ens in patients who experience episodes of hypotension in the first few hours after injury. 233,234
DMSO COMPARED TO MANNITOL IN MISSILE INJURY
Based on the positive results obtained with DMSO versus no treatment following missile injury to the brain, another study was designed by Brown and colleagues. This study
230 compared DMSO to the standard treatment for cerebral trauma, man -
nitol, following a missile injury to the brain. While mannitol was observed to be better than no treatment in each parameter measured, CPP, mean arterial pressure, cerebral blood flow, and oxygen metabolism indicated DMSO as vastly more supe -
rior to mannitol treatment. 230 The authors’ conclusion from these findings was that
this difference indicated that DMSO is a more effective agent than mannitol in their model injury and may have been due to many incalculable factors, including the abil -
ity of DMSO to maintain good cardiac output following cardiac ischemia, a problem often seen complicating brain trauma. 137,230,235
DMSO IN AGING RESEARCH
The average human life expectancy in the United States has increased from 50 to 78 years in males and 80 years in females in the last 100 years. According to U.S. Census Bureau projections, by 2050, one in five Americans will be 65 or older, and at least 400,000 will be 100 or older. 236 Some futurists think even more radical
changes are coming, including medical treatments that could slow, stop, or reverse the aging process and allow humans to remain healthy and productive to the age of 120 or more. Aging research is now the focus of thousands of laboratories that include stud -
ies on telomerase to stem cells to energy and oxyradical formation. Moreover, the manipulation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that extend lifespan such as prevention of DNA damage and genetic engineering as well as lifestyle objectives, involving a healthy diet, exercise, and risk assessment to disease, is an important mechanism in healthy life extension. Aging is a complex process driven by diverse molecular pathways and biochemi -
cal events, and it is not too surprising that lifespan is the outcome of a variety of inte -
grated processes. It is this diversity of processes that make it difficult to understand aging exclusively in terms of molecular or genetic mechanisms. While one research approach to study longevity can concentrate on identifying specific biochemical and biophysical processes of aging, another approach should promote the understanding
of aging phenotypes and their variability. Much of the research into life extension is presently done using a roundworm
called Caenorhabditis elegans. This nematode is a noninfectious, nonpathogenic, 177 DMSO in Basic Neuroprotection
and nonparasitic organism. C. elegans  is a transparent nematode about 1  mm in
length that has become a model organism for aging research. C. elegans  is a very
primitive organism that nonetheless shares many of the essential biological activi -
ties that are central to human biology. As simple as this organism is, it has a ner -
vous system that contains only 302 neurons and about 7000 synapses, compared to
human brain that has about 100 billion neurons and probably one thousand times more synapses. Its simple nervous system seems to allow it to express behavior and even rudi -
mentary learning. Another useful feature of C. elegans  is its transparency, a detail that allows the
study of cell differentiation and cell development, characteristics that are important in the study of aging. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded in 2002 to Sydney
Brenner, Robert Horvitz, and John Sulston, for their discoveries concerning the genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death (apoptosis) and the significant contribution of experimental organisms such as C. elegans. This work
has contributed much to our understanding of human physiology and pathophysiology. C. elegans  can be used for testing compounds that may have an effect on aging
and longevity. The use of C. elegans  is a useful approach to study longevity because
the worm has a fast, conventional lifespan of about 14–20 days, is small in size, is easy to maintain in the laboratory, and has a powerful genetic toolkit where manipu -
lation of the genome by adding, removing, or altering specific genes already known to lengthen lifespan can be made by relatively routine procedures. The worm can be frozen at −80°C and stored for 10 years with good survival. DMSO has been used in several studies as a solvent for compounds reported to
extend the lifespan of C. elegans, but it was not determined in those studies whether
DMSO was inert or played a role in extending lifespan. 237,238
Assuming that DMSO was inert, the authors failed to notice any positive function
of DMSO on the lifespan of C. elegans. However, it has been recently reported that DMSO itself extends the lifespan
of C. elegans. A study by Wang et al.239 revealed that DMSO extended the lifes -
pan of  C.  elegans  in a dose-dependent manner. The mean lifespan of C. elegans
increased with DMSO treatment 15% and 23% at doses ranging from 0.01% to 2% and reached a maximum at 0.5%. At concentrations of 5% DMSO, it decreased the mean lifespan of C. elegans, indicating that DMSO is toxic at that concentration. 239
This study also attempted to clarify the underlying mechanism of DMSO to
increase lifespan extension in this model nematode. Several assays suggested that DMSO increased the lifespan of C. elegans  by modulating gene expression. These
assays pointed to DMSO modulating gene expression in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway (Wang). Genetic analysis suggested that DMSO did not function through dietary restriction or thermal resistance since there was no life extension by DMSO during thermal stress of this organism. 239
The discovery of antiaging properties of DMSO from Wang et al.’s239 study pro -
vides a good basis to try DMSO in other aging models to detail more precisely its role in life extension.178 Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in Trauma and Disease
DMSO IN EXPERIMENTAL DEMENTIA
Dementia is the term used for a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect
brain function and, as such, is not a specific disease. Dementia is characterized by progressive deterioration of intellectual functions and inability to carry out daily activities. Memory loss is an early and common symptom of dementia. AD and VaD are the two most common forms of dementia among older people. Although traditionally considered separate pathologies, strong evidence indicates that AD and VaD share common pathogenic mechanisms including vascular risk factors, histopathology, clinical signs, diagnostic criteria, and treatment approach. 240
AD is an insidious disorder that progressively ravages the brain, resulting in syn -
aptic and neuronal loss, ultimately destroying memory, intellect, and human dignity in the process. AD begins slowly involving parts of the brain that control thought, planning,
language, and memory. People with AD may have trouble remembering things that happened recently or names of people they know. Over time, AD symptoms get worse. People may not recognize family members
or have trouble speaking, reading, or writing. They may forget how to brush their teeth or comb their hair. Later on, they may become anxious or aggressive. AD usually begins after age 60. The risk goes up as you get older. No treatment
can stop the disease. It is estimated that AD affects 5½ million people in the United States and will increase to 14 million by 2050. Although it is not presently known what causes AD, it has been speculated for
sometime that abnormal deposits of proteins called Abeta form amyloid plaques and produce neurofibrillary tangles throughout the brain. This accumulation of plaques and tangles is believed to cause massive neurodegeneration and stop communication between neurons, thus leading to loss of cognitive function and eventually dementia. However, a conceptual shift in our understanding of dementia came in 1993, when
de la Torre and Mussivand
241 proposed that sporadic AD was a vascular disorder with
neurodegenerative consequences rather than vice versa. This proposal was supported by strong epidemiological, pathological, pharmacotherapeutic, and neuroimaging data, which collectively explained how the metabolic, inflammatory, hemodynamic, and physiopathological events seen to develop preclinically in AD are associated with a cerebral energy crisis secondary to chronic brain hypoperfusion. Reduced blood flow to the brain appears to result from the presence of one or more of two dozen described vascular risk factors. 242 These risk factors include atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia, car -
diovascular disease, diabetes type 2, and stroke, all which commonly affect elderly individuals who are more vulnerable to damage from these conditions during advanced aging. 243
It is not surprising that many animal models have been created to study this dev -
astating dementia. The animal models used mainly serve to test and screen potential pharmacotherapy aimed at arresting, slowing, or reversing the pathological process
that begins at the onset of AD. Models of AD include transgenic mice that produce
abnormally high levels of Abeta peptides,
244,245 animals whose cholinergic system
can be manipulated,246 animals with induced amnesia,247 knockout mice for tau,248
animals with lesions of  me mory-related sites,249 and even the nematode C. elegans.250179 DMSO in Basic Neuroprotection
A rat dementia


told to feel guilty about yourself for things
you did before you could even do  anything. You have been taught to feel shame for
being born less than perfect. This alleged state of imperfection in which
you are said to have come into this world  is
what your religionists have the gall to call
original sin. And it is original sin —but not
yours. It is the first sin to be perpetrated
upon you by a world which knows nothing
of God if it thinks that God would —or
could —create anything imperfect. Some of your religions have built up whole
theologies around this misconception. And
that is what it is, literally: a misconception. For anything I  conceive —all that to  which I
give life —is perfect; a perfect reflection of
perfection itself, made in the  image and
likeness of Me. Yet, in order to justify the idea of a punitive
God, your religions needed to create
something for Me to be angry about. So
that even those people who lead exemplary
lives somehow need to be saved. If they
don’t need to be saved from themselves,
then they need to be saved from their own
built-in imperfection. So (these religions
say) you’d better do something about all of
this—and fast —or you’ll go straight to  hell. This, in the end, may do nothing to mollify
a weird, vindictive, angry God, but it does  give life to weird, vindictive, angry religions. Thus,  do religions perpetuate  themselves. Thus,  does power remain concentrated  in
the hands of the few, rather  than
experienced though the hands of the many. Of course you choose constantly the lesser
thought, the smaller idea, the tiniest
concept of yourself and your power, to say
nothing of Me and Mine. You’ve been
taught to. My G od, how can I undo the teaching? A good question and  addressed to just the
right person! You can undo the teaching by reading and
re-reading this book. Over and over  again,
read it. Until you understand every
passage. Until you’re familiar with every
word. When you can quote its passages to others, when you can bring its phrases to
mind in the midst of the darkest hour, then
you will have “undone the teaching.”
Yet there is still so much I want to ask You;
still so much I want to know. Indeed. You began with a very long list of
questions. Shall we get back to it? Chapter 8
When will I learn enough about
relationships to be able to have them go
smoothly? Is there a  way to be happy in
relationships? Must they be constantly
challenging? You have nothing to learn about
relationships. You have only to
demonstrate what  you already know. There is a way to be happy in relationships,
and that is to use relationships for their
intended purpose, not the purpose you
have designed. Relationships are
constan tly challenging; constantly calling
you to create, express, and experience
higher and  higher aspects of yourself,
grander and grander visions of yourself,
ever more  magnificent versions of yourself. Nowhere can you do this more
immediately,  impactfully, an d immaculately
than in relationships. In fact, without
relationships, you  cannot do it at all. It is only through your relationship with
other people, places, and events that you
can even exist (as a knowable quantity, as
an identifiable something) in the  universe. Remember, absent everything else, you
are not. You only are what you  are relative
to another thing that is not. That is how it is
in the world of the relative,  as opposed to
the world of the absolute —where I reside. Once you clearly understand th is, once you
deeply grasp it, then you intuitively bless
each and every experience, all human
encounter, and especially personal human
relationships, for you see them as
constructive, in the highest sense. You see that they can be used, must be used, are
being used (whether you want them to be
or not) to construct Who You Really Are. That construction can be a magnificent
creation of your own conscious design, or
a strictly happenstance configuration. You
can choose to be a person who has
resulted simply fr om what has happened,
or from what you’ve chosen to be and do
about what has happened. It is in the latter
form that creation of Self becomes
conscious. It is in the second experience
that Self becomes realized. Bless, therefore, every relationship, and
hold each as special and formative of Who
You Are —and now choose to be. Now your inquiry has to do with individual
human relationships of the romantic sort,  and I understand that. So let Me address
Myself specifically, and at length, to  human
love relationsh ips—these things which
continue to give you such trouble! When human love relationships fail
(relationships never truly fail, except in the
strictly human sense that they did not
produce what you want), they fail because
they were entered into for the wron g
reason. (“Wrong,” of course, is a relative term,
meaning something measured against that
which is “right” —whatever that is! It would
be more accurate in your language to say
“relationships fail —change —most often
when they are entered into for reasons not
wholly beneficial or conducive to their
survival.”)  Most people enter into relationships with an
eye toward what they can get out of  them,
rather than what they can put into them. The purpose of a relationship is to  decide
what part of yourself  you’d like to see “show
up,” not what part of another you  can
capture and hold. There can be only one
purpose for relationships —and for all  of life:
to be and to decide Who You Really Are. It is very romantic to say that you were
“nothing” until that spec ial other came
along,  but it is not true. Worse, it puts an
incredible pressure on the other to be all
sorts of  things he or she is not. Not wanting to “let you down,” they try very
hard to be and do these things until they
cannot anymore. They can no long er
complete your picture of them. They can no
longer fill the roles to which they have been assigned. Resentment builds. Anger
follows. Finally, in order to save themselves (and
the relationship), these special others
begin to reclaim their real selves, ac ting
more in accordance with Who They Really
Are. It is about this time that you say
they’ve “really changed.”
It is very romantic to say that now that your
special other has entered your life, you  feel
complete. Yet the purpose of relationship is
not to h ave another who might  complete
you; but to have another with whom you
might share your completeness. Here is the paradox of all human
relationships: You have no need for a
particular  other in order for you to experience, fully, Who You Are,
and...without a nother, you  are nothing. This is both the mystery and the wonder,
the frustration and the joy of the human
experience. It requires deep understanding
and total willingness to live within this
paradox in a way which makes sense. I
observe that very few peop le do. Most of you enter your relationship -forming
years ripe with anticipation, full of sexual
energy, a wide -open heart, and a joyful, if
eager, soul. Somewhere between 40 and 60 (and for
most it is sooner rather than later) you’ve
given up on your grand est dream, set aside
your highest hope, and settled for your
lowest expectation —or nothing at all. The problem is so basic, so simple, and yet
so tragically misunderstood: your  grandest
dream, your highest idea, and your fondest
hope has had to do with you r beloved other
rather than your beloved Self. The test of
your relationships has had  to do with how
well the other lived up to your ideas, and
how well you saw yourself  living up to his
or hers. Yet the only true test has to do with
how well you live up t o yours. Relationships are sacred because they
provide life’s grandest opportunity —
indeed,  its only opportunity —to create and
produce the experience of your highest
conceptualization of Self. Relationships fail
when you see them as life’s grandest
opportun ity to create and produce the
experience of your highest
conceptualization  of another. Let each person in relationship worry about
Self—what Self is being, doing, and  having;
what Self is wanting, asking, giving; what
Self is seeking, creating,  experiencing, and
all relationships would magnificently serve
their purpose —and their participants! Let each person in a relationship worry not
about the other, but only, only, only about
Self. This seems a strange teaching, for you
have been told that in the highest form of
relationship, one worries only about the
other. Yet I tell you this: your focus upon the
other —your obsession with the other —is
what causes relationships to fail. What is the other being? What


 to dwell. I opened myself up to that black cloud of depression as if I were
stretching my arms out to welcome it, and as if I were embracing it by putting my
arms aro und it, just as you would greet someone you love dearly and haven’ t
seen in a long time. I opened up my heart and loved the depression as best I
could and pulled it in close toward me. For a few seconds it worsened, and then
all o f a sudden i t became lighter and lighter, and then completely dissolved. In a
matter of seconds it had gone—just like that. The relief was exquisite. A fe w hours later the feeling of depression came back, but it was much less
intense than before. I followed  the same process, and I con tinued to do it
whenever the depression reappeared. Each time I did the practice, the depression
got weaker and weaker, and in just a few days it had totally gone. “The moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, the door will open.”
Rumi
I kn ow without any doubt that I will never suf fer from depression again. It has
left my body permanently.If I can do this with depression, you can do it with any negative feeling. When
you do it yourself, you will understand the process much better. Dissolving a
negative emotion when it’ s in full flight is the best feeling in the world. Instead
of resisting the feeling of depres sion, which only made it worse and held it to me,
I did  the  opposit e. In my own way, even though I didn’ t know it at the time, I had
intuitively welcomed the negative feeling of depression. Since th at time, I have used the same practice for any negative f eelings that have
arisen, f or negative thoughts, and I have also used it for any painful sensations in
the b ody, like a cramp in the foot or a headache. I’ve found that bodily sensations
can dissolve as quickly as negative feelings when they’re not resisted. Use the welcoming process for anything that makes you feel bad, any negative
thoughts or stories, negative feelings, painful sensations or  memories, and
limiting beliefs. W elcoming free s you from emotional bondage and allows your
life to change for the better in every possible way. “When we love our hate, we stop hating. Love always wins. T o love hatred
means to  welcom e it. It doesn’ t mean that we should do what it tells us to do, but
we shouldn’ t suppress it either. When we love hatred, we put ourselves out of the
process of hatred, and love begins.”
Francis Lucille, fr om  The Perfume of Silence
Negative feeling s like fear can be immensely uncomfortable, or even terrifying,
which is  why many of us have developed the habit of automatically suppressing
them ra ther than facing them. But they have fooled us. When we allow any
negative feeling to be present, welcoming it without trying to  push it away, it
may feel overwhelming for a couple of seconds as it intensifies, but then it
completely disappears. When y ou have allowed a bad feeling to be present and you haven’ t suppressed
it, that feeling will never be as strong in you again. Y ou have weakened it, and it
is now on its way out. A few more times of allowing the feeling to be present and
it w ill be release d from your bo dy. W atch then how much happiness floods into
your body, and how much good ness floods into your life from just one negative
feeling being released. “Sometimes we surrender a feeling and we notice that it returns or continues. This is because there is more o f it yet to be surrendered. W e have stuf fed these
feelings all of our lives and there can be a lot of ener gy pushed down that needs
to come up and be acknowledged. When surrender occurs, there is an immediate
lighter, happier feeling, almost like a ‘high.’”
Dr. David R. Hawkins, fr om  Letting Go
The relief that you will feel from releasing negative feelings from the body is
exquisite. And with every released negative feeling your body will become
lighter, your life more ef fortless, and you will find your happiness expanding. Y ou also gain m omentum the more you do it, and it becomes ea sier and easier to
release negative feelings. Y ou’ll reach a point where most negative feelings
dissolve instantly, because they  are automatically released the moment you’re
aware of them. This is the infinite power of A wareness. “Releasing is like breathing—it’ s natural. Inhale and exhale.”
My teacher“That’ s what every uncomforta ble feeling is for—that’ s what pain is for, what
money is for, what everything in the world is for: your self-realization.”
Byr on Katie, fr om  Loving What Is
Every negative feeling is there to direct you back home to who you are. They
alert you to the fact that you’re believing stories that are not true, so you can
welcome those feelings and live  your life as the magnificent A wareness that you
truly are. Isn’ t it  ironic that nega tive feelings, the one thing we do everything we
can to avoid, are the very thing that will liberate us? “What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is your candle.”
Rumi
Use eve ry negative emotion that appears as an opportunity to permanently free
yourself from that negative emotion. As my teacher said, a negative emotion only
arises w hen you ’re ready to be free of it. W elcome the emotion,  without trying to
change it or get rid of it. Y ou are the Infinite Being, and welcoming is your very
nature. W elcome every negative feeling until you are free of them all forever. “It is possible to be in very ‘peaceful’ surroundings and yet be tormented, and it
is po ssible to b e in dangerous, noisy, negativefeeling surroun dings and yet be
entirely at peace.”
Jan Frazier, fr om  Opening the Door
How do  you welcome feelings  about subjects that you have a strong opinion
about, or a strong stance against, like cruelty to animals? Understand that  the bad feeling s you feel around that subject  are causing you
harm an d are not helping wha t you care about. W elcome the sensations and
feelings that the subject may ev oke in you. W elcome your disapproval, welcome
the feelings of unfairness and injustice. Keep welcoming u ntil there is no
sensation or feeling left when you think of the subject.Y ou mig ht think that you don’ t want to stop feeling the pain  about a subject,
because then you’ll stop caring  about it. But this is a story the mind is telling
you, and  the very opposite is tru e. Y our strong resistance to a subject ener gizes it,
adding a  lot of ener gy and power that makes it bigger. So when you release your
negative feeling s around it, you are releasing all the ener gy you have focused on
it, and you are disempowering  the  circumstances surroundin g the subject. W ithout that negative emotion, your love and compassion, which will naturally
arise in place of  the negative em otions, have atomic power, and they can make a
huge dif ference in the world. Let me tell you  about Lester Levenson. Lester became enlightened through
releasing all of his negative emotions and beliefs over a three-month period. Prior
to this, Lester had many hea lth problems, including depression, migraine
headaches, gastrointestinal imbalances, jaundice, an enlar ged liver, kidney
stones, spleen trouble, hyperaci dity, ulcers that had perforated his stomach and
formed lesions, and coronary heart disease. One by one every disease and  af fliction disappeared as Lester released his
suppressed nega tive feelings. Lester called his method of releasing negative
emotions “The Sedona Method,” and under the guardianship of one of his
students, Hale Dwoskin, who is featured in both The Secr et  and  this book,
Lester ’ s method continues to reach many the world over. “I was letting go and undoing t he hell I had created. By squaring all with love,
trying to love rather than trying  to be loved, and by taking resp onsibility for all
that was  happen ing to me; findi ng my subconscious thought and correcting it, I
became freer and freer, happier and happier.”
Lester Levenson
“Think o f one painful memory from early life, one terrible regret that has been
hidden. Look at all the years and years of thoughts associated with that single
event. If  we could surrender the underlying painful feeling, all of those thoughts
would disappear instantly, and we would for get the event.”
Dr. David R. Hawkins, fr om  Letting Go
When we release or welcome a suppressed feeling evoked from a memory, no
matter how far back that memory goes, all the hundreds and thousands of
thoughts attached to that memory will be released with the feeling. There’ s
nothing better than doing this! The lightness, the happiness, an d the “high” you
feel as you release the feelings a ttached to painful memories cannot be described,
not t o m ention h ow completely


thick yogurt
3 tbsp. mint, roughly chopped
Dressing:
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
flaxseed oil
Cut the ends off the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise. Seed the peppers and cut into quarters. Put the zucchini  and peppers skin-side up on a baking tray. Bake in oven  at 325° F (170° C)  for
about 1/2 hour. When cooked and tender, cool slightly and cut into 1 -inch lengths. Put into a
serving dish, pour on the dressing and add the chopped mint. Serve with a smattering of cottage
cheese. 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 274Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comRolled Chard Parcels
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
chard leaves
green  onions
snow peas
asparagus
broccoli
julienne of carrots
red chard stems
Set aside the chard leaves. Gently cook the green onions, snow peas, asparagus, broccoli,
carrots and red chard stems in very little water and then chop them. Blanch the chard leaves. Fill with the cooked vegetable medley and form into “packets.”  Cook briefly in the oven at 300-
350° F (149-177 ° C) for a few minutes until heated through. Serve hot or cold. Root Vegetable Rosti
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 2
1 small onion, thinly sliced
8 oz. potatoes
4 oz. carrots
4 oz. swede (rutabaga)
dill
Thinly slice the onion and cook by “sweating” in a little water. Meanwhile, gently cook the
potatoes, carrots and swede. Drain thoroughly and, when cool enough to handle, co arsely
grate into a bowl. Stir in the softened onion and dill. Put the mixture into an oven-proof dish. Bake for about 1/2 hour in the top of the oven at 350 ° F (180° C), or until cooked and slightly
browning. 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 275Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comSauté of Sweet Potatoes
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 2-4
4 medium sweet potatoes
juice of 1 orange
little sugar
flaxseed oil
Cook the sweet potatoes in their skins until just cooked. Allow to cool slightly, then cut into
cubes. Put orange juice and sugar into a saucepan with the sweet potatoes. Heat gently but don’t
let the mixture boil. Put into a serving dish and allow to cool a little. Then add the flaxseed oil,
toss and serve imm ediately with fresh parsley (or chives) and a green salad. Scalloped Potatoes ( Without Yogurt)
1 onion
potatoes, sliced
tomato, sliced
marjoram and/or thyme
Place a whole chopped onion in bottom of a glass baking dish. Slice potatoes and place one
layer on top of the onion. Add a layer of sliced tomato on top, then another layer of sliced or
chopped onion. Sprinkle with a dash of marjoram and/or thyme and bake in a low oven at 300°
F (149° C) for 1 to 2 hours or until done. Scalloped Potatoes (With Yogurt)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 to 1-1/2 hours
Serves 2
1 lb. potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
yogurt
Cook the potatoes gently until just cooked but firm. Slice thinly. Finely chop the onion and
garlic. Arrange the slices of potato, layered with onion and garlic, in a pie dish. Pour over the
yogurt and bake at 350 ° F (180° C) for 1 to 1-1/2 hours,  or until well cooked and beginning to
brown on top. 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 276Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comSpinach
spinach
onions, chopped
After cutting off roots, wash spinach 3 to 4 times. Put in large, tightly covered pot that has a
layer of chopped onions on the bottom of the pan. Do not add water. Stew over a low flame until
spinach wilts. Pour off excess juice. Serve chopped with slice of lemon. Spinach or Chard with Tomato Sauce
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
spinach (or chard)
lemon  grass
sprig of rosemary
allspice (optional)
Cook the spinach (or chard) with some lemon  grass and a sprig of rosemary (and a pinch of
allspice, if desired). Thinly cut the ribs of the spinach (or chard) and cook the leaves. Serve with
tomato sauce. Stuffed Eggplant
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 2
1 eggplant
4 oz. tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
Place the whole eggplant  in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 10
minutes, then plunge into cold water. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, very gently cook the
tomatoes for 5 minutes. Press through s ieve to get rid of the skins; set aside the pulp. Cut the
cooled eggplant s in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/2-inch thick outer shell. Chop the eggplant  pulp and set aside. Place the eggplant  shells in a shallow baking dish with
just a little water in the bottom to prevent sticking. Bake for 30 minutes at 350° F (180° C). Sauté the onion and crushed garlic in a very little boiling water until tender. Stir in the parsley. Add the sieved tomato pulp and the chopped eggplant  pulp, and cook for 20 minutes on
moderate heat until it thickens. Spoon this mixture into the cooked eggplant  shells. Keep warm
in the oven until serving, or leave to cool and serve cold. 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 277Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comStuffed Mixed Vegetables
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 2-4
1 zucchini
1 eggplant
2 small onions, chopped
garlic, crushed
marjoram
1 green (or red) bell pepper
soup stock
2 tomatoes
Cut the zucchini and eggplant in half, scoop out the pulp  of the eggplant (carefully leaving a
shell) and cook with the onion, crushed garlic and marjoram. Cut the peppers in half and take
out the seeds. Stuff the eggplant, zucchini and peppers with the mixture and  put in a shallow
baking dish on a layer of onion rings. Bake at 300-350 ° F (149-177° C)  until the pepper is done. Add a little soup stock (see “‘ Special Soup’ or ‘Hippocrates Soup’ ” in Chapter 12, “Preparing
Food and Juices—The Basic Rules”)  if the dish seems to be getting dry. Serve with tomato
sauce. Stuffed Pepper
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Serves 1
red (or green) bell pepper, seeded
leftover mixed chopped vegetables
tomatoes, sliced
Halve the pepper and seed it. Place it open-side up in an oven-proof dish. Stuf f leftover mixed
chopped vegetables into pepper halves. Place slices of tomato over the top. Cook at 350° F
(180° C) for 40 to 50 minutes or until the pepper is soft. Serve with broccoli or other very green
vegetable. Variation:  For a change from baked potato, serve with Potato Puffs. 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 278Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comStuffed Squash
3-4 acorn squash
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1-1/4 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup lentils sprouted
1/4 cup raisins (or chopped prunes), soaked and drained
3 tsp. fresh parsley, minced
1/


 divi-
sion and restoration of the inner structures of
the cell can’t be carried out fully, and radia-
tion further exacerbates i t.
4. According to practical research, radiation
and radionucleotides are removed from the
human body in just 12 -14 days of water  fast-
ing or 5 -7 days of dry fasting. This makes a
person lose much less weight than during a
normal fast. As a result of the afor emen-
tioned processes, that occur during fasting,
the problems of radioactive exposure are
completely solved. And indeed, after
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frChernobyl, academician A. I. Vorobyov21 de-
cided to employ fasting in treating people
stricken by acute radiation sickness (when u l-
cers appear in the gastrointestinal tract). Bone marrow transplantation and use of
powerful antibiotic therapy are nearly hope-
less in such cases, but thanks to fasting, the
affected people restored their health. For the
first time in the world practice, t he fasting
method helped in the case where other, most

21 Andrei Ivanovich Vorobyov (born November 1, 1928, Moscow)
is a Soviet and Russian hematologist, academician of the USSR
Academy of Medical Sciences (1986) and RAS (2000), professor,
doctor of medical sciences, director of the Research Institute of He-
matology and Intensive Care,  head of the department hematology
and intensive care of the Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate
Education (RMAPO). He has been the First Minister of Health of
the Russian Federation. Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frinnovative (American, Japanese) treatment
options proved to be powerless! And it’s no
wonder, since these treatment options are the
fruit of artificial conclusions, while fasting is
a natural process t hat has nothing in com-
mon with them. After this introduction, let’s pass on to the
main question — why are fasts conducted at spe-
cific times of the year? If we combine the dates
when fasts are conducted and astrological signs,
then we’ll see that three out  of the four fasts fall
on ‘Fire Signs’. The Nativity Fast (40 days) falls
on Sagittarius. Great Lent (48 days) falls on Ar-
ies. The Uspensky Fast (14 days) fall on Leo. The
length of the Apostles’ Fast is not constant and
varies between 8 and 42 days. This  variation is
caused by adjustment to natural rhythms. In
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.fryears of the active sun, when there’s a lot of en-
ergy, its duration increases. In cold years, on the
contrary, the length of this fast shortens. There’s
no ad -libbing — everything happens according
to nature’s laws. In the above -mentioned peri-
ods, an increased amount of energy reaches the
Earth from space. This energy, which works like
radioactive energy, can disrupt the organism’s
function. Remember A. L. Chizhevsky’s22 work
The Earthly Echo of the Solar Storms,  and a lot
will be clarified immediately. 22 Alexander Leonidovich Chizhevsky  (1897 – 1964) was a  So-
viet-era interdisciplinary  scientist, a  biophysicist  who founded " he-
liobiology " (study of the sun's effect on biology) and "aero -ioniza-
tion" (study of effect of ionization of air on biological en tities). He
also was noted for his work in  "cosmo- biology", biological
rhythms  and hematology. Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frIf you fast during this time, then cosmic energy
and an increased amount of solar energy will go
towards creation, intensifying biosynthesis. If
you still continue eating, then the energy won’t
assimil ate and will cause damage to your cells,
and free radicals will inhibit the cell’s function,
undermining the living potential of the whole
organism. But at the same time, bacteria and vi-
ruses convert to active state and successfully at-
tack the weakened org anism due to the abun-
dance of energy. It is exactly at this time that flu
(spring and the beginning of winter) and cholera
(summer) epidemics may be observed all over
the world. In years of active sun, these processes
are of such a pronounced nature, that in the
Middle Ages the majority of the European pop-
ulation died out because of it! You can fast
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frduring another time of the year, but the combi-
nation of increased natural energy and fasting
produces the best effect, activating the ‘fire prin-
ciple’, which is  suppressed during fasting. An-
cient sages took absolutely everything into ac-
count and gave the best recommendations, we
only have to follow them. Protection against adverse environmental
factors
Along with our own toxins, which are pro-
duced inside the organism, the toxic substances
from the chemicals that have infested our daily
lives, from our poisoned atmosphere, from our
water and our food, are removed from the body
during fasting. However, this was to be expected. In our environmental conditions, it’s impossible
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frto not consider these facts. But fasting also pro-
duces an excellent preventive effect. For a long
time after the end of a dry fast, the highest pro-
tective potential is maintained, durin g periodic
fasting a person becomes almost invulnerable to
nitrates, phenols, sulphur dioxide and nuclear
power stations. Prevention of oncological diseases
When I was studying calorie restriction therapy
with Professor Y. S. Nikolayev, he told me about
a curious experiment. Students of Stavropol
Medical Institute divided 120 white rats into 4
groups. The first group was the control group, and the
remaining three were subjected to a 3 -day-long
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frfast. The first of these three were inoculated with
sarcoma before the fast, the second — during the
fast, and the third — after it. All the control
group members who hadn’t fasted, died. Half of
the 30 animals that had been inoculated with
sarcoma before the experiment a half died, out
of the 30 ones that had been injected during the
fasting a third did. All those who have been in-
jected after the fasting survived. As I’ve already
written, during dry fasting the strongest, most
viable cells survive, that’s why even short -term
dry fasts are a serious preventive t reatment
against malignant tumors. Another marvelous
impact of fasting was recorded by American sci-
entists. They studied the impact of fasting on the
development of severe forms of cancer. The ani-
mals were divided into two groups — the
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frexperimental group and the control group. The
rats in the control group were subjected to radi-
ation. The dose was chosen so that it wouldn’t
cause a quick death, but 2 -3 weeks after the irra-
diation every member of the group had blood
cancer. The experimental group was luckier. Prior to irradiation, the animals underwent a full
fast. You may think that the organism weakened
by fasting should react even more acutely to this
negative influence, and the sickness should be
more severe. But the results were exactly the op-
posite! Com pared to the control group, the ex-
perimental group had 70 % fewer sick rats. 8.8. Renewal of the organism’s energy
As I’ve already written, water is one of the best
carrier of energy information. This is achieved
Copyright © Vera Giovanna Bani 2019 www.dryfasting.infoThis Ebook was purchased by Gilberto Franchi email: gilbertofranchi@hotmail.frthrough water’s unique molecular compositi on
and variability of its cluster structure. It was also
proven by scientists that, long before any symp-
toms of illness appear, local areas of ‘heavy’ wa-
ter, water with irregular structure, or  pathologi-
cal zones, are formed in the human organism. Any kind of evil eye,


	the	glasses	and	enjoy.Vegan	Vanilla	Cherry	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	5	minutes	|	Servings	1)

Ingredients

1. 1/4	cup	cherry	sugar-free	syrup

1. 1/4	cup	vanilla	sugar-free	syrup

1. 2	scoops	Vege	Fuel

1. 1	½	cups	crushed	ice

Directions

1. Purée	all	ingredients	in	a	blender	until	smooth	and	uniform. 2. Pour	into	a	chilled	tall	glass	and	enjoy.Chocolate	Banana	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	5	minutes	|	Servings	1)

Ingredients

1. 1	frozen	banana	--	peeled

1. 6	ounces	light	frozen	cherry	yogurt

1. 2	tablespoons	chocolate	syrup

1. 1/2	cup	non-fat	milk

Directions

1. Combine	all	four	ingredients	and	purée	with	an	electric	blender	or	a	food
processor. 2. Transfer	to	a	glass	and	drink	immediately.Chocolate	Dream	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	5	minutes	|	Servings	2)

Ingredients

1. 1	milk	chocolate	bar

1. 2	scoops	chocolate	ice	cream

1. 1/2	cup	milk

1. Ice	cubes	to	taste

Directions

1. In	a	blender,	process	milk	chocolate	bar	first. 2. Add	ice	cream,	milk	and	ice	cubes	and	pulse	until	the	mixture	is	creamy,
nice	and	smooth.Blueberry	Yogurt	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	5	minutes	|	Servings	2)

Ingredients

1. 6	ounces	frozen	fat-free	blueberry	yogurt

1. 1	cup	blueberries,	fresh

1. 1	cup	nonfat	milk

Directions

1. Combine	all	three	ingredients	and	purée	in	order	to	make	a	mixture	smooth
and	creamy. 2. Transfer	to	the	chilled	glasses	and	serve.Cantaloupe	Vanilla	Yogurt	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	5	minutes	|	Servings	2)

Ingredients

1. 1/2	ripe	cantaloupe,	peeled,	seeded,	and	cut	into	chunks

1. 1	cup	milk

1. 1	cup	vanilla	fat-free	yogurt

1. 1	cup	crushed	ice

1. 2	tablespoons	sugar

1. Ground	cinnamon	to	taste

1. Ground	nutmeg	to	taste

1. Ground	cloves	to	taste

Directions

1. Combine	all	ingredients	in	a	blender	and	purée	to	the	consistency	you
prefer. 2. Pour	into	glasses	and	serve.Anti-aging	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	10	minutes	|	Servings	2)

Ingredients

1. 1/2	cup	water

1. 1	plum,	pitted

1. 2	kiwis,	peeled

1. 2	cups	spinach

1. 1	teaspoon	ginger,	grated

1. Fresh	mint	leaves	for	garnish

Directions

1. Add	the	water,	plum,	and	kiwis	to	the	blender	first. Pulse	for	a	few	seconds. 2. Add	the	spinach	and	ginger,	and	pulse	until	the	mixture	is	thick	and
smooth. 3. Garnish	with	the	mint	leaves	and	serve	in	the	tall	glasses.Multivitamin	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	10	minutes	|	Servings	3)

Ingredients

1. 1	cup	carrot,	thinly	sliced

1. 1	banana

1. 1	kiwi,	peeled

1. 1	apple,	peeled,	cored,	and	sliced

1. 1	cup	pineapple,	peeled	and	cut	into	chunks

1. 1	cup	crushed	ice

1. 1	tablespoon	chia	seeds

Directions

1. Toss	all	ingredients	into	your	blender. Cover	and	blend	until	the	mixture	is
nice	and	smooth. 2. Pour	into	the	glasses	and	enjoy.Italian	Style	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	10	minutes	|	Servings	2)

Ingredients

1. 1	tomato

1. 1	clove	garlic

1. 1	green	bell	pepper,	seeded

1. A	few	basil	leaves

1. A	dash	of	oregano

1. 2	kale	leaves

Directions

1. Place	all	ingredients	into	a	blender	and	process	until	the	smoothie	reaches
your	desired	consistency. 2. If	you	feel	it’s	needed

and	if	this	smoothie	is	too	thick,	you	can	add	a	water. 3. Pour	into	the	glasses	and	serve. You	can	serve	this	smoothie	as	a	chilled
soup,	too.Carrot	Mint	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	10	minutes	|	Servings	2)

Ingredients

1. 1	carrot	with	greens

1. 1	green	apple,	cored	and	quartered

1. 1/2	cup	water

1. 1	small	cucumber,	quartered

1. 1/2	teaspoon	grated	ginger

1. 8	mint	leaves

Directions

1. Combine	the	carrot,	apple	and	water	in	your	blender. Blend	on	the	“chop”
setting. 2. Then	add	the	cucumber,	ginger	and	4	mint	leaves. Blend	until	smooth	and
uniform. 3. Pour	into	two	glasses. This	amazing	drink

naturally

improves	a	good
eyesight	and	digestion.Beet	Cranberry	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	10	minutes	|	Servings	2)

Ingredients

1. 1	beet,	with	greens

1. 1	cup	cranberries

1. 1	cup	watermelon

1. 1/2	cup	water

Directions

1. In	a	blender	or	a	food	processor,	pulse	the	beet	first. 2. Then	add	the	rest	of	ingredients	and	blend	until	the	smoothie	reaches	your
desired	consistency. 3. Pour	into	tall	chilled	glasses	and	serve.Rejuvenating	Detox	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	10	minutes	|	Servings	3)

Ingredients

1. 1	small	sweet	potato,	cut	into	chunks

1. 1	beet,	with	or	without	greens

1. 1	carrot	with	greens

1. 1	cucumber,	quartered

1. 1	tablespoon	chia	seeds

Directions

1. In	a	blender,	process	the	sweet	potato	and	beet	first. Then	add	the	carrot	and
cucumber. 2. Pour	into	the	glasses	and	enjoy	this	great	smoothie	that	fights	wrinkles.Spinach	and	Fruit	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	10	minutes	|	Servings	4)

Ingredients

1. 2	cups	baby	spinach

1. 2	pears,	peeled,	cored,	and	quartered

1. 2	bananas,	quartered

1. 1	cup	carrots,	chopped

1. 1	cup	orange	juice

1. 1	cup	fresh	blueberries

1. 1	cup	crushed	ice

Directions

1. Blend	all	ingredients	until	smooth	and	thick,	or	1	to	2	minutes. 2. Pour	into	tall	glasses	and	drink	immediately.Frosty	Vegan	Smoothie
(Ready	in	about	10	minutes	|	Servings	1)

Ingredients

1. 1	cup	soy	milk

1. 1/2	cup	baby	spinach

1. 1/2	cup	water

1. 1/2	cup	frozen	banana,	cut	into	chunks

1. 1/2	cup	frozen	pineapple,	chopped

Directions

1. In	a	blender,	combine	soy	milk	and	baby	spinach	first. Mix	until	the
spinach	leaves	are	puréed. 2. Then	add	water,	banana,	and	pineapple. 3. Blend	until	the	smoothie	reaches	your	desired	consistency


. As Nayak explained when I first met him, the
nose is the silent warrior: the gatekeeper of our bodies, pharmacist to our
minds, and weather vane to our emotions.•       •       •
The magic of the nose, and its healing powers, wasn’ t lost on the ancients. Around 1500 BCE, the Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest medical texts
ever discovered, of fered a description of how nostrils were supposed to feed
air to the heart and lungs, not the mouth. A thousand years later, Genesis
2:7 described how “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
soul.” A Chinese T aoist text from the eighth century AD  noted that the nose
was the “heavenly door,” and that breath must be taken in through it. “Never do otherwise,” the text warned, “for breath would be in danger and
illness would set in.”
But it wasn’ t until the nineteenth century that the W estern population
ever considered the glories of nasal breathing. It happened thanks to an
adventurous artist and researcher named Geor ge Catlin. By 1830, Catlin had left what he called a “dry and tedious” job as a
lawyer to become a portrait painter for Philadelphia’ s high society. He
became well-known for his depictions of governors and aristocrats, but all
the pomp and pretention of polite society did not impress him. Although his
health was failing, Catlin yearned to be far away in nature, to capture rawer
and more real depictions of humanity. He packed a gun, several canvases, a
few paintbrushes, and headed west. Catlin would spend the next six years
traveling thousands of miles throughout the Great Plains, covering more
distance than Lewis and Clark to document the lives of 50 Native American
tribes. He went up the Missouri to live with the Lakota Sioux. He met with the
Pawnee, Omaha, Cheyenne, and Blackfeet. Along the banks of the Upper
Missouri, he happened upon the civilization of the Mandan, a mysterious
tribe whose members stood six feet tall and lived in bubble-shaped houses. Many had luminous blue eyes and snow-white hair. Catlin realized that nobody really knew about the Mandan, or other
Plains tribes, because no one of European descent had bothered to spend
time talking to them, researching them, living with them, and learning about
their beliefs and traditions. “ I am traveling this country, as I have before said, not to advance or to
prove theories, but to see all I am able to see and to tell it in the simplest
and most intelligible manner I can to the world, for their own conclusions,”Catlin wrote. He would paint some 600 portraits and take hundreds of pages
of notes, forming what famed author Peter Matthiessen would call “ the first,
last, and only complete record ever made of the Plains Indians at the height
of their splendid culture.”
The tribes varied region by region, with dif ferent customs, traditions,
and diets. Some, like the Mandan, ate only buf falo flesh and maize, while
others lived on venison and water, and still others harvested plants and
flowers. The tribes looked dif ferent, too, with varying hair colors, facial
features, and skin tones. And yet Catlin marveled at the fact that all 50 tribes seemed to share the
same superhuman physical characteristics. In some groups, such as the
Crow and the Osage, Catlin wrote there were few men, “at their full growth,
who are less than six feet in stature, and very many of them six and a half,
and others seven feet.” They all seemed to share a Herculean make of broad
shoulders and barrel chests. The women were nearly as tall and just as
striking. Having never seen a dentist or doctor, the tribal people had teeth that
were perfectly straight—“as regular as the keys of a piano,” Catlin noted. Nobody seemed to get sick, and deformities and other chronic health
problems appeared rare or nonexistent. The tribes attributed their vigorous
health to a medicine, what Catlin called the “great secret of life.” The secret
was breathing. The Native Americans explained to Catlin that breath inhaled through
the mouth sapped the body of strength, deformed the face, and caused stress
and disease. On the other hand, breath inhaled through the nose kept the
body strong, made the face beautiful, and prevented disease. “The air which
enters the lungs is as dif ferent from that which enters the nostrils as distilled
water is dif ferent from the water in an ordinary cistern or a frog-pond,” he
wrote. Healthy nasal breathing started at birth. Mothers in all these tribes
followed the same practices, carefully closing the baby’ s lips with their
fingers after each feeding. At night, they’d stand over sleeping infants and
gently pinch mouths shut if they opened. Some Plains tribes strapped
infants to a straight board and placed a pillow beneath their heads, creating
a posture that made it much harder to breathe through the mouth. During
winter, infants would be wrapped in light clothing and then held at arm’ slength on warmer days so they’d be less prone to get too hot and begin
panting. All these methods trained children to breathe through their noses, all
day, every day. It was a habit they would carry with them the rest of their
lives. Catlin described how adult tribal members would even resist smiling
with an open mouth, fearing some noxious air might get in. This practice
was as “old and unchangeable as their hills,” he wrote, and it was shared
universally throughout the tribes for millennia. —
T wenty years after Catlin explored the W est, he set of f again, at age 56, to
live with indigenous cultures in the Andes, Ar gentina, and Brazil. He
wanted to know if “medicinal” breathing practices extended beyond the
Plains. They did. Every tribe Catlin visited over the next several years—
dozens of them—shared the same breathing habits. It was no coincidence,
he reported, that they also shared the same vigorous health, perfect teeth,
and forward-growing facial structure. He wrote about his experiences in
The Br eath of Life, published in 1862. The book was devoted solely to
documenting the wonders of nasal breathing and the hazards of
mouthbreathing. Catlin was not only a chronicler of breathing methods; he was a
practitioner. Nasal breathing saved his life. As a boy, Catlin snored and was wracked with one respiratory problem
after another. By the time he reached his 30s and first went out W est, these
problems had become so severe that he’d sometimes spit up blood. His
friends were convinced he had lung disease. Every night Catlin feared he
would die. “I became fully convinced of the danger of the habit [mouthbreathing],
and resolved to overcome it,” he wrote. Through “sternness of resolution
and perseverance,” Catlin forced his mouth closed while he slept and
always breathed through his nose during waking hours. Soon, there were no
more aches, pains, or bleeding. By his mid-30s, Catlin reported feeling
healthier and stronger than at any other time in his life. “I at length
completely conquered an insidious enemy that was nightly attacking me in
my helpless position, and evidently fast hurrying me to the grave,” he
wrote.Geor ge Catlin would live to be 76, about double the average life
expectancy at the time. He credited his longevity to the “great secret of
life”: to always  breathe through the nose. •       •       •
It’ s the third night of the nasal breathing phase of the experiment, and I’m
sitting up in bed reading, taking slow and easy breaths through my nose. I’m not breathing this way out of some “constant adult conviction,” as
Catlin wrote. I’m doing it because my lips are taped shut. Catlin suggested tying a bandage around the jaw at night, but that
sounded dangerous and dif ficult, so I opted for another technique, which I’d
heard about months earlier from a dentist who runs a private practice in
Silicon V alley. Dr. Mark Burhenne had been studying the links between
mouthbreathing and sleep for decades, and had written a book on the
subject. He told me that mouthbreathing contributed to periodontal disease
and bad breath, and was the number one cause of cavities, even more
damaging than sugar consumption, bad diet, or poor hygiene. (This belief
had been echoed by other dentists for a hundred years, and was endorsed by
Catlin too.) Burhenne also found that mouthbreathing was both a cause of
and a contributor to snoring and sleep apnea. He recommended his patients
tape their mouths shut at night. “The health benefits of nose breathing are undeniable,” he told me. One
of the many benefits is that the sinuses release a huge boost of nitric oxide,
a molecule that plays an essential role in increasing circulation and
delivering oxygen into cells. Immune function, weight, circulation, mood,
and sexual function can all be heavily influenced by the amount of nitric
oxide in the body. (The popular erectile dysfunction


examination of these gaits. The  radial pulse is examined first, and in some
cases other arteries (the carotids or the dorsalis pedis in particular) may also
be selec ted for further examination. T raditionally a man’ s right arm and a
woman’ s left arm are selected f or examination, with the examiner ’ s index
finger p laced cl osest to the wri st and the ring finger placed farthest away
from the wrist. The index finger reads the condition of the patient’ s V ata,
while the middle finger reads Pitta, and the ring finger Kaph a. Because
none of the major texts provide specifics of pulse-diagnostic methods, most
practitioners evolve their own system, and some use pulse primarily to
examine the condition of specific or gans. It is  however m ore common to investigate the pulse’ s pace, or  gait. The pulse-gait in V ata disturban ce, for example, often resembles that of a
snake or  leech as it slithers und erneath the skin. Pitta disturbed pulse tends
to hop like crows or frogs, and the pulse-gait in a Kapha prone disturbance
resembles the swimming movement of a swan. Each disease has its own
gait and rhythm; so long as your or ganism is “possessed” by a d isease your
ener gy will move according to its whims. The strength and direction of the
disease’ s gait indicates the length and strength of its existence. Investigation of  both the beginning (the tongue) and the end  (the
feces and urine) of the alimentary canal is used to gain information on the
level of  the body’ s toxicity an d on the condition of the doshas in the
digestive tract. The first one-thi rd of the tongue represents the  area of the
body that is governed by Kapha (primarily the chest and head), the middle
one-third represents the area that Pitta rules (the area between the
diaphragm and the navel), and the back one-third stands for V ata’ s region
(that which is below the nav el). No major A yurvedic text details the
locations of the various or gan reflexes on the tongue; however, at least oneoral trad ition of or gan-mapping  does exist. According to this tradition, the
tongue’ s tip represents the throa t, the tongue’ s root represents th e perineum,
and all body stru ctures between the throat and perineum are projected onto
the tongue’ s body. Examination of feces predominantly consists of the
color, co nsistency, odor, and presence or absence of undigested food. The
color, re lative h eat or cold, and froth or lack thereof of the urine also
reflects body’ s condition; in par ticular, the way a drop of oil sp reads when
dropped onto the surface of t he urine indicates which dosha currently
predominates. These an d other  techniques provide the physician with diagnostic as
well as prognos tic information  on the patient. T o know an individual’ s
condition is only half the story; the other half is to know how easy it will be
to re ctify that co ndition, and how much of the patient’ s previous vitality can
in fa ct be restor ed. Diseases are categorized as easily curable, c urable with
dif ficulty, ameliorable (the dise ase remains under control only so  long as
treatment goes on) or incurable. In an incurable condition excessive
measures to prolong life are not commonly employed, nor an imminent
demise predicte d. Instead, the patient is made comfortable and is
encouraged to prepare for eventual death, for A yurveda regards a good
death as being the consummation of a good life.1 0
T r e a t m e n t
D iseases m anifest due to the imp act of many causes at an opportune time
and plac e, and they disappear by  change of time or place or by withdrawal of
their ca uses. The essence of t reatment is removal of the cause. Diseases
mainly due to p hysical causes require “scientific” therapy (the use of herbs,
diet, manipulation, and so on). Those mainly due to psychological
disturbance requ ire “conquest of the mind,” necessitating restraint of the
mind from the desire for unwh olesome objects. And diseases  of the spirit
need “divine” therapy, spiritual  rituals and penances. Since “crimes against
wisdom” motivated by desire  are the ultimate causes of disease, the
elimination of desire is the ultim ate treatment for disease.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        In critical
circumstances d uring the course of a chronic illness, palliative treatment of the
Branch is the first necessity, while the Root is not addressed initially so as to
forego taxing the delicate vitality of the patient. Another important principle of treatment is that of Y in-Y ang rec onciliation,
i. e. to reduce conditions of exc ess and to build up conditions of deficiency. In
practice usually this is done dire ctly to the Or gan, Meridian, Su bstance or to the
pathogenic factor present. In all situations, once there is a positive progression towards balance,
attention will once again shift to prevention by strengthening the  body’ s ability to
self-regulate and adapt to its env ironment; thereby avoiding future maladies. This
philosophy is expressed in a Chinese proverb: “W aiting to treat illness after they
manifest is like waiting to dig a well after one is thirsty. " In Chin ese med ical therapy acupuncture-moxibustion, Interna l Medicine
(therapeutic use of medicinal substances), dietetics, massage and remedial
exercises are utilized as the pr inciple modalities. All these modalities share a
common theoret ical foundation and if required, can be applied in combination. Sur gery is used sometimes when all else fails. The venerated physician Hua T uo
who live d in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A. D. ) is cred ited for his great
sur gical skill and promoted the use of Indian hemp anesthesia. It was unfortunate,
however, that after the era of Hua T uo, sur gery was lar gely neglected until
modern times. Diet and  the usage of medicinal substances from plant, animal and mineral
kingdoms depended upon the or ganizational models of Y in-Y ang and the Five
Element theories. Specifically, substances were classified by temperature, i.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the primary focus in treating a patient with a chronic illness?,
A: Palliative treatment, while not addressing the root cause, to avoid further straining the patient's vitality.
Q: What are the 8 general strategies of treatment in Internal Medicine?,
A: Sweating, vomiting, clearing, draining, harmonizing, warming, reducing, tonifying, and the use of medicinal substances.
Q: How do substances interact with the body's tissues and waste products?,
A: Substances can either increase or decrease the body's tissues and waste products, depending on their temperature, taste, and direction of action.
Q: What are the 14 types of doshas, and what is their relationship to the Five Elements?,
A: The 14 types of doshas are not mentioned in the provided text. However, the text does discuss the 3 main doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) and their relationships to the Five Elements.
Q: What is the significance of the concept of "like increases like" in Ayurveda?,
A: The concept of "like increases like" suggests that when a substance with similar qualities to the body's tissues is consumed, it can increase the body's tissues and potentially lead to an imbalance.
Q: What is the goal of Chinese medicine, and what is its approach to diagnosis?,
A: The goal of Chinese medicine is to strengthen the body's ability to self-regulate and adapt to its environment, avoiding future illnesses. The approach to diagnosis involves examining the tongue, pulse, and other bodily secretions to understand the patient's condition.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Desire is however
dif ficult to extirpate from the mind. A yurveda has therefore established
methods by which desire can b e disciplined; through beneficial routines to
maintain proper functioning of the or ganism during health and by therapeutic
procedures coup led with diet and lifestyle changes during sickness in order to
return the wandering Doshas to their proper bodily paths and the individual to
his or her proper life path. Any substance and any activity in the world can be and has bee n used
therapeutically in A yurveda. Generally, however, medical intervention used at
the phys ical level is of four types: diet, activity, purification, and palliation. Accumulation of the Doshas should be treated with changes in diet and
activity; when they become aggravated, palliating or pacifyin g them with
substances of opposite qualiti es is best. Once the Doshas escape their
reservoir or gans it is best to remove them from the system; if this is
impossible they  must be neutralized with medicine. Localized treatment is
always beneficial to that weak p art of the body in which the


 Lancer:  A hardy  variety  with sweet, sm ooth-skinned, uniform colour; v ery
slender, which makes them excellent for pickles. T ender and T rue:  Long, smooth-skinned roots; traditional yellow-white. P u r c h a s i n g / S t o r i n g
1 lb (500 g) yields 2 cups (500 mL) chopped parsnips. Y ou will need 1-1/2 lb (750 g) for each 1-quart (1 L) jar. Select sm all, thi n, smooth parsnips without blemishes. It is bes t if the tops
are intact. A void lar ge, woody roots because they will be  tough andtasteless. Y ou can store parsnips unwashed, with tops removed, for up to 3
weeks, but it is best to preserve them as soon as possible after harvesting. Good W ith
Herbs such as p arsley, basil, bay, thyme, sage, chervil, dill,
chives. Sweet se asonings such as cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg,
mace, cumin, coriander, curry blends. Other vegetables, such as garlic, onions, carrots, rutabaga,
turnips, cabbage, peas, tomatoes. Dried fruit such as raisins, currants, apricots. Meat and vegetable soups and stews, giving them a sweet
note. Pr eparation
Immerse parsnip s in a basin of c ool water to which a drop of food-safe soap
has been added. Scrub, rinse and drain. Pat dry. Blanch whole or cut
parsnips in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes. Lift out and plunge into cold
water. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Shred, s lice or dice
parsnips or cut into uniform sticks. Canning Parsnips
Canning tends to turn parsnips bitter, so pickles, jam or marmalades are
best, along with freezing blanched or puréed parsnips. Fr eezing Parsnips
1. Select Equipment:  Se lect suitable-size freezer c ontainers, bags or
Mason jars ( Freezing ). 2. Blanch and cut parsnips as dir ected above. Pac k into containers,
leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) headspace. Remove air, label and seal. Freeze for
up to 9 months.c i n n a m o n - s c e n t e d  p a r s n i p  p e a r  j a m
The cinn amon c omplements the sweetness of the parsnips in this quick jam,
and the pear adds dimension. Y ou can have this cooling in the jars in less
than 1-1/2 hours, and no one w ill guess that you made it with parsnips. If
you want to ma ke this for you r family because you like the thought of
serving parsnips in a completely differ ent way (one that doesn’ t involve
turned-up noses), but if the tho ught of all that sugar is daunting, you can
use “no sugar” pectin. My advice would be to use a small amount of sugar
(follow the instructions with the package) rather than an artificial
sweetener. MAKES 8 CUPS (2 L)
2 cups (500 mL) chopped blanched parsnips
2 cups (500 mL) chopped ripe pears
1/3 cup (75 mL) fr eshly squeezed lemon juice
8 cups (2 L) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) gr ound cinnamon
1 pouch (3 oz/85 mL) liquid pectin
8 cinnamon stick pieces, each 1 inch (2.5 cm), optional
1. Heat eight 1-c up (250 mL) ja rs in boiling water, and scald the lids, lifter,
funnel and tongs ( Boiling W ater Method, Step by Step ). 2. In  a Maslin p an or canning k ettle, combine parsnips, pears, lemon juice,
sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring
constantly Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 1 minute. 3. Sk im of f and discard any foam. Fill hot jars to the halfway point with the
hot jam. Slide a cinnamon stick  down the side of the jar, if using. Fill jar,
leaving a 1/4-inch (5 mm) he adspace. Run a thin non-metallic utensil
around the inside of the jar to allow air to escape. Add jam, if necessary to
leave a 1/4-inch (5 mm) headsp ace. W ipe rims, top with flat lids and screw
on metal rings. R eturn jars to th e hot water bath, topping up with hot waterif neces sary Bri ng to a full rolling boil and process jars for 10 minutes
( Boiling W ater Method, Step by Step ). 4. Remo ve cann er lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars t o a towel or
rack to cool completely Check seals, label and store in a cool place for up to
1 year. Use: I like to th in this jam with  a little orange juice and use i t as a glaze
for carrots and even for brai sed or steamed parsnips. The low-sugar
version makes a good condiment for cheese platters and meat dishes. f r o z e n  m o r o c c a n  p a r s n i p  p u r é e
I thi nk t he idea of vegetable purée is so sophisticated—they ar e popular in
upscale r estaurants—and yet they ar e so simple. W ith this lightly sweetened
and spiced purée in the fr eezer, I always have a quick side dish or tasty bed
for lamb shanks, beef stew or poached fish. MAKES 8 CUPS (2 L)
8 to 10 medium parsnips (2 lb/1 kg)
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp (15 mL) Five-Spice Blend  (stor e-bought), gr ound
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
3 cups (750 mL) chicken or vegetable stock, divided (appr ox)
1. Blanc h the parsnips. S hred or chop  parsnips and se t aside. In a Maslin
pan or heavy-bo ttomed saucepa n, heat olive oil over medium heat. Reduce
heat to medium -low. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently for 5 or 6
minutes or until soft and slightl y translucent. Add garlic and co ok, stirring
constantly for 1 minute. Add pa rsnips, Five-Spice Blend and salt. Cook and
stir for 1 minute to lightly coat in oil and spices.2. Add enough stock to cover the vegetables (the amount depends on the
depth of  your pot). Cover and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat and simmer
gently for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally Add more stock to the pot
if necessary to keep vegetables from scorching. V egetables should be soft. 3. Let vegetables cool. Using a food processor or blender, purée in batches,
adding stock to the food process or as needed to blend to a soft consistency. Measure 2- or 4-cup (500 mL or 1 L) amounts and pack into freezer
containers, leavi ng a 1/2-inch (1  cm) headspace. Remove air, lab el and seal. Freeze for up to 9 months. Use: Th is purée  is brilliant! N ot only is it a stand-alone vegetable dish,
but it can be added to soup or stew. Be sure to freeze some in 1- or 2-cup
(250 or 500 mL) amounts to make it easy to use in other dishes. Add 1 cup
(250 mL) thawed Parsnip Purée to risotto for a creamy result. A recipe for
using this amazing purée in soup follows. m o r o c c a n  p a r s n i p  s o u p
Having fr ozen cooked and spiced parsnip purée makes this soup easy,
convenient and delicious. I serve it with lavash or pita  points. If
pomegranates a r e in season, the y make a beautiful garnish, alo ng with the
homemade Pom egranate Pepp er Jelly. I like mango, apple  or peach
chutney with it as well. MAKES 8 CUPS (2 L)
4 cups (1 L) Mor occan Parsnip Purée, thawed
1 pint (2 cups/500 mL) or 1 can (14 oz/398 mL) crushed tomatoes with
juices
1 cup (250 mL) chicken or vegetable br oth 1 can (14 oz/398 mL) lentils
or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp (2 mL) gr ound nutmeg sea salt and fr eshly gr ound pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) Pomegranate Pepper Jelly  (stor e-bought),


that self-destructive anger. • In a traffic jam, time yourself. See how long you can go without
exploding. Work at the control aspect. Instead of hollering at a pas-
senger, ask him a civil question. Use the time creatively to write a
letter, or a song, or to devise ways out of the traffic jam, or relive the
most exciting sexual experience of your life, or better yet, plan to
improve on it. • Instead of being an emotional slave to every frustrating circum-
stance, use the situation as a challenge to change it, and you’ll have
no present moment time for the anger. Anger gets in the way. It is good for nothing. Like all erroneous
zones, anger is a means of using things outside yourself to explain
how you feel. Forget others. Make your own choices—and don’t let
them be angry ones.FAREWELL TO ANGER  / 221XII
PORTRAIT OF A PERSON
WHO HAS ELIMINATED ALL
ERRONEOUS ZONES
They are too busy being  to notice what their neighbors are doing. The person who is devoid of all erroneous zone behavior may
seem to be a fictional character, but being free from self-destructive
behavior is not a mythological concept; rather it’s a real possibility. Being fully functioning is within your grasp and complete present-
moment mental health can be a choice. This final chapter is devoted
to a description of how people who are free from all erroneous zone
thinking and behavior function. You will see the development of an
individual who is unlike the majority of people, and distinguishable
by an uncanny ability to be creatively alive at every moment. People free from erroneous zones are different from run-of-the-
mill individuals. While they look very much like everyone else, they
possess distinct qualities, none of which are racial, socioeconomic,
or sexual. They do not fit neatly into any roles,
222job descriptions, geographic patterns, educational levels or financial
statistics. There is a different quality about them, but the difference
is not discernible in the traditional external factors by which we
generally classify people. They may be rich or poor, male or female,
black or white, living anywhere, and doing just about anything. They are a varied group and yet they share a single trait, freedom
from erroneous zones. How can you tell when you run into someone
like this? Watch them! Listen to them! This is what you’ll discover. First and most obviously, you see people who like virtually
everything about life—people who are comfortable doing just about
anything, and who waste no time in complaining, or wishing that
things were otherwise. They are enthusiastic about life, and they
want all that they can get out of it. They like picnics, movies, books,
sports, concerts, cities, farms, animals, mountains and just about
everything. They like life. When you are around people like this
you’ll note an absence of grumbling, moaning, or even passive
sighing. If it rains, they like it. If it’s hot, they dig it, rather than
complain about it. If they are in a traffic jam, or at a party, or all
alone, they simply deal with what is there. There is no pretending
to enjoy, but a sensible acceptance of what is, and an outlandish
ability to delight in that reality. Ask them what they don’t like and
they are hard pressed to come up with an honest answer. They don’t
have sense enough to come in out of the rain, because they see rain
as beautiful, thrilling and something to experience. They like it. Slush
doesn’t send them into a fury; they observe it, splash around in it,
and accept it as part of what it means to be alive. Do they like cats? Yes. Bears? Yes. Worms? Yes. While such annoyances as disease,
droughts, mosquitoes, floods and the like are not warmly embraced
by such people, they never spend any of their present moments
complaining about them, or wishing that they weren’t so. If situations
need to be eradicated, they will work at eradicating them—and enjoy
the work. Try as you might, you’ll have a tough time coming up
with somethingPORTRAIT OF A PERSON WHO HAS ELIMINATED ALLthey’ll dislike doing. Truly they are likers of life, and they wallow
in all of it, getting out of it all that is possible for them. Healthy fulfilled people are free from guilt and all the attendant
anxiety that goes with using any present moments in being immob-
ilized over past events. Certainly they can admit to making mistakes,
and they can vow to avoid repeating certain behavior that is coun-
terproductive in any way, but they do not waste their time wishing
that they hadn’t done something, or being upset because they dislike
something that they did at an earlier moment in life. Complete
freedom from guilt is one hallmark of healthy individuals. No
lamenting the past and no efforts to make others choose guilt by
asking such inane questions as, “Why didn’t you do it differently?”
or “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” They seem to recognize that
life lived through is just that, and no amount of feeling bad will alter
the past. They are free from guilt themselves without any effort;
because it is natural, they never help others to choose guilt. They
see that feeling bad in the present moment only reinforces a poor
self-image, and that learning from the past is far superior to remon-
strating about the past. You’ll never see them manipulating others
by telling them how bad they’ve been, nor will you be able to ma-
nipulate them with the same tactics. They won’t get angry at you,
they’ll simply ignore you. Rather than being upset with you, they’ll
go away, or change the subject. The strategies that work so beauti-
fully on most people fail with these healthy individuals. Rather than
make themselves and others miserable with guilt, they unceremoni-
ously pass when it comes along. Similarly, people free of erroneous zones are nonworriers. Circum-
stances that drive many people to frenzy barely affect these individu-
als. They are neither planners nor putters-away for the future. They
refuse to worry and they keep themselves free from the anxiety that
accompanies worry. They don’t know how to worry. It is not a part
of their makeup. They are not necessarily calm at all moments, but
they are unwilling to spend present224 / Your Erroneous Zonesmoments agonizing about things in the future over which they have
no control. They are very present-moment oriented, and they have
an internal signal that seems to remind them that all worrying must
take place in the present moment, and that it is a foolish way to go
about living one’s current life. These people live now, rather than in the past or the future. They
are not threatened by the unknown, and they seek out experiences
that are new and unfamiliar to them. They love ambiguity. They
savor the now at all times, aware that this is all they have. They don’t
plan for a future event and let long periods of inactivity elapse as
they await that event. The moments between events are just as livable
as those taken up by the events themselves, and they have an un-
canny ability to get every pleasure out of their daily lives. They are
not postponers, saving for a rainy day, and while our culture disap-
proves their behavior, they are unthreatened by self-reproach. They
gather in their happiness now, and when a future now arrives, they
gather in that one as well. These individuals are always enjoying
simply because they see the folly of waiting to enjoy. It is a natural
way of living, very much like that of a child or an animal. They are
busy grabbing present-moment fulfillment, while most people spend
their lives waiting for payoffs, and never being able to seize them. These healthy people are strikingly independent. They are out of
the nest, and while they may have a strong love for and devotion to
family, they see independence as superior to dependence in all rela-
tionships. They treasure their own freedom from expectations. Their
relationships are built upon mutual respect for the right of an indi-
vidual to make decisions for himself. Their love involves no impos-
ition of values on the loved one. They put a high premium on pri-
vacy, which may leave others feeling snubbed or rejected. They like
to be alone at times, and they will go to great lengths to ensure that
their privacy is protected. You will not find these people involved
in numerous love relationships. They are selective about their love,
but they’re alsoPORTRAIT OF A PERSON WHO HAS ELIMINATED ALLdeeply and sensitively loving. It is difficult for dependent or un-
healthy people to love them, because they are adamant about their
freedom. If someone needs them, they reject such a need as hurtful
to the other person as well as to themselves. They want those they
love to be independent, to make their own choices, and to live their
lives for themselves. While they enjoy others and want to be with
them, they want even more for others to make it without crutches
or leaning. Thus, the moment you start leaning on these people,
you’ll find them disappearing, first emotionally, and then physically
as well. They refuse to be dependent, or depended upon, in a mature
relationship


actone, it can set the
stage for damage to the thyroid cell and the development of an autoimmune thyroid disorder such as Hashimoto’s or Graves’
disease. A Proposed Mechanism For The Development Of Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders
The NADPH oxidase system is found in the mitochondria of our cells. The mitochondria are the energy-producing cells of
our body. The mitochondria produce energy (i.e., ATP) through a complex process called oxidative phosphorylation. All medical
students (and most physicians) are familiar with oxidative phosphorylation because we have to memorize the many steps
responsible for producing ATP. This production of ATP requires many items including: oxygen, magnesium, ADP, vitamins, and
amino acids. 9

10
Many people with chronic illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and autoimmune disorders, complain
they have no energy. ATP is the molecule that stores energy for the body. The body is constantly producing and utilizing ATP. Its
production is a complex process that is beyond this book. However, there are two cofactors, vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B3
(niacin), that are integral to stimulating oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production. Hydrogen peroxide is a byproduct of oxidative phosphorylation. 11
 It is this production of hydrogen peroxide that
is so critical
to the oxidation process of iodine. Hydrogen peroxide and TPO help to oxidize iodide to form iodine. If there is a deficiency in iodine, which is common when ingesting the RDA for iodine, there will not be enough substrate (i.e.,
iodine) to produce iodinated lipids. As can be seen from
Figure 10
, the lack of δ-iodolactone and other iodinated lipids results in
a loss of the ‘brake’ in the pathway to oxidize iodide. This may result in a temporary production of too much hydrogen peroxide. This excess hydrogen peroxide can damage the enzyme TPO. What Happens If TPO Is Damaged? Autoimmune Thyroid Illness
The body’s response to TPO damage is to produce antibodies against TPO or anti-TPO antibodies. A diagnosis of
Hashimoto’s disease requires the presence of anti-TPO antibodies. As the damage worsens, surrounding proteins can also be
damaged such as thyroglobulin. Damaged thyroglobulin will result in the body producing antibodies against thyroglobulin—anti-
thyroglobulin antibodies. In most cases of Hashimoto’s disease, there are antibodies to both TPO and thyroglobulin present. Although Graves’ disease
may also possess these same antibodies, antibody production is not necessary to make the diagnosis of Graves’ disease. However,
my clinical experience has shown that the treatment for both Hashimoto’s and Graves’ disease can follow a similar
course with similar positive outcomes. EARLY AND LATE STAGES OF AUTOIMMUNE THYROID DISORDERS
It is well known that patients with autoimmune thyroid disorders can fluctuate symptomatically between overactive thyroid
symptoms (hyperthyroidism) and underactive thyroid symptoms (hypothyroidism). These patients can also suffer from a
combination of hypo- and hyper-thyroid symptoms. For those struggling with autoimmune thyroid disorders, it can be an
intolerable situation. Early Stages Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders
As previously explained, the early onset of the illness seems to be fueled by too much hydrogen peroxide damaging TPO and
causing oxidative damage. As the illness progresses, thyroid hormone production can become unbalanced. Thyroid hormone is
integral to stimulating the mitochondria to produce energy or ATP. If the mitochondria are not producing enough energy
molecules, fatigue will set in. This fatigue can be unrelenting. Patients with this type of fatigue cannot exercise, as exercise will
worsen their fatigue. These same patients will also complain of brain fog, as well as muscle aches and pains. Late Stages Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders
When the mitochondria are producing adequate energy molecules, we have enough energy to do as we please. When the
illness has progressed and energy levels have declined, the system may be ‘burning itself out’ due to excessive oxidative damage. It is almost as if an oxidative storm has overwhelmed the energy producing cells of the body. Now, the mitochondria are not
producing ATP (energy) in amounts necessary for health. So what can you do? As shown in
Figure 10
, providing enough iodine to produce iodo-lipids (e.g., δ-iodolactone) is a start. Next, it becomes
necessary to stimulate the NADPH oxidase pathway. Remember, this pathway is integral to energy production. How do you
increase the production of ATP in the mitochondria? You can provide the correct co-factors in this pathway to increase the
production of ATP. Vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin) are cofactors in the NADPH oxidase pathway and their use can help
stimulate the mitochondria to produce more energy as well as provide the thyroid cells with enough H
2
O
2
 to properly oxidize
iodide. The initial treatment in either early or late stage autoimmune thyroid disorders is to correct iodine deficiency. Concurrently, acomplete nutritional program, which includes the use of vitamins B2 and B3, vitamin C, magnesium, and unrefined
salt, can be
instituted to correct mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidant stress and tissue damage as described in the next section. I diagnosed my nurse Angela with Hashimoto’s disease two years ago. Angela’s complaints included fatigue, difficulty
concentrating, and a general sense of not feeling well. “I am only 23 years old, I can’t imagine what I will feel like when
I am 50,” she said. Angela was treated with iodine (50mg/day) and a complete nutritional program including vitamins
and minerals. Angela did feel somewhat better (approximately 30%) but was not satisfied. When she walked into my
office one day, she saw a bottle of ‘ATP Co-Factors
®
’
(
www.Optimox.com
), which contains 100mg of B2 and 500mg of
B3. She asked me what this bottle was for and I told her that this therapy has been a big help for Hashimoto’s, Grave’s
disease, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue suffering patients. She said, “I have Hashimoto’s, how come I am not on it?” I
did not want to tell her that I forgot to tell her to take it, so I sheepishly told her that the next bottle was for her. Angela
took one pill (100mg of B2 and 500mg of B3) and felt her energy improve within two hours. “I have taken so many
supplements without having an effect, either positive or negative. This (ATP Co-Factors) was the greatest. I feel like I
have woken up,” she stated. Angela continues to take the supplement and continues to feel well. Update on Angela’s
case: Angela is still taking B2 and B3 along with iodine and continues to do well. “My antibodies are
gone and I feel
better than I have ever felt. I feel healthy now,” she said. How to Treat Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders
1. Ingest enough iodine in order to provide adequate substrate to iodinate lipids. The first step to treating autoimmune thyroid disorders is to assess iodine status. Iodine levels can be measured by checking
blood, urine, and/or saliva. I routinely check every new patient in my office for their iodine levels primarily by measuring urinary
levels. Either a spot urine or 24-hour loading test for iodine can be performed. For more information on testing, please refer to
the Appendix. If iodine levels are low, I recommend taking enough iodine to ensure that there will be enough substrate to organify (iodinate)
lipids. As previously mentioned, it is impossible to achieve this with the RDA for iodine. My clinical experience has shown that
most people need from 12-50mg/day of a combination of iodine and iodide. Lugol’s solution or tableted Lugol’s solution have
both proven effective. More information on where to purchase iodine can be found in the Appendix. However, I suggest working
with a health care provider
knowledgeable in how to dose iodine in order to get the best results. 2. Take Vitamins B2 and B3 in amounts necessary to stimulate the NADPH system to produce adequate
amounts of H
2
O
2
. The amounts of vitamins B2 and B3 must be sufficient to overcome deficiencies in the system. Dr. G. Abraham’s research has
shown that using 100mg of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and 500mg of vitamin B3 (niacinamide) twice per day will help to stimulate
ATP production and provide adequate H
2
O
2
 for oxidation of iodide. 3. Correct oxidant stress in the thyroid gland and the mitochondria with antioxidants. I have used higher-dosed vitamin C in my practice for years with excellent results. My clinical experience has shown that
larger doses of vitamin C are needed when one is suffering an exacerbation of any illness. Generally, between 3-10,000 mg/day
of vitamin C provides the antioxidant protection necessary to overcome oxidative damage for most patients. Some people may
require more. If the illness is severe, intravenous vitamin C can be very helpful. The only major side effect of vitamin C is diarrhea,
which can


about	preventing	wear	and	tear. The	Joy	of	Movement
Throughout	human	evolution,	our	biological	ancestors	were	very	active,
engaging	in	hours	of	vigorous	physical	activity	every	day. They	walked	or	ran
everywhere	they	went,	and	they	needed	to	work	hard,	physically,	to	meet	their
basic	needs. Because	of	this	evolutionary	history,	human	bodies	require	physical
activity	for	good	health. Historically,	healthy	populations	such	as	the	Hunzas
and	the	Vilcabambas	met	those	biological	needs	by	default. They	lived	their
entire	lives	in	mountainous	farming	communities	where	they	had	vigorous
exercise	through	regular	daily	activities. As	you	recall,	older	Hunza	men—often
well	into	their	hundreds—worked	in	the	fields	and	participated	in	strenuous	folk
dancing. Exercise	is	like	an	essential	nutrient;	without	it,	your	body
malfunctions. Unlike	our	hunter-gatherer	ancestors,	most	of	us	now	engage	in	little	physical
activity. The	Industrial	Revolution	radically	changed	human	existence. Machines
and	technology	perform	work	formerly	done	by	hand. No	longer	do	we	hunt	or
farm;	our	work	is	done	sitting	at	a	desk	or	standing	behind	a	counter,	and	we
meet	our	daily	needs	with	a	quick	trip	to	a	store. Even	our	recreation	is
sedentary:	We	read	books,	play	video	games,	and	watch	movies	and	television
(the	average	American	watches	three	hours	a	day). We	seldom	walk	or	run;
instead,	we	use	automobiles,	trains,	taxis	and	buses. Sixty	percent	of	our	adult	population	is	sedentary,	and	one	out	of	four	people
engages	in	absolutely	no	exercise	whatsoever. Lack	of	activity	contributes	to	our
epidemic	of	physical	problems	such	as	low-back	pain	and	spine	problems,fatigue,	arthritis,	osteoporosis,	obesity	and	a	host	of	chronic	diseases. Almost
everyone	has	the	nagging	sense	that	they	“should”	exercise,	but	few	understand
why	exercise	is	so	important. Exercise	is	good	because	(like	anything	else	that	is	“good	for	you”),	it
promotes	the	health	of	cells. Exercise	prevents	both	of	the	two	causes	of	disease
—deficiency	and	toxicity—	by	promoting	efficient	nutrient	delivery	to	cells	and
stimulating	the	lymphatic	system	(the	body’s	sewage	system),	vital	for	removing
toxins	from	cells. Exercise	is	great	for	body	and	mind;	it	slows	the	effects	of	aging,	reduces	pain
and	helps	to	improve	mood,	clarity	of	mind,	balance,	coordination	and	spatial
awareness—not	to	mention	the	confidence	boost	that	comes	from	“getting
physical.”	The	body	has	almost	seven	hundred	different	muscles;	without
physical	activity,	these	muscles	quickly	waste	away	and	lose	their	strength. When	certain	muscles	are	weak,	others	will	compensate	to	do	the	work,	which
can	cause	painful	physical	damage	to	the	body	with	long-term	wear	and	tear. What	happens	then? Canes,	walkers	and	pain	medications	are	the	frequently
prescribed	treatments,	but	the	problem	is	inactivity. A	study	reported	in	the
Journal	of	the	American	Medical	Association
in	1996	found	that	physically
inactive	people	are	up	to	twice	as	likely	to	die	prematurely	as	those	who	are
physically	fit. Lack	of	exercise	actually	may	be	a	greater	health	risk	than	smoking. People
who	exercise	regularly	and	also	smoke	typically	live	longer	and	healthier	lives
than	people	who	do	not	smoke	but	also	do	not	exercise. Consider	what	happens
to	bedridden	people—bodies	that	do	not	move	or	exercise	at	all. Their	cells
become	increasingly	more	deficient	and	toxic,	wasting	away	daily. Unused
muscles	lose	10	to	15	percent	of	their	strength	per	week	and	half	their	strength	in
just	three	to	five	weeks. Meanwhile,	the	bones	and	joints	become	weak,	brittle
and	susceptible	to	fracture	or	breakage. Exercise	for	Your	Mind’s	Sake
Exercise	is	important	for	mental	function,	helping	to	engage	and	clear	the
mind. Lack	of	exercise	makes	a	person	more	susceptible	to	mental	illness. Exercise	is	an	excellent	stress-management	technique. Older	people	who
exercise	are	3.5	times	less	likely	to	develop	Alzheimer’s	disease	than	those	who
lead	sedentary	lives. Engage	in	some	kind	of	physical	activity	every	day. Letting
days	or	weeks	go	by	without	any	exercise	has	a	negative	impact	on	the	health	of
your	brain	cells	as	well	as	all	your	other	cells. The	known	benefits	of	exerciseinclude	the	following:
•	Releases	brain	chemicals	that	alleviate	feelings	of	anxiety,	depression	and
mental	stress. •	Enhances	the	immune	system	(by	increasing	natural	killer-cell	activity)
and	improves	the	body’s	ability	to	fight	infections. •	Slows	the	onset	of	aging	effects,	such	as	slowed	nerve	impulses	and	bone
demineralization	(including	osteoporosis). •	Reduces	the	risk	of	developing	Type	II	diabetes	by	about	25	percent	and
decreases	insulin	resistance. •	Helps	lower	blood	pressure. Regular	exercise	can	lower	blood	pressure	by
ten	points	or	more. •	Helps	prevent	cardiovascular	disease	by	blocking	the	buildup	of	plaque	in
the	arteries. •	Dissolves	blood	clots	and	reduces	the	risk	of	stroke. •	Reduces	cancer	risk;	just	four	hours	of	exercise	per	week	lowers	a
woman’s	risk	of	breast	cancer	by	almost	60	percent. •	Tones	and	conditions	the	entire	body	and	helps	prevent	obesity. Diet	Fads	and	Facts
Dieting	to	lose	weight	is	a	recurring	theme	in	American	life. New	diet	plans
are	announced	repeatedly. Weight-reducing	products	flood	the	market,	often
promoted	by	famous	or	ordinary	people	with	“remarkable”	stories. For	lasting
results	in	any	weight-loss	program,	however,	exercise	is	essential. Decreasing
calories	(dieting)	as	a	weight-loss	method	can	actually	cause	the	body	to	slow	its
metabolic	rate	to	conserve	energy. By	starving,	one	has	less	energy	and	burns
less	fat,	and	the	unwanted	pounds	are	likely	to	stay	right	where	they	are. Regular
exercise	changes	how	your	body	produces	energy	(like	stoking	a	fire	or	heating
up	a	furnace),	increasing	one’s	ability	to	burn	stored	fat	and	lose	weight. America	has	a	serious	obesity	epidemic	that	worsens	yearly	and	begins	at
younger	and	younger	ages. Consider	our	children,	who	are	spending	more	time
with	computers,	television	and	video	games,	and	less	time	at	physical	play. From
1960	to	2000,	obesity	among	U.S.	children	aged	six	to	ten	years	increased	54
percent. Parents,	do	not	kid	yourselves:	Few	children	outgrow	weight	problems. Eighty	percent	of	obese	children	and	adolescents	become	obese	adults. These
high	obesity	levels	in	children	already	are	contributing	to	widespread	diseases,
including	cardiovascular	disease,	diabetes	and	cancer. These	conditionsfrequently	are	associated	with	obesity	and	used	to	be	rare	in	children. The	only	way	to	stop	this	cycle	is	to	start	with	the	kids! At	least	adults	can
understand