⊙ Timeless Secrets of Health & ReJuvenation <3> The Four Most Common Causes Of Disease

CHAPTER 3  The Four Most Common Causes Of Disease
1. Gallstones In The Liver
he liver is the largest gland in the body, weighing up to three pounds. It is suspended behind the
ribs on the upper right side of the abdomen and spans almost the entire width of the body. The
liver is an extremely active organ that has to perform hundreds of different functions. With its dazzlingly
intricate labyrinth of special cells, veins and ducts, it resembles an entire city for the variety of its
activities.
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Because the liver is responsible for processing, converting, distributing, and maintaining the body’s
“fuel” supply – energy and nutrients – it directly affects the health and vitality of every cell in the body.
The liver also influences the secretion of digestive enzymes and produces many hormones that affect the
way the body functions, grows, and heals. It makes new amino acids and converts existing ones into
proteins which serve as building blocks for cells, hormones, neurotransmitters, genes, etc. This vital organ
also breaks down old cells and recycles iron. It stores blood and important vitamins and nutrients.
Apart from breaking down alcohol, the liver makes powerful enzymes that detoxify noxious substances,
bacteria, parasites and certain drug compounds. All in all it filters more than a quart of blood each minute.
The liver keeps the body warm, provides the energy for sexual performance, maintains good eyesight and
keeps the mind clear and efficient.
One of the liver’s most important functions is to produce bile, about 1 - 1½ quart per day. Bile is a
viscous, yellowish-green fluid that is alkaline (versus acidic) and has a bitter taste. Most food cannot be
properly digested without bile. For example, to enable the small intestines to absorb fat and calcium from
the food you eat, the food must first be mixed with bile. When fat is not absorbed properly, it indicates
that bile secretion is insufficient. The undigested fat remains in the intestinal tract. When the fat reaches
the colon along with other waste products, bacteria break down some part of it into fatty acid components,
or else it is excreted with the stool. Since fat is lighter than water, it may make the stool float. If fat is not
absorbed, then calcium is not absorbed either, leaving the blood in a deficit. The blood subsequently takes
its extra calcium from the bones. Most bone density problems actually arise from insufficient bile
secretion and poor digestion of fats rather than from not eating enough calcium.
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Apart from breaking down fats contained in our food, bile also removes toxins from the liver. one of
the lesser known but extremely important functions of bile is to de-acidify and cleanse the intestines. If
gallstones in the liver or gallbladder have critically impeded bile flow, the color of the stool may be tan,
orange-yellow or pale as in clay, instead of the normal greenish-brown. Gallstones are one outcome of an
unhealthy diet and lifestyle. If gallstones2 are still present in the liver even after all other disease-causing
factors are eliminated, they still pose a considerable health risk and may lead to illness and premature
aging. For this reason, the subject of gallstones has been included here as a major risk factor or cause of
disease. The following sections describe some of the main consequences that gallstones in the liver have
on the different organs and systems in the body. By removing these stones, the body as a whole is able to
resume its normal, healthy activities.
When Your Liver’s Bile Ducts Become Obstructed…
The most common but rarely recognized health problem today is blockage of the liver’s bile ducts
through gallstones (see illustrations 2a, 2b, 2c).
Illustration 2a: Gallstones in the Liver and Gallbladder
2 When I refer to gallstones in the liver I am fully aware of the fact that traditional medicine refers to gallstones (calcified) only
in connection with the gallbladder. The stones that occur in the liver are known as intrahepatic stones. However, since the same
stones (made of bile constituents) found in the liver are also found in the gallbladder, for practical purposes, I shall call them
gallstones (made of gall or bile).
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Illustration 2a&b: Gallstones in the Liver and Gallbladder
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Illustration 2c: Gallstones in the Liver and Gallbladder
Obstructed bile flow can directly and indirectly impair the functions of every part of the body and
eventually lead to death. If you suffer any of the following symptoms or similar ones, you are likely to
have numerous gallstones in your liver and gallbladder:
? Low appetite
? Food cravings
? Digestive disorders
? Diarrhea
? Constipation
? Clay-colored stool
? Hernia
? Flatulence
? Hemorrhoids
? Dull pain on the right
side
? Difficulty breathing
? Liver cirrhosis
? Hepatitis
? Most infections
? High cholesterol
? Pancreatitis
? Heart disease
? Brain disorders
? Duodenal ulcers
? Nausea and vomiting
? A ‘bilious’ or angry
personality
? Depression
? Impotence
? Other sexual problems
? Prostate diseases
? Urinary problems
? Hormonal imbalances
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? Menstrual and ? Morbid complexion ? Chronic Fatigue
menopausal disorders ? Tongue that is glossy ? Kidney diseases
or coated in white or
yellow
? Problems with vision ? Cancer
? Puffy eyes ? MS and FMS
? Skin disorder ? Scoliosis ? Alzheimer’s disease
? Liver spots, especially ? Gout
those on the back of
the hands and facial
area
? Cold extremities
? Frozen shoulder ? Excessive heat and
perspiration in the
upper part of the body
? Stiff neck
? Asthma
? Headaches and
migraines
? Dizziness and fainting
spells
? Very greasy hair and
hair loss
? Tooth and gum
problems
? Loss of muscle tone ? Cuts or wounds that
keep bleeding and
don’t want to heal
? Excessive weight gain
or weight loss ? Yellowness of the
? Strong shoulder and eyes and skin
back pain
? Difficulty sleeping,
? Sciatica insomnia
? Numbness and
paralysis of legs
? Pain at the top of a
shoulder blade and/or
between the shoulder
blades
? Nightmares
? Stiffness of joints and
? Joint diseases muscles
? Knee problems ? Hot and cold flushes
? Dark color under the ? Osteoporosis
eyes ? Obesity
? Sudden graying of hair
Persons suffering with chronic illnesses have hundreds if not thousands of gallstones congesting the
bile ducts of the liver and gallbladder. The liver is able to return to its natural efficiency once the stones
have been removed through a series of liver cleanses. And by maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle most,
if not all, symptoms of discomfort in the body will soon begin to subside. Many allergies will disappear,
back pain will come to an end and energy and well-being will improve dramatically. In my experience,
cleansing the liver bile ducts from gallstones is one of the most important and powerful means to improve
your physical, mental and spiritual health.
Gallstones – A Constant Source Of Disease
Gallstones in the bile ducts of the liver, medically known as intrahepatic stones, consist of mostly
cholesterol (60-90%). The rest is made up of other bile constituents as well as toxins, bacteria, and
parasites. Relatively few are made of organic matter from food. They are “invisible” to X-rays because
they are not calcified. The gallbladder may have larger stones that are calcified and can be detected.
Ultrasound technology can spot non-calcified fatty deposits in the liver only if they occur in very large
quantities (many thousands of stones). The diagnosis of this condition is often referred to as “fatty liver.”
The gallstones found in the liver come in all shapes and colors. Most of them are bright or dark green,
yet some others can be white, red, black or tan colored. They result from overeating, an unhealthy diet and
lifestyle, as well as stress and repressed anger. As the stones grow in size and become more numerous the
liver cells are compelled to reduce bile production. Normally, the liver produces well over a quart of bile
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each day. This is the required amount to properly digest food in the small intestine. When the major bile
ducts are blocked, barely a cup or even less will find its way to the intestinal tract. The restricted bile
production does not only impair digestion, but also prevent the liver from excreting toxins and propelling
the stones out of the bile ducts. All this affects the blood circulation in the liver. The walls of the liver’s
blood vessels (sinusoids) become increasingly clogged up. This, in turn, prevents Low Density Lipo
Proteins (LDL and VLDL, also called bad cholesterol) from leaving the blood stream, hence the rise in
blood serum cholesterol.
Since gallstones are porous, they can pick up or absorb toxins, bacteria, viruses, parasites and cysts that
are passing through the liver, like fishing nets collect fish. The stones can become a constant source of
infection, supplying the body with an ever-increasing number of fresh bacteria. The attempt to
permanently cure intestinal bloating, cystitis, Candida, stomach ulcers, infectious diseases or any of the
above conditions is likely to fail if the bacteria-harboring gallstones are not removed from the liver.
On occasion, one or several gallstones get stuck in the cystic duct - in the vessel that links the common
bile duct with the gallbladder – or in the common bile duct itself. In this case, the wall of the duct
undergoes strong spasmodic contractions in order to propel the stones onwards. The contractions of the
duct wall can cause excruciating pain, throughout the abdomen, in the back and also in the legs and arms.
When the gallbladder is packed with gallstones, it too may go into extremely painful, spasmodic
muscle contractions, a condition known as gallbladder attack. Gallstones can trigger strong reactions of
irritation and inflammation of the walls of the gallbladder and the cystic and common bile ducts. There
may be superimposed microbial infection. Today, over 20 million Americans suffer gallbladder disease
and each year about one million of them opt for an expensive gallbladder operation.
If a person has his gallbladder removed surgically, he may feel tremendous relief from the acute pain
attacks and his digestion is likely to improve for a short while. This is due to comparatively more bile
being available for the digestive process. The disadvantage is, however, that that bile comes in small
trickles throughout the day rather than in large amounts when it is needed to digest a meal. Bile causes
injury to the intestinal walls unless it is mixed with food. In addition, since the patient still has all the
stones left in his liver, the digestive troubles are most likely to return and get worse. Other existing health
problems such as pain, asthma, bursitis, heart disease, arthritis, etc. become intensified as well.
If gallstones become stuck in the ampulla of the bile duct, where the common bile duct from the liver
and gallbladder joins the pancreatic duct, jaundice and acute pancreatitis usually develop. This condition
can eventually lead to tumors in the pancreas and to a number of other diseases.
Gallstones of any kind, size and number can be easily and safely removed through the Liver Cleanse
described in Employing Nature’s Healing Powers, Chapter 7, or in my book The Amazing Liver Cleanse.
The first positive effects that are commonly noticed soon after the cleanse are pain relief and regained or
enhanced energy, vitality and general well being. Although the Liver Cleanse can be done by people of
any age, including children above 10 years (many children today have gallstones in the liver) and the
elderly, it is recommended to do the cleanse only after having followed the general guidelines for creating
a healthy body for at least four to six weeks, as is described in the following chapters. The colon and
kidney cleanses outlined in Chapter 7, Employing Nature’s Healing Powers, are an ideal preparation for a
liver cleanse, too.
During a series of liver cleanses, I passed about 3,000 small pea-sized green stones, hundreds of
chickpea sized and a dozen large ones of 2centimeters in diameter. A recent cleanse showed that my liver
was completely clean. The effects of each cleanse were often dramatic and added more and more benefits
to the previous one(s). The overall results were that my energy and vitality increased by at least three-fold,
all discomfort, stiffness and pain in the body, particularly in the back, ceased and digestion and
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elimination normalized. Speaking for myself, the liver cleanse is the best thing I have ever done for my
physical and mental well-being.
You may wonder why in mainstream medicine there is no medical knowledge or reference that deals
with gallstones in the liver. The reason for this extremely important missing link is that the theories of
modern medicine tell you that gallstones can only be formed in the gallbladder, and not in the liver. The
“experimental evidence” supporting this theory is mainly based on taking X-rays or ultrasound scans,
which can detect only the few stones in the gallbladder that may have grown to a certain size and are
calcified (mineral stones). The current diagnostic tools are unable to recognize the hundreds or thousands
of non-calcified hardened bile deposits in the liver as gallstones. Ultrasound scans can reveal fatty
deposits in the liver only when there is an excessive number of oversized stones (20,000 or more)
congesting the liver bile ducts (fatty liver). And even if early deposits are recognized, there is no effective
therapy in conventional medicine that can remove them.
The presence of gallstones in the liver can easily be verified by anyone suffering from a chronic illness,
especially if his/her gallbladder has been removed. By performing a liver cleanse, the body will release
plenty of non-calcified, bile-coated stones. These stones are identical to the green non-calcified stones
found in a surgically removed gallbladder. When cut through their middle part, both these “types” of
gallstones bear typical age marks, similar to those seen in cut tree trunks. Proper analysis would reveal
their age and the kinds of toxins, chemicals and bacteria the body had or has to deal with most. Sweeping
the liver clean eliminates thousands of bits of poisonous substances that have helped form the stones and
plague the thousands of liver bile ducts. Cleansing the liver bile ducts from gallstones is one of the most
important and powerful procedures to regain or improve your health.
For further details on how cleansing of the liver and gallbladder can make all the difference when it
comes to treating disease or improving your health and vitality, please refer to The Amazing Liver Cleanse.
In Chapter 1 you will find a detailed explanation as to why the presence of gallstones in the bile ducts,
both inside and outside the liver, can be considered to be the greatest health risk and cause of most major
or minor illnesses. In Chapter 2 you will be able to identify the signs, marks or symptoms indicating the
presence of stones in your liver or gallbladder. Other sections of the book detail the possible causes of
gallstones and how to prevent new ones from developing. What Can I Expect from a Liver Cleanse covers
some of the possible health benefits of this profound, self-help program. Also, find out what others have
to say about their experiences with the liver flush. The question and answer section deals with many
queries you may have about this procedure and its implications for your health. To reap the maximum
benefit from the liver cleanse, I would like to encourage you to read the entire book.
2. Dehydration
The human body is composed of 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. To provide
nourishment, eliminate waste and regulate all the functions in the body, we need water. Most modern
societies, however, no longer stress the importance of drinking water as the most important “nutrient”
among nutrients. Entire population groups are substituting water with tea, coffee, alcohol and other
manufactured beverages. Many people don’t realize that the natural thirst signal of the body is a sign that
it requires pure, plain drinking water. Instead, they opt for other beverages in the belief that this would
satisfy the body’s water requirements. This is a false belief.
It is true that beverages such as tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks and juices contain water but they
also contain caffeine, alcohol, sugar, artificial sweeteners or other chemicals that act as strong
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dehydrators. The more of these beverages you consume, the more dehydrated your body becomes because
the effects they create in the body are exactly opposite to the ones that are produced by water. Beverages
containing caffeine, for example, trigger stress responses that at first have strong diuretic effects, leading
to increased urination. Beverages with added sugar drastically raise blood sugar levels. Any beverage that
provokes such a response coerces the body to give up large quantities of water. Regular consumption of
such beverages results in chronic dehydration, which is a common factor in every toxicity crisis.
There is no practical or rational reason to treat an illness (toxicity crisis) with synthetic drugs or even
with natural medications and methods unless the body’s need for hydration has been met first. Drugs and
other forms of medical intervention can be dangerous for the human physiology largely because of their
strongly dehydrating effects. Most patients nowadays are suffering from “thirst disease,” a progressive
condition of dehydration. Some parts of the body may be dehydrated more than others. Unable to remove
toxins from these parts due to insufficient water reserves, the body is faced with the consequences of their
destructive effects (toxicity). The lack of recognition of the most basic aspects of water metabolism in the
body more often than not becomes a “diagnosed” illness, when it is really the body’s urgent cry for water.
Recognizing Dehydration
Those who have lived for many years without proper water intake are the most likely to succumb to the
build-up of toxins in the body. Chronic disease is always accompanied by dehydration and, in many cases,
caused by it. The longer a person lives on a low water ration and/or on a high ration of stimulating
beverages or foods, the more severe and long-lasting will be the toxicity crisis. Heart disease, obesity,
diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ulcers, hypertension, cancer, MS, Alzheimer’s, and many other
chronic forms of disease are precipitated by years of “body drought.” Infectious agents such as bacteria
and viruses cannot thrive in a well-hydrated body. Drinking enough water is, therefore, one of the most
important disease-prevention measures you can take.
People who do not drink enough water, or unduly deplete their body’s water reserves through overstimulation
for a period of time, gradually lower the ratio of the volume of water that exists inside the
cells to the ratio of volume of water that is found outside the cells. Under dehydrated conditions, the cells
may lose up to 28% or more of their water volume. This certainly undermines all cellular activities,
whether these relate to cells of the skin, stomach, liver, kidney, heart or brain. Whenever there is cellular
dehydration, metabolic waste products are not removed properly. This causes symptoms that resemble
disease, but they are really just indicators of disturbed water metabolism. Since more and more water
begins to accumulate outside the cells, the dehydration may not be apparent to the afflicted person. He
may, in fact, notice that he is actually beginning to retain water in his legs, feet, arms and face. Also his
kidneys may begin to hold on to water, markedly reducing urinary secretion and causing retention of
potentially harmful waste products. Normally, cellular enzymes signal to the brain when cells run out of
water. Enzymes in dehydrated cells become so inefficient that they are no longer able to register the
drought-like condition, and subsequently fail to push the “thirst alarm button.”
Demetria, a 53-year-old Greek woman, consulted me to find relief for a painful condition of
gallbladder disease. Her skin was dark gray, indicating a high concentration of toxins in her liver and
throughout her body. Seeing how dehydrated (and swollen) her body was, I offered her a glass of water.
She said: “I never drink water, it makes me sick!” I told her that her natural thirst signals were no longer
working due to cellular dehydration, and that without drinking water again her body could not return to
balance. It was obvious to me that any water she would drink would instantly be used to remove some of
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the toxins lurking in her stomach, giving rise to nausea. In her case, any therapy other than drinking water
would have been a waste of time and money. Demetria’s difficult situation required her to begin sipping
small amounts of hot, ionized water every half hour to help remove these toxins until she was able to
drink larger portions of regular water.
A dehydrated person may also be suffering from lack of energy. Due to the shortage of water inside the
cell, the normal osmotic flow of water through the cell membrane becomes severely disturbed. Like in a
stream coming down a mountain, the movement of water into the cells generates “hydroelectric” energy
which is subsequently stored in the form of ATP molecules (the main source of cellular energy). As a
rule, the water we drink keeps the cell volume balanced and the salt we eat maintains the balanced volume
of water that is kept outside the cells and in circulation. This generates the right osmotic pressure
necessary for cellular nourishment and energy production. During dehydration, this basic mechanism
begins to fail, leading to potentially serious cell damage.
The Pain Connection
Another major indicator of dehydration in the body is pain. In response to an increasing shortage of
water, the brain activates and stores the important neurotransmitter histamine, which directs certain
subordinate water regulators to redistribute the amount of water that is in circulation. This system helps
move water to areas where it is needed for essential metabolic activity and survival when facing such a
shortage, as it happens during a drought. When histamine and its subordinate regulators for water intake
and distribution come across pain-sensing nerves in the body, they trigger strong and continual pain.
These pain signals may manifest, for example, in rheumatoid arthritis, angina, dyspepsia, low back
problems, neuralgia, migraine and hangover headaches. They are necessary to alert the person to attend to
the problem of a widespread or localized form of dehydration.
Taking analgesics or other pain-relieving medications such as antihistamines and antacids can cause
irreversible damage in your body. They not only fail to address the real problem (which may be
dehydration), but they also cut off the connection between the neurotransmitter histamine and its
subordinate regulators, such as vasopressin, Renin-Angiotensin (RA), prostaglandin (PG), and kinins.
Although the action of the pain-killing drugs can relieve local pain for a while, it also precludes your body
from knowing the priority areas for water distribution. This can greatly confuse your body’s internal
communications systems and spread chaos throughout the body. Antihistamines –oftentimes referred to as
allergy drugs – effectively prevent the body's histamines from ensuring balanced water distribution.
The problem worsens after your body has reached a certain pain threshold. In addition to jeopardizing
the water-regulating mechanisms, these painkillers become ineffective because the brain takes over as a
direct center for monitoring pain perpetuation (unless, of course, the body is properly hydrated again). If
your body produces pain naturally for no apparent reason (not caused by an injury), before drawing any
other conclusions you should interpret this as the body’s cry for water and its attempt to remedy an
unbalanced condition. Prescription pain medication suppresses this primary signal of chronic and local
dehydration in the body. It “short-circuits” the body’s emergency routes for water supply; sabotages
waste elimination, and sows the seeds of chronic illness.
There is enough documentation to show that pain medication can have fatal side effects. It can cause
gastrointestinal bleeding which kills thousands each year. The morphine-type compounds these legal
drugs contain can also lead to serious, life-altering addictions. When the famous radio host Rush
Limbaugh announced on his radio program that he was addicted to pain medication his life was in
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shambles. But he is not alone in this. There are millions of people who initially started off by taking an
“innocent” Advil for the occasional headache, but ended up being unable to live without strong
painkillers. once you start using dehydrating medications like these, you will mostly likely develop the
same kind of pain over and over again, or even worse pain.
The most recently documented and widely popularized side-effects of pain killers such as Vioxx,
Celebrex and the over-the counter drug Aleve (Naproxen) should tell you that there are no safe painkillers
out there. These drugs were found to increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke by at least 50%. Aspirin
and other “innocent” drugs belong to the same class of painkillers as the above three. Today we have
millions of heart disease sufferers who out of ignorance and misguided trust in the medical system, FDA
and drug industry believed that taking a little pill won’t do them any harm. The revelation that this little
pill can destroy your heart or damage your brain if you take it for more than 10 days may be no less than
shocking. But how many people listen to such warnings if all that matters to “get rid of that annoying
pain.”
Taking a “harmless” drug that makes you feel better within a matter of minutes and allows you to get
on with your life feels like the right thing to do. And, if the pain medicine tastes delicious, the “miracle
drug” couldn’t possibly do you any harm, or could it? Tylenol Extra Strength "cool caplets,” the latest
craze among painkilling medications, makes dangerous drugs appear harmless. It’s both a breath mint
and a pain reliever. But is it really a sound idea to add the temptation of flavoring to a pain-reliever that,
by the FDA's admission, plays a role in at least 100 reported (a fraction of the real figure) unintentional
deaths each year? Well, this may change now with the emerging scandals around drug approval and
shoddy research. Yet, still if you asked people in the street if they considered acetaminophen to be a
completely benign medication, they will respond with a “yes.” And that undeserved reputation may only
be reinforced when mint flavoring is added to the mix.
Once you decide to end your drug addiction, life is not going to be easy. You will still need to deal
with the underlying causes of the pain that led you to the addictive drugs, and, of course, the addiction
itself. Those who are able to afford it can choose a rapid anesthesia detox at $5,900. But the bottom line is
this: The body’s natural pain signal is a perfectly normal response to an abnormal situation – simple
dehydration. In many cases, the body’s blood vessel walls, bile ducts, lymphatic ducts, intestinal tract, etc.
are so congested that chronic dehydration becomes inevitable. To restore your health, the body needs to
be cleansed and nourished properly, which is the main theme of this book.
Of course, if the pain becomes simply unbearable, the use of painkillers may be unavoidable. At the
same time, the pain-afflicted person should get on a re-hydration and cleansing program, as well as end
any dehydrating influences in his life.
“Body Drought” – The Strongest Form of Stress
The human brain, working round the clock, requires more water than any other part of the body.
Typically, it contains about twenty percent of all the blood that circulates through the body. It is estimated
that brain cells consist of 85 percent water. Their energy requirements are not only met by metabolizing
glucose (simple sugar), but also by generating “hydroelectric” energy from the water drive through cell
osmosis. The brain depends greatly on this cell-generated source of energy in order to maintain its hugely
complex processes and efficiency.
Water deficiency in the brain tissue cuts down the brain’s energy supply, and thereby depresses many
of its vital functions – hence the word depression. With a lower than normal level of brain energy, you are
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unable to meet your physical, personal and social challenges and subsequently succumb to fear, anxiety,
anger and other emotional problems. You may feel drained, lethargic, stressed and depressed. Chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS), for example, is mostly a symptom of progressive brain dehydration that results
from the holding of metabolic waste matter and cellular debris in the brain and the rest of the body. What
patients refer to as “brain fog” is actually quite an accurate description of the congestion that occurs in
this important organ of the body. CFS is not a vicious disease that somehow gets hold of a person for no
apparent reason. It may disappear quite spontaneously when the afflicted person stops stimulating the
brain with caffeine, tobacco, medication, animal products, etc., and begins a consequent program of
cleansing and hydrating the body. For more information on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia
Syndrome (FMS), please see Some Published Articles By Andreas Moritz at the end of the book.
The Stress Response
When dehydrated, the body has to put up the fight of a lifetime – similar to the one experienced in a
“fight or flight” situation. The body responds to such a crisis situation by mobilizing several powerful
hormones, including adrenalin, endorphins, cortisone, prolactin, vasopressin, and Renin-Angiotensin
(RA). Endorphins, for example, help us to withstand pain and stress and allow the body to continue most
of its activities. Cortisone orders the mobilization of stored energies and essential raw materials to supply
the body with energy and basic nutrients during the crisis. In other words, this hormone allows the body
to literally feed off itself, a situation that is warranted during a famine. However, it is also a very stressful
and damaging situation for the body and is expressed by such emotions as, “I cannot cope anymore” or, “I
feel this is eating at me.” Many patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS or other degenerative diseases
take cortisone drugs, which often give them a boost of energy and morale for a relatively short period of
time. The “success” of the drug, however, only lasts for as long as the body can tap into any energy and
nutrient reserves that may still be left. once the body has used up its emergency provisions, the body will
barely be able to function anymore and the symptoms of disease will worsen considerably.
Constriction of blood vessels
When the cells in the body are under-supplied with water, the brain’s pituitary gland produces the
neurotransmitter vasopressin, a hormone that has the ability to constrict blood vessels in areas where there
is cellular dehydration. During dehydration, the quantity of water in the bloodstream is reduced.
Vasopressin, as its name suggests, squeezes the vascular system, i.e., the capillaries and arteries, to reduce
their fluid volume. This maneuver is necessary to continue having enough pressure in the vascular system
to allow for a steady filtration of water into the cells. This gives vasopressin a hypertensive property. High
blood pressure is a common experience among people who are dehydrated (for more information on
hypertension and heart disease, see Chapter 9). A similar situation occurs in the liver’s bile ducts which
begin to constrict in response to water shortage in the body. Gallstone formation is a direct result of
dehydration.
A person who regularly drinks alcohol suppresses the secretion of vasopressin and thereby increases
cellular dehydration (if alcohol consumption is excessive, cellular dehydration may reach dangerously
high levels). The typical “hangover” that occurs after alcohol abuse is nothing but an extreme state of
dehydration of brain cells. To survive the “drought,” the body has to secrete ever more stress hormones,
among them the addictive endorphins. With regular consumption of alcohol, that is, having a drink every
day for several months or years, dehydration increases even further, and endorphin production becomes
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an addictive event. This may lead to alcoholism, a disease that has devastating consequences on a
person’s personal and social life.
Water Retention and Kidney Damage
The Renin-Angiotensin (RA) system is activated when there is a water shortage in the body. This
system is used to direct the body to hold on to water wherever possible. It instructs the kidneys to inhibit
urination and tightens the capillaries and the vascular system, particularly in areas that are not as vitally
important as the brain and the heart muscles. At the same time, it stimulates an increase in the absorption
of sodium (salt), which helps the body to retain water. Unless the body returns to its normal level of
hydration, the RA system remains activated. But this also means that the pressure of the blood against the
walls of the blood vessels remains abnormally high, causing the damage that is known as cardiovascular
disease.
Hypertension and the retention of urine in the kidneys lead to kidney damage. Conventional
treatments for this condition consist mostly of diuretic (urine-forming) drugs and restricted salt
consumption. Both can have severe drawbacks. Diuretic drugs, which are used to normalize blood
pressure, as well as reduced salt intake, strongly undermine the body’s emergency efforts to save the little
water it has left for normal cellular activities. The resulting stress response causes a further increase in
dehydration and the vicious cycle is complete. Many of the kidney transplants performed today are a
result of chronic dehydration, which is caused by something as simple as not drinking enough water,
consumption of alcohol, or over-stimulation of the nervous system.
The Caffeine and Alcohol Drama
The caffeine contained in such beverages as tea, coffee, cacao, soft drinks (Mountain Dew, Coke,
Pepsi, etc.) and most power drinks not only stimulates and stresses the central nervous system and
immune system, but also acts as a powerful diuretic. For every cup of coffee or tea you drink, you
relinquish up to three cups of water that the body cannot afford to give up without suffering some sort of
damage. The caffeine-containing cola beverages work in a similar way. Caffeine, being a nerve toxin,
stimulates the adrenal glands to secrete stress hormones and trigger a strong immune response that may
give you the (false) impression that this newly found energy and vitality was derived from the consumed
beverage.
The secret behind these energizing stimulants is that the resulting immune reaction mobilizes enough
energy for you to feel perked up and clear-headed, at least for as long as your body remains stimulated.
To remove the nerve toxin caffeine from the blood, the body has to come up with extra water that it takes
from its cells. Hence, there is an occurrence of cellular dehydration and a temporary thinning of the blood.
(Unfortunately, caffeine is not the only culprit in soft drinks. Over the long term, the effects of the acidity,
sugars, and artificial flavors and sweeteners contained in soft drinks can be devastating to the body. It
would take 32 glasses of alkaline water at an alkaline pH of 9 to neutralize the acid from just one 12 oz.
cola or soda. In response to ingesting a cola, apart from risking dehydration, the body will have to use up
reserves of its own stored alkaline buffers, mainly calcium from the bones and DNA. This raises the
body's alkalinity levels in order to maintain proper blood alkaline pH levels. Acidic blood levels are a
leading cause death! There are enough acids in one soda to kill you if your body didn't possess a
mechanism to neutralize them. How long it takes before your body succumbs to acidosis depends upon
how soon your mineral buffers are depleted.]
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Caffeine, which is a major component in most soft drinks, removes water from the body faster than the
body can absorb it again, thereby generating constant thirst. People who frequently drink soft drinks are
never able to really quench their thirst because their bodies continually and increasingly run out of cellular
water. There are college students who drink as many as 10-14 cans of cola a day. Eventually, they confuse
their bodies’ never-ending thirst signal with hunger and they begin to overeat, causing swelling and
excessive weight gain. Apart from its diuretic action and its addictive effects on the brain, regular caffeine
intake over-stimulates the heart muscles, causing exhaustion and heart disease.
Alcohol has a similar diuretic effect on the body as the caffeine-containing beverages. For example,
drinking one glass of beer results in the body forfeiting up to three glasses of water. As mentioned before,
a hangover is the result of alcohol abuse, which causes the brain to suffer severe dehydration. If this
occurs repeatedly, a large number of brain cells become damaged and die. As a result, many important
brain functions slow down or become depressed. Recovery is possible to a certain extent if alcohol
consumption is discontinued. To properly re-hydrate the body, please see directions in Drinking Water –
The Greatest Therapy, Chapter 6.
Watch what kind of water you drink
Now that you may be convinced that water is perhaps the best beverage for your body, your next
challenge is find a source of water that doesn’t make you sick. Chlorine in your
drinking water certainly would make you sick, according to a massive study in Finland of 621,431
individuals living in 56 towns. The researchers were able to determine that women who were exposed to
chlorinated water had a 48 percent increased risk of bladder cancer, a 38 percent increased risk of rectal
cancer, a 90 percent increased risk of esophageal cancer, and an 11 percent increased risk of breast cancer.
Adding chlorine to drinking water causes a chemical reaction that results in the formation of a number of
potential carcinogens.
Some of nature’s most valuable and essential anti-cancer and disease-preventive phytochemical
nutrients which are commonly found in food have been discovered to form deadly cancer-causing
substances when consumed or combined with chlorinated tap water. This has recently been conformed by
a joint study was undertaken in Japan by research scientists at the National Institute of Health Sciences
and Shizuoka Prefectural University. These deadly compounds have been named MX, which stands for
“unknown mutagen.” The main problem is that high amounts of residues from these foods are now
infiltrating our wastewater treatment and water recycling systems.
In addition, even the fresh plant foods we wash with chlorinated water create these toxins. Eating these
foods and drinking chlorinated water at the same meal greatly exacerbates the situation. The deadly
cancer-causing agents this combination produces are extremely toxic in infinitesimal amounts, and so
only very little chlorine is required to bring about a powerful destructive effect. All this creates the need
for implementing new water treatments for cities and households that do not use chlorine. You may not be
able to get your government to switch over to a healthier and more effective water treatment system, but
you can certainly do this for yourself and your family.
The H20 water treatment system is perhaps the most efficient and health-promoting, but it also is the
most expensive one I know of. Its unique technology even removes pesticides and herbicides from the
water and leaves your drinking water, shower water, and pool water as fresh and clean as pure mountain
water.
The H2O Concept 2000 uses electrical impulses to break the calcium bicarbonate and the magnesium
bicarbonate into calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate with the by-product being CO2. The CO2 is
47
dispelled at the faucet in miniscule amounts. Calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate are the soluble
forms of these two minerals. In the soluble state these two minerals can not adhere to the inner surfaces of
the pipes, the water heater coil, or the glass surfaces, faucets, etc.
The crystalline form is broken down and the minerals no longer have the ability to stick to things.
Since the H20 system has changed the form of the calcium and magnesium it prevents the mineral buildup
and formation of the scale. All of the water-using appliances have a longer and more efficient life span.
The H2O Concept 2000 will significantly reduce any existing scale over time. Although quite pricey at
the beginning, it saves money at the end (see Product Information ). It is virtually maintenance-free.
Much less pricey, yet very effective and excellent for people who are not only interested in proper
hydration, but also want to cleanse the body from toxins, are water ionizers (see Chapter 7 for details).
The most commonly used methods to remove chlorine and numerous other contaminants from your
drinking water (and possibly shower water) are filtration and reverse osmosis. Although these can also be
pricey, they are still an affordable option if you consider the cost of suffering through a bout of cancer. To
help replenish some its lost minerals, you could add a few grains of Basmati rice to the water.
By oxygenating water and raising its pH with a Nikken Optimizer, for example, you will get a close to
ideal water.
Distilled water, which is the closest to natural rainwater, is excellent for hydrating the body cells, but it
is lifeless. Adding 3-4 grains of Basmati rice to one gallon of distilled water gives it plenty of minerals
and vitamins, and exposing it to direct sunlight for an hour or placing a clear quartz crystal in the water
for an hour helps reenergize it.
Prill beads are another form of water treatment. Although they cannot replace a water filter, they still
cleanse it and make it “thinner.” This has a positive effect on the blood, lymph and basic cellular
processes. Prill beads can be found on the Internet.
Of course, the old fashioned method of boiling your drinking water for several minutes causes the
chlorine to evaporate.
Another inexpensive way to get rid of most chlorine in water is the use of vitamin C. one gram of
vitamin C will neutralize 1ppm (part per million) chlorine in 100 gallons of water. This is particularly
useful if want to lie in the bathtub without suffering the irritating effects of chlorine on your skin and in
your lungs.
3. Kidney Stones
The kidneys truly are the body’s "master chemists.” They not only remove waste products and excess
fluids from the body via the urine, but they also maintain a critical balance of salt, potassium and acid –
not a small feat for such relatively small organs. The kidneys produce a hormone – erythropoietin or EPO
– that stimulates the production of red blood cells. Other kidney hormones help regulate blood pressure
and calcium metabolism. The kidneys even synthesize the hormones that control tissue growth. When the
kidneys become damaged, other organs suffer as well.
The main responsibility of the kidneys is to keep the blood pure and healthy and maintain proper fluid
balance in the body. To accomplish this enormously complex feat, the kidneys need to constantly monitor
normal blood volume and filter out the right quantity of urine in order to keep it balanced. There are many
potential influential factors that can disrupt this mechanism and cause congestion in the kidneys. These
factors include over-stimulation, dehydration, fatigue, overeating, gallstones, blood pressure disturbance,
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digestive disorders (especially constipation), medical or narcotic drugs, vitamin supplements (see more on
these subjects in later chapters.), etc.
When the kidneys are not able to separate the necessary amounts of urine from the blood, part of the
urine keeps circulating around the body, thereby depositing urinary waste products in the blood vessels,
joints, tissues, and organs. This means that fluids and waste products begin to accumulate, ultimately
resulting in extreme swelling and symptoms of uremia (an overload of toxic byproducts) or kidney failure.
Many skin diseases, strong body odor, sweating of palms and feet, water retention, lymph congestion,
abdominal swelling, rapid weight gain, weakness, high blood pressure, etc., are all indications of toxic
blood caused, to a large degree, by the presence of obstructive sand crystals and stones in the kidneys.
Stones in the kidneys start off as tiny crystals and can eventually become as large as an egg. The tiny
crystals are too small to be detected by X-rays and since they do not cause pain, they are rarely noticed.
Yet they are big enough to block the flow of liquid through the tiny kidney tubules. Crystals or stones are
formed in the kidneys when urinary constituents, which are normally in solution, are precipitated.
Precipitation occurs when these particles occur in excessive amounts or when urine becomes too
concentrated. The crystal particles or stones usually have sharp angles. once released by the kidneys
along with urine, they may cut and wear away the inner surface of the urinary canal (ureter) during their
passage to the urinary bladder. This can cause severe pain in the loins or lower back. There may even be
blood in the urine, pain running down the legs, numbness in the thighs and a difficulty in passing urine.
Most crystals or stones originate in the kidneys, although some may also be formed in the bladder. If a
large stone enters one of the two ureters, urinary discharge becomes obstructed. This can lead to serious
complications, such as kidney infection or kidney failure. Regardless where the blockage occurs, anytime
the kidneys are prevented from removing and regulating water and chemicals, these delicate organs are
likely to suffer injury. The kidneys' various functions may be affected separately, so urine output may be
normal despite significant kidney disease.
The Types of Stones and Their Effects
The most common solutes involved in crystals and stone formation are oxalates, phosphates, urates,
uric acid, and the amino acids cystine and cysteine. There are eight varieties of crystals or stones that can
be formed from these solutes, for various reasons.
Foods or beverages that contain large amounts of oxalic acid cause oxalate stones. A cup of regular tea
(not green or herb tea) contains about 20 mg of oxalic acid, which is far too much for the kidneys to
excrete. Initially, the body uses calcium to neutralize the acid. By doing so, oxalic acid turns to calcium
oxalate. If tea drinking becomes a regular habit, any excessive calcium oxalate in the kidneys becomes
deposited in the form of tiny crystals. Chocolate, cocoa beverages and chocolate ice cream are also high
in oxalates. Anyone who has consumed or consumes these foods on a regular basis can expect to have
oxalate stones in the kidneys, especially children whose kidneys are still very small and delicate. Also,
Vitamin C over 200mg/day is converted into oxalate and excreted in the gut and urine. Vitamin C is not
as harmless as many believe it is.
Uric acid crystals make up another type of kidney stone. Uric acid is a waste product that is formed
from purines in food. Foods with the highest purine content are:
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• Tea
• Beef
• Bacon
• Calf tongue
• Carp
• Chicken soup
• Codfish
• Duck
• Goose
• Halibut
• Sardines, canned
• Liver
• Kidneys
• Heart
• Meat extract,
broths,
• Salmon, canned
• Gravies
• Scallops
• Herring
• Smelts
• Roe
• Liver sausage
• Meat soups
• Perch
• Pike
• Pork
• Rabbit
• Mutton
• Shellfish
• Trout
• Turkey
• Veal
• Yeast
• Sweetbread
• Anchovies
• Lentils
As you can see from the list, protein foods derived from animals and fish make up the chunk of uric
acid-generating foods. once the proteins are broken down in the liver, the uric acid is passed on to the
kidneys for excretion with the urine. If the kidneys are unable to remove all the uric acid, its concentration
in the blood rises. As a result, excessive uric acid is deposited first in those areas of the body that have the
poorest circulation and oxygen supply, i.e., the toes of the feet. The precipitation of uric acid and other
harmful substances in the toes can make the joints rigid, stiff and unbending (check particularly the small
toes of your feet, which show the condition of the bladder).
Naturally, wherever there are waste products inside or outside the body, there will also be specific
bacteria to help break them down. Accordingly, any deposits of uric acid in the body attract destructive
bacteria whose job it is to dispose of this waste product. If the bacteria feeding on the uric acid crystals
invade the tissues in sufficient numbers, inflammation and pain result. Gout and arthritic conditions are
the most common symptoms of this involuntary “cleansing response.” The uric acid crystals in the toes
are essentially made from the same material as the uric acid stones in the kidneys.
A similar situation may occur in the heels. Heel spurs are due to deposits of uric acid and various
phosphates. The uric acid invites bacteria, leading to pain, and the phosphates are responsible for causing
rigid and hard structures. Swelling or edema around the foot or ankle, caused by poor kidney and adrenal
functions, may accompany this condition.
As discussed earlier, the kidneys and adrenal glands regulate water and salt levels throughout the body.
If their functions are subdued due to stones in the kidneys, your body may thus be holding water in the
feet, legs, abdomen, face, arms, and organs.
Many kidney stones are formed as a result of insufficient water intake, and/or consumption of foods or
beverages that have dehydrating effects, including meat, artificial sweeteners, sugar, alcohol, tea, coffee
and sodas. Also, smoking cigarettes or watching television for too many hours have a dehydrating effect
on the body and cause urine to become overly concentrated. This increases precipitation of urinary
constituents.
Eating lots of strongly acid-forming foods, such as meat, fish, dairy products, cakes, candy, sugar, etc.,
forces the body to release many of its valuable minerals, thereby altering the pH (acid/alkaline balance) of
the urine. This does not only cause mineral deficiencies in the body, especially in the bones and teeth, but
also turns the normally acidic urine filtrate alkaline. In alkaline urine, some other substances may be
precipitated, including phosphates.
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Phosphate stones are formed in particular from eating too many foods that are high in phosphate and
low in calcium, such as meats, cereals, breads, pastas, and nuts, as well as all carbonated beverages. To
neutralize the highly acidic phosphate, which could easily burn the delicate kidneys, the body leaches
extra amounts of calcium from the bones and teeth and uses whatever magnesium it can obtain from such
foods as green vegetables. As mentioned earlier, it takes over two gallons of water to neutralize the
acidity of one glass of cola. So be kind to your kidneys.
The presence of phosphates generates an acidic environment in the body, which literally dissolves
bones, leading to osteoporosis and shrinkage of body frame. It also causes tooth destruction, coronary
heart disease, digestive disorders, cancer and any other diseases that are related to calcium deficiency. A
person who eliminates more than 150 mg of calcium a day (24 hours) with the urine – an emergency
measure taken by the body to combat excessive acidity – is in the process of rapidly dissolving his bones.
Some of the calcium combines with the phosphates, forming various calcium phosphate crystals, which
can lead to hardening of arteries and common arthritis.
Please also be aware that excessive sodium chloride (table salt) in the diet predisposes to stones. This
is primarily an issue for people who mostly dine on prepared foods, which are loaded with table salt.
Unrefined salt does not have the same effect, through. For more information see section on unrefined salt
in Chapter 7.
Why Do a Kidney Cleanse?
The kidneys make a tremendous effort in trying to keep the body clear of toxic substances such as lead,
cadmium, mercury and other impassable pollutants. They also maintain fluid and electrolyte balance and
regulate the pressure that the heart exerts to force the blood through their filtering system. Kidney stones
greatly undermine these capabilities which consequently increase the amounts of heavy metals and raise
the body’s general level of toxicity. This may lead to infection, high blood pressure, heart disease, brain
disorders, cancer and many other diseases.
The following signs indicate the presence of crystals and stones in the kidneys or bladder:
• A dark or whitish color under the eyes
• Puffy or swollen eyes, particularly in the morning
• Deep wrinkles under and around the eyes
• Tiny whitish, tan-colored or dark lumps under the eyes, which can be felt or made visible
when stretching the skin outward towards the cheekbones
• Overlapping of the upper eyelid
• Chronic pain in the lower back
• Swelling of feet and legs
• Constant fear or anxiety
There are a number of herbs that can effectively dissolve kidney stones within a period of three to six
weeks (see “The Kidney Cleanse” in Chapter 7: Employing Nature’s Healing Powers). Regardless
whether someone has been diagnosed with kidney stones or not, having a kidney cleanse once or twice a
year has tremendous curative and preventive benefits. The kidney cleanse not only improves overall
physical health, but also reduces stress, fear and anxieties.
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4. Whatever Makes You Weak Also Makes You Ill
Flu epidemics were rare 100 years ago. When they did occur, only the very poor and frail became
seriously ill. Now, there is a flu epidemic every year, and some of them may last all year round. The
theory that the flu strikes only during fall is scientifically incorrect. If someone has the flu in April, he just
calls it “a cold,” although the April and November flu versions share the same virus.
Today’s flu epidemics affect a lot more people and are accompanied by much stronger symptoms than
ever before. The viruses from both these eras are still very much the same. What has changed
dramatically among the general population, though, is the natural resistance to viral attacks. Today, our
natural immunity to such microbes is many times lower than it was just 100 years ago. Tooth decay and
depleted vision among young people are very common now. There are numerous new and rapidly
growing epidemics, a phenomenon unheard of just two centuries ago. They include millions of people
suffering from diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. The fact that our modern societies are plagued with so
much chronic illness shows that there are entire generations with weak constitutions, caused mainly by
stress, unhealthy diets and harmful lifestyles. People who lived a hundred years ago and enjoyed good
hygienic conditions were much less prone to develop chronic illnesses than we are today. Heart disease,
for example, which is today’s leading cause of death, rarely killed anyone at the beginning of the 20th
century.
Our time is characterized by over-stimulation, which has a strong energy-depleting effect on the body.
The following are but a few of the many possible factors that use up or deplete our physical energy:
• Watching television too often and for too many hours
• Emotional stress and trauma
• Time pressure
• Excessive noise, air, water and soil pollution
• Constant exposure to artificial lights
• Pharmaceutical drugs
• Coffee, tea, alcohol, sodas
• Sugar, sweets, chocolates
• Meat and junk food
• Overeating food
• Sleep deprivation
• An irregular lifestyle/daily routine
• Excessive sex
• Too little water intake
This list is by far not complete, but it gives you a sense about the wide range of weakening influences
that we are generally exposed to in today’s modern world. All of these factors lead to retention of toxic
waste in the body. Toxins are formed in the body when metabolic waste products and debris from old
worn out cells (totaling over 30 billion cells each day) are no longer eliminated properly. If they remain in
the body, they become subject to bacterial attack and/or are met with a dramatic increase of free radical
activity. The resulting toxins that are generated by this act of self-preservation naturally act as stimulants.
Once formed, they stimulate the body to eliminate them from the system. Under normal circumstances,
that is, if the body’s life force or vital energy is strong and efficient, the body can do this without getting
52
overtaxed or harmed. Through balanced periods of rest and activity, it spontaneously returns to its
equilibrium state. But when the body is exposed to too much stimulation and is unable to rebalance itself,
its “batteries” can no longer be fully recharged. With “flat batteries”, the physical engine is unable to rid
itself of all the metabolic and cellular waste generated minute by minute, day after day, and year after
year. As a result, much of the waste and resulting toxins begin spreading throughout the body. Wherever
they occur in extremely high concentrations, they provoke a toxicity crisis. A toxicity crisis indicates that
the body’s resistance to disease (immunity) has dropped to a level of low efficiency.
When the body is forced to hold on to too many toxins, it is also more prone to infection. If an
infection is treated through suppressive methods rather than supportive ones, chronic illness may result.
Chronic illness predisposes one to accelerated aging and premature death. Each time an infection is
suppressed, the subsequent congestion in the deeper lying structures of the body increases the workload of
the heart, making it increasingly weak and stressed. Heart disease, which is the prevalent killer in most
countries of the industrialized world, could largely be prevented if we didn’t suppress immune responses
such as the common infection.
When a virus or bacterium that is normally rendered harmless by the immune system infects a person
who is filled with toxins, this infection proves that the immune system was already compromised prior to
the infection. For as long as an energy-depleting influence is maintained, and toxicity and dehydration
continue to impair immunity, even the most powerful antibiotic drugs will not be able to permanently stop
the infection. Microbes (bacteria) are not the real cause behind an infection, although this is what the
patient is told. Microbes cannot thrive in a healthy, clean environment. For microbes to do their job,
which is to dispose of waste and destroy dead or damaged cells, they need to be in a fertile environment,
an environment that invites them in.
We have been led to believe that the most common and dangerous bacteria and viruses to humans are
either already dwelling within our bodies or living in our immediate surroundings, e.g., in the foods we
eat, the air we breathe, the bathrooms we use, the door handles we touch, the pets we cuddle, or the
hospitals we visit. As long as the body is congested and unable to remove its toxic waste, these microorganisms
can strike repeatedly, at any time.
A patient who is trapped in the vicious cycle of infection-antibiotics-infection-antibiotics...can break it
and prevent further episodes of infection through a program of cleansing and resting. Both of these are
required to help the body eliminate accumulated toxic waste. Before starting on a cleansing protocol
though, I encourage people to identify any existing sources of energy-depletion in their lives and to
replace these with energy-increasing habits.
Today there are many young people suffering from chronic diseases, and unless they make some
drastic changes in their lives, they will find it difficult to ever regain their health. The body cannot truly
heal if it keeps accumulating new toxins faster than it can dispel them again.
A friend of mine, a physician at the general hospital on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, was
involved in a research study on 721 secondary school children in Cyprus. He told me that the majority of
the children already had signs of hardened arteries. Another study showed that 52% of primary school
children in Cyprus are overweight or obese and have elevated levels of blood cholesterol. The year these
studies were conducted was 1995. This is quite a surprise, given the fact that not so many years before,
the Mediterranean countries had some of the best health records in the world. This doctor also told me
that almost every child in Cyprus had at least once or twice received a course of antibiotics to suppress an
infection. Such practice had been unheard of in Cyprus before the 1970s.
Almost every modern country in the world is now reaping the deadly consequences of unhealthy habits
combined with inappropriate medical treatments. The United States spends about 1.5 trillion dollars each
53
year for healthcare, and the projections are that it will double that amount in less than ten years. Retail
pharmacies filled 3 billion prescriptions in 2000. But we don’t get much for all this money and drug use.
Instead, we wind up as the 17th healthiest nation in the world.
Almost all prescribed drugs have a suppressive effect, which means they interfere with the body’s
attempt to break down the very toxins that make it susceptible to disease-causing agents. To regain its
balance again, the body has to create a toxicity crisis, or disease. The trend is towards chronic illness
among today’s youth, even in countries that have had excellent health records until recently. This trend is
so pronounced today that should it continue unabated, the resources of future governments will be spent
on "illness care.” Unless, of course, people like you and I take responsibility for our health and begin to
practice real, personalized “health care.”
Illness is a Toxicity Crisis
A toxicity crisis, or toxemia, reflects a disease state caused by the presence of bacterial toxins or other
harmful substances in the blood or tissues. It only occurs when the body has a pressing need to return to
the state of balance, or homeostasis. The body has a built-in mechanism that allows it to remove toxic
substances in a much shorter time than it takes to accumulate them. By interfering with this process, we
disrupt the body’s vital cleansing efforts and become vulnerable to external destabilizing agents. A
vaccine or an infectious bacterium, for example, can readily become a trigger for damaging an organ or a
system in the body. The weakest, most congested organ in the body is mostly likely to be the first one to
malfunction. Any attempts to treat the diseased organ without removing the underlying causes will not
only fail to fully restore the organ’s health and vitality, but may actually contribute to further
complications.
Further on in the book you will learn why it is a potentially dangerous practice, in most cases, to give
blood transfusions to people with low hemoglobin levels, to treat the testicles for impotence, or to cut out
ulcers and tumors. The use of pharmaceutical drugs, which have nothing in them to remove the toxins in
the blood and tissues, may even kill a patient, for no doctor really knows for certain the toxicity level in
the body. In an otherwise healthy person, the additional toxins that microbes generate during an infection
normally remain in the body for only as long as the toxicity crisis lasts. Provided we support the body in
its cleansing efforts by giving it plenty of rest and enough water to drink, this natural self-healing process,
falsely called “infectious disease,” naturally eliminates all traces or effects of toxicity that can result from
the microbial activity.
As you would expect, you are only able to reap what you have sown, but you certainly have a choice in
what you sow. Unless you live in an impoverished country or circumstances are highly non-supportive to
living a healthy life, you do have choices when it comes to taking care of your most basic needs. More
often than not, though, people are choosing not to let go of unhealthy habits or a detrimental lifestyle.
It is very difficult for the body to remain healthy when it is abused by over-stimulation of the mind,
body and senses. Such constant strain can deplete energy resources faster than they can be replenished.
The permanent energy deficiency that results from this overuse of resources is the main cause of
discomfort and disease in the body. Although most people now know how unhealthy and potentially
dangerous smoking cigarettes, overeating, drinking alcohol excessively, missing sleep, etc., can be for
them, many seem unable to change their self-abusive ways. The inability to let go of a harmful addiction
indicates that the blood carries large amounts of impurities and the liver is unable to remove these (mostly
due to bile duct congestion). Both these conditions can be effectively dealt with through a series of liver
54
cleanses, as described in this book and in The Amazing Liver Cleanse. As the liver performs more
efficiently again, the body’s natural instincts begin to re-awaken and a sense of satisfaction and emotional
stability returns. The enhanced well-being and vitality makes it much easier to quit smoking and working
too many hours, or to stop eating junk foods and living on coffee.
Symptoms of ill health can occur in a variety of intensities and modifications. Trying to locate the
cause of an illness in its effect or symptom is nearly impossible. Stomach ulcers, appendicitis, tonsillitis,
arthritis, congested arteries, cancer and most other illnesses merely reflect various sources and degrees of
toxicity. It is becoming more and more evident that congestion and acidity buildup in the body’s fluids
and tissue starves cells of basic nutrients, thus weakening and damaging them. The above so-called
“diseases” all share one common element - an inflammatory response induced by the body itself. An
inflammation is not something that just happens out of the blue, and it certainly is not a disease. It occurs
only if and when the body decides that it is necessary to destroy weak or damaged cells. The body does
not opt for an inflammatory response in order to destroy itself, but to save itself from acid death or septic
shock leading to death. The poisons generated by rotting cells (flesh) inside the body would end one’s life
quickly. We blame the body for making the “mistake” (inflammation) of interfering with and preventing
the uncontrolled decomposition of the body as a result of acidosis (extreme toxicity). Inflammation is the
body’s genuine effort of self-preservation and calling it a disease reflects the lack of understanding of how
the human body functions.
To diagnose and treat any of the above as a separate disease may not only mislead the patient, but also
cause further complications. Over eighty percent of the people who fall ill recover on their own and
without any medical intervention. Accordingly, it is most likely that disease is nothing but a toxicity crisis
that most people’s bodies are able to resolve naturally. once the amount of toxic waste has reached a peak
level of tolerance or point of saturation, an appropriate immune response (inflammation) begins to occur.
This healing process (falsely labeled disease) helps to decrease the degree of toxicity to below the point of
tolerance, simply by neutralizing and removing the toxins, metabolic waste and cellular debris, as well as
the microbes that feed on them. And so, the symptoms of illness begin to vanish by themselves. Thus, a
headache, cold, tonsil infection, gastritis or stiffness in the neck and shoulders, all appear and disappear
again in their own time. The occurrences of illness and recovery follow the same cycles of building up
and breaking down the underlying congestion and toxicity.
If your doctor’s treatment turns out to be successful, you are mostly likely to thank him for having
cured you. on the other hand, if you get well without any external help, you might say you were just
lucky. Healing, though, does not take place in either case. What does happen, however, is the body’s
ceaseless, and if necessary, reinforced effort to eliminate metabolic waste, dead cells, chemical toxins,
heavy metals, billions of dead bacteria, and other waste material. Health is the spontaneous occurrence of
balance, which is sustained by completely removing the body’s daily-generated waste products and
cellular debris, and by giving it the nourishment it requires. Creating health is but an ongoing, daily
process of regeneration because the elimination of waste materials and the uptake of nutrients will never
stop for as long as we are alive. There may be nothing more mysterious about health and healing than
maintaining the fine line of balance that exists between these two basic processes.
Are We Poisoning Our Children With Food?
Most of us were brought up with the belief that disease is caused by external things. Few people know
that germs can only “germinate” in a toxic environment. Parents who see their children catch one
55
infectious disease after another are especially concerned about giving their offspring every possible
protection against infectious diseases. Immunization seems to be one way of safeguarding their children’s
lives. In case a child has "caught" an infection, antibacterial or anti-viral drugs are considered to be the
best option.
Being so used to blaming external pathogens (disease-causing factors) such as bacteria or viruses for
an infection, not many people even consider the possibility that their health problems may have
something to do with the food they eat. Could it really be possible that children (and also adults) who
suffer from repeated infections are, in fact, only suffering from the consequences of being of poisoned by
soft drinks, ice cream, chips, chocolate, candy, “light foods, “fast” foods, processed breakfast cereals,
frozen meals, canned foods, bottled salad dressings, etc. ? (There is more on this subject in Chapter 13)
There are now over 40,000 different food times on the shelves of the modern grocery stores, 98% of
which have nothing to do with what nature had intended the human body to eat. The human digestive
system has no way of making use of foods that have been robbed of their natural life energy or
manipulated and processed to a point of uselessness, regardless of how wonderful the ingredients list may
appear to be. If food has been made in the laboratory, as most foods are, it is no longer considered to be
food. It has become a poison. With their immune systems impaired by large amounts of these or similar
acid-forming foods and the chemical additives they contain, children barely stand a chance to fight off the
normally harmless microbes that are part of our natural environment.
The situation is worsened if children haven’t been breast-fed long enough to build up their immunity.
Many babies are still being fed with milk formula foods that contain rancid (oxidized) cholesterol (a result
of milk-drying procedures), or foods that are sterilized, resulting in total degradation of their original life
force. Rancid fat or rancid cholesterol is a cancer-producing substance and the cause of many diseases,
including allergies. Several years ago, the British government discovered that nine brands of commonly
used milk formula foods for babies contained potentially harmful chemicals. To give formula milk to
babies can be considered a major health risk, particularly because immunity may not yet be fully
developed. (There are additional details on the major health risks of milk and its products in Chapter 13.)
In addition, there may be an entire cocktail of contaminants and noxious substances present in the
drinking water, as well as the indoor and outdoor environment, that may easily suppress the just
developing immune system of the child, making it susceptible to a whole range of illnesses. All of this
has a great influence on how well a growing or grown person will be able to go through the physical,
mental and emotional challenges of his life.
The younger generation is sicker than any generation has ever been before. Schools and colleges feed
them with cheap, low nutrition foods and the situation at home is not much better. Many diseases that
used to strike only the adult population are now commonly found among the young people. Who would
have believed that just 25 years ago, hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, Type II diabetes and
obesity would one day be as widespread among children as it is today?
The consumption of foods that are of no use to our body is a major cause of disease, including
infection. Meat or other flesh foods belong in that same category. When you eat meat, your body can
only extract a fraction of the meat's constituents and the rest has to be disposed of differently. A large
portion of the undigested meat protein is broken down by the meat's own cellular enzymes, and also by
bacteria present within the intestinal tract. Since the decomposing meat cells are made of degenerate and
coagulated (due to heat) protein, their putrefaction results in the release of putrescin and cadaverin, which
are deadly and highly irritating cadaver poisons. (See also Chapter 6 on vegetarianism) Such powerful
poisons are already enough to leave the body vulnerable to any kind of infection.
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In most hospitals, both the young and older patients are given meat, sausages, eggs, fish and poultry to
eat, sometimes on the day after surgery or other invasive treatment when the digestive system is at its
weakest. Their already strained digestive and immune systems are unable to handle these additional
toxins and try to pass as much of the waste into the bowel for possible elimination. Congested bowels are
a highly fertile ground for a microbial infection, which is more likely to occur in the environment of a
hospital where germs are present in larger quantities.
The life of a sick child may depend on whether he is able to remove most of the decomposing
substances in his intestines before they are absorbed into the bloodstream and lymphatic system. If
gallstones obstruct the liver bile ducts (now quite common among children, too), the liver is no longer
able to sufficiently remove the toxins that enter the blood via the bowel, hence “food poisoning” occurs.
Most so-called epidemics are in reality forms of food poisoning or chemical poisoning. They occur
among people with high levels of toxicity and low immunity, meaning, among those who are already ill.
Giving hospital patients any solid, concentrated foods to eat (such as meat) will use up the little energy
they have left in them. This energy is used to attend to the newly ingested food instead of using it to
overcome the toxicity crisis. An immune system that has been subdued by the presence of toxins is no
longer able to effectively ward off bacteria, parasites or viruses.
A child who is fed with meat, eggs and dairy products, including milk, is much more likely to develop
digestive problems and children's diseases such as diphtheria, smallpox or septic fever, than a child who
eats fruits, vegetables, grain foods, salads and drinks plenty of fresh water. Most parents feel responsible
for the health and safety of their children. By becoming more conscious of their own eating habits, they
will automatically want to give their children the best and most nutritious foods and beverages available.
This can greatly contribute towards creating a generation of healthy young people who will be known for
their absence of illness.
Summary of the Basic Disease Process
The body is made up of cells that are turned over at regular intervals, at a rate of about 30 billion a
day. Each day, cellular enzymes break down 30 billion old, worn-out cells that can no longer properly
absorb and utilize oxygen and other nutrients. This results in the generation of large amounts of cell
debris. Moreover, each one of the 60-100 trillions cells that make up the body generates metabolic waste
products that need to be disposed of without delay. Under normal conditions, the lymph and blood swiftly
remove these waste materials from the tissue that surrounds the living cells (connective tissue). If this
naturally occurring waste matter is not removed promptly, it begins to accumulate in areas of the body
that are not suited for such a purpose. Eventually, congestion occurs and the body needs to employ more
drastic measures of self-preservation. once stored waste has reached a certain limit or threshold, it might
seriously impair the functions of these parts of the body – intestines, the liver bile ducts, gallbladder, the
appendix, and tonsils. To avoid the danger of damage to healthy cells, or even organ or system failure, the
body begins to employ oxygen free radicals, enzymes and destructive bacteria (putrefaction-causing) to
help break down the mixture of dead cells and metabolic waste. Toxins are an unavoidable by-product of
this healing attempt by the body. At this stage, the immune system becomes engaged in trying to remove
both the waste matter and the toxins, as well as any weak and damaged cells. This response is commonly
known as “inflammatory disease.” Inflammation is now increasingly recognized as the common, most
immediate cause of every acute and chronic disease process. But, as described above, inflammation or
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infection it is not a disease as such, but a simple survival attempt of the body. There are various organs
and systems in the body that are designed to efficiently deal with the daily-generated waste products.
• The liver breaks down cellular components, detoxifies drugs, alcohol and noxious
substances.
• The lungs remove the highly acidic metabolic waste product carbon dioxide and other
gases.
• The kidneys and bladder remove excessive blood plasma, as well as uric acid, urea,
ammonia and other waste matter coming from the liver.
• The colon excretes fecal matter, mucus, dead bacteria and parasites.
• The hair and nails remove proteins, mineral salts, pigments, and oil.
• The skin, being the second largest organ of elimination, eliminates sweat and 40-60% of
all the waste in the body.
• The lymphatic system, which has to circulate and purify 18 liters (19 quarts) of wasteloaded
lymph fluid, plays a major role in the detoxification process.
All of this activity, of course, requires copious quantities of water. When the body becomes
dehydrated, the blood becomes too concentrated (thick) and subsequently draws water from nearby cells.
Although the blood is made thinner through this maneuver, the connective tissue surrounding the cells
and the cells loose precious water required to excrete and remove metabolic waste. The result is
congestion, that hinders the waste matter from leaving the body. (To go on a hydrating program refer to
the guidelines in the section ‘Drinking Water – The Greatest Therapy of All,’ Chapter 6) By contrast, a
well-hydrated body is capable of both nourishing itself and detoxifying its cells tissues. This ensures that
the body’s equilibrium, or balance, is maintained at all times. During a well-hydrated state, all the various
activities in the body can be conducted in a flawless manner because there is no congestion or hold-up
anywhere.
In their naturally occurring amounts, waste materials have a slightly stimulating effect. This helps
maintain the functions of elimination. However, if the body’s energy is depleted and immunity is subdued
due to an excessively stimulating diet and lifestyle, or insufficient water intake, the continuously
necessary process of detoxification and waste removal is disturbed or obstructed.
All disease is caused by obstruction. If an obstruction, for example, shows up in the liver, it is most
likely due to gallstones in the bile ducts. This affects the nutrient supply, metabolism and energy
distribution throughout the body. A constipated colon leads to back-flushing of waste, thereby flooding
the body with toxins. A kidney stone can lead to retention of urine and raise the pressure of the blood
against the arteries. Lymphatic blockage leads to lymph edema, heart congestion, cancer, obesity, and
almost every chronic illness. The various types and intensities of toxicity crisis (diseases) result from the
various forms and locations of congestion in the body. In truth, though, if one part of the body is sick, the
entire body is sick. It is simply not possible to divide such systems as the cardiovascular, immune,
lymphatic and nervous systems into segments that don’t influence one another in a profound way. The
severity of disease is largely determined by the amount of toxins, gallstones, kidney stones, fecal matter,
metabolic and cellular waste the body has accumulated.
The basic remedy for the most common diseases is to stop all unnecessary "energy leaks," clear up
the blocked bile ducts of the liver, remove kidney stones/sand, clean the passages of the gastrointestinal
tract and provide enough fresh air, clean water and nutrient-rich food to sustain all bodily
functions, including the elimination of the daily-generated metabolic and cellular waste products. The
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following list provides you with an overview of possible factors that have congesting effects on the liver,
produce kidney stones, dehydrate the body and sap its energy.
• Not drinking enough water
• Drinking cold beverages, especially when the body is hot
• Overeating
• Insufficient nourishment
• Highly processed and refined foods
• Ill-combined foods
• Coffee, tea, alcohol, other stimulants
• All carbonated beverages
• Tobacco, narcotics
• Medical drugs, such as statins, steroids, antibiotics, etc.
• Irregular daily routine
• Insufficient sleep
• Watching too much television
• Exhaustion, strain, stress
• Environmental hazards
• Pollution, both indoor and outdoor
• Anger, rage, envy, greed, fear, jealousy, egotism, anxiety, etc.
• Lack of harmony and happiness
• Extreme and excessive habits
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Over-stimulation of the senses
• Injuries
Any of these or similar causes of depleting energy in body and mind cause a build-up of toxicity in the
body fluids and lead to a toxicity crisis (acute illness). The crisis is necessary to mobilize the immune
system, find an outlet for the toxins and return the body to a state of equilibrium or balance. If the causes
remain intact, however, and continue to weaken the body even further, it is left with no other choice than
to develop a continual toxicity crisis, which is known as chronic disease. The following section deals with
the part of our body where toxins are most likely to be produced first – the digestive system.