with Jon David Miller, holistic educator

 

Lesson 4: Support for Basic Body Functions

Video Overview

Holistic Natural Health Wellness Seminar - Session 4:

 

Listen: "Eating Well" (6:39)

(note: the original article for this recording is now found on this page.)

 

Poor Digestion

It is a well known saying in the natural health field that "old age and death begin in the digestive tract", especially the colon.

The "cooked glue foods" that make up the greatest percentage of the common diet can result in sticky accumulations, especially in the intestines. The "glue foods" include: meat, eggs, milk and dairy products, sugar, flour products, gelatin and peanut butter.

Some glue and most gelatin are made from animal collagen, as in "the old horse went to the glue factory".

The milky glue named after a famous bull cartoon character, is made by a major dairy products company. 

Eggs are often used to hold food together in cooking and baking. You can apply a little egg white to the back of a stamp that has lost its glue to stick it on an envelope. Nonetheless, eggs, especially the yolks, are good for protein, vitamin D and other valuable nutrients.

Consuming foods containing cholesterol is not the problem it was make out to be. On the other hand, hydrogenated fats as in margarine are really not good for you.

Sugar becomes sticky as it boils down and caramelizes to make syrup and candy.

Flour paste can be used to hang wall-paper, and children use it to glue their art projects in school.

Further, the enzyme supply produced by the body becomes depleted over the years from the demands of eating so much cooked food, and from stress and in many people the consumption of coffee, alcohol and/or tobacco.

As our body’s enzyme supply becomes depleted over the years, our digestion worsens.

 

Digestion Begins in the Mouth

Digestion is a far more complex process than one might imagine, and if people realized that, they might be more careful about what and how they eat.

Many people do recognize that they have digestive problems. Indigestion relief and laxative products are among the largest selling items in drug stores.

Let’s trace the process through the complete digestive system and see how marvelous yet fragile it is. In this description we want to track the pH changes that occur in the normal processes of digestion.

The term "pH" refers to "potential hydrogen" and is a measure of acidity or alkalinity. It is calculated on a scale of 1 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Below 7 is acidic, and above 7 is alkaline.

The normal pH of the mouth apart from eating times is about 7. Digestion begins in the mouth and depends both on what we eat and how we chew it.

There is a salivary, starch-digesting enzyme called ptyalin that initiates carbohydrate breakdown if it is not destroyed by hot food, a hot beverage, or excess stomach acid. It is highly valuable to chew food thoroughly and mix it well with saliva and this enzyme.

If you eat a combination of heavy protein with starches, the protein calls forth more acid in the stomach for its digestion. This short-circuits the starch digestion, and the starch also reduces the efficiency of protein digestion.

The more complex the meal, the more difficult the digestion of it, especially after years of eating complex cooked combinations, thereby taxing the enzyme production of the body’s organs.

 

Digestion in the Stomach

From the mouth, the food material moves down the esophagus, basically a tube, into the upper stomach -- the cardiac stomach -- where the food will stay for about an hour in a somewhat acid pH that can range from about 4 to 6.

If there are enzymes present, for example from raw foods or the salivary amylase, or from supplemental enzymes, these will work on the food and predigest it so that further digestive effort will be minimized and the nutrients may be available at the right times.

Note that raw foods may provide some enzymes if they are raised properly in good soil and fresh. However if food has been cooked, the food enzymes have been destroyed.

Without sufficient enzymes, the food will just sit in the warm upper stomach and begin to spoil. There can be some gas and bloating from the spoiling food, and the resulting acids can irritate the stomach. This is the usual source of "acid stomach" and "heartburn", not overproduction of hydrochloric acid by the stomach.

The food moves on to the lower stomach when its secretions are ready. The pH can be as low as 2 -- very acid. If the acid is sufficient, the enzyme pepsin is formed to break down proteins.

 

Protein

Protein is made up of various amino acids. Eight of these are "essential" (nine for children), meaning we need to consume them, and the rest can be made from those by the body.

It is VERY IMPORTANT for the amino acids tyrosine, tryptophan and phenalalanine to be liberated from the food AT THIS POINT in the stomach, because these are essential to the formation of neuro-transmitters, which are used by the brain and nerves to communicate their messages.

With insufficient neuro-transmitters, the nerves cannot function properly. One might feel stress more acutely, or one’s autonomic nerves may not be as effective in conducting the digestive, circulatory and respiratory functions.

Proteins are also needed for the body to form enzymes, hormones and new cells, to transport minerals, and for other needs.

Protein-rich foods include: spirulina algae, seeds, nuts, beans, eggs, meats, yogurt and cheese. These are listed in order of suggested emphasis, with dairy foods being the least desirable for good health.

Spirulina is over 60% protein, with a variety of pigments, enzymes and minerals, and it is easy to digest. For centuries it was a primary food of certain cultures due to its outstanding nutritional value.

I do not eat meat, which is difficult to digest well, but also for ethical reasons. For those that do want it, choose high-quality organic meats, better chicken or fish than pork or beef, and eat small portions with vegetables. It is best to avoid junk meats like hot dogs, sausage and deli cold cuts.

Most people do not produce enough stomach acid to foster sufficient protein digestion due to stomach lining problems, deficiency in chloride ions, and low water consumption in between meals. Undigested proteins can putrefy in the digestive tract.

Some water is needed with a meal to aid in digestion, but it is important not to drink too much water or other liquids as this can dilute the digestive juices. Also, coffee and soda pop interfere with enzyme activity, thus impeding digestion.

 

Digestion in the Intestine

From the lower stomach, the digesting food material, now called "chyme", moves into the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum. At this point some major changes take place. Secretions enter here from the gall bladder and pancreas through the common bile duct. These include bile from the liver which emulsifies fats.

Bile also contains alkalizing mineral compounds. These are to radically change the pH of the chyme from the strong acidity of the lower stomach to a slightly alkaline ph of 7.8 to 8.3.

A variety of enzymes formed in the pancreas known as pancreatin and lipase also enter at this time, which require the alkaline pH to function in the further digestion of proteins, starches, and fats. Digestion is particularly delicate here and requires very subtle conditions to work properly.

Along the small intestinal wall are various sites at each of which a certain nutrient is best absorbed. For example, there is a site where calcium is most effectively absorbed, and another one for magnesium. Still another for vitamin A, and so forth.

It is crucial that a nutrient be available when the chyme reaches the point of that nutrient’s maximum absorption or we may become deficient in it. This means that digestion must proceed well enough to have the nutrient exposed in time to be absorbed.

 

Improving Digestion

How amazing and complicated the body is, especially in this fragile digestive process!

Do you have any of these problems: bloating, gas, indigestion, constipation, chronic diarrhea, diverticulitis, colitis, "Irritable Bowel Syndrome", colon cancer or other digestion or intestinal disorders?

It is a well known saying in the natural health field that "old age and death begin in the colon".

Laxatives and fiber products are among the largest selling items in drug stores. This indicates how common colon problems are, and suggests why a colon cleansing program is so important.

As undigested gummy food residues rot inside the body, toxins are formed. There may also be toxins in the food from chemical agriculture or other sources of environmental contaminants.

Improving digestion is a major step in restoration of great health.

Plant-source enzymes

-- Enzymes include protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, invertase, lactase, sucrase, maltase, etc. Multiple enzymes taken at mealtime help digest food and break it down into a liquid state. Taken in between meals, enzyme levels increase in the blood, helpful to certain metabolic functions.

 

Bowel Problems

The colon toxicity and foulness that develops from digestive problems is called "SELF AUTO-TOXIFICATION" -- unknowingly making oneself toxic. This is one of the chief causes of ill health and disease.

Eventually the residues of food reach the large intestine where billions of microorganisms work to polish off remaining compounds and create lubrication for the bowel to move. Moisture is absorbed through the colon wall, leaving a thicker residue to be eliminated.

The sticky quality of poorly digested glue foods results in the material getting particularly bogged down in the intestines.

Putrefactive bacteria create spoilage of undigested proteins, while other bacteria and yeast cause fermentation of carbohydrate residues.

The gases from these spoiling undigested foods form pressures which push out on the colon wall, forming distended bulges and what are called diverticuli or gas pockets. These pouches fill with toxic waste and can become inflamed, a condition called diverticulitis.

Many toxins are formed in this whole process. The toxins irritate the colon wall, causing excess mucus secretion which adds to the forming fecal cement.

Over the years, the layers of sticky waste and mucus built up in the intestines release toxins that overload the liver and are continuously absorbed into the blood stream. This is known as "autotoxemia" or "auto-toxification," -- self-poisoning, part of a common system over-acidity.

As the layers of impacted waste dry, they may become as hard as a rubber tire, and very difficult to move along. This mass often weighs down the transverse colon, the portion that goes across horizontally, causing it to sag like a sway-back horse.

Some sections of the colon may get drawn down to a skinny size, and others may be so loaded with material that only a small passageway remains, making it difficult for fresh feces to move along.

Constipation is all too common. Many people are satisfied with only one bowel movement per day, or even less. Often, doctors tell people that a bowel movement every two or three days is normal. It may be common, but it is not normal or at least not right!

 

Constipation

There are several reasons why constipation develops:

1) The gumminess of much of the waste residues makes them hard to move along.

2) This is worsened because people usually drink too little pure water.

3) Reduced colonies of good bacteria produce too little lubrication.

4) It is easy to ignore the signal to go if you are in school, a meeting, busy, driving or away from home, so you might ignore the signal and hold on until it passes. This often begins in childhood when the child is busy playing and doesn’t want to bother going to the bathroom.

For many there may be a sense of unpleasantness about bowel elimination. Some people wish that their body would not have to go through this messy process!

Do you know that some colon surgeries require a saw to cut through the hardened cement-like fecal matter. Some of these colons are 8 or more inches thick in places. Most people have 10 to 15 pounds of extra waste in their colon. Some weigh as much as 40 pounds. Morticians are well aware of the astounding sizes and weights of many colons.

Who wants bad breath, body odor, foul smelling stools, or to be incontinent late in life? Who wants to suffer from any of the serious diseases of the intestine: "Irritable Bowel Syndrome", Crohn’s disease, spastic colon, colitis, diverticulitis, chronic diarrhea or colon cancer?

Diarrhea is another malady that is fairly common. Although it seems to be the opposite, diarrhea is often a sign of constipation. Perhaps the bowel wall is so encrusted that moisture is not well absorbed.

Mainly though, diarrhea is an attempt by the body to get rid of excess toxins as quickly as possible. This is why it happens, for example, when there is an acute intestinal infection of bad bacteria or bacterial food poisoning.

The friendly beneficial bacteria that would live in a healthy colon, are routinely destroyed by antibiotics, city water chlorine, chemicals in foods, alcohol, and the toxins from the spoiling mass of waste in the large intestine.

Unfriendly toxic bacteria, such as E. Coli, as well as Candida albicans yeast and various other parasites thrive and multiply in the accumulated undigested matter. These may contribute to numerous health problems. Nearly everyone has some of these trouble makers.

Candida yeast overgrowth, fed by sugars, is behind many of the nuisance ailments that people have bothering them.

I have written a concise book on this problem titled Candida Yeast and Other Parasites: The Battle in Your Body which describes the development, signs and ways of correcting this yeast imbalance and/or the presence of parasites.

Some of the common signs of candida overgrowth include: indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, sinus and allergy trouble, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, poor concentration, confusion, female problems, and male problems, including prostate trouble. Also, it stresses the immune system and leaves one more susceptible to worse illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and AIDS.

As the system becomes more toxic, thinking and response to stress will be lessened, and organs cannot function as well. Now you can see why we say "illness, old age and death begin in the colon".

 

Colon Cancer

Harvey Kellogg, M.D., was the originator of the cereals that bear his family name. He originally made them as whole grain foods for the patients at his health sanitarium. Dr. Kellogg was a surgeon. He made the following observation in the early 1900’s:

"Of the 22,000 operations I personally performed I never found a single normal colon, and of the 100,000 performed under my jurisdiction not over 6% were normal."

How much worse do you think colons have become since the development of junk foods?

Colon cancer is one of the most common health issues and a leading cause of death.

 

Detoxifying the Colon

A colon cleanse is where to start for restoring good colon health.

Fiber -- bulk fiber such as milled flaxseed, oat bran, rice bran, psyllium hulls

Bowel Moving Herbs -- laxative herbs such as cascara sagrada, senna, rhubarb root, etc.

Clay -- The molecular structure of purified activated clay, such as bentonite or zeolite, attracts and traps toxins for removal through the colon.

Charcoal -- Activated charcoal carbon adsorbs and holds toxins for removal through the colon.

Soothe the Colon Wall -- Slippery Elm, Marshmallow, Flax Seed and Aloe Vera are soothing and nourishing to the mucous linings of the digestive tract. Small amounts to start in case of irritable bowel issues (diverticulitis, colitis, celiac, sprue, etc.).

Control Yeast and Fungi -- Capryllic acid, undecylenic acid, grapefruit seed extract, larrea extract and probiotics with a yeast control diet can reduce candida yeast and other fungi.

Expel Parasites -- Parasites in the colon and liver are quite common, and need to be expelled with herbs like black walnut hulls, garlic and wormwood.

Probiotics - friendly bacteria -- An imbalance of microbes develops due to antibiotics and other toxins destroying good bacteria, the best-known being acidophilus. This allows Candida yeast and other unfriendly parasites to multiply and possibly move into the blood and various organs. It is essential to restore good colon ecology with a friendly, helpful biome.

Pure Water - water is essential for keeping the colon moving as well as overall bodily detox.

NOTE: The restoration of the good bacteria colony should be engaged until it is well-established enough to insure good colon function continues. Then the probiotic supplement should be repeated periodically to maintain a strong colony.

 

Liver Detox

You cannot live without a liver. It is one of the major organs of the body. The liver performs multiple crucial functions.

The liver engages in hundreds of actions involved with digestion, metabolism and detoxification. It is a complex organ with multiple tasks for keeping you living, working as part of a team of organs.

The liver supports digestion by creating and secreting bile for emulsification of fat. The bile and buffering minerals move from the liver to the gall bladder for storage and release into the small intestine for digestion. Enzymes and other important protein compounds are also prepared and released by the liver and pancreas.

In addition, the liver serves as a reservoir and recycling center for minerals and other nutrients and metabolites. It also controls the metabolism of nutrient compounds (including alcohols), forms protein compounds for various needs, including enzymes and hormones, and breaks down toxins in the blood.

The liver is the body's workhorse organ. Its involvement in various metabolic functions makes it susceptible to stressors. One of its crucial jobs is to constantly remove toxins from the bloodstream.

 

Both the liver and the kidneys have their share of stress in filtering out toxins from the blood. Public poisons and EMF’s can harm and impair the liver and other organs.

 

With the tremendous amount of pollutants from diet and the environment, the liver can become overwhelmed, allowing toxins to slip through and build up in the body. This can cause or worsen several degenerative diseases.

 

Gradually, the liver may begin to wear out, letting illness develop that can detract from the enjoyment of life.

 

The liver needs periodic help with an herbal cleanser and nutritional support. At the same time excessive toxic wastes need to be removed from the blood and tissues and avoided in the future.

 

Protecting the liver and other key organs is critical. Routine natural health practices, including periodic detoxification, nutritious supplements, exercise, relaxation and a positive attitude, are essential in maintaining these crucial organs for good health.

 

Get the toxins out! We all have them! The heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals and other pollutants, as well as parasites, all need periodic purging. There are cleansing herbs that help clean house thoroughly, in conjunction with healthy eating.

 

Gall Bladder Flush

The gallbladder is a bulge or sac in the bile duct that holds and concentrates the bile produced in the liver. Bile is an alkaline mixture of enzymes, minerals and fats, including cholesterol.

The gallbladder is stimulated to squirt its contents into the small intestine by the presence of dietary fats proceeding through the digestive tract, for the purposes of alkalizing the food materials and emulsifying and digesting the fats.

Over time, the gall bladder may accumulate "gallstones", which are made up of congealed cholesterol and minerals. These stones can clog the gall bladder and the bile duct, impairing the secretion of bile. This can cause digestive problems, including leaving fats undigested. High cholesterol or triglycerides and excess weight may result. Also the back up of bile stresses the liver.

A large gallstone can be very painful. A blocked bile duct may cause the gallbladder to swell and become inflamed. The pain can radiate throughout the abdomen and even to the back. Fever and chills may accompany a gallbladder attack.

A gall-bladder purge for clearing gallstones using apple cider or apple cider vinegar, magnesium, extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice has been recommended as a periodic procedure by natural health practitioners for over forty years. It can help lower blood cholesterol, make weight loss easier, improve the function of the liver and gallbladder, and may even eliminate the need for gallbladder removal surgery.

It is best to do this flush when you have no work or major activities the following day.

For three or four days, eat lightly and consume several glasses of apple juice, apple cider or diluted apple cider vinegar per day to soften and reduce the stones with the malic acid in the apple. In place of the apple items you could use malic acid powder.

On the day of the flush, begin fasting after breakfast.

In the mid afternoon take several hundred milligrams of good quality magnesium, best in a liquid form.  Repeat the intake of magnesium at 5 or 6 pm. Magnesium relaxes the muscles around the bile duct and the intestines.

Then about 7 or 8 pm begin sipping up to a pint of organic extra virgin olive oil (first pressing) with the juice of several fresh lemons. The olive oil and lemon juice may be mixed or consumed separately. You may take your time and consume this over the period of a few hours. The first time you may want to use only 8 or 10 oz. of the olive oil and see how it goes.

The olive oil will prompt strong squirts by the gall bladder. The lemon works on reducing the size of the "stones". (Helpful for kidney stones too.)

After consumption, lay on your right side with your right leg drawn up toward your lower right abdomen (the location of the gall bladder). Hold this position as best you can for a couple of hours then go to sleep.

The next morning when you go to the toilet you will likely find in your stool a number of green pea and marble-sized "gall stones" made of cholesterol and minerals.

It is a good idea to repeat this process in about a month to make sure the gallbladder is well evacuated of these stones. Keep in mind to do this again every few years.

NOTE: Those with a known gall bladder problem should consult their professional health practitioner before engaging in this procedure.

 

Blood Purification

Cleansing the blood of impurities depends on the colon, liver and urinary systems working well. Physical activity moves lymph fluid and blood around the system to carry wastes away.

There are certain foods and herbs that can aid blood purification. Red beets, red clover flowers, yellow dock root, dandelion root, burdock root, sarsaparilla root and Echinacea purpurea root are well-known promoters of the natural blood purification process. Some of these herbs cleanse and support the liver, with one of its important functions being providing clean blood.

The liver must be fairly clean and healthy to do a good job of cleaning the blood. It is a complex organ keeping you living with multiple tasks in digestion, storage, metabolism and detoxification. Support for the lungs and kidneys is also part of the detox process.

Adequate pure water is essential for this process. Most of our body’s fluid is lymph, which carries nutrients to cells and wastes away from cells. The lymphatic system can also become overwhelmed with toxins from the common diet and lifestyle, particularly if too little pure water is consumed. Without one to two quarts of pure water per day, the lymph and the blood can become thickened like sludge. Further, exercise and deep breathing are needed to move the lymph fluid along so that the waste can be processed.

 

Listen: "Weekend Cleanse" (17:00)

(note: the original article for this recording is now found on this page.)

 

Alkaline pH

An overly acidic biochemistry is an unhealthy condition hospitable to illness. A healthy body is slightly alkaline.

Most people are too acidic from the highly acid forming foods and beverages consumed routinely. This acid condition of the body is the breeding ground for invading organisms and many of the common health problems. The immune system is weakened, there is more free radical damage and greater susceptibility to cancer and other degenerative disease when the body is too acidic.

Unfortunately, pharmaceutical medicines only mask symptoms rather than correct the underlying conditions.

Many of us consume cooked and processed foods, meats, dairy products, grains and junk beverages, all of which form acids in the body. Over time the acid wastes of metabolism accumulate and contribute to degenerative conditions, including cancer, heart disease, loss of bone density, and more.

Both city water and especially reverse osmosis tend to be more acidic water than is healthy to drink. City water is often acidic from the chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals added at the treatment plant. Of even greater concern, RO water has had most of the minerals removed, the bulk of which are alkaline.

Having the pH balance within in a healthy range is crucially important. A common step to better health is to make the body more alkaline.

Alkalization of the body is a tremendous blessing to those who would like to reduce pain, feel better and have more energy. Diminishing the acidic load is very relieving.

There has been a trend of people learning more about the importance of alkalization. Various means are used to become more alkaline. The first step is to test the pH of urine and saliva.

According to Dr Carrie Rheams, the ideal urine-saliva pH reading is 6.4-6.6, slightly acid. Others say 1^st morning saliva should be 7.

There are dietary choices and nutritional supplements that alkalize. Most fruits, vegetables and herbs are alkaline-forming, as are better forms of calcium, magnesium and some other mineral supplements. Meats, dairy, wheat and most other grains are acidifying. So are coffee, soda pop, beer, wine and sugar.

There's some early evidence that a diet low in acid-producing foods like animal protein (such as meat and cheese) and bread and high in fruits and veggies could help prevent kidney stones, keep bones and muscles strong, improve heart health and brain function, reduce low back pain, and lower risk for type 2 diabetes.

Very expensive machines developed in Asia are sold to alkalize water, some using a combination of chemicals, filters and electronic water treatment. Some of these do not really purify the water in treating it to raise the pH.

The danger here is taking alkalinity to an extreme, leaving the body too alkaline. Whether too acid or too alkaline, both are unhealthy states. Another problem is trying to move the pH too rapidly or too often.

The blood pH of 7.35-7.45 is absolutely critical, and the body will take from other tissues what calcium and other minerals are needed to maintain that range, especially the bones.

Redox media is an alloy of copper and zinc used in home water purifiers with carbon. These media remove or neutralize many water contaminants, and also alkalize the water slightly. An ionizing, alkalizing mineral restoration cartridge is recommended for use with a reverse osmosis system, which removes alkalizing minerals, or when water is otherwise too acidic.

Listen: "Acid-Alkaline Balance and Food Combining" (17:00)

(note: the original article for this recording is now found on this page.)

 

 

Supplements

Eating a variety of foods to get the whole range of needed nutrients is important. Still, extra nutrition is needed with the stress and pollution levels of our time. Food-based vitamins and food-form minerals are better utilized.

Most commercial vitamin supplements are synthetic or crystalline in form. When a nutrient is extracted from its natural context or created with chemicals, it has no life. There are no synergistic elements, no accompanying mineral compounds, no enzymes that catalyze metabolic activities.

The first choice in supplemental nutrition is super foods rich in certain beneficial nutrients and compounds that are not as prevalent in other food items.

Nutritional supplements, like most other products, are sold in a commercial environment driven by a profit motive. The greed factor often leads to lower cost ingredients being used, which may not provide as much health support as nutrients that are better absorbed and utilized.

Nutritional deficiencies may be caused or worsened by poor digestion, absorption, assimilation or utilization of nutrients. Supplementation of vitamins, minerals, protein concentrates and other nutrients is frequently represented to us as indispensable in a world of stress, pollution and devalued commercial foods.

However, mega-doses of vitamins and minerals are not healthy. Ingesting large amounts is wasteful and may be harmful.

Synthesized and crystalline vitamins are not as compatible with the body. Inorganic minerals are not well used. These are not identical with the nutrients in a food. There is life force in a plant. There are living enzymes and other organic mineral compounds and trace elements that are synergistic. The nutrients work together for the cell to make energy, be healthy and function well.

This full natural nutrition cannot be fabricated in a lab. Synthetic vitamins may come from coal or petroleum sources. Most crystalline vitamins are extracted from plants, but by chemical or heat processes to isolate a nutrient so its quantity can be measured.

Inorganic minerals are not well-recognized and used by the body. They can form deposits and/or interfere with metabolism. Cheap filler components like di-calcium phosphate can become a problem with long term daily intake.

The chain of nutrition is only as strong as its weakest link. Taking high potencies of some nutrients exaggerates the difference in levels with others. The Krebs cycle of cellular energy production operates on the "Law of the Minimum".

A truly natural supplement would be whole, raw, unadulterated super foods, concentrated by low heat dehydration. It would be live food with enzymes, antioxidants and other phytonutrients active. Examples are edible algae, eg. spirulina, cereal grasses, and special fruits, seeds, herbs and pollen.

Eating super foods with high quality organic foods serves recovery and maintenance of good health.

 

Listen: "Good Health Requires Cellular Nutrition" (18:11)

(note: the original article for this recording is now found on this page.)

 

Herbs

Herbs have been used for thousands of years to help people improve health. Herbs are botanicals, plants and extracts derived from plants, that have a beneficial effect on the body. Herbal products, including proven combinations, are used for cleansing, nourishment and correction of health problems.

By contrast, synthetic chemical formulations have been in use as medicines and nutritional supplements for only the last couple centuries. 

In fact, some common synthetic medicines of today began as extracts from popular herbs. Examples are valium, derived from valerian root, and aspirin originally taken from white willow bark.

In my opinion, the accepted modality of using medical drugs is not the best way for correction of health problems, as there are often serious side effects and little help. The list of warnings on many medicines is quite long. Drug interactions can be deadly. Medical mistakes are one of the leading causes of death.

People get ill due to toxins, nutrient deficiency and stress. Most of us are lacking certain minerals, enzymes or other essential nutrients. Illness is not from a deficiency of a chemical medicine.

Despite the concerns of detractors who claim herbs have not been "tested", there is a huge background of experience in using natural plants for herbal nutrition and as medicinal herbs. Traditional uses of herbs and and herbal formulas are based on many generations of experience in various cultures.

The high cost of "scientific" testing is prohibitive for plants and extracts that are not patentable. Without a patent, a company will not be able to charge a high price for an exclusive item, as with patented pharmaceuticals.

Even so, there has been much research going on with herbal supplements. Effective compounds are being found in plants that have tremendous benefits for health and well-being.

It is valuable to distinguish between food herbs, including “super foods” for nutrition and herbs for seasoning, and medicinal herbs. The food herbs may be used regularly, while those for medicine should be used temporarily when needed.

Many plants are nutritional and can be incorporated in the diet regularly. Examples are edible algae like spirulina, cereal grasses (barley grass and wheat grass), alfalfa, kelp, parsley, mint, turmeric and of course, the common vegetables such as beets, broccoli, carrots, etc.

Some herbal super foods are "adaptogenic". They help the body adapt to various stress factors.

Panax Ginseng (more for men) and Dong Quai (a.k.a. Chinese Angelica -- more for women) are well-known for this. So is Siberian Ginseng, which is actually very different from the better-known Panax Oriental and American Ginsengs. Siberian is Eleuthero Ginseng. It is not from the same genus. It can be used by both men and women, and used more regularly than the Panax varieties.

Other adaptogenic herbs include Pau D'arco and Suma from South America; Aloe Vera, known from ancient times for its healing virtues; Wild Yam, many species rich in DHEA hormone precursors; kelp, high in iodine and metal-detoxing algin; pollen, the most nutritious and powerful part of a plant; and spirulina algae, abundant in the healing pigments, chlorophyll and carotenoids.

The extract of larrea tridentata (chaparral) is a long known assistant to the immune system n fending off troublemakers.

CBD from the oils in cannabis has become very popular for its anti-inflammatory and calming effects. It has been found that the body has cannabinoid receptors and enzymes that work on cannabinoid compounds. This aspect of bodily activity has been termed the endocannabinoid system, which involves appetite, pain management, brain activities, memory and emotion.

Herbs may be harvested in the wild or cultivated. Sometimes an individual herb may be used for a specific purpose, but usually an herbal combination formula of synergistic herbs will be more effective. Each herb contributes its own benefits creating a synergism that brings several of the body’s systems to work together.

 

Using Herbs

Some medicinal herbs should be used only temporarily for healing. Too much of something helpful in the short term could overload body organs and systems in the long run.

What conditions an herb or herbal formula will help with, and what the effects might be, may vary from person to person depending on body chemistry and the health issue involved.  A person may have some herbs that will be of great benefit and others that may not help much.

Kinesiology (muscle testing) is an established method of determining whether an herbal product or nutrient supplement will be helpful or not.

There are often added unexpected benefits of taking herbs for health, as other organs and systems may be simultaneously aided.

Herbs and nutritional plants vary in value depending on where and how they are grown, as well as the methods of harvesting, drying, storage, preparation and packaging of products. 

It is best to choose wild-crafted and organically-grown herbal products prepared by a company committed to excellence in all phases of production.

Listen: "Herbs for Natural Health Support" (19:33)

(note: the original article for this recording is now found on this page.)

 

Oxygen Supplemetation

Extra oxygen can be quite helpful to people suffering from various illnesses. There are a number of oxygen therapies that have been developed, which bring people great relief and can speed healing: hydrogen peroxide (CAUTION--TOO MUCH COULD HARM), chlorine dioxide/sodium chlorite (liquid stabilized oxygen - safest); air purifier producing ozone or high molecular oxygen.

 

Nicotine

There has been completely false information promoted about nicotine foe decades. Nicotine is NOT addictive, though it has been falsely blamed as such by the tobacco industry and believed by nearly everyone. They did this to cover the real addictive chemicals called pyrazines that they have added to tobacco products to lock in customers.

Nicotine is actually an important nutrient that is in many vegetables such as eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, kale, celery, etc. There are nicotine receptor sites throughout the body that can also be occupied by toxic compounds, especially the synthesized venom protein poisons that are added to many medicines and vaccines, as well as being in the geoengineering aerosol sprays.

Wearing a nicotine patch or chewing the gum for at least a little while can clear these poisons and bring relief of many health ailments, including serious ones like "long Covid" symptoms, cancer, MS and Parkinson's.

Here is is video of Dr. Bryan Ardis explaining the importance of nicotine.

 

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