investigated.Pulsatilla chinensis
(Ranunculaceae)
Chinese Anemone,
Bai Tou Weng (Chinese)
Description Perennial herb growing to
10 in (25 cm). Has erect downy stems,
compound leaves, bell-shaped flowers,
and feathery seedheads.
Habitat & Cultivation Chinese anemone
is native to eastern Asia, and is found in Mongolia,
China, and Japan. The root is unearthed either
before the plant comes into flower in spring,
or in autumn.
Part Used Root.
Constituents Chinese anemone contains
lactones (including protoanemonin and anemonin),
pulsatoside, and anemonol.
History & Folklore Chinese anemone root
was first documented in Chinese medicine in the
Divine Husbandman’s Classic  (Shen’nong Bencaojing ),
a herbal written in the 1st century ce.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Chinese
anemone is thought to clear toxicity and to lower
fever. It is most commonly taken as a decoction
to counter infection within the gastrointestinal
tract. The root is also used to treat malarial fever
and vaginal infections.
Research Chinese studies have shown the root
to be potentially valuable as a treatment for
amoebic dysentery.
Related Species See pasque flower ( Anemone
pulsatilla, p. 168).
Caution T ake Chinese anemone only under
professional supervision.Pomegranate
fruit
US_246-265_Pergularia_Extensa_Salvia_Sclarea.indd   259 26/02/16   12:47 pm
260
other medicinal plantsPygeum africanum
Medicinal Actions & Uses Until recently,
the chief medicinal value of pomegranate was
as a deworming agent, with the rind and bark being considered specific remedies for tapeworm infestation. Now, pomegranate juice is widely available and known for its positive effects on the heart and circulation. Like other medicinal plants with a high anthocyanidin content, pomegranate fruit and juice have potent protective activity on  all aspects of the circulation, supporting healthy circulation and countering local inflammatory activity, which damages the inner lining of the blood vessels. The juice is commonly taken to  help with cardiovascular problems, including  high blood pressure, capillary fragility, angina,  and congestive heart failure. It also appears  to help prevent dental plaque.
Research In recent years, there has been
significant interest in the medicinal properties  of pomegranate fruit and juice. As above, pomegranate has a strongly beneficial activity  on the cardiovascular system, but it also appears  to have an unusually wide range of potential therapeutic properties, including antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and estrogenic activity. James A. Duke, a former USDA  botanist, has described it as an “antimenopausal fruit.” Pomegranate shows signs of having
anticancer activity and has been recommended  as a preventative and treatment for prostate cancer. New potential uses are likely to emerge over time.
Cautions Do not use the rind or bark unless
under professional supervision. This plant, and especially its bark extracts, is subject to legal restrictions in some countries.
Pygeum africanum (Boraginaceae)
Pygeum
Description Evergreen tree growing to
115 ft (35 m). Has oblong leaves, white flowers,  and red berries.
Habitat & Cultivation Pygeum is native
to Africa. It is still harvested from the wild, but severe shortages have led to the establishment  of plantations.
Part Used Bark.
Constituents Pygeum contains phytosterols
(beta-sitosterol), triterpenes (ursolic and oleanolic acids), long-chain alcohols (n-tetracosanol), as well as tannins.
Medicinal Actions & Uses In conventional
medicine in France, the fat-soluble extract of pygeum bark has become the primary treatment for an enlarged prostate gland. A decoction of the bark may reduce the severity of chronic prostate inflammation, and it may also help reverse male Quillaja saponaria (Rosaceae)
Soap Bark
Description Evergreen tree growing to 65 ft
(20 m). Has glossy oval leaves, white flowers, and star-shaped fruit.
Habitat & Cultivation Soap bark is native to
Chile and Peru, and is cultivated in California and India. The bark is gathered throughout the year.
Part Used Inner bark.
Constituents Soap bark contains up to 10%
triterpenoid saponins, calcium oxalate, and tannins. The saponins are strongly expectorant and can cause inflammation of the digestive tract.
History & Folklore In Peru and Chile, soap
bark has traditionally been used by Andean peoples as an alternative to soap. The bark has been used medicinally as an expectorant remedy.
Medicinal Actions & Uses Soap bark has
a long tradition of use as a treatment for chest problems. Its strong expectorant effect is beneficial in the treatment of bronchitis, especially in the early stages of the illness. Like other medicinal plants that contain saponins, soap bark stimulates the production of a more fluid mucus in the airways, facilitating the clearing of phlegm through coughing. Soap bark is useful for treating any condition featuring congested mucus within the chest, but it should not be used for dry irritable coughs. Soap bark is also used externally, appearing in the formulations of dandruff shampoos.
 QCautions Use only under professional
supervision. As soap bark is irritant to the digestive tract, internal use must be carefully monitored.sterility when this is due to insufficient prostate secretions. In combination with other plants, pygeum may be valuable in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Research Trials carried out since the 1960s,
many of them in France, have established that pygeum extract has positive effects on the
prostate gland. Specifically, the extract increases glandular secretions and reduces levels of cholesterol within the organ. In some Western countries, surgery is the main option for enlarged prostates, but in France pygeum is prescribed in 81% of cases.
Related Species The fruit kernels of the
Asian P. gardneri are used to poison fish.
 QCaution Only take pygeum under
professional supervision.
ranunculus ficaria
(Ranunculaceae)
Lesser Celandine,
Pilewort
Description Mat-forming perennial growing to
6 in (15 cm). Has small tubers, fleshy heart-shaped
leaves, and shiny-petaled, brilliant yellow flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation Lesser celandine is
native to western Asia, North Africa, and Europe. Commonly found in woods, roadsides, and bare open spaces, it is collected when in flower in spring.
Parts Used Aerial parts.
Constituents Lesser celandine contains
saponins, protoanemonin and anemonin, tannins, and vitamin C.
History & Folklore Lesser celandine has
been used from the earliest times as a medicine  for


	focus	on	the	journey	rather	than	the	destination.	This	means	that	you
keep	your	attention	on	the	very	thing	you	are	doing	now,	getting	everything
out	of	this	moment,	rather	than	focusing	on	events	and	things	that	haven’t
happened	yet.
You	always	have	the	inner	attitude	that	your	actions	come	from	the	universe
and	go	back	to	the	universe.
You	don’t	hold	on,	you	don’t	clutch	and	cling	to	anything.	Your	purpose	is	to
be	the	caretaker	of	everything	valuable	in	your	life,	cherishing	it	but	knowing
that	in	the	end	no	one	possesses	anything.	The	only	thing	you	can	truly
possess	is	yourself.
A	sparrow,	or	any	creature,	doesn’t	work	at	getting	things	to	go	right.	The
next	impulse	that	comes	its	way	is	exactly	what	creatures	should	do.	When
you	can	match	that,	you	have	mastered	the	way	of	action.	There	is	more
complication	in	your	life	than	in	a	sparrow’s,	but	the	same	infinite	intelligence
is	capable	of	making	even	the	most	complex	life	beautiful,	peaceful,	well
ordered,	and	fulfilled.	You	don’t	have	to	fight	and	struggle	for	everything.
You	can	trust	that	you	will	always	find	a	way	You	can	be	at	peace	that
whatever	comes	to	you	is	right.	You	can	feel	that	your	inner	yearnings	are
understood	and	will	unfold	in	time	as	they	should.
So	really,	Baba	gave	me	a	whole	vision	in	the	example	of	one	tiny	sparrow.	If
I	could	find	a	way	to	be	carefree	and	still	accomplish	what	I	wanted	to	do,	my
whole	life	would	feel	like	a	miracle.	After	our	first	day	together,	I	could	only
imagine	what	he	had	in	mind	for	our	second.Day	Two
:
How	Do	Wishes	Come	True?Life	Is	Desire
B
aba	didn’t	make	me	wait	long.	It	was	only	a	few	days	later	that	he	returned.
Only	this	time	I	didn’t	find	him	under	the	twisted	tree	by	the	side	of	the	road.
He	came	to	me.
I	was	back	at	school.	Nobody	had	called	me	in	for	missing	a	day;	how	this
magic	occurred	I	will	never	know.	Maybe	Baba	knew	a	lot	more	tricks	than	I
imagined.	When	the	noon	bell	rang,	I	burst	outside	with	the	other	boys—we
had	no	girls	at	our	school	on	the	hill—tearing	off	my	tie	as	I	ran	toward	the
soccer	field.
I	was	in	the	backfield	waiting	for	the	kickoff	when	something	caught	my	eye.
A	speck	of	white	in	the	distance.	Baba	was	watching	us	from	the	flat	roof	of
the	school.	Everyone	else	was	so	caught	up	in	the	game	that	they	didn’t
notice.	Or	maybe	Baba	was	just	for	my	eyes.	Either	way	I	ran	off	the	field	and
ignored	the	shouts	that	followed	me	from	the	rest	of	my	team.
When	I	opened	the	creaky	door	that	led	on	to	the	roof,
	I	half	expected	Baba
not	to	be	there.	But	he	was,	sitting	calmly	on	the	parapet.
“Some	come	true,	but	many	never	do,”	he	said.	He	had	barely	turned	his	head
to	acknowledge	my	arrival.	“Do	you	know	what	I’m	talking	about?”
“No.”	I	was	now	used	to	Baba’s	habit	of	mystifying	me.
“Wishes,”	he	said.	“Look	down	there.”
He	pointed	at	the	soccer	game,	which	was	a	mad,	screaming	scramble.	Boys
ran	up	and	down	the	field	and	kicked	the	ball	as	if	everything	was	at	stake.	“It
doesn’t	matter	what’s	at	stake,”	Baba	said,	picking	up	my	thought.	“When
you	really	want	something,	it’s	hard	to	get	your	mind	off	it.	Every	moment
counts	until	your	wish	comes	true.”
“But	many	never	do,”	I	said,	repeating	his	words.	“Isn’t	that	how	life	works?”
“No,”	said	Baba.	“When	your	wish	doesn’t	come	true,	you’ve	gone	against
the	way	life	works.	Let	me	show	you.”His	finger	had	found	a	tuft	of	grass	growing	between	two	bricks	in	the
parapet.	“A	seed	landed	up	here,	where	there’s	no	soil.	It	sprouted	in	a	pinch
of	dust	between	these	bricks.	A	little	rain	found	this	cranny,	and	now	there	is
an	explosion	of	life.”	He	flicked	at	the	grass	with	his	finger.	“Each	blade	is	so
fragile	that	you	can	crush	it	with	a	tiny	squeeze,	yet	this	grass	has	all	of	life
behind	it.	The	power	of	life	is	irresistible.	Go	to	the	city	and	you’ll	see	wisps
of	grass	pushing	their	way	between	tons	of	concrete	in	the	roads	that	cars	roll
over	every	day”
“But	that’s	what	grass	does,”	I	said.	“What	does	it	have	to	do	with	a	wish?”
“Life	has	one	overwhelming	desire,”	said	Baba,	“which	is	to	grow.	Your
wishes	are	part	of	life,	and	they	deserve	to	have	its	power	behind	them.”
“So	you’re	saying	every	wish	should	come	true?”
“I	am”	said	Baba.
“But	they	can’t.”	I	pointed	down	at	the	soccer	field.	“Both	sides	want	to	win.
They	fight	to	make	that	wish	come	true.	Yet	in	the	end	one	side	has	to	lose.
For	them	the	wish	doesn’t	come	true.”
“That’s	very	true,”	said	Baba.	“But	you’ve	left	out	the	X	factor,	the	unknown.
The	X	factor	is	spiritual.	It	turns	failures	into	victories,	because	in	the	deeper
reality	all	wishes
must
	come	true.	They	have	no	choice.”
“That’s	quite	a	mystery,”	I	said.
“One	worth	exploring	on	our	second	day,	if	you	feel	ready,”	said	Baba.
He	didn’t	wait	for	an	answer.	Five	minutes	later	he’d	led	me	off	the	roof	and
down	the	stairs.	We	strode	quickly	away	from	the	school,	and	the	shouts	from
the	soccer	field	faded	into	faint	echoes.
W
HAT
	I	L
EARNED
Baba	had	a	lot	to	say	about	how	wishes	come	true.	This	encounter	wasn’t
really	a	lesson,	but	it	taught	me	something	important	even	before	we	had
begun.	I	stopped	seeing	life
	around	me	as	routine	and	mechanical.	Does
anyone	really	bother	about	a	bit	of	grass	growing	through	the	sidewalk?	It’s
just	there.	But	every	seed	of	grass	is	bursting	with	desire.	It
must
	expand	andgrow.	It	seizes	any	chance	to	sprout.	It	uses	any	opportunity	to	get	around
obstacles.	Desires	are	seeds	just	like	that—they	want	to	make	something
happen,	and	even	when	the	desire	is	small	and	insignificant,	it	doesn’t	want	to
stop	until	it	gets	to	its	goal.
So	the	wonder	is	not	that	all	of	us	have	so	many	wishes,	hopes,	and	dreams.
The	wonder	is	that	they	don’t	come	true	all	the	time.	Baba	believed	that	they
should.	No,	they
must,
	because	the	irresistible	power	of	life	is	never	going	to
take	no	for	an


 has become so rare and out of line with
the materialistic pursuit of modern society, hence the recourse to drugs, it is a natural and most nor mal human experience, one which the more humanistic and benign primitives appear to enjoy
throughout the waking day and in their dream ecstasies also. It comes, as a more or less continuous irradiation of joyfulness, of a
sense of profound relevance and belonging, with peaks amounting
to rapture, as the reward for life wholly and humanly lived, for effective social and communal co mpassion and service, for sexual
love achieved as for the extensions of loving freed of all sexuality; it
comes in the practice of any humanly enhancing occupation, of work shared and socially relevant, of art, of ritual, of religion.
The essential characteristic of the 'high' experience, as of the
'high' dream, is that the level of experience is so altered that ordinary verbal descriptions and analyses are pointless. Its only possible evidence is its experience,  which is the reason why it has
become so neglected in a materialistic culture which has
increasingly insisted that only the so lid material things are real. But
although rarely experienced by the majority of people today, except perhaps for the common intense in timations of puberty and of
youth, it can be easily recovered, so well as to become the most rewarding ingredient in living.
Food appears to have a singular capacity for inducing such a
'high'. No doubt this can be entirely due to the sacramental element in eating, with its profound humanizing associations, but there could also be a more physiological boosting to it. The attractiveness, beauty and purity of natural foods are such a boosting, for the 'high' experience is necessarily a hyper-aesthetic experience. Ugliness is
anathema to it.
In another book, the writer mentioned an observation of
Macacus monkeys in the wild, in a drunken, rapturous condition following feasts on ripe guavas. So keen were they on the effects, that some individuals were seen to prefer the overripe fallen fruits to
those on the bough. Is this a perversion, or does it reflect a natural
boost to the joy of living which primate eating is intended to provide? An analysis of ripe guavas revealed the interesting fact that they contained up to 0.8 per cent ethyl alcohol, while those on the ground could have as much as 2 per cent to 3 per cent.
Because of its crude abuses as a mind-fuddling drug in the
West, entailing the consumption of large amounts of alcoholic
drinks, alcohol is a misunderstood substance. When very small amounts of alcohol are taken, in the right frame of mind, it is
nothing but a stimulant of the higher, humanizing emotions. It is only when this threshold is exceeded that alcohol passes quickly
from being a stimulant, to a depressant, cutting out the higher
aspects of mental functioning and thus inducing a lower, frequently subhuman level of experience and behaviour. The importance of the
right frame of mind has been observed in the case of other psychotropic substances. Taken without the uplifting influence of sacrament, they have banal and frequently anti-human results.
Taken in a sacramental atmosphere, they can be potently
humanizing.
The humanly enhancing effects of minimal amounts of alcohol
taken in a sacramental context was not missed by the early Christians. Some early sects so managed to enhance the quite
minimal amounts of alcohol taken in the sacrament that they would
dance and shake with divine rapture, to the point of becoming scathingly called the'shakers' by those who did not share their
rapture.
The fact that yeasts specialized for converting sugar into
alcohol are present on the skins of all fruits, that naturally such
fruits become bruised, if ever so minutely as by the effects of wind, would imply that any creature designed to live preponderantly on fruits would necessarily partake of certain minimal amounts of alcohol. Knowing how canny nature, in the guise of natural selection, happens to be in making use of any such offerings, it is
reasonable to suppose that such minute traces of ethyl alcohol were
made use of in the human genesis to act as a stimulant to the higher humanizing faculties. If a 'high' experience is a humanly decisive experience, then such a stimulation would have been as much a tool in humanization as the perception of order and beauty in nature, as
the evolution of the musical capacities of the human voice. It would
have been an ideal antidote to the risks of the antihuman substances
which can, as we have seen, arise in the course of deviant dietaries. Granting the relatively large amounts of fruits intended to be eaten, enough alcohol could be derived to induce the kind of 'high'
described, emphasizing the humanizing role of food in general.
There are hints that in prehisto ry, such feasting occurred, and
that the grape, a typical low growi ng fruit of EuroAsia, featured in
such feasts. But with the advent of the Ice Ages, or the ending of the first great Interglacial during which humanizing conditions applied, a disturbed environment led to a disturbed way of life. It was not a
big step unfortunately for the minimal amounts of alcohol in natural
foods to give way to the higher amounts made available in especially fermented fruits, in accord with the rising subhuman arousals of a disturbed existence. So the fermented juices of fruits became linked to the Dionysian cults; as innocence was lost, so
these evidently became more orgias tic and lascivious. Quite early in
human history alas, alcohol became an active agent in dehumanization, as it still is.
To say that beauty goes with h ealth, and that health is the
reward of wholeness, requires a defi nition of beauty distinct from its
usual sexy involvements. Necessarily natural beauty is designed to
enshrine sexual love, but this is different from the beauty, which is
no more than a veiled invitation to licence, evident in entertainment, in fashion, in the novel, in a romanticized sexuality not so far from embellished pornography. Natural b eauty demands purity, and is
inseparable from love. In the eyes of love, provided there is no
untoward blemish, what could be seen as sexually plain could
appear as of great beauty, a matter of internal light rather than of outward provocation, of wholeness rather than surface. That the human being, when truly human, is particularly attuned to this definition of beauty is made eviden t in art. Indeed, when it is the
'sexy' kind of beauty that prevails, one has not to do with art, but
with pornography.
It is a fact, which anyone can put to the test, that a return to a
natural dietary not only restores health, but beauty as just defined. The foul breath, and humiliating body odours, supporting a vast artificial industry, give way to a na tural sweetness. It is remarkable
how fragrant the skin becomes on such a diet. The common greasy
patches on forehead and nose, the dilated pores and psoriasis, the crinkly piggy fat and sagging which deform give way to a clarity, a firmness and a harmony of movement even in long abused bodies,
and the eyes, those true portals to the soul, become bright and alive.
There is enough evidence to sustain hope, that even advanced so
called incurable disease can yield to a natural restoration,
particularly when this is accompanied by a supporting restoration in human faith.
But sadly, in some of the most terrible ills against which all the
skills of medicine and science remain largely powerless, the cancers and mutilations of ageing, mostly the results of human mischief and
misunderstanding of nature, the body has no experience of reaction
and defence. Death must then come, and be faced, as it must anyway, however joyful and wonderful life has been. In a civilization geared to the worship of material power, death is a most terrifying, utterly humiliating event. As nothing but an animal,
knowing only material things, death is totally unacceptable, and
those who say that they have resigned themselves to it on such terms, have in truth only shut their eyes to its ultimately humiliating power. Contemplating the wholeness and progressive achievements of life, it would be a contradiction of the entire enterprise of
Creation to produce a creature aware of itself, and so of death,
without some compensatory adaptation. Such compensations have perennially come in the form of a transcendental belief that the human being is not entirely in bo ndage to time and space, a belief
lost in the present crisis of materialism. It will have to be restored, if human beings are to recover a dignified and meaningful place in the
Creation. There is no reason why it should not be a perfectly natural
restoration. There are pointers today even in science that so called material reality is much more than space, time and substance. But while this is at present a challenge  for the individual to face for
himself, nature has equipped the human to face death, in making
death itself the culminating 'high' to living. Even following the
terrible and prolonged torments of disease, there is abounding evidence that death can come as an ecstasy, although it would seem
that the 'high' of dying is more likely to be the reward for a life lived wholely and in respect of natural law.
Just as there is a natural way to living, so there is a natural way
to dying, one completely ignored by the modern age, one


dose until the "die-off" symptoms disappear. Then increase the dose again
and let the patient settle on it. Keep on increasing the dose until a therapeu
tic level is reached. This period of building up the dose can take from a few
weeks to a few months in different patients. It is very individual and depends
on how much overgrowth of pathogenic microbes the person has in the gut.
The therapeutic dose level of probiotic is individual and your health prac
titioner should be able to help you with that. Here are general guidelines;
An adult should have around 15-20 billion of bacterial cells per day.
An infant up to 12 months of age can have 1-2 billion of bacterial cells per
day.
A toddler from 1 to 2 years of age can have 2-4 billion of bacterial cells per
day.
A child from 2 to 4years of age can handle 4-8 billion of bacterial cells per
day.
A child from 4 to 10 years of age can have 8-12 billion of bacterial cells per
day.
From the age of 12 to 16 we can increase the dose to 12-15 billion per day.
Once die patient has reached the therapeutic dose level it should be
maintained for around six months on average. It takes at least this length of
time to remove the pathogenic flora and start re-establishing normal gut
flora. Adhering to the diet is absolutely essential in this period. If you carry
on feeding your pathogens in the gut with sugar and processed carbohy
drates then the probiotic will not have much chance of helping you.
After the therapeutic period is over the dose of the probiotic can be
reduced to a maintenance dose level, which the patient has to adhere to for
many years. It is important to reduce the dose as gradually as you have
been increasing it. Observe any reactions in this period. The maintenance
dose is very individual. Usually it is half of the therapeutic dose. In some
cases the patient's maintenance dose is the same as the therapeutic.
A lot of patients ask: Why do we have to have the maintenance dose? In
other words why do we have to carry on taking the probiotic?
this: we have been designed by Nature to have these bacteria every day
with every mouthful of food or drink. We have changed our environment,
water and food to such a degree that we are depriving our bodies of these
vital bacteria. For people who have good, healdiy resident gut flora it may
not present a big problem. However, for patients with GAP Syndrome it is a big problem. For GAPS people it is particularly vital to consume probiotic
bacteria every day of their lives, because they do not possess their own.
Their gut got populated by pathogens instead of beneficial bacteria and
these pathogens are extremely difficult to drive out because they occupy
different niches in the gut. To get into any of those niches the beneficial
bacteria have to fight quite a battle. In fact probably the only time in our
lives we have to populate our gut with beneficial bacteria is at birth, when
the gut is sterile. Unfortunately most supplemental probiotics do not settle
or colonise on the gut wall. They do their work in the lumen of the gut and
then come out of the system. We have not yet found a way to replace the
pathogens on the gut wall with beneficial bacteria. So, patients with GAP
syndrome need to carry on taking probiotic indefinitely. To maintain the
probiotic you do not have to carry on taking commercial preparations. You
can supplement your diet with fermented foods in the form or home-made
yoghurt, keffir, sauerkraut and other home-made fermented foods.
One of the concerns about probiotic bacteria is that many of them do
not survive the stomach acid. Patients with GAP Syndrome usually have
low stomach acidity, so this is not a big problem for them. But to make sure
that your probiotic survives the stomach acid the general rule is to take it
with food or after food, whenmost stomach acidis bound to foodparticles.
Some manufacturers put an enteric coating on their probiotic capsules to
protect them from stomach acid. I do not support this practice for two rea
sons. First, the stomach needs probiotic bacteria just as much as any other
part of your..digestive system. In a stomach with low acidity all sorts of
pathogens grow on the stomach walls. We need probiotics to deal with
these pathogens. Second, patients with digestive abnormalities are often
not able to break down the enteric coating on capsules. These capsules go
in and out almost unchanged without doing any good.
Perhaps not all bacterial species in your probiotic will survive the
stomach acid. But, an important point to make here is that even dead the
probiotic bacteria will do a lot of good in your gut. Their cell walls contain
substances to stimulate immune response and they will also absorb toxins
removing them from the body. A lot of food manufacturers have picked up
on this fact and are planning to start adding dead probiotic bacteria into
various foods.
In conclusion, probiotic supplementation is absolutely vital for treating
any of the GAPS conditions. Even in those cases, where the patient does
not present with severe digestive problems I find that with the use of diet
and probiotics a considerable improvement can be achieved. 2. FATS:
THE GOOD AND THE BAD
The human brain is about 60% fat (dry weight). Eveiy membrane of every
cell and every organelle inside of cells are made of fats. Many hormones,
neurotransmitters and other active substances in the body are made of
fats. Fats are extremely important in our diet. The question is - what fats?
There has been a great deal of conflicting information and misinforma
tion about fats. In our modern society fats have been pronounced as evil and
the food industry has sprung up to produce an abundance of low-fat and no-
fat products. Saturated animal fats, including those in meat, butter and eggs
have been blamed for all sorts of ills, so the industry, again, has been quick to
provide us with synthetic substitutes, butter replacements and spreads.
People heard that vegetable oils are better for you, so a variety of different
vegetable oils have become the cooking oils instead of traditionally used
lard, goose fat and pork dripping. What the public does not know is how all
these processed oils and fats are made and what exactly they contain.
Hydrogenation and trans-fats
Margarines, butter replacements, "spreadable" vegetable oils, shortenings
and many other artificial fats are hydrogenated to increase their shelf-life
and to make them the right consistency. You can find hydrogenated oils in
most processed foods: chocolates, ice-cream, biscuits, cakes, breads and
pastries, pre-prepared meals, crisps, snacks, etc. Hydrogenation is a pro
cess of adding hydrogen molecules to the chemical structure of oils under
high pressure at a very high temperature (i2O-2io 0C or 248-4ioo°F) in the
presence of nickel, aluminium and sometimes other heavy metals.
Remnants of these metals stay in the hydrogenated oils. Nickel and alu
minium are both heavy metals, adding to the general toxic load which the
body has to work hard to get rid of. Heavy metals, particularly aluminium,
have been linked to many degenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's
disease and dementia. But that is not the main problem with hydrogenated fats. Hydrogenation
changes the chemical structure of the natural oils producing a whole host
of very harmful fats. Many of these changed fats have not even been
studied yet and we don't know what havoc they can wreck in the body. But
a group, called trans-fats, have received a great deal of attention. These are
unsaturated fatty acid, very beneficial for us in a natural state, whose
chemical structure has been changed through processing. Trans-fatty
acids are very similar in their structure to their natural counterparts, but
they are somewhat "back to front". Because of their similarity they occupy
the place of essential fats in the body while being unable to do their job
making cells in a way disabled. All organs and tissues in the body get
affected. For example, trans-fats have great immune-suppressing ability
playing a detrimental role in many different functions of the immune
system. They have been implicated in diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer,
neurological and psychiatric conditions. They interfere with pregnancy
and conception, normal production of hormones, the ability of insulin to
respond to glucose, the ability of enzymes and other active substances to
do their jobs and have damaging effects on liver and kidneys. A breast
feeding mother would have trans-fats in her milk fairly quickly after ingest
ing a helping of a "healthy" butter replacement. A baby's brain has a very
high percent of unsaturated fatty acids; trans-fats would replace them and
interfere with the brain development. It is estimated that an average intake
of trans-fatty acids in the western diet is 9-12 g a day, twice as much as our
consumption of the rest of unnatural substances in foods. Given their abil
ity to impair bodilyfunctions on the most basic biochemical levels, there is
no doubt that their role in our modern epidemics of degenerative disease
is


chives
dill
fennel
mint
Peel the orange and split into segments.  Separate the chicory leaves and arrange like the spokes
of a wheel  around a large dish.  Put the watercress and orange in the middle. Combine all the
dressing ingredients in a jug and stir vigorously.  (If you have no fresh herbs, use a generous
pinch of dried herbs.) Pour over the salad and serve immediately.
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 228Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comRadish, Apple and Celery Salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes (does not include soaking)
Serves 2
radishes, chopped
green apples, chopped
celery, chopped
raisins (presoaked)
lettuce
Dressing :
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp. sugar (or honey)
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
dill, chopped
yogurt
Chop the radishes, green apples and celery into small chunks.  Add the raisins. For the dressing,
mix together the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar (or honey), garlic and dill. Add enough yogurt
to make a creamy dressing.  Pour over the salad and serve on a bed of lettuce (include radicchio
or red leaf, if available).
 Variations: Use other herbs instead of dill, omit the yogurt or add some flaxseed oil.
Raw Turnip, Watercress and Orange Salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
1 turnip, peeled and cut
1 orange, segmented
watercress
Dressing:
orange juice
flaxseed oil
Peel and cut the turnip into matchstick -size pieces.  Segment the orange and add to the turnip
pieces.  Add the watercress and toss in the dressing.
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 229Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comRice Salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
green  bell pepper, chopped
red bell pepper, chopped
tomato, chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
Dressing:
1 tbsp. flaxseed  oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
sugar
Chop the peppers and tomato. Prepare the dressing, mixing well, and add the chopped peppers
and tomato.  Spoon onto the rice.  Serve with a mixed green salad.
Romaine Lettuce with Yogurt Dressing
Romaine lettuce
chives, chopped
Dressing:
yogurt
sugar
lemon juice
crushed garlic
Coarsely shred the lettuce. Pour on the dressing and sprinkle with chopped chives.
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 230Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comSalad Kebabs
Preparation time: 15 minutes
tomatoes, thinly sliced
zucchini s, thinly sliced
whole radishes, thinly sliced
lettuce hearts, thinly sliced
carrots, thinly sliced
Dressing:
lemon juice
yogurt
flaxseed oil
herbs (mint, dill or parsley)
Thread on wooden skewers thinly sliced pieces of tomato, zucchini, whole radishes,  lettuce
hearts and raw carrot.  Dip into the salad dressing before serving.
Salad Lorette
cooked beets, thinly sliced
celery stalks, thinly sliced
lettuce
Dressing:
flaxseed oil
lemon juice
Thinly slice the beets and celery and mix with lettuce.  Add  dressing.
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 231Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comSpanish Salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic
red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
tomatoes, sliced
parsley, chopped
Dressing:
flaxseed oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. water
sugar (optional)
Thinly slice the onions and put into a bowl which has been rubbed over with a cut clove of
garlic.  Seed  and slice the red peppers and lay them on top of the onion.  Add a layer of sliced
tomatoes.  Crush the garlic and sprinkle on top.  Pour over the dressing and sprinkle with
chopped parsley.
Tomato and Watercress Relish
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves 2-4
cherry tomatoes (red and yellow), halved
watercress
fresh chives (or green  onions), finely chopped
herbs, finely chopped
Halve the tomatoes and place in a bowl.  Steam the watercress over boiling water for 10 seconds,
rinse well in cold water and shake dry.  Trim off any woody stems and cut or tear the remaining
stems and leaves into small pieces.  Add to the tomatoes.  Add the finely chopped chives (or
green  onions) and herbs  and toss together.
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 232Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comTomato and Zucchini  Salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
tomato, chopped
zucchini, chopped
green onion, sliced
beet
lettuce
Dressing:
flaxseed oil
yogurt
lemon juice
Chop the tomato and zucchini  into chunks.  Slice the green  onion and add. Finely grate the raw
beet (or chop cooked beet into chunks) and mix into the salad. Lay on a bed of lettuce. Pour
over dressing.
Tomato Salad
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
tomatoes, sliced
onion, sliced
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. water
sugar (optional)
parsley, chopped
chives
Slice the tomatoes and spread out over a flat dish.  Slice the onion and arrange the onion rings
over the tomatoes.  Mix the apple cider vinegar  with water (and optional sugar, if used).  Pour
over the tomatoes and sprinkle  with chopped parsley and chives.
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 233Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comWatercress, Endive and Grapefruit Salad
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves 2
watercress
endive (frisé e or escarole, or both)
grapefruit
yogurt
Tear the watercress into smaller pieces, remove woody stems and put in a bowl with the endive
leaves.  Cut the grapefruit in half. Juice 1/2 and segment the other half.  Add the segments to
salad leaves.  Mix the grapefruit juice with yogurt and pour over the salad.  Toss well and serve.
Zucchini  Ribbon Salad
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Serves 2-4
3 large zucchinis, cut lengthwise
1 lb. tomatoes, quartered
6 green  onions, thinly sliced
Dressing :
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
pinch of sugar
2 tbsp. flaxseed  oil
freshly chopped cilantro
Using a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer, cut the zucchinis  lengthwise  into thin ribbons, running
along the side so that the ribbons include the green skin.  Place into a bowl.  Quarter the tomatoes
and thinly slice the onions. Add to the bowl.  Toss in the dressing just before serving.
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 234Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comSoups
Apple and Fennel Soup
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes
Serves 4
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced
2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and chopped
2 leeks, sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
1 tsp. sugar (optional)
1 tart eating apple
Peel and dice the potatoes, trim and chop the fennel, slice the leeks, and core and chop the
apples into small pieces. Put these ingredients into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil,
turn down the heat and simmer


Hormones
(from
the
Greek
word
hormao
-
to
encourage)
are
highly
active
substances
that,
even
in
low
concentrations,
influence
metabolism
in
the
body,
such
as
development,
growth,
aging,
behavior,
reproductive
functions,
etc.
It
is
enough
to
not
receive
a
single
hormone
(only
our
brain
it
produces
about
500)
or
for
one
to
reside,
and
the
activity
of
the
entire
organism
will
be
strongly
disturbed.
Hormones
are
produced
by
the
endocrine
system,
which
can
be
roughly
divided
into
two
parts
-
glands
with
internal
secretion,
which
are
separate
organs,
and
endocrine
cells,
scattered
in
the
epithelial
(lining)
tissues
of
the
mucous
membrane
of
the
stomach,
intestines,
gallbladder,
lungs,
urinary
tract,
skin,
etc.
Accurate
the
number
of
hormones
is
unknown,
every
year
more
and
more
hormones
are
discovered,
as
well
as
the
places
of
their
origin.
The
time
is
not
far
when
it
will
be
discovered
that
every
cell
of
our
body
produces
some
hormonal
substance.
Again
I
bow
with
humility
and
wonder
at
the
fantastic
coordination
and
sophistication
of
all
the
organs
of
our
body,
and
repeat
again
that
its
innate
intelligence
is
disproportionately
greater
than
our
thinking
mind.
Therefore,
one
should
approach
it
with
respect
and
not
destroy
so
quickly
and
barbarically
the
miracle
that
was
given
to
it
by
a
huge
chance
for
a
second
of
eternity.In
addition
to
hormones,
biologically
and
chemically
active
substances
can
be
formed
in
tissues
and
organs
-
parahormones.
They
are
also
called
tissue
hormones
or
biogenic
stimulators.
In
medicine,
hormones
are
obtained
from
the
endocrine
glands
of
slaughter
cattle,
blood
and
urine
of
animals
and
humans,
as
well
as
by
artificial
synthesis.
The
hormonal
(endocrine)
system
has
its
own
hierarchy
and
regulation.
It
includes
nerve
centers
located
in
the
brain
(structures
of
the
limbic
system,
the
area
of
  the
hypothalamus
and
pituitary
gland),
as
well
as
channels
of
direct
connection
(nervous
activity
stimulates
the
pituitary
gland
and
it
produces
tropic
hormones,
which
then
selectively
stimulate
the
secretion
(excretion)
of
hormones
in
one
or
another
gland),
as
well
as
channels
feedback
loops,
where
hormones
circulating
in
the
bloodstream
affect
the
hypothalamus
and
pituitary
gland,
thus
strengthening
or
weakening
their
activity.
The
hierar chy
of
the
hormonal
system
is
as
follows:
1)
Hypothalamus
consists
of
32
pairs
of
nuclei,
each
of
which
has
its
own
functional
significance.
The
hypothalamus
controls
the
main
processes
inside
the
organism,
it
regulates
the
activity
of
glands
with
internal
secretion
through
the
tropic
hormones
of
the
pituitary
gland.
These
include
thyroid-stimulating
hormones
activating
the
thyroid
gland,
adrenocorticotropic
-
activating
the
adrenal
cortex,
gonadotropic
-
activating
the
gonads.
The
importance
of
the
hypothalamus
is
enormous,
but
during
aging,
changes
also
take
place
in
the
individual
nuclei,
and
then
the
functions
become
out
of
tune
and,
ultimately,
the
reliability
of
the
control
of
the
organism's
internal
environment
is
reduced.
Professor
V.
Dilman,
for
example,
assumes
that
an
increase
in
the
sensitivity
threshold
of
the
hypothalamus
to
sex
hormones
leads
to
the
fact
that,
with
age,
more
and
more
sonadotropins
are
secreted,
which
influence
the
formation
of
sex
hormones.
In
his
book
"The
Great
Biological
Clock"
he
states
the
following
facts
-
at
45
years,
sonadotropin
secretion
increases
6-10
times
compared
to
25
years.
Increasing
the
threshold
of
sensitivity
to
sex
hormones
initially
leads
to
the
fact
that
sonadotropin
accumulates
in
the
body,
contributes
to
its
sexual
maturation
and
the
involvement
of
reproductive
functions.
Furthermore,
this
process
leads
to
oversaturation
of
the
body
with
sex
hormones
and
subsequently
to
climacteric
changes,
the
growth
of
tumors
and
the
termination
of
sexual
function
due
to
the
inability
to
produce
such
an
amount
of
hormones.
Our
body
thus
works
like
a
factory
for
the
production
of
mass
production,
more
and
more,
and
at
the
same
time
its
equipment
wears
out,
there
is
not
enough
building
material.
However,
if
the
increased
amount
of
hormones
excreted
in
the
urine
is
reintroduced,
then
we
save
this
living
factory
both
equipment
(gonads)
and
building
material.
In
such
a
case,
the
wear
and
tear
of
the
organism,
and
thus
old
age
and
associated
diseases,
can
be
postponed
by
many
years.
This
fact
is
contained
in
the
old
Shivambukalpa
texts
where
it
is
said
that
“both
men
and
women
if
they
receive
urine
regularly,
they
gain
full
potency
and
eliminate
the
signs
of
aging".
2)
Pituitary
gland.
A
gland
that
weighs
1.5
grams
and
consists
of
three
parts:
front,
middle
and
back.
Limitation
of
the
activity
of
the
front
section
causes
the
cessation
of
growth,
fattening,
atrophy
of
the
genitals
and
prostate.
In
addition,
the
hormones
of
the
anterior
pituitary
gland
regulate
the
activity
of
other
endocrine
glands.
The
middle
section
secretes
pigment
hormone.
Decreased
activity
of
the
posterior
part
of
the
pituitary
gland
leads
to
impaired
kidney
function
and
diabetes.
The
hormones
of
this
section
affect
blood
pressure
and
smooth
muscle
tone.
A
significant
part
of
the
organism's
deviations
from
normal
development
is
induced
poor
functioning
of
the
pituitary
gland.
However,
if
we
correct
its
work,
give
it
the
right
impulse,
then
its
functions
will
stabilize.
After
all,
the
basis
of
the
work
of
the


normal
liver	enzyme	levels	in	the	blood,	despite	suffering	from	liver	congestion.	Liver	congestion
is	among	the	leading	health	problems,	yet	conventional	medicine	rarely	refers	to	it,	nor	do
doctors	have	a	reliable	way	to	detect	and	diagnose	such	a	condition.	Liver	enzyme	levelsin	the	blood	become	elevated	only	when	there	is	advanced	liver	cell	destruction,	as	is	the
case,	for	example,	in	hepatitis	or	liver	inflammation.	Liver	cells	contain	large	amounts	of
enzymes.	Once	a	certain	number	of	liver	cells	are	ruptured,	their	enzymes	will	start
showing	up	in	the	blood.	When	detected	through	a	blood	test,	this	increased	count	of	liver
enzymes	indicates	abnormal	liver	functions.	In	such	an	event,	however,	the	damage	has
already	occurred.	It	takes	many	years	of	chronic	liver	congestion	before	liver	damage
becomes	apparent.

Standard	clinical	tests	almost	never	reveal	the	occurrence	of	gallstones	in	the	liver.	In
fact,	most	doctors	don’t	even	know	they	grow	there.	Only	some	of	the	most	advanced
research	universities,	such	as	the	prestigious	Johns	Hopkins	University,	describe	and
illustrate	these	liver	stones	in	their	literature	or	on	their	websites.	They	refer	to	them	as
“intrahepatic	gallstones.”
2

By	understanding	how	gallstones	in	the	liver	contribute	to	the	occurrence	or
deterioration	of	nearly	every	kind	of	illness,	and	by	taking	the	simple	steps	to	remove
them,	you	will	put	yourself	in	charge	of	restoring	your	own	health	and	vitality,
permanently.	The	implications	of	applying	the	liver	cleanse	for	yourself—or,	if	you	are	a
health	practitioner,	for	your	patients—are	immensely	rewarding.	To	have	a	clean	liver
equals	having	a	new	lease	on	life.

The	liver	has	direct	control	over	the	growth	and	functioning	of	every	cell	in	the	body.
Any	kind	of	malfunction,	deficiency,	or	abnormal	growth	pattern	of	the	cell	is	largely	due
to	poor	liver	performance.	Even	when	it	has	lost	up	to	60	percent	of	its	original	efficiency,
the	liver’s	extraordinary	design	and	resourcefulness	may	allow	it	to	perform	“properly,”	as
indicated	by	normal	blood	values.	As	misleading	as	this	may	be	to	the	patient	and	his
doctor,	the	origin	of	most	diseases	can	easily	be	traced	to	the	liver.	The	first	chapter	of	this
book	is	dedicated	to	this	vitally	important	connection.

All	diseases	or	symptoms	of	ill	health	are	caused	by	an	obstruction	of	some	sort.	For
example,	a	blood	capillary	that	is	blocked	can	no	longer	deliver	vital	oxygen	and	nutrients
to	a	group	of	cells	it	is	in	charge	of	supplying.	To	survive,	these	cells	will	need	to	enforce
specific	survival	measures.	Of	course,	many	of	the	afflicted	cells	will	not	live	through	the
“famine”	and	will	simply	die	off.	Yet	other,	more	resilient	cells	will	adjust	to	this	adverse
situation	through	the	process	of	cell	mutation	and	learn	to	utilize	trapped	metabolic	waste
products,	such	as	lactic	acid,	to	cover	their	energy	needs.	These	cells	may	be	compared	to
a	man	in	the	desert	who,	for	lack	of	water,	relies	on	drinking	his	own	urine	in	order	to	live
a	little	longer	than	he	would	otherwise.	Cell	mutation	leading	to	cancer	is	only	the	body’s
final	attempt	to	help	prevent	its	immediate	demise	through	septic	poisoning	and	a
collapsing	organ	structure.	Although	common	practice,	it	is	farfetched	to	call	the	body’s
normal	response	to	the	accumulation	of	toxic	waste	matter	and	decomposing	cell	material
a	disease.	Unfortunately,	ignorance	of	the	body’s	true	nature	has	caused	many	to	believe
that	this	survival	mechanism	is	an	“autoimmune	disease.”	The	word	“autoimmune”suggests	that	the	body	attempts	to	attack	itself	and	practically	tries	to	commit	suicide.
Nothing	could	be	further	from	the	truth.	Cancerous	tumors	result	from	major	congestion	in
the	connective	tissues,	blood	vessel	walls,	and	lymphatic	ducts,	all	of	which	prevent
healthy	cells	from	receiving	enough	oxygen	and	other	vital	nutrients.
3

Other,	more	apparent	obstructions	can	disrupt	your	well-being	just	as	much.	A
constipated	large	intestine	prevents	the	body	from	eliminating	the	waste	products
contained	in	feces.	The	holding	back	of	fecal	matter	in	the	lower	parts	of	the	intestinal
tract	leads	to	a	toxic	environment	in	the	colon	and,	if	the	situation	is	not	resolved,	in	the
entire	body.

Kidney	infection	and	kidney	failure	may	occur	in	response	to	the	accumulation	of
calcified	stones	or	deposits	of	kidney	grease,	thereby	obstructing	the	flow	of	urine	in	the
kidneys	or	urinary	bladder.	The	buildup	of	such	mineral	deposits	in	the	urinary	system	can
lead	to	fluid	retention,	weight	gain,	and	dozens	of	disease	symptoms.

If	acidic,	toxic	waste	matter	builds	up	in	the	chest	and	lungs,	the	body	responds	with
mucus	secretions	to	trap	these	noxious	substances.	As	a	result,	the	air	passages	of	your
lungs	become	congested,	and	you	literally	run	out	of	breath.	If	your	body	is	already	highly
toxic	and	congested,	you	may	even	develop	a	lung	infection.	Lung	infections	occur	to	help
destroy	and	remove	any	damaged,	weak	lung	cells	that	otherwise	would	start	rotting	or
have	already	been	decomposed	(pus	formation).	Lung	congestion	prevents	the	natural
removal	of	damaged	or	weak	cells.	If	the	congestion	is	not	cleared	up	through	natural
means,	or	if	it	increases	further	through	poor	dietary	habits,	the	pus	will	be	trapped	in	the
lung	tissue.	Naturally,	destructive	bacteria	will	increasingly	populate	the	scene	to	assist	the
body	in	its	desperate	effort	to	clear	up	this	congested	area,	which	comprises	decomposing
cells	and	other	waste	products.	Doctors	call	this	survival	mechanism	“staph	infection,”	or
pneumonia.

Poor	hearing	and	ear	infections	may	result	if	sticky	mucus	filled	with	toxins	and/or	dead
or	live	bacteria	enter	the	ducts	that	run	from	your	throat	to	your	ears	(eustachian	tubes).
Likewise,	thickening	of	the	blood	caused	by	highly	acid-forming	foods	or	beverages	may
restrict	its	flow	through	the	capillaries	and	arteries,	and	thereby	lead	to	numerous
conditions,	ranging	from	simple	skin	irritation	to	arthritis	or	high	blood	pressure,	even
heart	attack	and	stroke.

These	or	similar	obstructions	in	the	body	are	directly	or	indirectly	linked	to	restricted
liver	performance—in	particular,	to	an	impasse	caused	by	gallstones	in	the	liver	and
gallbladder.	The	presence	of	chunks	of	hardened	bile	and	other	trapped	organic	or
inorganic	substances	in	these	organs	greatly	interferes	with	such	vital	processes	as	the
digestion	of	food,	elimination	of	waste,	and	detoxification	of	harmful	substances	in	the
blood.	By	decongesting	the	liver	bile	ducts	and	the	g