 are, but not so dirty; for I paid forbaths, washing, and in some instancesfurnished clothing. Besides supplying theseluxuries, I gave them occasionally a big silverdollar which they called a " cart wheel."
It was surprising to see these degenerates
freshen up jn appearance and lose theirblotchiness and greasiness of facial appearance.I knew how to talk to them to get theirconfidence, and they looked on me as justanother " freak" like themselves, but with somekind of a money " pull." There were fat and thinamong them, and it was a matter of surprise
that after a little some of the thin got stouter and
the fat fell off in weight at the same time. One of
them was a belligerent socialist and the authorof a well-known book which had quite a voguein the earlier history of present-day socialism.Up to the time I began my own experiment, I
had been a social drinker of alcohol in all formsto the full extent of "gentlemanly decency," withoccasional slips when near the outer edge thatmade me ashamed of myself after I got soberagain. I am now more ashamed than ever whenI am reminded of my early foolishness, but sincemy experiences are being turned to goodaccount I forgive myself. Not only were socialoccasions an excuse, but I often ordered thesocial occasions to serve as an excuse. I hadnever resorted to snake-bites to give legitimateexcuses, but I so crowded my resources in thisdirection that at one time I held the " record,"for the community in which I lived, for whatwas called " hollowness of legs and steadiness ofhead," and so much was this " strength ofcharacter " valued in that community inAmerica, that one was supposed to take pride inholding the record.
The result of my own pursuit of thorough
tasting of my food had been that my ownponderosity of front weight fell off, and at thesame time I had no desire for wine or beer. Itwas all a surprise to me, but it was not anamazing surprise until one day one of my tramp
guests came to me and said : " Boss, this eatin'game is great; think of me with a dollar in mypocket and not wantin' beer."
In a short time I forgot that I had ever liked
wine or beer. It never occurred to me to order itexcept for a guest, and then I took it with him,or, rather them, for there were usually severalor many at my eating parties, but in theFletcherian manner which is so eminentlyEpicurean that a few sips went as far as a half-bottle used to do. Here is an important point inprofitable economics that any one candemonstrate for himself at once and not rely onmy say-so, or that of any one else. Later on Iwill tell how to do it. The secret is worth itsweight in gold as an Epicurean prize as well asa money-saver. I have to tell, a little further on,of a very large experiment which came as asurprise also. It was in a section of country, andamong a class of people, where to escape fromthe toils of the drink demon is nothing short of amiracle.A REMARKABLE  MAN.
But before I relate this climaxic experience I
will once more refer to one of the mostremarkable men I have had the pleasure ofmeeting. His case covers more sides of healthyvariety than that of almost any one, but he haseven a better showing in some respects thanany. He is an M.D.; a Ph.D.; an Sc.D.; an A.M.;and a P.H.D. ; which last is the " stiffest exam."of them all. He is a champion athlete; the fatherof an all-round college champion; and asgraceful a gymnast as any one ever saw do the" Giant Swing " on the horizontal bar. He is alsoa grandfather and now past fifty.
This was his experience in 1902 or 1903, in
connection with my being called to New Havento submit to examination under the supervisionof Professor Chittenden. It is Dr. Anderson towhom I refer, and he permits my stating hisexperience as often as I like for the good it willdo. My expression of appreciation of hisacademic and athletic accomplishments is allmy own and not authorized.
When I was turned over to Dr. Anderson for
physical examination in the Yale gymnasium,my fitness was surprising to him as he has
stated in his reports. He was also ripe for thereasonableness of my revelations. He seemed tome to be in the " pink of condition " himself, andhe was so, as " pink " was judged at the time, fora man of his age.
Dr. Anderson tried more careful mastication
than usual, and paid more attention to thethorough enjoyment of his food with the samepleasant results that come to everybody whenmaking the trial, no matter how moderate andtemperate they have been before. It isequivalent to putting a little keener edge onappetite than usual. Children and even fineladies will perk up a little when they areconscious of being noticed, and the humansenses are human in more ways than one.
Dr. Anderson was pleased with the new
revelation as a pleasure promoter, but did notnotice that he was forgetting to take his dailyprescription of stimulant. He was a medicalman, past forty, beginning to slack up a little inhis elasticity and strength. He was reachingthat age when even the most temperate andcareful begin to be a little lenient withthemselves. His doctor friends were in the habit
of prescribing a little stimulant to counter-balance this expected decline in energy and hetook their advice. It was the medical fad of theperiod.
At first, Dr. Anderson ordered for himself one
small drink of good medicinal whisky a day, andthe effect was as expected. By and bye, however,a little more was needed, and this increasingdemand continued its insistence until threedrinks were no more efficacious than one hadbeen at first. When I was introduced to him hehad begun on his fourth drink daily, and yetburned it up in his exercise without feeling itmuch.
A couple of weeks after he began to check up
my tests by personal experience, which is theonly scientific way, he all at once remembered,one day, that he had forgotten to take hiswhisky, and yet he was fitter than usual. I hadnot mentioned my own experience in this regardto him, I believe, as when we were together hekept me busy with the exercises of the ‘Varsitycrew, and I had little chance to give himaccounts of my full experiences. Besides, it didnot occur to me that it would interest him who
seemed to be moderation and temperancepersonified. And so he was, according to thescientific estimate of the time, but Nature hasanother standard of temperance, and under herstrict guidance very little but good spring wateris needed or desired.
HOW TO ENJOY  WINE.
To illustrate this and also suggest a way of
letting Mother Nature prove that I representher correctly in this important matter, I willgive an account of an actual happening.
I was lecturing in Buffalo, New York, in
America, and was invited to address themembers of the sumptuous Buffalo Club. Idwelt especially on Fletcherizing as a means ofgetting the good and the best out of food anddrink, and yet for little cost, and at the close ofthe lecture a dozen or more of the audienceasked me to demonstrate my point as above. Iwas happy to do this, and called for a pint of thechoicest still wine, with cordial glasses. Therequest caused a smile among some of my hosts
who were proud of being " one bottle " consumers.When the wine came I poured out half a
cordial glass as the portion I selected for myselfand recommended the same prescription for theothers, as a " starter." Then I breathed andsipped my delicious grape-juice, as I hadlearned to do from the professional wine-tasterson the Rhine, in Germany, and in the Burgundyregion, in France. The others did the same, andseemed to get unusual satisfaction from boththe boquet and the taste.
What happens is this : You sense the wine by
means of the olfactories as you would breathe inthe odour of a delicately perfumed flower. Tasteis excited and becomes jealous of Smell. Yougive Taste a taste. Something more subtle thantaste ; a sort of aroma, so to speak, spreads overthe head. You feel the taste of the delicacy uparound the temples, and the sensation isdelightful in the extreme, fading slowly awaybut leaving a lovely memory impression.
Then you take another sip, and the sensation
is about the same, and so on for a sip or twomore, when the supremest delicacy of the wineceases to express itself. Two or three sips more,and the wine no longer tastes good. Carriedfurther, in this appetite-respecting manner,
there will be a desire to spit out the sips, andthere is no temptation to drink them.
Professional wine-tasters are supposed never
to drink wine. After tasting it they spit out the
remnant from which the taste has beenexhausted. Tea tasters and beer tasters andspecial food tasters do the same in order topreserve their keen taste discrimination. Thereis just as definite Swallowing Sense andExpectorating Sense as there is Taste Sense.There is just as strong Appetite Sense forproteid, when the


 organ meats, poultry, fish and shellfish.
Meats and fish are an excellent source of nutrition. Contrary to popular
belief it is the meats and fish and other animal products that have the high
est contents of vitamins, amino acids, nourishing fats, many minerals and
other nutrients which we humans need on a daily basis. All this nutrition in
meats and fish also comes in the most digestible form for us humans. I find
it deceptive to see some vitamin tables in some books on nutrition show
ing that grains provide all our vitamins. First of all the form in which grains
contain these vitamins is difficult for us to digest. Secondly if you compare
the amounts of vitamins in meat, fish or other animal products with grains
it is the animal products which are at the top of the list. Let us just have a
look at some of them.
Vitamin Bi (thiamin): the richest sources are pork, liver, heart and
kidneys.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): the richest sources are eggs, meat, milk, poultry
and fish.
Vitamin B3 (niacin): the richest sources are meat and poultry.
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): the richest sources are meats and liver.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): the richest sources are meat, poultry, fish and
eggs.
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin): the richest sources are meat, poultry,
fish, eggs and milk.
Biotin: the richest sources are liver and egg yolks.
Vitamin A: the richest sources are liver, fish, egg yolks and butter.
Vitamin D: the richest sources are fish liver oils, eggs and fish.
The three well-researched vitamins which meats and fish do not have
are vitamin C, folic acid and vitamin K. These three have to come from veg
etables and fruit. Fruit, apart from avocado, generally interferes with the
digestion of meats and should be eaten between meals. Vegetables how
ever combine with meats and fish very well and would provide the missing
nutrients. There is another important reason for eating meats and fish with
vegetables, which is the way we metabolise food. After digesting and utilising meats and fish our body tissues accumulate acids. After digesting
most vegetables our body becomes alkaline. By combining the meats and
vegetables in one meal we balance the acidity in the body, which is impor
tant because both too acid and too alkaline states are not very healthy. Raw
vegetables have stronger alkalising ability than cooked. However, make
sure that your patient's digestive system is ready for raw vegetables before
introducing them.
The majority of GAPS patients are anaemic. It is essential for people with
anaemia to have red meats on a regular basis (lamb, beef, game and organ
meats in particular) because these foods are the best remedy for anaemia.
They not only provide iron in the haem-form: the form which the human
bodies absorbs best, they also provide the B vitamins and other nutrients
essential for treating anaemia. Meats also promote better absorption of
non-haem iron from vegetables and fruit while vitamin C from vegetables
and greens promote absorption of iron from meat. Large epidemiological
studies show that eating red meat is associated with much lower incidence
of iron deficiency in different countries of the world.
An absolute resuscitation for an anaemic person is eating liver. Liver is a
true powerhouse of nutrition. Whichever nutrient you take, you will find it
in abundance in liver, including all the nutrients which GAPS people are
deficient in. Making sure that your GAPS patient eats some liver on a regu
lar basis will do immeasurably more for his or her nutritional status than
the best and the most expensive supplements in the world. An anaemic
person should eat liver and other organ meats once a week at least. A child
needs a small amount: one to two tablespoons of cooked ground liver
every other day, which can be mixed with any meat dish or a full liver meal
once a week. For some ideas on how to cook liver look in the recipe section.
Make sure that you buy meats and fish fresh or frozen, but not pre
served, as preserved meats and fish will have a lot of additives (E-numbers,
preservatives, starches, sugar, too much salt, lactose and other ingredients)
which will not allow the digestive system heal. Hams, bacon, delicatessen
meats and all commercially available sausages are preserved meats and
should be avoided. Sausages are a popular food, which children in particu
lar like. I recommend finding a local butcher, who makes his own sausages
and ask him to produce pure meat sausages for you. The only ingredients
in these sausages should be full fat mincemeat, salt and pepper. If you wish
to add some fresh garlic, onion or fresh herbs to the mince, that is fine. It is
important to specifically emphasise that no commercial seasoning or
sausage mix should be added. Most commercial seasonings for sausages contain a flavour enhancer MSG (mono-sodium glutamate) which GAPS
people must not consume.
Meat and fish stock is a wonderful nutritional and digestive remedy. As
you cook meats and fish in water a lot of nutrients from the meats get
extracted into the water. Use these meat stocks for making soups, stews
and simply as a warming therapeutic drink with and between meals. In the
recipe section you will find detailed instructions on how to make meat and
fish stocks. It goes without saying that all commercially available stock
granules and cubes are to be avoided. They do not possess any of the heal
ing properties of a home-made meat stock and are full of detrimental
ingredients. Meats cooked in water are easier to digest for a person with a
sensitive digestive system.
Eggs are one the most nourishing and easy to digest foods on this planet.
Raw egg yolk has been compared with human breast milk as it absorbs
almost 100% without needing digestion. Egg yolks will provide you with
most essential amino acids, many vitamins (Bi, B2, B6, B12, A, D, biotin),
essential fatty acids, a lot of zinc, magnesium and many other nutrients,
which GAPS children and adults are deficient in. Eggs are particularly rich
in Vitamin B12 vital for normal development of the nervous system and
immunity. The large majority of GAPS patients are deficient in B12 and
hence anaemic.
Egg yolks are very rich in cholin - an amino acid essential for the nervous
system and the liver to function. Cholin is a building block of a neurotrans
mitter called acethylcholin, which the brain uses for cognitive or learning
processes and memory amongst its many functions. Cholin supplementa
tion is recommended for people with neurological damage, memory loss
and poor learning ability. Cholin is also prescribed to people with liver
problems. GAPS patients almost invariably have cognitive problems and
an over-stressed liver and benefit from extra cholin in their diet. Egg yolks,
particularly uncooked, would provide the best food source of cholin.
It is sad that based on some faulty "science" and commercial publicity
eggs have been made unpopular despite their wonderful nutritional value.
This happened because eggs contain cholesterol. In the last decade there
has been a number of clinical studies confirming that consuming eggs has
nothing to do with heart disease or atherosclerosis. In fact people who con
sume eggs show lower risk of these health problems. The majority of people do not know that 85% of blood cholesterol does not come from food
but is produced by the liver in response to consumption of processed
carbohydrates and sugar. So, these are the foods to avoid in order to
protect your heart, not the eggs.
I suggest getting your eggs from a source you trust. Free-range organic
eggs are the best because the hens have much better nutrition, are not fed
antibiotics and agricultural chemicals and are exposed to sun and fresh air.
Free-range organic eggs are also better from another important point of
view - the concern about Salmonella. According to the National Egg
Marketing Board around one in 7000 eggs may harbour Salmonella. These
are the numbers for battery eggs laid by hens in cages. Salmonella-infected
egg comes from an infected hen. Free-range organically reared hens are
much less likely to have Salmonella, as they possess much healthier
immune systems. Raw egg yolks are more nourishing than cooked.
However, if you feel unsure about raw egg yolks, then cook the eggs
whichever way you prefer. Salmonella gets destroyed when eggs are
cooked thoroughly.
Egg whites are usually cooked well, simply because most of us don't like
the taste of raw whites. Though one case of biotin deficiency was described
in the literature where a person lived on a self-fashioned diet of raw egg
whites, there is no conclusive evidence as to why we should not eat them
raw as well. However, when it comes to egg allergy whites are usually the
part of the egg which the majority of sufferers react to, because the whites
contain very complex proteins and antigens. Egg yolks contain single
amino acids, which virtually do not need digestion. That is why a lot of
people with egg allergy can tolerate the


 relating,
creating? What is blocking their expression? What do you need to fulfill yourself? Above all,
what do YOU want to do with your life?” Once these basics have been clarified, it is time to point
out the enormous potential open to the patient, if only he or she will ACT, NOT JUST REACT,
and start making personal decisions. Much can be achieved in a short time. The main tool of the
therapist is his or her personality and calm, reliable presence. Often this is the only solid support
in the patient’s confused, chaotic world. Other tools, such as teaching relaxation techniques,
simple meditation, and creative visualization focused on self-healing, should also be used by
trained counselors or therapists. (see Chapter 25 )
Clearing the First Hurdle
Many patients come to the Gerson therapy as a last resort, after the failure of conventional
medical treatments, which has left them with deep disappointment, loss of trust, and a lot of
severe after-effects. To embark on the Gerson program is for them a final gamble, an end-of-
the-line decision. Others choose the Gerson path at an earlier, less serious stage of their disease,
with fewer irreversible changes in their bodies, but with a poor prognosis. Either way—and this
is the first hurdle to be taken into account—they embark on an unfamiliar treatment, much of
which sounds bizarre at first. Moreover, they are aware of having stepped outside the limits of
orthodox medicine, leaving behind the network of doctors, consultant, hospitals, referrals—an
entire system which has been unable to heal them, yet still carries an aura of great power. Some
may have been rudely dismissed by their physicians, simply for daring to consider an “unproven”
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 170Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comalternative therapy. Others face pressure and doubts from family members and friends who refuse
to accept that a weird-sounding therapy may possibly succeed where modern hi-tech medicine
has failed.
This kind of pressure can be debilitating for the patient, who probably also suffers from some
niggling doubts, and so the next urgent task is to make clear how and why the Gerson Therapy
works. Most people are familiar with the workings of allopathic medicine, where there is a pill for
every ill and you either recover or die, but at least things happen fast. Here, however, the patient
faces two years of unremitting effort, strict discipline and a total change from a so-called normal
lifestyle, all of which sounds pretty scary, especially because there is no guarantee of success at
the other end. This is when the cognitive approach works best. It needs no medical background to
understand why rebuilding the immune system is a better idea than knocking it out with radiation
and a cocktail of poisons, and once the simple but powerful logic of the Gerson program is
grasped, the patient is reassured and willing to proceed as an equal partner and ally of the doctor
or counselor
Help Comes from the Body
One of the most striking results of the Gerson program is the immediate improvement in
the new patient’s general condition. Pain diminishes, appetite begins to return, sleep improves
within the first few days on the program. This in itself boosts the mood of the patient, who over
the preceding months, if not years, had only experienced deterioration in his or her condition
and a fading of hope. Now the opposite has begun to happen, and it immediately changes the
atmosphere. (Visitors to a Gerson clinic are astonished by its relaxed atmosphere and the patients’
good mood—mealtimes are usually loud with laughter—as opposed to the heavy, sad air of the
average cancer hospital). Needless to say, this changed mood and the accompanying sense of
relief also begin to have a helpful effect on the immune system.
However, the healing journey has only just begun, while the need for psychological support
is far from over. The patient is faced with a total change of lifestyle, diet, and daily routine for a
minimum of two years (less in the case of non-malignant conditions). Inevitably it takes a lot of
determination and discipline to stick to the schedule. Equally inevitably after a while boredom
and monotony take their toll: the patient feels restricted and deprived of most social pleasures,
and at times gets sufficiently fed up to want to quit the therapy. When that happens, it is best not
to contradict the patient’s grumbles but, on the contrary, agree that the process is demanding,
restricting and monotonous—and then point out the good results so far, ask tactless questions
such as, “Would you rather have chemotherapy?” or “All right, you quit—and then what?” and
wait for the answer. Above all, remember: this, too, will pass.
Boredom can be relieved by providing relevant reading material, tapes and DVDs. Once
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 171Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comindividuals have got a taste of natural medicine, they are keen to find out more about it. Networking
with other Gerson patients or choosing a fresh hobby or study that can be fitted in between juices,
enemas and meals also works well.
Interim goal-setting is another good way to break up the monotony: what would the patient
want to achieve in one week, one month and three months? The goals have to be realistic and
modest, and celebrated when they are achieved. The ones that did not work out can be re-phrased
or postponed, but not written off as failures.
Problems on the Path
Food can be a tricky issue for some. Many people take to Gerson food at once and enjoy it.
Others do not. When they express their dislike vigorously, or even refuse to eat certain essential
foods, they are driven by their deep emotional attachment to certain kinds of food, however
unhealthy. Normally these are the foods their mother gave them in childhood, when food equaled
love, even if it was low-grade junk. Now, at a fraught time even though these people accept the
rightness of the Gerson diet, on a deep non-rational level they reject it. The answer is to remind
the patient that the food on offer is—literally—medicine, that the diet is not for ever, and that
accepting it now is an essential investment in the future. I have found it helpful to make a contract
with the patient, who undertook to stick to the diet meticulously for two weeks and explore its
varied flavors. As a rule quick improvement followed and extending the contract was easy.
Firmness is needed when patients wish to bend the dietary rules by committing small lapses
or having occasional “treats.” The only answer is no, for what exactly is small, and how often
does an occasional exception occur? Once the rules are broken, the safe boundaries of the therapy
are damaged; the consequences can be serious. Even so, the rules must be enforced with tact and
affection, otherwise we as carers or therapists end up in the role of the over-strict parent, with
“Thou shalt not” written all over us.
Then there is the problem of flare-ups or healing reactions, which can be extremely unpleasant
yet must be welcomed, since they mean that the body is responding to the treatment. The practical
measures for dealing with flare-ups are fully set out elsewhere in this book (see Chapter 16 ). By
way of psychological support the likely symptoms of flare-ups must be explained in advance, so
that the patient doesn’t panic when they set in. Here, too, our calm, reassuring presence is the
best we can offer, especially when physical symptoms are accompanied by behavioral changes.
The body can’t detoxify without causing psychological detoxification as well. Toxins passing
through the central nervous system cause strange reactions and out-of-character behavior—anger,
irritability, violent mood swings, aggression and unfair accusations. The patient’s usual civilized
behavior is swept aside by drives and emotions that have been repressed probably since childhood.
The adult self is temporarily pushed aside by a raging inner child, until it takes over again amid
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 172Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comprofuse apologies. (A client of mine called such incidents “the Gerson Rage,” and as she could
sense when a flare-up was in the offing, she told the family that whatever she would do or say in
the next few hours or days, she still loved them dearly.)
This, too, has to be prepared for and not taken personally. It is part of the process. In whatever
capacity we work with the patient, we remain calm, caring, and unchanged, waiting for the inner
upheaval to pass.
By the time the patient has been restored in body and mind and it comes to the winding down
of the Gerson therapy, the final task is to ensure that the process runs smoothly. Some patients
who used to ask, “Is there life after Gerson?” are now reluctant to let go of the


ine
deficiency.
17
 The proportion of the United States population with moderate to severe iodine deficiency (less than 50μg/L in urine)
has increased by over 450 percent from 1970-2000; from 2.6% in NHANES I (1970) to 11.7% in NHANES II (2000).
18
Unfortunately, things have only gotten worse. Researchers reported in 2005 that 16.8 percent of women of childbearing age had
moderate to severe iodine deficiency. In 2008, the latest data available, 14.6%
of women of childbearing age were found to be
moderately to severely iodine deficient.
19

Figure 18
 (previous page) shows the increasing prevalence of moderate to severe
iodine deficiency over the last 38 years.
A study of 100 healthy, pregnant Bostonians found that 50% were ingesting below the recommended daily allowance of
iodine (220μg/day) and 9% were felt to have moderate to severe iodine deficiency (less than 50μg/day on a urine analysis).
20
FINAL THOUGHTS
Iodine is a crucial item needed by a fetus for normal neurological development. Unfortunately, iodine deficiency is not rare in
the U.S. Keep in mind that iodine levels have fallen over 50% during the last forty years. And, iodine deficiency is occurring at
epidemic rates in women of childbearing age. Unless we correct this public health problem, I do not see U.S. childhood health
improving. The next chapter will expand on this concept.
I can’t emphasize this point enough: It is important for every woman to have her iodine levels tested before pregnancy and to
supplement with iodine when needed.
How much iodine is that? In an optimal situation, the dose should be individualized for the particular patient. However, many
patients cannot find iodine-knowledgeable health care practitioners. Researchers believe the average Japanese intake of iodine is
approximately 12-13mg/day. I have not found
problems with this dose for the vast majority of patients that I have treated.
One final thought; keep in mind that it is important to ensure adequate iodine intake for all ages—that includes children after
they are born. More information about childhood dosing of iodine can be found in
Chapter 10
.
1
 Thyroid. Vol. 21 N. 4. 2011
2

CDC.gov
. NHANES data.
3
 Thyroid. Vol. 23. N. 8. 2013 p. 927-937
4
 Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. 2012. 26 (Suppl. 1), 108-117
5
 In Stanbury, JB (ed). The Damaged Brain of Iodine Deficiency. N.Y. 1994pp. 195-2000
6
 Thyroid. Vol. 19. N. 5. 2009. 511-519
7
. Clin. Endocrin. And Metab. 98:1954-62. 2013
8
 Int. J Vit. Nutr. Res. 65:199-205 1995
9
 Ind. J. of Public Health. 40:10-12 1996
10
 Lancet. 1997. Sep. 13; 350(9080):771-3
11
 From
http://www.lilly.ca/searchable/cons/children.htm
 Accessed 11.15.0812
 J. Clin. Endocrin. Metab. E Pub ahead of print. 11.21.08 as doi:10.1210/jc.2006-1901
13
 J. of Clin. Endocrin. and Metab. Feb. 1, 2007, Vol. 92, N. 2. p. 437-442
14
 Proc. Natl. Acad. Scie. USA 75:45-49 1978
15
 Pediat. Res. 52: 137-47 2002
16
 Thyroid. Vol. 21 N. 4. 2011
17
 WHO/NHD/01.1
18

CDC.gov
19
 Thyroid. Vol. 21 N. 4. 2011
20
 Thyroid. 2004; 14:327-8Chapter 10
Children, ADHD, Autism, and Iodine
CHAPTER 10: CHILDREN, ADHD, AUTISM, AND IODINE
Dawson, at 7 years old, was driving his parents and his teachers crazy. “He is constantly up and down. He can’t pay
attention. He can’t focus. His teachers are always complaining to me,” his mother (Stephanie) commented. When I saw
Dawson, he was found to have a low basal body temperature (95.7 degrees Fahrenheit—normal 97.8-98.2 degrees
Fahrenheit). Low basal body temperatures can be associated with thyroid problems. Stephanie also let me know that
Dawson had been suffering from severe constipation for many years. Constipation is a sign of hypothyroidism. Dawson
also had very slow reflexes on exam. Dawson’s blood tests did not indicate a thyroid problem but a urinary test did
indicate that Dawson was low in
iodine. Due to his complaints and low temperatures, I placed Dawson on a small dose
of desiccated thyroid hormone (Armour
®

thyroid ¼ grain) and iodine (6.25mg of Iodoral
®
).
I also gave Stephanie advice
on how to clean up his diet. Within days, Stephanie noticed the positive changes in Dawson. In fact, she sent me an email
that read:
“I thought you would like to see Dawson’s latest report card comments (attached). He used to be
reserved and did not want to interact socially. He has been on Armour
®

thyroid for six weeks now and the
teacher has noticed that he has changed in personality and attentiveness. Maybe all the kids being
diagnosed with ADD/ADHD are really hypothyroid. I am so thankful that he had help available to him.
My mom commented on Easter that my kids were like two different children. I agree. Dawson could not
sit in his chair at meal time. He was up and down and up and down. It drove us crazy. Now he sits
through the entire meal and eats. I have not heard that his stomach hurts (which used to be every night)
since the first week he was on the thyroid meds.”
Dawson’s case is not unique. Every child with a diagnosis or symptoms of ADHD needs to have a complete nutritional and
hormonal evaluation. The use of psychoactive drug therapies to treat this condition should only be used as a last resort. Many of
these young patients suffering from ADHD will respond positively to a holistic approach which includes cleaning up the diet.
More information on how to implement a healthy diet can be found in
The Guide to Healthy Eating.
At every lecture I give, I am invariably asked the question, “Do children need to take iodine?” The quick answer is “yes”.
This chapter will give you the explanation behind this answer.
The World Health Organization estimates that there are over 285 million school-age children worldwide who are iodine
deficient
1
. Just as adults need iodine, children also need it. Since children’s brains are growing and developing on a daily basis, it
may be more important for children to take adequate amounts of iodine in their diets than adults. This chapter will show you the
importance of supplementing with iodine before pregnancy and the necessity of continuing iodine supplementation in children of all
ages.
The World Health Organization has recommended that the daily iodine intake for children should be:
2
90μg for preschool children (0-59 months)
120μg for schoolchildren (6-12 years)
150μg for adults (above 12 years)
200μg for pregnant and lactating women
It is my opinion that these recommendations are not sufficient for ensuring adequate iodine levels in our children (or
adults).
The consequence of iodine deficiency in childhood can be devastating. I will show you how the growing incidence of attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be directly related to iodine deficiency. Children are suffering from epidemic rates of
emotional and mental disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression. Estimates are that from
seven to sixteen percent of school-aged children suffer from ADHD.
3
 ADHD is not a deficiency of a mood-altering drug; it is a
consequence of nutritional and hormonal imbalances. Iodine is one such nutritional item that needs to be optimized in all children,
especially those with ADHD.
IODINE AND ADHD
ADHD is being diagnosed at an epidemic rate. Why would ADHD be occurring at such a high rate? There is no question that
if Big Pharma has a drug available to treat an illness, it will promote, through direct-to-consumer advertising, a campaign to
increase the awareness and utilization of the drug in order to maximize profits. I believe ADHD is overdiagnosed and overtreated.
Having said that, I do believe that over the last 40 years ADHD behavior is increasing in frequency.
Many experienced educators report an increased frequency in student ADHD behavior during their tenure. At the present
time, something is clearly going on in many children that
is not allowing them to focus properly and causing them to act out with
inappropriate behavior.
I do not believe


es	moving	out	of	the	jungles	of	New	Guinea
into
surrounding	cities,	and	as	they	do,	they	make	the	transition	from	a	culture	that
never	discovered	metal-working	to	one	where	they	can	drive	a	car.
Why	don’t	we	access	more	of	the	mind	field	ourselves?	In	fact,	we	do.
The	brain	adapts	to	the	field	at	will.	If	you	intend	to	learn	Chinese	ideograms,
of	which	there	are	thousands,	you	can	apply	yourself,	and	gradually	a	system
of	meaningless	ink	strokes	will	be	transformed	into	a	meaningful	area	of
knowledge.	Once	mastered,	the	Chinese	language	becomes	part	of	you;	it
becomes	second	nature,	and	you	can	proceed	to	use	it	for	creative	purposes.
In	essence	you	have	accessed	the	mind	field	and	willed	your	own	evolution.
You	have	made	a	leap	nearly	as	significant	as	when	Paleolithic	man
discovered	that	meaningless	vocal	noises	could	be	transformed	into	spoken
language.
Intelligence	and	meaning	aren’t	only	“in	here”	as	a	subjective	creation	of
the	brain	or	“out	there”	as	a	freestanding	object.	The	give-and-take	by	which
the	brain	creates	meaning	is	also	how	it	creates	the	world	and	creates	itself.
All	these	processes	actually	belong	to	one	process,	the	self	“curving	back	onto
itself	to	create	again	and	again,”	as	Lord	Krishna	says.	The	field	is	innately
creative.	It	formed	the	human	brain,	which	is	so	receptive	that	it	took	the	next
leap	and	learned	to	create	new	thoughts,	abilities,	and	memories	on	its	own.
Our	brains	are	still	acting	out	the	total	activity	of	the	cosmos,	but	we	happen
to	claim	that	“I	am	thinking”	when	it’s	just	as	true	to	say	“the	mind	field	is
thinking	through	me.”
Memes	and	the	Behavior	of	Beliefs
There’s	another	kind	of	filtering	that	limits	how	much	of	the	mind	field	we
can	perceive.	This	has	to	do	with	creating	beliefs	and	then	accepting	them	as
real.	A	belief	is	an	idea	we	hold	on	to.	For	example,	if	you	believe	that	God	is
good,	that	women	are	mysterious,	or	that	life	is	unfair,	you	have	taken
generations	of	shared	experience	and
reduced
	it	to	one	conclusion.	The
conclusion	may	be	right	or	wrong;	that’s	not	important	for	the	moment.
Beliefs	hold	us	together	as	a	society.	Such	shared	beliefs	give	us	a	clue	about
how	mind	might	exist	outside	the	body.We	all	carry	in	our	minds	a	large	database	of	information	that	we	consider
fundamental.	This	database	holds	everything	important	that	we	believe	about
the	world.	It	is	our	worldview.	We	depend	upon	it	to	survive	for	even	a	short
time.	Beliefs	evolve	over	the	centuries,	and	therefore	some	researchers	look
upon	beliefs	as	being	like	“virtual	genes,”	that	become	fixed	characteristics	of
the	brain.	These	mental	genes	were	named	“memes”	by	the	British
evolutionist	Richard	Dawkins,	who	founded	a	new	field	overnight	that	has
proliferated	considerably	since	then.
A	meme	is	often	compared	to	a	virus	that	spreads	from	person	to	person
until	an	entire	society	gets	infected.	It	wouldn’t	be	beneficial	to	our	species	to
become	infected	by	everything.	If	we	were	actually	open	to	all	new	ideas,	we
would	not	be	able	to	maintain	a	coherent	view	of	the	world.	Imagine	changing
your	view	of	the	opposite	sex,	for	example,	every	time	you	met	a	new	person.
In	order	to	evolve,	human	beings	had	to	make	sure	that	they	accepted	only
“good”	memes—ideas	that	promoted	a	coherent,	reliable	worldview—and
rejected	“bad”	memes,	ideas	that	moved	the	mind	in	the	opposite	direction.
The	basic	fact	that	we	can	track	the	spread	of	beliefs	the	way	we	track	the
spread	of	avian	flu	provides	us	with	another	clue	to	the	nature	of	the	mind
field:	it	is	dynamic,	shared,	evolving,	and	powerful.	It	is	capable	of
“infecting”	us	with	good	or	bad	beliefs	without	the	individual	actually	going
through	any	experience	at	all.	Thus	societies	fight	and	die	defending	a	God
few	have	personally	experienced.	Nietzsche	was	foreshadowing	memes	when
he	said	that	a	mistaken	idea	“grows	from	generation	unto	generation,	merely
because	people	believe	in	it,	until	it	gradually	grows	to	be	a	part	of
the
	thing
and	turns	into	its	very	body.	What	at	first	was	appearance	becomes	in	the	end,
almost	invariably,	the	essence,	and	is	effective	as	such.”
Creating	a	Worldview
The	Vedic	rishis	said	that	anything	we	experience	in	the	Akashic	field	was
created	by	our	own	consciousness.	Memes	offer	evidence	of	this,	as	a	means
to	create	the	worldview	that	we	then	believe	in.	There	may	not	be	much
incentive	to	adapt	to	new	ideas	on	our	own,	but	when	two	worldviews	clash,
as	Western	culture	is	clashing	with	radical	Islam,	the	pressure	to	cling	to	one
worldview	or	the	other	against	outside	threat	is	inescapable.	Our	very	survival
is	said	to	depend	upon	it.	(I	am	reminded	of	a	CNN	interview	with	a	right-
wing	Christian	operative	from	Indiana	who	said,	“As	long	as	liberals	and
atheists	despise	us,	we	will	never	go	away.”)
Two	people	with	different	worldviews	can	see	the	same	fact	and	give
totally	divergent	interpretations	of	it,	because	no	fact	or	event	is	perceived	by
itself.	Walking	down	the	street,	I	may	pass	a	woman	with	bright	red	lipstick,	a
faint	whiff	of	wine	on	her	breath	from	a	lunch	at	a	restaurant,	and	no	hat	onher	head.	In	my	worldview,	none	of	these	facts	triggers	any	particular	emotion
or	judgment,	so	this	is	a	neutral	encounter	that	barely	registers	on	me.
Therefore	you	might	assume	that	nothing	happened	in	my	brain.	Yet,	as	meme
theory	points	out,	a	great	deal	happened	tacitly.	The	sight	of	this	woman
entered	my	brain	as	raw	data	along	the	optic	nerve,	but	I	couldn’t	actually
“see”	her	until	that	data	passed	through	my	worldview.	Imagine	a	series	of
filters	marked	“memory,”	“beliefs,	“associations,”	and	“judgments.”	Each
filter	alters	the	raw	data	in	some	way,	invisibly	and	instantaneously.
Should	a	person	with	a	different	worldview	encounter	the	same	woman,
he	would	“see”	her	through	his	filters.	If	he	happened	to	be
a
	traditional
Muslim	or	a	Victorian	or	a	medieval	monk,	all	the	innocuous	features	that
entered	my	brain—the	lipstick,	the	smell	of	alcohol,	the	absence	of	a	hat—
might	cause	a	violent	reaction	in	his	brain,	and	generate	considerable	stress.
A	worldview	provides	fixed	grooves	for	behavior,	which	is	dangerous,
unfortunately,	much	of	the	time.	Traits	like	racism	and	warmaking	persist	as
automatic	reflexes.	Anatomically	the	human	nervous	system	is	divided	into


 second, which comprises hundreds
of thousands of chemical reactions in a single cell, is the same act of
creation that took place at the Big Bang and every moment afterward. So
prana links you to eternal creation. Genesis, as Y oga sees it, is now.
Exercise
In your mind’ s eye, see yourself plucking an apple from a tree. Take a
bite of the apple and swallow it. Mentally follow the path of the apple as it
gets digested and gives up its energy. See the energy entering a heart cell
and fueling a single heartbeat. Now ask yourself: At what point did life
leave the apple?  There were only stages of transformation as the fruit went
from the tree to your heart. At each stage, different processes took over.
(We could extend this example to the waste from the digested apple
returning to the earth to nouri sh a seedling apple tree, perpetuating the
circle of life.) Y et the chain of ener gy is unbroken, and so is the flow of life.In this exercise you have grasped the eternal nature of prana. It moves,
it morph s, it is guided from step to step by knowing what it needs to do.
The link between life and consciousness is never broken, thanks to the
vehicle that carries both life and consciousness, which is prana.
OceanofPDF.comWEEK 5
STAYING IN THE LIGHT
(Limb of Yoga: Pratyahara)THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY
Royal Yoga is a journey to reach  the ideal life. The fifth limb, known as
pratyahara, is the turning point in this journey. Here you learn how to live
in the light permanently. Instead  of having a glimpse of love, compassion,
creativity, beauty, truth, and the other values of higher consciousness, they
are now your natural impulses. You get to experience them without the
constantly churning mind blocking the way.
In classic Yoga, pratyahara  is described as “the withdrawal of the
senses,” which isn’t easy to grasp at first. If you are looking at an object—
an apple, a television, another person—how can you not see it? Can you
really withdraw your sense of sight? Yes, and you do it all the time by
tuning out. You stop paying attention to what your eyes report and pay
attention instead to your inner world. You can also hear without listening,
which is why we say, “Sorry, I was distracted and didn’ t catch what you
said.” Your ears reported the sound of someone else talkin g, but your
attention was elsewhere.
Once you tune out, pratyahara  teaches you what to do next: Find the
light and stay there. You know that you have accomplished this feat because
the following things happen:
You experience your body as the gateway to bliss.
You melt away karmic impressions.
You conquer fear.
You see the evolutionary path and take it.
You start living from the level of solutions, instead of the level
of problems.
In Week 5 we will cover the practices that lead to each of these
victories, because that’ s what they are. The root causes of pain and suf fering
are defeated once and for all.MONDAY
At Home in the Light
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I welcome the light as it welcomes me.
I welcome the light as it welcomes me.
The light is where you belong. This is one of the most basic truths
revealed by Royal Yoga. Where  you belong can also be called “home,” so
whatever home feels like, living in the light should feel the same way. The
qualities of home are known to everyone. A child growing up in a secure,
loving family learns what home represents, and these impressions last a
lifetime. Home is, or should be:
Welcoming
Familiar
Safe
Relaxing
Happy
Loving
Nurturing
A child fortunat e enough to experience these things simply by coming
home depends on the parents to create these qualities. In Roya l Yoga, you
discover that they exist in yourself—the light provides them. The fifth limb
of Yoga, pratyahara, teache s you how to settle down in the light, look
around, and know what home really is. It’s the place where you can be
yourself. Ordina rily, you leave home to go out into the world  and come
back again, over and over, throu ghout your lifetime. In pratyahara, making
the light your home is different because you can remain there without ever
leaving.Discovering that this is possible represents a breakthrough. Previously,
the first four limbs of Yoga involved coming and going. You are navigating
constant changes in the world around you, in your experiences, and in the
activity of mind and body. Pratyahara  merges coming and going by degrees
until you become like a still point in the turning world.
Some breakthroughs are drama tic, but this one isn’t because you are
doing very little beyond welco ming yourself home. That’ s why Yoga is
often described as the “journey of the return.” You recognize that the world
“in here” has all the qualities of home, which is very different from the
stories we tell ourselves about hidden demons, dark forces, painful
memories, and even the threat of going insane if we look too deeply inside.
All these stories  are banished when you follow the path laid out by Royal
Yoga. Your inner world isn’t a dark under ground. Instead, it is the gateway
to your true self. The so-called demons and dark forces are just another kind
of vritti  that blocks the light.
In Roya l Yoga, you never fight or struggle against vrittis ; you allow
awareness to dissolve them, which happens by degrees. One of the most
valuable secrets in Yoga is that it becomes easier, not harder, to dissolve the
vrittis  as you go deep er. Pratyahara  teaches you to make the process of
clearing out vrittis  easier, beginning with the following exercise.
Exercise
The most basic practice in pratyahara  is a full-body scan. Find a quiet
place where you can lie down comfortably. Your bed or a soft rug will do.
Lie on your back with your arms by your side. Closing your eyes, take a
few deep breaths to relax.
Go inside and begin to scan your body, starting with your toes, feeling
the experience as you move slowly and steadily toward your head. By scan,
I mean letting your awareness sweep through you as you notic e whatever
comes to your attention. You might notice how hot or cold your body feels,
how light or heavy, how pleasurable or uncomfortable a certain sensationmight feel. Don’ t approach this exercise with any expectations. Using
awareness to sweep your body is the sole thing you need to do.
Once you have finished your full-body scan, relax into the feeling of
being comfortable inside yourself. This is the basic step that Yoga refers to
as “withdrawal of the senses.” You aren’ t focusing on what you might see,
hear, touch, taste, or smell outside yourself. You are simply experiencing
being “in here.”
If you like, you can do a second scan, this time noticing the basic
feeling of comin g home. The qualities you are looking for were listed above
as welcoming, familiar, safe, relaxing, happy, loving, and nurturing. To help
yourself focus, it might help to recall a memory or image of a time when
you felt welcom ed, then let this feeling suffuse your body now. The same
can be practiced with the other qualities. Use a memory of being safe,
relaxed, happy, and so on. For some of these qualities, you probably won’ t
need a memory. Just softly saying the word to yourself will bring up a
matching feeling-sensation.
This exercise deepens the more often you practice it, and you will find
it more and more enjoyable if you make it part of your daily routine.
TUESDAY
Seeds of Karma
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I set myself free from old memories.
I set myself free from old memories.
Royal Yoga shows you how to take control of your life, which strongly
applies to karma. Most people are trapped in their past actions, which are
the field of karma. This happens in a subtle, invisible way. Karma operates
below the level of thoughts and feelings. To escape your karma,  pratyahara
shows you how to go to the level where karmic seeds are plante d. The goalis to stop these seeds from sprouting. The principle is the same as weeding a
garden. It is hard to pull up a full-grown weed, easier to pull up a weed that
is just a seedling, and easiest of all to throw away the weed’ s seed before it
has sprouted.
Karma  is the Sanskrit word for “actio n,” but it doesn’ t refer to every
tiny thing you do or that your body does. Karmas are actions that leave a
memory behind.  Your first day at school, your first kiss, losing money at a
casino, wrecking your car—these are memorable events. If a memory is
strong enough, it can take charge of, color, or even control your life in
various ways. A painful divorce  colors your next relationship, for example.
Because some events are painful to recall, memories of humiliation, defeat,
failure,


 ourself,
“Why not? Why is this impossible?” Wait for a reply and let it
unfold, telling you all the reasons you can’t have or be w hat you
want.
Now ask yourself, “Who says I can’t?” There is no good answer
to this question. Things are i mpossible not because anybody says
so. The y are impossible because the whole setup of virtual reality
says so. All limitations are built into virtual reality. When anyone
says that something is impossible, she is only upholding virtual
reality. Who says you have  to follow suit? Nobody, in cluding
yourself. When this realization sinks in, you begin to glimpse how
free you really are.
YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 22

When infinite awareness is edited, form and phenomena
appear (i.e., things we can see, hear, touch, taste, smell,
and think about).
For the  purposes of everyday life, infinity needed to be edited.
Everyone agre es about that, but we forget that there was no
rulebook or set of guidelines for editing reality. The only rules are
self-imposed. Pure consciousness unfolded into the physical
universe, imposing time, space, matter, and energy upon its
creation. But pure consciousn ess didn’t believe it had to do things
this way. Billions of other u niverses with different setups have
been proposed by modern physics.
Knowing that rules are self-im posed was never in doubt a t the
level of  pure consciousness. We inherited this certainty. Art and
culture express  the certainty that the human mind can construct
any setu p while also accepting the setup of the physical universe.
This makes it seem that life has two compartments—the  mental,
which is unlimited, and the p hysical, which is limited. But that’s a
mistake. A house isn’t separ ate from the desire to build a house
and the  knowledge of how it is done. Mental and physical are
aspects of one thing: creative intelligence at play. When you wake
up, you  will see how creative intelligence works, and with
fascinated curiosity you will become a co-creator of reality.
For Today
To become aware of how creative intelligence unfolds, start
with a small object. Whether it is a nail, an earring, or the keys to
your car, these things are id eas that took physical shape. Now
consider some thing larger, like the Empire State Building or theGolden Gate Bridge. They too are ideas that took physical shape.
Does it matter that an earring is tiny and the Golden Gate Bridge
immense? No. Creative intel ligence isn’t large or small. Nor is it
hard or soft, here but not there, visible or invisible. The ability to
create is entirely self-contained, respecting no limitations of forms
and shapes. Creativity ne eds only itself. Without creative
intelligence, forms, shapes, and events couldn’t arise.
Now see yourself in the m irror and say to yourself, “I am
infinite creativity that has taken on a form.” Stop identifying with
the form and start identifying with the creativity. This is how you
wake up.
YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 23

Every form and phenomenon is actually one thing: the
modification of the formless, the infinite reduced to the
finite, pure awareness given a beginning, a middle, and
an end.
The world rewards big thinkers and gives them a place in
history. By comparison with an Albert Einstein or a Leonardo da
Vinci, everyone feels like a l ittle thinker. But a big thin ker isn’t
necessarily the biggest thinker. The biggest thinker sees that
reality is one thing, creation one process. That’s the whole picture
in one view, which becomes your reality when you wake up.
The whole picture becomes clear when the mind stops
constantly blurring your view with interfering thoughts,
sensations, images, and feelings. They represent the ba ck-and-
forth be tween you and the ou tside world. When you wake up, the
interference patterns fall aw ay. You accept as a natural fact that
infinite, formle ss pure consciousness is the source of al l things.
What makes this realization natural is that you see yourse lf as an
expression of one thing, not a jumble of mental and physical
activity.
For Today
If you see an object in the outside world, you view it from  the
outside. Wholeness—the one thing—has no outside. It also  has no
inside. Therefore, you can’t view it. Because you are  it, you can’t
even relate to wholeness in  various ways, like accepting it or
rejecting it, participating on e day and taking time out the next.
When y ou wake up, you know that you are the one thing. Yet even
now you can stop relating to it in false ways.Today, practice having no attitude toward your mind. Let
thoughts arise and fall, and when you are tempted to have an
attitude toward  what is going on, don’t. Don’t say that one thought
is good and a nother bad. Don’t assign labels like SMART, DUMB,
POSITIVE,  or NEGATIVE. T he mind is none of those things. It is the
flow of activity from the absolute. To label the mind is like saying
that wholeness  is bad, good, positive, negative, and so on.  Clearly,
wholeness is beyond all lab els. So is your awareness. By not
judging your thoughts, you begin to adopt the open,
nonjudgmental state of being awake.
YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 24

Only awareness is real. Even as it plays the role of
observer and observed, even as it creates worlds “out
there” and “in here,” its own nature is unchanging.
Awareness exists. Everything else is a passing experi ence.
These two sentences have be en said and resaid for centur ies. This
fact shows, at the very least, that human beings looked at reality
and found it mysterious. How did change emerge from
nonchange? How did One become Many? The mystery was
formulated in countless different ways. Asking “What came before
time began?,” as modern cos mology does, is merely a va riant on
the medieval question “What existed before God?”
The answer is contained in t he question. What came first has
been here forever. Change i s just a mask worn by nonchange.
Once hu man beings saw the mystery, we saw our own nature. We
are creator and created, One and Many, changing experience and
unchanging awareness. None of this has to be proved o r tested.
Whether you accept your true nature or not has no bearing on
your tru e natu re. It continues to be. On waking up, you see your
true nature clearly, and then a new life begins.
For Today
Taking a moment or two, l et your mind roam across some
things you can recall from your past—memories of early
childhood, your parents, birthdays, school, your first kiss, some
things t hat are  sad, and so on. It doesn’t matter what you choose
to see. Now ref lect on the one thing they all have in comm on. You
were there. You are the nonchange in the midst of change. Now
you know your true nature. Everything else is window dressing.YOUR EXPERIENCE:

 DAY 25

Human suffering is built into virtual reality. It doesn’t
exist in awareness itself.
When you suffer and feel unhappy, anxious, depressed, or
hopeless, your suffering feels totally real. You are experiencing
something that  is a given, feels like a given, rooted in phys ical pain
and mental anguish. But virtual reality, our collective
spell/dream/illusion, is a construct. Suffering is embedded in the
construct, which is why it fee ls inevitable. Beliefs about suffering,
whether they originate in the doctrine of sin or karma or modern
medical theories, reinforce virtual reality.
Waking up doesn’t guarante e that there will never again be
physical pain or sad days. Th e conditioned mind is stubborn, and
our body has been bombar ded constantly by signals from the
conditioned m ind. Shadows of conditioning continue  to fall
(always remembering that t he shadows can be light as well as
heavy). On waking up, yo u abandon your allegiance  to the
conditioned mind, and, from that moment, it begins to fade and
lose its grip. Y ou see that freedom from suffering is possible and
natural. Suffering doesn’t ex ist in awareness itself, which is your
true nature.
For Today
When people suffer—for example, when they feel depressed or
are diag nosed with a life-threatening illness—there’s a tem ptation
to b lame themselves. “Did I do this to myself?” is a questio n posed
out of guilt, and guilt is quick to blame. The best answe r is that
your suffering is part of virtual reality. You accepted virtual reality,
which makes your participation in pain and suffering inevitable.Not tha t you are doomed; some people escape serious s uffering.
But you r partic ipation is a se aled deal, no matter who yo u are or
what happens to you, unless you make a change.
To end suffering, break the deal. When you wake up, the w hole
contract is annulled. Today yo u can prepare the way by not buying
into pain and suffering as so mething fated and inevitable. Think
back


ress
Stress	has	an	upside	and	a	downside.	Stress	can	induce	positive	emotions—
excitement,	passion	and	positive	arousal.	Alternatively,	stress	can	bring	on
negative	emotions	such	as	fear,	anxiety	and	anger.	In	both	cases,	the	same	body
systems	are	involved;	both	“good”	excitement	and	“bad”	fear	can	increase	heart
rate	and	blood	pressure.	With	different	mental	outlooks,	however,	different
results	occur.	In	a	positive	mental	outlook,	health	improves;	with	a	negative
mindset,	cells	are	damaged	and	health	is	impaired.	Meeting	the	stressful
challenges	that	appear	in	our	lives—the	chance	for	a	promotion	at	work,	for
instance—can	help	us	to	grow	and	develop.	When	chronic	and	negative,
however,	stress	damages	our	cells	and	impairs	our	health.
Any	perceived	threat,	such	as	an	attacking	predator,	a	crazy	driver	or	an
urgent	deadline,	causes	your	nervous	system	to	stimulate	both	the	pituitary	and
the	adrenal	glands,	releasing	stress	hormones	such	as	adrenaline.	These
hormones	provide	a	“rush”	necessary	to	prepare	the	body	for	sudden	action—by
increasing	heart	rate,	breathing	rate,	blood	flow	to	the	muscles,	blood	pressure
and	other	vital	functions.	This	stress	reaction	was	historically	important	for
survival—part	of	the	“fight	or	flight”	response,	which	enables	us	to	enhanceperformance	through	an	increase	in	our	physical	and	mental	capacities	for	an
immediate	shift	into	“emergency	mode.”
Production	of	these	chemicals,	however,	was	meant	to	be	episodic;	an
emergency	would	come,	and	it	would	pass.	Unfortunately	for	many	people,
stress	is	now	chronic.	People	are	working	more	and	sleeping	less,	and	the	pace
of	daily	living	is	accelerating.	When	chronically	mobilized,	stress	chemicals
build	up	in	our	system	and	damage	our	cells	and	tissues.	Stress	chemicals	can
lead	to	damaged	immunity,	increased	susceptibility	to	infectious	disease,
damaged	blood	vessels,	maldigestion,	sleep	disturbance,	water	retention,	fat
deposits,	hypoglycemia,	ulcers,	anxiety,	high	blood	pressure,	cardiac
irregularities,	lower	pain	threshold,	lower	sperm	count,	reduced	sexual
performance,	anxiety	and	depression.
•	According	to	the	Occupational	Safety	and	Health	Administration	(OSHA),
stress	is	among	the	top-ten	reasons	Americans	miss	work.
•	The	American	Medical	Association	(AMA)	has	estimated	that	up	to	70
percent	of	all	patients	seen	by	general-practice	physicians	show	symptoms
directly	related	to	stress.
•	Job	stress	can	chronically	raise	blood	pressure,	and	stress	from	lack	of
control	on	the	job	can	even	increase	the	risk	of	heart	disease	(such	as,	for
example,	by	changing	the	parameters	of	blood	clotting	factors).
•	On	a	positive	note,	a	1997	study	at	Duke	University	showed	that	heart
attack	victims	who	learned	to	manage	their	stress	levels	could	reduce	the
risk	of	a	repeated	heart	attack	by	74	percent.
Unfortunately,	many	of	us	now	spend	much	time	during	the	day	in	emergency
mode	as	a	result	of	all	kinds	of	what	should	be	nonemergency	activities,	such	as
catching	buses,	driving	cars,	attending	meetings	and	doing	daily	work.	As	a
result,	we	flood	our	systems	with	stress	chemicals	unnecessarily,	and	we	do	so
on	a	chronic	basis.
To	minimize	damage	from	chronic	stress,	we	must	find	healthful	ways	to
adapt.	Adaptation	is	what	stress	management	is	all	about.	Our	ability	to	adapt	is
part	of	what	has	allowed	humankind	to	survive	so	well	in	diverse	environments.
We	must	learn	how	to	choose	and	interpret	today’s	challenges	in	ways	that
convert	potentially	dis-stressful	situations	to	exciting,	challenging	ones,	as	well
as	learn	productive	coping	strategies	when	dis-stress	is	unavoidable.
If	you	know	of	a	certain	person,	situation	or	location	that	stresses	you,	choose
to	avoid	putting	that	stress	on	yourself	by	avoiding	that	person,	situation	or
location.	Do	not	put	pressure	(stress)	on	yourself	when	doing	so	will	likely	have
no	effect	on	the	outcome	of	a	situation.	You	have	the	power	to	choose.	If	you	arestuck	in	a	traffic	jam,	you	can	either	stress	out,	or	you	can	seize	the	opportunity
to	breathe	deeply	and	relax.	Neither	action	makes	the	traffic	move	faster,	but	one
approach	makes	you	healthier	and	the	other	makes	you	sicker.	If	you	become
visibly	irritated	when	standing	in	lines	or	following	slow	drivers,	at	those	times
you	may	want	to	evaluate	the	degree	to	which	you	allow	life’s	little	irritations	to
impact	negatively	on	your	health	and	well-being.
Many	dis-stressful	situations	are	impossible	to	avoid.	In	fact,	we	would	not
want	to	avoid	all	of	them.	As	Robert	Ornstein,	M.D.,	and	David	Sobel,	Ph.D.,
explain	in	their	book
The	Healing	Brain,
“If	we	.	.	.	tried	to	avoid	[all]	stressors
no	one	would	ever	marry,	have	children,	take	a	job,	get	divorced,	or	invent
anything	at	all.”	“The	way	we	react	to	stress,”	they	say,	“appears	to	be	more
important	than	the	stress	itself.	.	.	.	[T]he	onset	and	course	of	disease	are	strongly
linked	to	a	person’s	ability	and	willingness	to	cope	with	stress.	.	.	.	Helplessness
is	worse	than	stress	itself.”
Many	effective	techniques	exist	for	reducing	the	stress	in	our	lives,	including
counseling,	prayer,	meditation,	therapy,	exercise,	yoga,	self-hypnosis,	keeping	a
journal,	social	support	and	other	alternatives.	Find	what	works	for	you	and
understand	that	your	health	is	constantly	affected	by	the	way	you	respond	to	and
interpret	the	stressful	situations	in	your	life;	your	levels	of	dis-stress	are
determined	by	your	choices,	not	simply	by	the	random	happenings	in	your	busy
life.
Love	Leads	the	Way
The	“good”	emotions—love,	compassion,	spiritual	awareness—	have
extremely	powerful	implications	for	health,	but	they	are	often	difficult	to	define,
explain	or	measure.	These	complex	and	nontangible	concepts	remain	perhaps	the
most	“real”	considerations	in	our	lives.	Understanding	their	power	over	health
and	disease	is	critical	to	understanding	and	practicing	effective	health	care.
Strong	social	support—including	family	relationships,	friendships,
relationships	with	health	practitioners,	romantic	relationships,	and	relationships
with	spiritual	leaders	and	figures—	is	a	critical	component	of	health	care.	People
are	typically	healthier	and	recover	from	diseases	more	effectively	when	they
have	strong	social	ties.	Why?	Perhaps	people	simply	feel	cared	for	and	hopeful
about	their	future.	Or	perhaps	the	bonds	that	people	form	transcend	our
traditional	scientific	understanding	of	health—even	into	realms	of	spirit	and
energy.	However	it


 transportation of minerals from the soil an exceedingly small proportion
gets back to the tillable land in this country. Orr (2)  states that "Consumption in the United Kingdom
of live stock products mostly derived from grass lands has been estimated at about four hundred
million pounds sterling per annum (nearly two billion dollars)." This includes dairy products,
meats and hides. Never in the history of the world has there been such a large scale depletion of
the soil by transportation away from the tilled and pasturage areas. Sickness in the United States
has been calculated to cost nearly half as much as food, and is increasing.
    An important discovery has been made with regard to the feeding of dairy cattle and other live
stock: the nutritive value of young grass, when in a state of rapid growth, carries not only a very
large quantity of minerals, but also digestible proteins in amounts that are approximately equivalent
to those provided by the concentrated cereal cattle foods, such as linseed cake. It is observed also
that not only do the milk products of such cows remain at a high level while the cows are on the
rapidly growing young grass, particularly a rapidly growing young wheat grass or young rye grass,
but the animals themselves are in better physical condition than when on grain concentrates.
Further, that calves fed on the milk of those cows grow much more rapidly than they do when the
cows are on other fodder and have a much higher resistance to disease. Grass, to provide these
nutritional factors, must be grown on a very rich, well-balanced soil. A young plant, of necessity,
produces a rapid depletion of soil. Minerals and other chemicals are removed and therefore there
is need for adequate replacement.
    In Chapter 18 I have reported investigations made by Professors Meigs and Converse at the
Beltsville Experimental Station, in which they have shown that feeding cattle on a grade of dried
hay that was low in chlorophyll resulted in the development of dead or blind calves, and further
that when the milk of these cows was fed to three normal calves they died in fifty-seven, sixty-two
and seventy-one days respectively. These calves had been fed on whole milk until twenty days of
age. They show that the main deficiency in this ration was vitamin A.
    Since mammals require milk in infancy and since it is the most efficient single food known, I have
made a special study of milk and its products. The role of the vitamins and other activating
substances in foods is quite as important and essential as that of minerals. These activating
substances, in general, can be divided into two groups, those that are water-soluble and those that
are fat-soluble, the former being much more readily obtained in most communities, than the latter.
Since the fat-soluble and also the water-soluble vitamins are essential for mineral utilization and
particularly since the fat-soluble activators are so frequently found to be inadequately supplied in
diet and are usually more difficult to obtain, a special effort has been made to determine the level of
these in dairy products in many different places for different seasons of the year. To accomplish
this, I have obtained each year since 1927 samples of cream and butter, mostly butter, for analysis
for their activator content. The work has rapidly extended so that for the eleventh year we are
receiving now (1939) samples from several hundred places distributed throughout the world,
usually once or twice a month throughout the year. Methods used for these studies are both
biologic and chemical. These data are used in connection with morbidity and mortality statistics for
the same districts.
    The progressive changing of the levels of life is shown by the morbidity and mortality statistics of
the various areas of the United States and Canada. The American Heart Association publishes,
from time to time, very important data relative to the number of deaths from heart disease in the
various states of the Union. It is of interest to note that the highest mortality levels that are obtained
are found in those states, in general, that have been longest occupied by modern civilizations,7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 231/250namely, the Atlantic States, the New England States, the Great Lakes States and the Pacific
States. Their data published in their booklet ~tHeart Disease Mortality Statistics" and based on the
United States Registration area reveal that the death rate per 100,000 population was 123 in
1900. The data sent me in November 1937 from the United States Census Bureau, Department of
Commerce, in Washington, report the death rate from heart per 100,000 for 1934 as 239.9, in
other words an increase of 86.9 per cent in thirty-four years. Figures provided by the Bureau of
Census for England and Wales show the death rate per 100,000 to be 269.3; and for Scotland,
232. While the average figure for the United States Registration area of 224 deaths per 100,000
seems very high, it is exceedingly important to note that the New England States were much
higher, leading the entire country. Massachusetts reported 307.3; New Hampshire, 323.1;
Vermont, 310.8; New York, 302.1; Maine, 297.5. The rate of increase in the decade of 1921 to
1930 was 51.3 per cent for Delaware; 52 per cent for Connecticut, 51 per cent for Pennsylvania,
59.4 per cent for Missouri, 60.0 per cent for Washington; 55 per cent for Wisconsin; 64 per cent
for Louisiana; 71 per cent for Florida; 63 per cent for South Carolina; 81 per cent for Montana;
61 per cent for Kentucky; and 51.9 per cent for North Carolina. Such rates of increase as these
are cause for alarm.
    Sir Arnold Theiler, who spent a quarter of a decade studying the problems of nutritional
deficiency diseases among pasture animals in South Africa, has discussed at length the reduction of
phosphorus in available quantities for plant development as constituting, by far, the most important
mineral deficiency. He reported data obtained from many countries through the world, indicating
that the deterioration of cattle and sheep can be directly traced to an inadequate amount of
phosphorus in the soil. He states, in discussing the relation of this problem to the conditions as they
obtain in Australia, that: (3)
   Amongst the Australian data the figures showing depletion of phosphorus as a result of sale
of products off the farm without adequate replacement by manuring, are interesting. Thus
Richardson estimates that it would take two million tons of superphosphate to replace the
phosphorus removed in the form of milk, mutton and wool. In the "ranching stage" of the
development of a country the fact is often forgotten that the balance of Nature is frequently
disturbed to the detriment of generations to come.
    It is important to keep in mind that morbidity and mortality data for many diseases follow a
relatively regular course from year to year, with large increases in the late winter and spring and a
marked decrease in summer and early autumn. The rise and fall of the level of morbidity with the
changing season produces curves that are exceedingly regular for the same place from year to
year. The distribution, however, is distinctly different for different latitudes and altitudes. It is further
of special importance to note that the curves for the Southern Hemisphere, with its opposite
seasons, are in reverse of those of the Northern Hemisphere, and have very similar levels for the
same seasonal periods. I have obtained the figures for the levels of morbidity for several diseases
in several countries, including the United States and Canada. I find that the distribution of the rise
and fall in morbidity and mortality does not follow the sunshine curve but does follow the curve of
vegetable growth. Accordingly, I have made studies by dividing the United States and Canada into
sixteen districts, four from East to West and four from North to South. I have plotted by months
the levels of mortality for heart disease and pneumonia in these various districts, from figures
obtained from the governments of these two countries. Similarly, I have plotted curves for the
vitamin content found in butter and cream samples obtained from these sixteen districts. When
these are arranged in accordance with the levels by months they are found, in each case, to be
opposite to the mortality from heart disease and pneumonia. It is also important to note that while
these curves show a higher midsummer level of vitamins in dairy products in the northern tier of
districts, the period of high level is shorter than in the more southern division. Two peaks tend to
appear in the summer cycle of curves for the vitamins, one representing the spring period of active
growth and the other, the fall period. These peaks are closer together in the north than in the south.
    A particularly important phase of this study is the finding of a lower level of vitamins throughout
the year in those districts which correspond with the areas of the United States and Canada that
have been longest settled, and consequently most depleted by agriculture. A similar study has been
made based on the data published in a report by Tisdall, Brown and Kelley, (4) of Toronto. Their7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 232/250figures for children's diseases which included chicken pox, measles, nephritis, scarlet fever,
hemorrhage of newborn, tetany and retropharyngeal


 along the top of the right arm all the way to
the shoulder and across the chest. Repeat by pressing and releasing
along the underside of the right arm, from the hand up to the forearm,
shoulder, and chest. Your pressure should be firm and the massage
should be gradual and continuous. Repeat on the left side, making sure
to massage both the top and underside of the arm.
Figure 2. Toning-up exer cise, hands.
Bring the tips of the fingers to your navel and with both hands on the
belly, begin to press and release around the abdomen, gradually
moving the pressure up to the heart.
Massage by pressing and releasing your lower back, kidney area, and
ribs, moving up toward the heart.Start with the right foot, grasping and massaging the toes, soles, and
tops of the feet, moving up the calves, thighs, hips, and stomach,
continuing the motion up toward the heart. Repeat on the left leg,
moving up to the hips and continuing all the way to the heart.
Figure 3. Toning-up exer cise, feet.
Lie on your back and lengthen the spine, keeping the head and neck
long and free. Bring the knees up to your chest, clasp your hands over
the knees, and begin to roll slowly and easily from side to side. Always
allow your neck to be relaxed and free. Breathe normally.
Roll 5 times to each side and then release the arms and slowly extend
your legs out from the hips. Let the body be completely relaxed.
Figure 4. Toning-up exer cise, side r oll.
Figure 5. Toning-up exer cise, side r oll.
II. SEA T FIRMING POSE— Vajrasana (30 seconds to 1 minute)
Begin by kneeling and sitting with the buttocks on the heels. The feet
should be slightly apart and the big toes crossed. Lengthen the spine,
widen the rib cage, and slightly lift the chest. The head and neck
should be long and free. Look straight ahead and breathe easily. Place
your hands in your lap with the right hand on top of the left, palms up.
As you inhale, lift the buttocks of f the heels and come up to a kneeling
position. Keep the spine lengthened and the chest open and lifted.
Relax the shoulders. On the exhalation, slowly lower the body and sit
back down on the heels. Repeat again smoothly, with even breaths.
Move slowly. Breathe deeply and easily, keeping the front and back of
your body lively, long, and free.
Benefits : This asana strengthens the pelvic region, removes tension from the
knees and ankles, and builds a strong foundation for the back.
III. HEAD TO KNEE POSE— Janu Sirsasana  (About 1 minute)Sit down and extend your legs straight out in front of you. Stretch
through the backs of the legs and heels, toes pointing up toward the
head.
Figure 6. Seat-firming pose, starting position.
Bend your left knee and place the sole of your left foot against the
inside of the right thigh.
Inhale and lift your arms straight up from the upper back, stretching
them over your head. On the exhalation, bend your body forward and
down, elongating the spine. Keep lengthening the spine, arms, and
neck as you come forward. Avoid collapsing your chest or
overrounding your upper back. You may soften the front knee slightly
to further release your lower back.
Hold the pose for a few breaths. Then inhale and release your arms
from the upper back, opening the chest forward and up as you bring
your arms over the head. Repeat again on the same side, moving
slowly and comfortably. Inhale as you raise your body and exhale as
you lower your arms down to your sides.Figure 7. Seat-firming pose, er ect position.
Figure 8. Head to knee pose.
Perform this posture on the other side. Fully extend your left leg in
front of you. Bend your right knee and place the sole of your right foot
against the inside of your left thigh.Breathe and move into the posture slowly. Exhale as you bend your
body forward and down and inhale as you come up. Then repeat the
pose again on the same side. Breathe normally and hold for a few
breaths without strain. After you come up, exhale and lower your arms
down to the sides.
Benefits: This pose strengthens and relax es the spine, tones the abdome n,
liver, and spleen, and aids in digestion.
IV. SHOULDER ST AND—Sarvangasana (Start by holding for 30
seconds; gradually increase to 2 minutes if you are comfortable in
the Pose.)
Note of Caution: If you are a beginner or have stiffness or problems in the
upper back and neck, practice this posture with one or two blankets placed
under the shoulders to protect the neck, or do a half shoulder stand rather
than completely  straightening the body in the full pose. Perform this posture
slowly. If you have a chronic back problem or high blood pressure, be sure
to check with your doctor before performing this pose. (Ayurveda advises
against standing on the head, as it can injure the brain, neck, and spine if
practiced improperly.)
Lie on your back and press your arms and hands flat against the floor.
Relax your shoulders and lengthen the spine.
As you exhale, bend your knees and slowly raise your legs over the
waist. Push your palms against the floor and swing your knees up and
over your head. Bend the elbows, keeping them in toward the body
and in line with your shoulders. Support your back with your hands
above the hips. The elbows and the shoulders should create a stable
platform to support your body.Figure 9. Shoulder  stand.
Straighten your legs by lengthening through both heels and the balls of
your feet. Allow your spine to stretch up toward the ceiling. Fully
stretch your legs out from the hips to keep your body in a straight line
from the ankles to the shoulders. Extend the spine upward.
If you choose to do the half shoulder stand, don’ t straighten your body
all the way. Support the weight of your body with your hands, while
making an angle with your legs. The feet point in the direction of the
head. ( Note : This is a shoulder stand, not a neck stand, so there should
be no strain in the neck or throat. This is very important.) Keep the
breath smooth and let your face relax. Hold the posture for a few
breaths, increasing the time you stay in this pose as is comfortable.
Benefits : This asana enlivens the entire endocrine system, increases
circulation to the thyroid gland, relieves mental fatigue, brings flexibility tothe spine, and has a soothing ef fect on the body.
V. PLOW  POSE—Halasana (15 seconds to 1 minute)
Continue into this next posture as you exhale and bend from the pelvis
to bring both legs down over the head. Keep the legs stretching straight
out through the heels so that the legs are at a right angle to the torso.
Let the spine lengthen to avoid overcurving the upper back. Keep your
breath smooth and continuous.
Allow your legs to go back only as far as you feel comfortable,
without collapsing the spine or chest. Be careful not to put too much
strain on the neck. (If you feel pain, slowly release and come out of the
pose.)
Now extend the arms straight out behind you in the opposite direction,
away from your legs and head. The torso should rest on the tops of the
shoulders, the hips maintaining a vertical line with the shoulder joints.
Lengthen your spine.
Figure 10. Plow pose, arms extended.Figure 1 1. Plow pose, arms behind head.
Fold the arms over your head and hold for a few breaths.
To come down, exhale, bend your knees, and support the lower back
with your hands. Slowly and easily uncurl the spine with the knees
bent until you are lying flat. Rest comfortably for a few moments.
Be sure to let your breathing be smooth, especially in the Shoulder
Stand and Plow. The quality of your breath will be an indication of
whether you are straining or pushing too far.
Benefits : The Plow pose strengthens and relaxes the back, neck, and
shoulders. It improves perform ance of the liver and spleen and removes
fatigue. Both the Shoulder Stand and the Plow stimulate and normalize
functioning of the thyroid gland.
VI. COBRA  POSE— Bhujangasana (30 seconds to 1 minute)
Lie facedown on your stomach, bring the feet together and the hands
directly under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Slightly
elongate the spine to protect your lower back.On the inhalation, lift and expand the chest forward and up as you
press down with the hands. Keep your elbows close in to the body and
continue to extend the spine upward. Open and widen the chest and
move the shoulders down and away from your ears to free the neck
and head. Let the upper back widen and lengthen.
Hold for a few breaths, then exhale and come down slowly.
Repeat the pose 1 to 3 times, beginning with the inhalation and lifting
from the chest. Be careful not to initiate this movement


ost	beautiful	things	in
life	are	truly	simple.	Pets	and	children	intuitively	love	to	frolic	in	the	grass,	and
it’s	time	for	all	of	us	to	focus	on	reestablishing	that	sacred	connection.	Nature
is	so	healing	to	us;	all	we	have	to	do	is	reach	out	and	make	contact	with	her,
and	she	will	help	us	heal	from	the	inside	out,	while	your	beauty	benefits	as	well.
You	will	be	able	to	feel	how	authentically	good	earthing	is	for	you	because	the
more	you	participate	in	earthing,	the	more	reconnected	and	recharged	you	will
feel	in	the	most	Radically	Beautiful	way.
Making	Our
Indoors	Closer	to	Nature
Though	it	would	be	ideal	to	be	outside	in	nature	more,	the	fact	is	that	most	of
us	spend	the	vast	majority	of	our	time	indoors.	We	certainly	can’t	change	that,
and	we	also	can’t	control	everything	in	our	environments,	such	as	when	you’re
walking	down	the	street	and	a	passing	bus	blows	a	spray	of	nasty	exhaust	on
you,	or	when	you	step	into	a	restaurant	and	get	a	whiff	or	two	of	nasty	cigarette
smoke	from	the	smokers	lined	up	outside.	You	also	can’t	help	it	if	the	soap	in
public	restrooms	contains	chemicals	like	sulfates	that	you	wouldn’t	want	to	use
at	home,	or	you	step	into	a	taxi	saturated	with	a	sickeningly	sweet	air	freshener
dangling	from	the	rearview	mirror.
Studies	on	human	exposure	to	air	pollutants	by	the
Environmental
Protection	Agency	(EPA)	indicate	that	indoor	levels	of	pollutants	may	be	two	to
five	times—and	even	upwards	of	over	one	hundred	times—higher	than	outdoor
pollutant	levels.
9
	While	this	may	seem	shocking	if	concerns	about	indoor
pollution	have	never	really	crossed	your	mind,	further	consider	the	fact	that
indoor	air	pollutants	have	been	ranked	among	the	top	five	environmental	risks
to	public	health.
The	problem	is	that	with	air-conditioning,	heating,	and	modern	office
buildings	and	hotels,	many	windows	are	permanently	sealed,	and	very	little
circulating	air	enters	indoor	spaces.	This	allows	indoor	pollutants	to
accumulate	to	levels	that	can	affect	your	health	and,	yes,	your	beauty.	Taking
measures	to	reduce	indoor	pollution	is	especially	important	for	those	who	are
pregnant,	nursing,	or	have	children,	as	these	pollutants	may	even	disrupt
normal	brain	and	organ	development.
10
	Anything	toxic	is	not	in	alignmentwith	the	natural	biorhythms	of	your	body	and	is	going	to	create	free	radicals,
disrupt	your	system,	and	diminish	your	natural	beauty.
But	we	are	not	completely	helpless	to	external	factors.	We
can
	control	our
personal	environments	to	a	great	extent,	and	there	is	much	you	can	do	to
transform	your	personal	environment	into	one	that	nourishes	rather	than
hinders	your	beauty.	It’s	empowering	when	you	realize	all	you	can	do	to	make
these	important	shifts.	There	are	a	lot	of	them.
Here	are	some	measures	you	can	take	to	reduce	toxicity	in	your	home	and	in
any	indoor	spaces	you	spend	time	in.
DITCH
AIR	FRESHENERS
Nobody	likes	a	smelly	bathroom,	but	spraying	air	fresheners	into	the	air
regularly	is	far	worse	for	you	than	enduring	temporary	unpleasant	bathroom
smells.	A	study	from	the
University	of	Washington	found	that	eight	unnamed,
widely	used	US	air	fresheners	released	an	average	of	eighteen	chemicals	into	the
air,
11

including	some	volatile	organic	chemicals	(VOCs)	that	are	considered
toxic	or	hazardous.
If	you	want	to	make	your
home	or	office	smell	fresh	(as	we	all	do),	just	open
a	window,	burn	a	nontoxic	soy	candle,	fill	an	essential	oil	diffuser,	or	crack
open	a	box	of	good	ol’	baking	soda,	which	naturally	helps	to	fight	odors.	Also
work	to	get	rid	of	the	source	of	the	smell	in	the	first	place;	it	might	mean
replacing	something	that’s	old	or	past	its	prime	(like	an	old	carpet),	which
would	end	up	being	a	positive	change	all	around.
USE	NATURAL	CLEANING	METHODS
It’s	absolutely	critical	to	reduce	toxic	cleaning	products	in	your	home	across	the
board—from	dish	soaps	to	carpet	cleaners,	all	surface	and	cleaning	sprays,	and
so	on.	Go	green	all	the	way!	Your	health	and	beauty	are	worth	it.	Get	a	big	trash
can	and	clean	house	(pun	intended),	ridding	your	whole	space	of	toxic
chemicals.	You	can	find	some	nontoxic	DIY	natural	cleaning	products	to	get
your	space	spic-and-span	without	any	toxic	petroleum-based	chemicals	(see
this
page
).	Lemons,	baking	soda,	and	vinegar	are	fantastic	natural	cleaning
ingredients,	and	you	might	be	surprised	at	how	well	they	work	compared	with
their	toxic,	chemical-filled	counterparts.
VACUUM	REGULARLY
Regularly	vacuum	all	indoor	spaces	using	an	appliance	with	a
HEPA	filter,
which	stands	for	“high-efficiency	particulate	air.”	A	HEPA	filter	is	a	type	ofmechanical	air	filter	that	works	by	forcing	air	through	a	fine	mesh	filter	that
traps	harmful	particles	and	ensures	they	don’t	get	blown	back	out	into	your
space	(which	obviously	would	defeat	the	purpose	of	your	hard	work!).	These
particles	include	pollutants,	allergens,	dust,	and	brominated	fire-retardant
chemicals	(known	as	PBDEs).	Be	sure	to	wash	out	your	filter	regularly.
MOP	IT
According	to	the
Environmental	Working	Group,	ordinary	house	dust	is	a
complex	mixture	of	pet	dander,	fungal	spores,	particulates	from	indoor
aerosols,	soil
tracked	in	by	foot	traffic,	volatile	organic	compounds	(VOCs)	that
evaporate	at	room	temperature,	and	traces	of	metals,	and	these	contaminants
may	degrade	more	slowly	in	dust.
12
	Regular	mopping,	especially	with	the	use	of
microfiber	mops,	captures	dust	and	dirt	from	surfaces	that	vacuuming	tends	to
leave	behind.	You	can	mop	with	plain	water	(after	vacuuming),	a	nontoxic	soap,
or	some	diluted	white	vinegar.
KEEP	A	STRICT
SHOE-FREE	POLICY
If	you’ve	ever	traveled	to	Asia,	you	know	that	in	many	countries	it’s	customary
to	remove	your	shoes	upon	entering	a	home	or	traditional	restaurant.	This	is	an
excellent	policy	to	greatly	reduce	pesticides,	pollutants,	and	toxins	that	can	be
tracked	into	your	home	from	the	bottoms	of	shoes	and	then	absorbed	through
bare	feet	(yuck!).	This	is	especially	true	if	you	practice	yoga	at	home	and	place
your	face	near	the	floor,	or	if	you	have	toddlers	and	children	whose	hands	often
make	contact	with	the	floor.
Think	about	it…what	is	on	the	bottom	of	your	shoes?	If	you’ve	ever	been	to
New	York	City	or	any	other	large	city	and	seen	the	sidewalks	there,	it	might	feel
pretty	nasty	to	want	to	have


would also like to take this chance to apologize to those whose letters I have
not had a chance to answer. For these people, and others who wish to know
more, I have written another book that will answer the many questions and
satisfy the many appetites for knowledge. To let the reader know about the
supplementations of a great many more healing techniques and new con
cepts and corrections to the old text, I have changed the title from The Book
of Internal Exercises to The Complete System of Self-Healing. Instead of
showing only one room, the new book opens the door to the entire house. I
have devoted forty years of intensive research, experience, and meticulous
selection to make sure that the techniques within this book are:
* Absolutely true Taoist teachings (such as the principle of mind and
body unification).
* Absolutely scientific.
*Proven to possess great healing value.
* Absolutely natural (equipment, which causes bodily imbalances, is
not needed).
*Absolutely safe (no side-effects) and free from time or space
limitations.
<
I hope you will enjoy this book more, gain more riches in health and
knowledge from it, and help more of those who are suffering with the aid of
it.
Stephen T. Chang An Important Note To The Reader
This book was written only to introduce the Internal Exercises of
Taoism as a gesture of goodwill. Since certain exercises, special
techniques, and teachings which are introduced may be new to certain
societies, since human beings are complicated and delicate in constitu
tion, and since every individual is diff erent, please consult your
physician before you try any of the contents of this book, for your own
protection.
The author and the publisher specifically disclaim liability for any
loss or risk incurred by the use or application of any of the contents of
this book. Table of Contents
FOREWORD.................................... 7
IN'TR.. ODUCTION................................ 13
PART I UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES
1. TAOISM................................... 19
The Tao of Philosop hy......................... 21
The Tao of Revitalization....................... 21
The Tao of Balanced Diet....................... 22
The Tao of Forgotten Food Diet.................. 23
The Tao of Healing Art........................ 25
The Tao of Sex Wisdom........................ 25
The Tao of Mastery........................... 26
The Tao of Success........................... 27
2. THE ENERGY THEORY....................... 29
The Nature of Energy.......................... 30
Energy and the Human Body..................... 31
3. THE CIRCULATION THEORY................... 35
4. THE SEVEN GLANDS THEORY................. 39
5. THE NERVE THEORY......................... 45
PART ll LIVING WITH THE WHOLE BO DY
6. THE INTERNAL EXERCISES.................... 49
Five Elements Theory................. •........ 51
Five Animal Exercises......................... 54
Eight Directional Exercises...................... 63
Twelve Zodiac Exercises........................ 79
Deer Exercise for Men......................... 87
Instructions for the Male Deer Exercise............ 89 The Deer Exercise for Women.................... 93
Instructions for the Female Deer Exercise........... 95
Prone Position for the Deer Exercise............... 99
Crane Exercise.............................. 100
Instructions for the Crane Exercise.............. 103
The Standing Crane.......................... 106
Solar Plexus Exercise......................... 107
Turtle Exercise............................. 113
Instructions for the Turtle Exercise.............. 114
Combining the Deer, Crane, and Turtle Exercises...... 115
Sitting Position............................. 117
Standing Position............................ 119
w al.king.................. •............... 120
Sleeping Position............................ 120
Head Rubbing Exercise........................ 121
Eye Exercises.............................. 122
Nose Exercise.............................. 127
The Ear Exercise............................ 128
Mouth Exercises............................ 130
Tongue and Saliva Exercise................... 130
Gum Pressure Exercise....................... 131
Tee th Clicking Exercise...................... 132
Face Rubbing Exercise........................ 132
Thy roid Exercise............ o •••••••••• o • • • • 133
Techniques for Relieving Pain................... 134
Hand, Arm, and Upper Body Exercises............. 135
Ann and Hand Pressing Exercise................ 135
Hand and Arm Exercise.............. o o • • • o • • 136
Lung Exercise...................