Gemma Calzada nutritionist :: News

Medicinal and culinary herbs and spices, are they so inoffensive?

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 17:56:00 +0100

Very often, people that are conscious of the side effects of conventional medicines turn to natural medicine to treat their illnesses.
I think that naturopathy and herbology is a much better option than chemical medicines; but we must be aware that herbs may produce some side effects, too.

Continue reading Medicinal and culinary herbs and spices, are they so inoffensive?

According to the health approach of Natural Hygiene, each and every medicine, no matter what type, has some degree of toxicity, and therefore, side effects.

I would like to quote some parts of T.C.Fry’s book “Life Science” when referring to Herbs:

“All herbs contain poisonous volatile oils and alkaloids. All herbs are fatal when taken in large enough doses. Even moderate amounts of certain herbs can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, headaches, and spontaneous abortions.
Many people do not realize that the herbs they take are in fact poisoning them. The reason? Herbs are taken in small amounts—usually small enough not to occasion a serious and painful reaction, but still enough to cause the body to react radically and expeditiously to eliminate them.
If herbs are not harmful, why must they be taken in such small amounts? Like pepper, spices, and condiments, herbs cannot be ingested in amounts larger than a tablespoon or so. Even more telling is the taste of herbs themselves. Almost without exception, herbs are bitter, strong, and foul tasting. This is a warning to the body not to eat such substances.
Yet with pills, capsules, and infusions, the herbalists have found ways to sneak a plant into the body that it would never relish or desire normally.
When they are introduced into the body, the vital organism attempts to expel these poisons as quickly as possible. The body protects itself from drugging and poisoning, whether these poisons come from a pharmacist's shelf or from nature.
Different herbs may occasion different bodily reactions. Fevers, sweating, diarrhoea, increased or decreased circulation are all signs of a body trying to eliminate herbal toxins and are not indications that an herb is working some cure or the other.
No matter how herbs are used or what they're used as (expectorants, stimulants, astringents, etc.) they always, without exception, add to the body's toxic load, which is the real disease.
For example, high-blood pressure is a very common ailment among Americans because of the tremendous amounts of salt they eat in their heavy meat and processed food diet. A vegetable alkaloid found in certain herbs called reserpine has been used to reduce blood pressure. Garlic, long touted as a wonder herb, is also a supposedly effective agent in reducing blood pressure.
What sometimes occurs is that people with high-blood pressure ingest garlic and other herbs to correct this condition. At the same time, however, they continue with their old diet and eat large amounts of salt.
When this happens, the symptom of high-blood pressure is hidden by the symptoms of the herbal poisoning. At the same time, the old habits and diet that kept the blood pressure high are not modified. The high-blood pressure is simply a signal by the body that something is wrong—like diet or lifestyle.
Garlic and other herbs may mask one symptom of a high-salt diet, but they can do nothing about the kidney damage and cellular destruction that also accompanies salt eating.
Swallowing herbs is like swallowing any other pill or drug. The fact that they grow naturally does not give them any extra or safe curative properties.
Ginger, for example, causes the digestive system to hurry the food through before being completely digested. Thus, these seasoning herbs have gained an undeserved reputation as "digestive aids." Instead of aiding digestion, their use occasions the body to rapidly expel them along with the food they seasoned.
Garlic and onions, two of the most popular flavoring herbs, are full of noxious toxins, like mustard oil and allicin. Parsley is also a strong herb whose use can overstimulate the kidneys. The toxic component of aloe vera is the glycoside aloin; in sassafras it's safrole; and in the Indian snake root, it's the alkaloid reserpine.
The cooking and seasoning herbs are not harmless additions to the diet as is popularly believed. Their use disrupts digestion and places an added load on the eliminative system.
If the drug or herb is particularly toxic; if it's given in a large dose relative to the subject's vitality (supply of nerve energy); or if the subject is particularly low in vitality, the result of its administration may be almost complete cessation of the disease process. The body may be temporarily incapable of ejecting the toxins accumulated in the body or those in the drug or herb.
Disease is a body process of toxin elimination. Being capable of handling only a limited amount of toxic matters at a time, the body temporarily halts the disease process and devotes its energies to ejecting the new offending substance."

Another book I would recommend to consult before taking any herb is Tayler’s “Honest Herbal”. You will learn the benefits and side effects of most herbs. For example, ginger may cause depression of the central nervous system and cardiac arrythmias; ginkgo reduce clotting time; salvia when consumed over a long period of time may lead to mental and physical deterioration; St John’s wort may cause photosensitivity; etc.

I think that when one is hit by an illness the first reaction should be to find the source of this health problem, be it food, stress, emotional problem, lack of sleep, or any lifestyle mistake. If all these have been tried to be straightened out and the health is not improving, then natural medicines or therapies may be a temporary useful remedy; but you must be aware that it is just a relieve and the real cause of your disease has not been addressed, so never stop trying to find out where the health condition comes from.

If your children don’t like vegetables…

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 18:43:00 +0100

Most of the the kids don’t like vegetables. In this post you will find some ideas about how to make vegetables more appetising, or hide them in other dishes, or how to provide the same nutrition in other ways.

Continue reading If your children don’t like vegetables…

In this post you will find several ways that you can try to make you kids eat vegetables: a veggie tomato sauce, a Russian salad, a gratin of vegetables, potato cakes, vegetable spaghetti, vegetable chips, stuffing them in a lasagna, hiding them in an omelette, topping a pizza, filling spring rolls, breading the vegetables, etc.
But neither of these tricks work, then don’t worry. There are two more solutions:
1) Replacing the nutrients of vegetables with supplements. This option is not my favorite, I would only recommend it if the next one is not either successful.
2) Feeding them fruits.
Fruits provide similar nutrients as vegetables do; all the needs in vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals, antioxidants and organic water can be fulfilled with fruits. It is true that vegetables have a higher concentration of minerals, but we don’t need such a large amount of minerals.
And don’t worry about the sugar of fruits. The main sugar in fruits is fructose, and the metabolic pathway of fructose doesn’t involve insulin, so it won’t lead to spikes in blood sugars (hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia) and consequently the spikes of insulin that sugar does. Another reason is that sugars contained in fruits are accompanied with fiber that slows down its absorption. In fact, many studies suggest that fresh fruits reduce the risk of diabetes.
Try to give the fruits before meals, because fruits are digested quicker than the rest of the food, so we prevent that fruits get blocked in the gut waiting for other food to be broken down and avoiding the risk of becoming gassy.
It is even better if fruits are eaten alone, for breakfast or snack for example, and you can even prepare a whole meal of just fruits, it’s perfectly fine.
Next time your child refuses the vegetables in a plate, give him/her a piece of fruit.

Stress as cause of allergies and hypersensitivities

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 12:10:00 +0100

It is very well known that health can be adversely affected by stress. The “fight-or-flight” response inhibits the immune system, the digestive system and the elimination system, which leads to an increase of toxemia, one of the main causes of hypersensitivities according to the Hygienism approach.

Continue reading Stress as cause of allergies and hypersensitivities

If we take a closer look at the immune system, it seems that stress suppresses the TH1 branch, responsible for dealing with viruses and bacteria, and activates de TH2 branch, characterised by the release of histamine, resulting in watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, stuffiness and itching, for instance. The medical profession argues that one possible reason why TH1 branch is inhibited during an stressful situation is to conserve the energy and devote all this energy for confronting or avoiding the source of stress.

From the point of view of Natural Hygiene, the TH1 branch is responsible for ridding the body of toxins with the aid of microorganisms, which decompose the inner filth in our body. Stress hampers this process of cleaning, increasing toxemia, and consequently, leading to allergies and hypersensitivities.

In any case, priority is not given to the TH1 response in stress mode.

I can affirm that when stressed, I am more prone to allergies, Relaxation is enough to considerably reduce the symptoms of allergy, or sometimes even suppress them.

Stress is completely subjective. In the same situation, one person can experience stress and another one may find it funny. For example, imagine that a family dog is playing in the garden where the car is parked, and the dog does not want to go inside the house. All the family is chasing him in order to take him inside, but he is very fast. The kids are laughing and even the mother finds the situation quite comical as well, but the father is very stressed and also angry at the dog: he needs to go to work, and the gates cannot be opened because the dog could escape.

Additionally, stress is not harmful for everybody. A study demonstrates that stress is damaging only to the health of those who believe it to be the case; if they believe that stress has a significant impact on health, then indeed it does. On the other hand, people who experience a lot of stress, but have little to no perception that stress affects health, have minor stress-related health problems. As it will be depicted in the relevant section, the mind and beliefs are very powerful.

Stress can also get the best of us in some situations. Short-lived and specific stress can play a role in boosting our problem-solving abilities, our memory and our social skills, for instance. However, when stress becomes long-term, or overwhelming (thus turning into anxiety), it can be detrimental to our health.

For hypersensitive people, the first step in dealing with stress would be to prevent getting even more stressed and anxious during a crisis. We must accept all body reactions, because our body knows best what is more advisable for our health. Nature is infinitely wiser than the human being. Consequently, combating hypersensitivity with medications means exposing health to a risk.

The second step would be to change the thought processes. Stress is subjective, therefore if a stressful situation cannot be avoided, the attitude have to be changed because such circumstances are beyond control. There are many techniques that help in dealing with stress, such as meditation, visualisation, affirmations, sophrology and prayer.

Sun sensitivity? Consider becoming vegetarian

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 20:48:00 +0100

If you have sun sensitivity, maybe removing animal proteins can be the solution. Based on my experience, people that eat meat and fish has some kind of sun sensitivity in different degrees, that goes from just needing sun glasses to quickly being sunburnt when exposed to the sun for a little time. On the other hand, vegetarian people don’t need sunglasses, even for driving; they have a strong resistance against sunburn, and they can easily bear the heat of the sun.

Continue reading Sun sensitivity? Consider becoming vegetarian

There are different explanations.
One theory is that animal proteins decrease the body’s life energy level to the point of toxemia. The culprits can include neurotoxins produced by proteolytic bacteria, such as Clostridium, or by yeasts, such as Candida. Yeasts can develop rapidly when the daily diet contains both animal proteins and complex carbohydrates. Meat can favour the development of these bacteria by blocking or delaying the passage of carbohydrates through the intestines. The neurotoxins increase the sensitivity to any external stimuli, such as the noise, the light, the sun, etc.
Another possible theory is that this proteolytic bacteria is the cause of the leaky gut, which is the main door to hypersensitivity, by allowing the passage into the blood of substances that shouldn’t be there.
But the most plausible explanation is based on the fact that bacteria that feed on animal proteins releases an important amount of histamine. Sun exposure releases histamine, but if the body is overwhelmed breaking down the huge amount of histamine produced by meat and fish, then it can not deal with the normal histamine coming from other sources, such as the sun.

The main error in nutrition

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 07:24:00 +0100

The main error in nutrition is making nutritionism the base to determine the best way of nourishing our body. I think that the guide we should take as a reference should be grounded in food, and not in their nutrients.

Continue reading The main error in nutrition

Nutritionism is the study of the nutrients contained in food. Wikipedia says, “Nutritionism is a paradigm that assumes that it is the scientifically identified nutrients in foods that determine the value of individual food stuffs in the diet. In other words, it is the idea that the nutritional value of a food is the sum of all its individual nutrients, vitamins, and other components.”
The implications of this approach are:

Only the persons that have studies about nutritionism know how to properly feed ourselves. Then, it considers that anybody who has not a profound knowledge about this subject is unable to discern what is good to eat.
Human nutritional sciences are university studies that include subjects such as human anatomy and physiology, biology, biochemistry, microbiology, psychology, toxicology, pharmacology, statistics, pathology, food quality and analysis, dietetics, food processing and biotechnology, environmental studies, marketing, sanitary and food legislation, among others. It is then considered that it is needed at least 3 years of studies on science of a high level of difficulty in order to know about correct nutrition.

Nutritionism has reach a point in our occidental world that we believe that the reason we must eat certain food is because it contains certain nutrients that are needed for certain parts of our body: milk because contains calcium for our bones; meat and fish because of the proteins for our muscles; blue fish for the omega 3 for our brain; carrots for the vitamin A for eyes; oranges for the vitamine C to strengthen our immune system; and the list goes on; there are many myths about food. That way, they can justify the reason why we must have any kind of product: coffee, chocolate and wine because the antioxydants they contain; soy because the phytoestrogens for women in menopause; artichoke to detoxify the liver… and they can sell yogurts to us for regulating the level of cholesterol; cereals fortified with vitamins and minerals for the children to grow strong; whole bread and biscuits for the bowel movements; sweeteners such as saccharine to loose weight; and any kind of food supplements of vitamins, minerals, proteins, etc. But they don’t take into account the harmful substances for our health that these products contain: the caffein of coffee, the theobromine of chocolate, the alcohol of wine, the goitrogens and other anti-nutrients of soy; and that any kind of product destined to a specific health problem is, in fact, a drug, and therefore, producing side effects.
Observing nature, we realise that the animals know perfectly what is their best food for them and they enjoy a perfect health, if they have not been exposed to processed food, as pets do eat. Wild animals don’t need to study a long and complex degree in order to learn how to be nourished; they simply follow their instincts. Then, could we, humans, do the same, this is, follow our instincts? Yes, but in a very special conditions, which are never met in the occidental world:
The same way as wild animals, we should have at our availability natural food, so we could only choose among the ones found in nature in their pure state.

Food should not have been processed in any way: neither cooking, nor grounded, nor extracted from other food such as oil or sugar, nor frozen, etc.
Food should not have been modified in any way. Nowadays, most of the fruits and vegetables have been modified, either by artificial selection, or by hybridisation or genetically. For instance, current banana is very different to the wild one, the original banana had very big seeds inside; nectarine is a hybridisation of peach and plum; and most of corn and soy are genetically modified organisms.
We should have never eaten any of this processed or modified food. Once we have tried it, our taste is disrupted and we can not trust our instincts anymore. For example, once we have had a sugary product, we don’t really appreciate the sweetness of fruit in the same way; if we add salt or pepper to certain food then we don’t like it without condiments.

Since we are babies we are given processed or modified food, so nobody can trust their instincts.
Supposing that adult humans need to take milk for their bones while any adult animal drinks milk, nor need to have it, is a mystery… how can be explained, according to the theory of nutritionism, that gorillas or elephants have such strong bones if they don’t drink milk? How can herbivores develop muscles if they don’t eat any protein rich food; how can a gacela run so fast? From where carnivores extract their vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc., if they don’t eat vegetables? The answer is that is not needed to ingest a high amount of a certain nutrient in order to satisfy its needs. Carnivores get all the minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, fatty acids and proteins from fish or meat. Herbivores get all the nutrients from vegetables. The same applies to frugivores, granivores, etc. In order to obtain all the nutrients, humans don’t need to be omnivores and eat all kind of food. Every species simply has to be fed with the adequate food for that species. Why humans should be different? If we calculate according to the theory of nutrients, numbers does not match.
Like medicine, the present nutrition has a materialistic vision of the humans and food; they are studied like a car, mechanically, divided in parts and components. But humans and food are living beings, much more complex than a machine. We don’t only have a physical part, but also an emotional one, which has been found even in plants. And to believers, we have an spiritual part as well. We can study every part separately, so it is easier to study, but just at a theoretical level, and we will marvel at the perfection of living beings; but we will never succeed to completely understand their functioning.
We will get much more information if we study living beings as a whole, in a holistic approach, observing their behaviour in natural environment. In nutrition matter, we can get to know the answer to the main questions that are raised in this matter - what kind of food constitute human nutrition - simply looking at animals in nature.
We observe that there are herbivores, carnivores, frugivores, granivores and insectivores. Which category does the human fall? If we compare humans from the anatomic and physiological point of view, it is obvious that we are more similar to primates, which are frugivores - they feed on fruit. Yes, we can eat a large variety of other food if fruit is scarce, this is why it is said that we are omnivores: leaves, stalks, roots, nuts, eggs, animals, etc., but it is not our ideal food, and we will bear the brunt of it in our health. The farther a food is from a produce that we can collect from nature, the more treatments have been needed in order to be possible to ingest it, the worse for our health. For instance, nuts are not as good as fresh fruits, because we need a nutcracker in order to eat them; cooked vegetables, such as artichokes, are not as suitable as vegetables we can eat raw, such as lettuce; and this one is preferable to a food that even more, we can not pick up with our own hands, but we need tools to chase, such as meat and fish.
If we abandon the mechanistic and dominant view of humans towards nature, and we take a global, holistic and humble approach, we will realise that nutrition science is very simple. We don’t need long and difficult studies. It is enough just one session where we imagine that we are isolated from our occidental world, and we are placed in a natural environment, surrounded by trees, plants and animals of any kind; and we ask ourselves how we could feed in a easy, quick and effortless way, that gives us big pleasure and satisfies us. We don’t need to be nutritionists, every person should be able to know how to nourish yourself. We only need to connect with nature. And I am a nutritionist, so I am shooting myself in the foot.

Cramps, magnesium and sugar

gemmac@livingfullynourished.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Wed, 17 May 2023 05:43:00 +0100

Although we don’t know exactly what is the cause of cramps, it is usual to recommend the supplementation of magnesium or the intake of food that is rich in this mineral in order to treat and prevent cramps.
But magnesium supplementation has some side effects, and food rich in magnesium is not very effective.
In this article I suggest another option that addresses the origin of the lack of magnesium, and consequently, cramps.

Continue reading Cramps, magnesium and sugar

There are many studies about the effectivity of magnesium for cramps, and the results are contradictory; some of them are positive and other are negative.
Besides the doubtful effectivity, the intake of therapeutic dosis of magnesium is associated with some side effects, mainly gastrointestinal such as diarrhoea and a mineral unbalance.
So instead of searching a remedy of cramps, it is better to research the reason why it is appearing in the first place.
It is admitted that sugar leads to a lack of magnesium. Specifically, in order to metabolise every molecule of sacarose of sugar, the body needs to spend 54 molecules of magnesium. ( “L’équilibre glycémique”, Jacques Fontaine).
This problem coming from sugars doesn’t happen with fresh fruit, because fruit contains all the needed minerals in order to metabolise sugar. But it is also appearing with the intake of dried fruit (dates, raisin, dried figs, etc.), because the concentration of sugar is much higher. Sometimes some highly sweet grape varieties are also problematic, as well as any kind of sugars, syrups and honey.
I encourage you to verify it yourself. Next time you have a cramp think if you had eaten any of this kind of products.
Sugars, in addition to cramps, are also associated with a long list of health issues: it feeds undesirable bacteria in the intestine, provoking cavities, intestinal worms, candidas, etc.; it weakens the immune system; it can induce diabetes; it is related to cardiovascular diseases; it is inflammatory, so it is involved in different aches, etc. In this article you will find more information about the ravages of sugars.

The cholesterol

gemmac@livingfullynourished.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 20:02:00 +0100

Cholesterol level is one of the most usual blood tests, and reaching certain age, the level often exceeds the normal range.
Doctors recommend to adopt certain nutritional mesures and more physical activity, but if it is not effective enough to get the levels down, they recommend to take statins.
It is admitted that statins have some associated side effects, such as muscle, liver and neurologic damage, and an increase of blood sugar and type 2 diabetes. But because the severity of the adverse effects associated to a high cholesterol rate, such as heart attack or embolism, it is argued that the benefits of this medicine overweight the drawbacks.
Is there not any other solution besides statins to control the cholesterol? What is the reason why some people have high cholesterol?

Continue reading The cholesterol

The problem of cholesterol are the plaques that build up in the inner lining of the arteries that prevent the proper blood flow and develop cardiovascular diseases.

But medicine doesn’t explain why this plaques are formed.

Cholesterol has different functions in the body. It is a required substance in the membrane of every cell, but the body uses it to repair the tissue damages, as Dr. Campbell-McBride explains in her book “Put your heart in your mouth”.

So when for some reason the blood vessels have been damaged, the cholesterol is one of the substances that the organism needs to repair them, creating the famous cholesterol plaques.

The liver produces the amount of cholesterol that the body needs in every moment, and a high production means that there is a considerable tissue damage in the different body tissues.

Lowering the cholesterol levels with medicines leads to slowing down or impairing the healing.

Evidently, we must avoid the risk of developing these cholesterol plaques.

So the solution is to find out the reason why the body is needing so much cholesterol, this is, there is so many tissue damage.

There are mainly two kind of substances that can be pointed out: a toxic agent, and the free radicals derived from an inmune reaction or a radiation, it means, any disease that activates the inmune system or any toxicity we have been exposed to.

But the reaction of the inmune system is not the same in every kind of disease. The mechanism depend on the agent the action is directed to: virus, bacteria, food, toxics, allergens, etc. Which one of these kind of substances are more probably the source of the tissue damage of an inmune response? If the responsible were virus and bacteria, then when we suffer a cold, a flu, etc., the cholesterol level would increase, and infarcts as well; but this is not the case. There is not an association between these two diseases. Neither between allergies and cardiovascular diseases. So food and toxics must be the cause. This is reasonable, as the exposition is chronic, as well as cardiovascular diseases are.

In which circumstances the body reacts against food? In many different reasons, mainly: food intolerances, genetically modified organisms and other synthetic and artificial food.

Concerning food intolerances, the most usual ones are dairy products, gluten and modern grains, nuts, eggs and soy. But any food can be concerned by an intolerance.

Food intolerances can be detected by functional tests in alternative medicine, as well as other different techniques, such as the elimination and reintroduction diet.

So the necessary actions in order to decrease the cholesterol are the same in order to enjoy a good health: decrease our exposition to toxics and follow a good nutrition.

So doctors are correct when they recommend to improve the nutrition and exercise. The problem is that a “balanced diet” is not enough. Food intolerance must be investigated, as well as toxicity of any kind (chemicals, negative emotions, stress, radiation, etc.)

Food intolerances lead not only to cardiovascular diseases; they are involved in most diseases: respiratory, gastrointestinal, muscular, inflammatory, neurological, etc.

I would like to add an observation about how to consider diseases in general. The same way that high cholesterol is a reaction of our body against a harmful agent, and we must avoid this agent, and we mustn’t impede the body action, because it is the way that it is defending and repairing itself; the same can applied in every disease.

Our mis-conception is that the body is wrong when cholesterol rises, or with coughing, fever, mucus, etc., and we alleviate the symptoms lowering these reactions with drugs. But we are preventing a good body recovering.

Our body doesn’t make mistakes; all the contrary, it is very wise. So in general, the way we must behave is always to search the source of these reactions our body is taking, and respecting them.

The link between food and diseases

gemmac@livingfullynourished.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 19:16:00 +0100

The effect that every food has in our health is extremely complex; it is multifactorial. In a same person, it could be different, depending on their physical and emotional condition, and evidently, it differs depending on the person. But studying many cases, it is possible to infer the tendency of certain food.
In most of the people, the body usually adapts to the consumption of our daily food, developing a tolerance. Even if these food are unhealthy, the body apparently doesn’t show any adverse effect; the same way that when starting to smoke or consuming alcohol the effects are prominent, but after some time the body gets use to it and it doesn’t react anymore, the same applies to certain food.
In this article I summarize the link between the intake of certain food and our health.

Continue reading The link between food and diseases

Due to this tolerance that the body develops to certain food that are harmful, in order to experience if a certain food is really good or bad for us, it could be a good idea to avoid eating it during a certain time. The length of time is the necessary amount until the body looses its apparent “tolerance” to it. Then it must be reintroduced again.
When removing a harmful food it is possible that the person feels better or worse, depending on several factors. But in the reintroduction, it is the moment when the person will feel a worsening, which could happen in some hours or even in some days after the reintroduction started.
Taking into account the following list of possible links, we can be aware and make the relationship between disease and food easily.
I have got this information from my experience as nutritionist. Some links are known by most nutritionists, but most of them are the fruit of my observations, and they are new contributions.

Diseases	Food
Breast cancer	soy (when it is removed from the diet after it has been taken during several years)
Osteoporosis	dairy, meat, fish, grains
Cardiovascular diseases	fats and oils
Nervousness, insomnia, tachycardia	coffee, tea, chocolate
Constipation	gluten, carrot, rice, fish. In lesser degree: meat, green leafs
Laxative	avocado, citric fruits, fats, dried fruits
Circulatory problems, cold sensitive, Raynaud syndrome	fast carbs (sugar, syrup, honey, dried fruit) and slow carbs (starch)
Brittle nails	fast carbs (sugar, syrup, honey, dried fruit) and slow carbs (starch)
Nightmares	nuts, seeds, grains, seeds, dairy
Premenstrual syndrome	eggs, nuts, seeds, grains, dairy, meat, fish
Lack of memory, mental sluggishness	meat, fish
Fatigue and/or muscular pain	tomato, bell peeper, citric fruits, kiwi, pineapple
Diuretics	vegetables
Somnolence, fatigue, bags under the eyes	alcohol, dairy, meat, fish. In lesser degree: green leafs, salt
Headaches	dairy, smoked products, alcohol, coffee (withdrawal effect). In lesser degree: salt
Leg pain	eggs
Dermatological diseases	oils, avocado, coconut, olives, nuts, seeds
Liver inflammation	dairy, chocolate, fats, alcohol, banana
Muscular cramps	sugar, syrup, honey, dried fruit, excess of fruit
Ophthalmological diseases, conjunctivitis	sugar, syrup, honey, dried fruit
Joint disorders	fats and oils
Hemorrhoids	fats and oils
Intestinal worms	sugar and syrups
Gastrointestinal diseases	gluten, dairy, legumes
Kidney diseases	teas and infusions
Heart diseases	drugs

After reading this list you may ask yourself: then, what can we eat? I think that our best food are fruits and vegetables, knowing that they can have some undesirable effects too, although the repercussion is much lower compared with the other food. For example, citrus may be excessively laxative and result in some muscular pain and fatigue, as well as tomate and bell peeper; and vegetables are quite diuretic.

The secret of the Mediterranean Diet

gemmac@livingfullynourished.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 12:49:00 +0100

The Mediterranean diet is famous for being one of the healthiest in the planet. Comparing the consumption of different food in central and northern Europe with the southern Europe, we can see that there are clear differences regarding nutrition.
The avantages of the Mediterranean diet are usually associated to the extended use of olive oil, the high intake of fish, nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and the moderation on red meat and sugary food.
In order to elucidate what are the true reasons of the success of the Mediterranean diet, we are going to compare the southern countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey with central and northern countries such as Germany, Nederland, Switzerland, Belgium and United Kingdom.

Continue reading The secret of the Mediterranean Diet

Fruit vs. sugar and dairy

Fruit: 1) Turkey, 2) Belgium, 3) Portugal, 4) Italy, 5) Greece, 6) Spain

Sugar: 1) Belgium, 2) Switzerland, 3) Nederland, 4) Germany, 5) France, 6) United Kingdom (s ource)

Dairy: 1) Finland, 2) Nederland, 3) Switzerland, 4) United Kingdom, 5) Italy, 6) France

In Spain the dessert is usually fruit. Although having fruit after other food that have a slow digestion, such as meat, fish or grains, is not ideal, it is better than having a dairy product as dessert. For example, the common French dessert is a yogurt or cheese. Fruit is better than a sweet dessert as well, as Swiss or German people do.
Mediterranean countries are found in the list of the top countries of fruit consumption in Europe and at the bottom in sugar consumption, while the northern and central countries are champions in sugar and dairy intake and the last ones in fruit.

Meat vs. fish

In this case the comparison is not so straightforward. Some southern Europe, such as Spain, have a high intake of fish and a low intake of meat. Germany is a clear case or northern Europe that are high in meat and low in fish.
But other countries fall in the opposite category. Italy, for example, is a southern country with a considerably high meat intake compared with the fish one. And a northern country such as Norway, are champions in fish and low in meat.
The high amount of fish is pointed as one of main keys in two of the healthiest diets: Mediterranean and Okinawa (Japan). But there are other countries where the fish consumption is even higher than Mediterranean and Japan.
In this FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) animated graph you will see that the higher consumers of fish per capita from 1962 to 2018 have been Island, Maldives, Kiribati, Hong Kong, Macao and Portugal, exchanging positions depending on the year. Japan has occupied the third and fourth position for many years, but since 2006 it has been losing positions, and last decade it has situated below the top ten. Spain has never been between the top ten consumers of fish, and Portugal is the only Mediterranean country that has been in that list.
So I don’t think the consumption of fish to be one of the most important reasons of the success of the Mediterranean diet.

Vegetables

1) Turkey, 2) Greece, 3) Spain, 4) Italy, 5) Portugal, 6) France

The amount of vegetables eaten in the Mediterranean area is clearly superior to the amount eaten in the central and northern Europe.

Olive oil vs. butter

In the Mediterranean Europe olive oil is the main fat for cooking, while in northern and central Europe butter and animal fat is the preferred fat.
Contrary to most olive oil advertising, proclaiming to be the main responsible of the reputation of the Mediterranean diet to be so healthy, I don’t think that having a high intake of olive oil benefits the health of Mediterranean people. I think that it is because the olive oil replaces butter, margarine and animal fats, which are much unhealthier than oil.

Rice

1) Turkey, 2) Portugal, 3) Spain, 4) Belgium, 5) Italy, 6) France

The consumption of rice in the Mediterranean Europe is generally higher than in the central and northern Europe.
Rice usually replaces wheat as grain source of carbohydrates. In Spain several different main course are rice based dishes, such as paella, instead of wheat based dishes, such as pasta or pizza.

Whole grains and legumes

I couldn’t find free stats about whole grain consumption in Europe, but as Spanish person that has been in different Mediterranean countries and other European countries, I can affirm that the whole grain consumption is marginal; grains are refined.
Neither I couldn’t find specific data about the consumption of legumes, but it is true that in Mediterranean Europe legumes are more frequently consumed than in the central or northern Europe. It is possible that the replacement of wheat or meat by legumes based dishes to be an advantage in the Mediterranean diet.

Nuts

Although I couldn’t find free stats about the consumption of dried nuts in Europe, I have found the consumption of almonds in Europe:

1) Spain, 2) Nederland, 3) Greece, 4) Tunisia, 5) Italy, 6) Germany (source)

Concerning almonds, it is true that their consumption is higher in the Mediterranean Europe. It is possible that the same applies to hazelnuts, pinenuts and pistacchios.
Nuts are used in Spain to make sweet desserts (such as turrón, polvorones, cocas, mazapán, panellets, tarta de Santiago), in snacks, or even as aperitif. They are also included in some dishes (such as Catalan spinach, stuffed chicken, sauces, pesto). So it is usually a replacement of wheat flour in bakery, desserts and snacks, although it can replace fruit in some desserts or snacks.
For example, in Spain the main ingredient of Christmas sweets is almonds, instead of wheat flour found in Italian panettone, German Stollen, or English ginger cookies.
Again, I don’t think that the properties of nuts by themselves are the advantage of the Mediterranean diet, but because they replace other worse ingredients such as wheat flour.

Conclusion

I think that the keys of the Mediterranean diet are the high consumption of fruit and vegetables, of olive oil instead of butter, of fruit instead of sugar and dairy, of rice and nuts instead of wheat, and occasionally, legumes replacing meat or grains.
I would not give so much relevance to the consumption of fish and whole grains in the Mediterranean diet.

The source factors of our diseases

gemmac@livingfullynourished.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 20:43:00 +0100

We tend to make responsible of our physical problems to virus, accidents, stress; our emotional disorders to a discussion, a disappointment, a sentimental separation... but the incidence that these events, these triggering factors, have in our health depend on the level of strength of our health in that moment; this is, of the weakening and strengthening factors.

Continue reading The source factors of our diseases

Weakening, strengthening, and triggering factors

The body is capable of healing and detoxifying itself, provided we don’t exceed its limits. If this were not the case, we wouldn’t survive the vast number of agents attacking our systems daily. When there is an onslaught, usually a chronic one, from which the body is unable to recover, an alarm is raised. The symptoms of an illness show that there may be a danger that exceeds the defence capacity of the organism.

A significant emotional, mental or spiritual strain can remain unnoticed for a long time and thus render a person more vulnerable to other surface-level, secondary factors that exhibit more obvious symptoms. As a result, when these symptoms appear, the person may mistake them for the cause of their disease, while the real, underlying problem remains hidden.

For instance, a person with poor sleep patterns and/or chronic stress could suffer from digestive problems, which may in turn cause another illness – a migraine, for example. This person then focuses all his efforts on following a healthy diet, and he discovers – thanks to a food intolerance test – that he has several food intolerances which cause headaches. By adjusting his diet accordingly, he succeeds in avoiding the migraines. However, this only lasts for a few months… until he develops a new food intolerance, and his headaches reappear. This process will repeat itself until he deals with the root of his problem: the stress and disturbed sleep patterns which are the origin of his increasing food intolerances.

The opposite is possible too, in the case of a person who doesn’t pay much attention to his diet but is very aware of the effects of stress on his health. When his stress increases, he starts suffering from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), stomach ulcers, bloating, etc. He blames his boss and his family for raising his stress levels, but he doesn’t realize that if he had better nutrition, he would be able to withstand these periods of increased stress without suffering from any of these ailments. It is generally thought that one life event provides the trigger for a disease. Upon closer investigation, however, it is usually found that the person already had several pre-existing imbalances in other areas which have weakened the person’s system, providing the basis of a predisposition to a certain disease.

People tend to identify the specific life event as the cause, while the real cause of the illness is the underlying complex of imbalances that were already present, and which gave rise to chronic vulnerability. A disease manifests when there is a predisposition to it, and a subsequent event triggers it. The predisposition has been established due to the weakening factors, and the impulse is given by the triggering factor.

For instance, the consumption of alcohol is a weakening factor for headaches. The triggering factor can be loud noise, or simply waking up in the morning.

weakening factor	triggering factor	illness
inadequate nutrition that weakens the immune system	exposure to the influenza virus	flu
inadequate nutrition that disrupts neurotransmitters	relational conflict with a person	depression
inadequate nutrition that weakens bones	fall	bone fracture
inbadequate nutrition that generates inflammation	sleeping in an uncomfortable bed	bacl àomn
inadequate nutrition that generates inflammation	awkward sitting / sleeping position or movement	torticollis
inadquate nutrition plus weak spiritual values	the loss of a loved person	depression (different to the appropriate sorrow)
inadequate nutrition that weakens the immune system	tick bite	Lyme disease
inadequate nutrition, plus chronic stress, plus lack of physical activity	dismissal	heart failure
chemicals that harm the skin or mucosa protection	exposure to human papilomavirus	plantar, hands, genital warts
repeated antibiotic treatment plus chronic exposure to tobacco smoke in childhood	exposure to allergens	allergies

In the case of immunological hypersensitivity, the triggering factor is the allergen; in sensorial hypersensitivity, the triggering factor can be noise, the sun, a smell, etc.; in hypersensitivity relating to the nervous system, triggers can be stress, intellectual effort, worries, etc.; in the emotional ones it can be relational conflict – a separation, or a critical comment, for example – In all of the above, the weakening factors are all the different aspects of a person’s lifestyle, all the emotional and physical traumas, as well as toxins the body has been exposed to, both past and present.

One way to isolate an illness’ trigger is to review the few months prior to the start of the disease to identify an important change in that period. These changes can include an emotional conflict, an accident, an extremely stressful situation, a change in diet, a vaccine, etc.

However, if someone has been suffering from an illness for several years, or since their childhood, it can be difficult to remember what could have triggered it. The illness could also have started very slowly, getting gradually worse over a number of years; it could even have existed from birth.

Whatever the case, it is possible for a person to improve their overall lifestyle to ensure that the impact of the disease is as low as possible. Even if the disease is genetic, the expression of the genes (epigenetics) depends on several environmental factors, ranging from nutrition to the emotional state. A weakening factor can switch on a gene, so when the triggering factor occurs the disease is declared; a strengthening factor can switch off a gene, so that even if the triggering factor occurs, the disease doesn’t manifest.

For example, an allergy to nuts, pollen, or any kind of allergy may be activated or de-activated depending on nutrition and lifestyle choices.

The many vicissitudes of life make it difficult to avoid or prevent the triggering events, as they are beyond our control. The same applies to inherited genetic predispositions. When we suffer from an illness, we usually blame external factors, such as other people, or unfortunate events (a fall, a divorce, an epidemic outbreak, etc.). However, we are the ones who need to assume responsibility for what is happening in our lives. As many great thinkers of our time believe, each person creates their own reality, and attracts positive or negative events with their thoughts. If we work on being internally balanced and physically, mentally, and spiritually strong, not only will the forces of the universe be on our side, but we will feel fortunate, and will have the necessary strength to deal with challenges and unpleasant events as they arise. It is best to work on avoiding the weakening factors, knowing that prevention is better than cure, rather than blaming an unfortunate event for any adversity.

Las hipersensibilidades bajo la perspectiva de la Higiene Natural

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 20:20:00 +0100

Alergias, asma, sensibilidad química múltiple, electrosensibilidad, hipersensibilidad al sol, ruido, olores, estrés... diferentes tipos de hipersensibilidad se explican desde el punto de vista de la aproximación de la Higiene Natural como procesos de eliminación extraordinarios, que suceden cuando la carga toxémica del cuerpo es excesiva. En este artículo se explica con detalle dicho proceso y se discute un posible método de desensibilización.
Foto de Shena Tschofen

Continue reading Las hipersensibilidades bajo la perspectiva de la Higiene Natural

La teoría sobre la toxemia y el nivel de energía vital como origen de toda enfermedad fue establecida por uno de los principales exponentes de la aproximación llamada higiene natural o ciencia de la vida, el Dr. J. H. Tilden. Desde entonces, ha sido adoptada por todos los médicos y terapeutas del higienismo.

Toxemia

Ya hemos visto que las bacterias oportunistas y las patógenas en nuestro organismo producen toxinas que deben ser expulsadas de nuestro cuerpo, así como los residuos del metabolismo celular.

El Dr. Tilden explica en su libro Toxemia explained (74), «Cuando la eliminación tiene lugar a través de la membrana mucosa de la nariz, se llama resfriado —catarro de la nariz—; y cuando estas crisis se repiten durante años, la membrana mucosa se engruesa y se ulcera, y los huesos se agrandan, cerrando el pasaje, etc. En este estadio se desarrolla la fiebre de heno o asma. Cuando la garganta y amígdalas, o cualquiera de las vías respiratorias, se convierte en la sede de crisis de toxemia, tenemos laringotraqueobronquitis, amigdalitis, faringitis, laringitis, bronquitis, asma, neumonía, etc.». «Todos son síntomas de la expulsión de toxinas de la sangre en diferentes puntos, y son esencialmente del mismo carácter y desarrollándose a partir de una causa —nombrada Toxemia— crisis de toxemia».

«Debería ser obvio lo extraordinariamente ilógico que es tratar un catarro de la nariz como una enfermedad local; o, cuando las crisis son repetidas hasta que se produce una ulceración, y la membrana mucosa se vuelve tan sensible que el polvo y el polen causan estornudos y lagrimeo de los ojos —síntomas llamados fiebre de heno— tratar estos síntomas como un caso diferente causado por el polen».

El Dr. Shelton comenta la similitud entre la tos debida al atragantamiento con la tos de un catarro (28): «En el caso de inspirar una migaja de pastel, los estornudos y tos son obviamente esfuerzos normales y defensivos. ¿Por qué deberían considerarse de manera diferente cuando el esfuerzo está dirigido a la mucosidad de un resfriado, una bronquitis o una neumonía? No debería serlo».

Cuando las vías normales de detoxificación de nuestros sistemas —intestino, pulmones, hígado, riñones, piel— están sobrecargadas, entonces la eliminación de toxinas y todo tipo de elementos perjudiciales debe hacerse por vías extraordinarias. Una de ellas es la oral, mediante mucosidades. Así que la rinitis puede ser el resultado del esfuerzo del organismo de descartar las toxinas, produciendo moco y estornudos.

Esto podría explicar por qué la rinitis es más fuerte por la mañana, cuando el cuerpo expulsa todas las sustancias dañinas que se han ido acumulando durante la noche. Cuantas más toxinas hay —sobre todo cuando cenamos en exceso y de forma no sana— mayor será la cantidad de mucosidad a expulsar.

Como hemos visto en el apartado anterior, la eliminación de toxinas producidas por una alimentación incorrecta a través del sistema respiratorio crea una irritación en la mucosa nasal, la cual origina, a su vez, una hipersensibilidad a toda clase de partículas suspendidas en el aire: humo, perfumes, polen, polvo, pelo de animales, etc. Esto puede explicar la razón por la cual la sensibilidad aumenta si no comemos de manera sana.

Energía nerviosa

¿Cómo llegamos a una situación de toxemia? Tilden argumenta que la reducción de energía nerviosa es la causa de la toxemia. Para entender qué es exactamente la toxemia y cómo una baja energía nerviosa lleva a la situación de toxemia, necesitamos empezar comprendiendo qué es una enfermedad. Tilden lo explica en estos términos:

«Cada enfermedad es una crisis de toxemia; lo cual significa que se ha acumulado en la sangre toxinas por encima del nivel de tolerancia, y la crisis, lo que es llamado una enfermedad —sea un resfriado, gripe, neumonía, cefalea, o fiebre tifoidea— es una eliminación secundaria. La naturaleza se esfuerza en deshacerse de la toxina en el cuerpo. Cualquier tratamiento que obstruya este esfuerzo frustra el esfuerzo de la naturaleza en auto-curarse».

Así que una enfermedad es el modo en que nuestro organismo tiene para curarse de su problema: la toxemia. Y esta procede de un bajo nivel de energía nerviosa; «Sin energía nerviosa las funciones del cuerpo no pueden llevarse a cabo correctamente. El agotamiento de nuestros días causa enervación, lo cual detiene la supresión, y las toxinas retenidas llevan a la toxemia».

Las funciones del cuerpo son la reposición del tejido gastado, la producción de las distintas secreciones del organismo, la eliminación de productos de desecho, etc. «Cualquier cosa que actúa en el cuerpo gasta energía. El frío y el calor requieren un gasto de energía nerviosa», explica Tilden.

Fig. 3.23 Llenado y vaciado de la energía vital

Tilden concluye que «la enervación es la última causa de la enfermedad». Hay un número infinito de tipos de enervación. Por ejemplo: la autoindulgencia o exceso de cualquier clase, como comer demasiado, el uso de estimulantes, las prácticas sexuales excesivas y demasiado trabajo por obligación; un choque, una herida, y demás clases de pensamiento o emoción que es percibido subjetivamente como negativo por la persona que lo sufre; miedo, enfado, envidia, aflicción, etc. Esto es, las costumbres enervantes para el cuerpo y la mente son; la falta de los elementos necesarios para la vida, los malos hábitos y los sucesos percibidos como negativos.

Fig. 3.24 Mecanismo por el que la enervación lleva a la enfermedad

Si la enervación es la causa de las enfermedades, debemos corregir los hábitos de vida enervantes para permitir al organismo curarse. «Descansar de los hábitos enervantes es la única forma de poner la naturaleza en la dirección de la curación. Dormir y descansar el cuerpo y la mente son indispensables para mantener un suministro suficiente de energía. Pocas personas en vida activa descansan suficientemente», añade Tilden.

Los hábitos enervantes son los factores debilitantes que llevan a las hipersensibilidades en personas con una predisposición a este tipo de enfermedades.

Gestión de la toxemia

Hay dos maneras de tratar la toxicidad de procedencia externa e interna al cuerpo: la eliminación y el almacenamiento.

La gestión de la toxicidad por eliminación tiene, a su vez, dos clases: normal y extraordinaria; y también existen dos de gestión por almacenamiento; almacenamiento sin daño y con daño.

En una normal no hay consecuencias importantes para el cuerpo; se utilizan las vías ordinarias de descarte. Pero en una extraordinaria, el organismo realiza un gran esfuerzo, lo cual es trasladado en los síntomas que llamamos enfermedad, como el dolor, inflamación, mucosidad, tos, estornudos, rojez, temperatura elevada, postración, etc. Son señales de una alarma que indican que algo no va bien y debemos parar. El problema es que no escuchamos estas alarmas y las apagamos con medicinas de síntesis o alternativas, y continuamos la acción perjudicial.

En la gestión de la toxicidad del tipo almacenamiento el organismo trata de mantener la toxicidad en un lugar donde no moleste demasiado a las funciones y órganos del cuerpo, como el tejido adiposo —grasa—. Pero si los lugares donde se podría almacenar ya están «llenos», o si debido a la naturaleza de la sustancia tóxica o por cualquier otra razón el organismo decide que no es posible mantener los desechos tóxicos en algún sitio seguro, y tampoco se puede suprimir, entonces, la materia tóxica acabará en lugares donde se produce un daño. Pero, por supuesto, el organismo es tan inteligente que escogerá los menos vitales para el cuerpo, manteniendo los órganos más nobles tan limpios como sea posible. Por citar, preferirá las articulaciones de las rodillas a las articulaciones de la columna vertebral; o los músculos estriados de las extremidades al músculo cardíaco. El sobrepeso y las enfermedades ulcerativas como la colitis, úlceras, esclerosis y otras enfermedades autoinmunes, así como las enfermedades de induración como fibromas, tumores, quistes, arterioesclerosis, cataratas, etc., pueden resultar como consecuencia de esta estrategia de almacenamiento.

Aunque todos tenemos una predisposición genética a alguna de estas clases de gestión de la toxicidad, varias condiciones pueden dirigir el organismo a seleccionar una estrategia diferente. En una misma persona, el organismo decide descartar ciertas sustancias y almacenar otras. Incluso para la misma, el proceso llega a ser distinto según el estado del organismo. Por ejemplo, la medicación o cualquier tipo de remedio para las hipersensibilidades inclinan al organismo a un modo de almacenamiento para parar la eliminación. Con estas medicinas, en lugar de enfermedades inflamatorias o hipersensibilidades a corto plazo, se desarrollan enfermedades ulcerativas o indurativas en el largo plazo.

En general, como veremos en el siguiente apartado, cuando el cuerpo no puede quitar la toxicidad por las vías normales, se almacena hasta que sobrepasa el nivel de tolerancia. Entonces se activa un acto extraordinario de eliminación. Este nivel de tolerancia es dispar para cada persona y cambia a lo largo de la vida.

Nivel de tolerancia y reservas

Tilden explica que «cuando la energía nerviosa disminuye por debajo de lo normal, la supresión de toxinas —un producto natural del metabolismo— se detiene, y se retiene en la sangre, comportando toxemia.

Debería ser obvio que la cantidad de toxinas en la sangre varía en cada individuo, y que el grado de resistencia también es desigual en cada individuo. Una cantidad que causaría una crisis de toxemia en uno no tendría aparentemente ningún efecto en otro».

Shelton se refiere al nivel de toxemia que cada individuo puede tolerar con estas palabras: «Las crisis suelen durar hasta que los factores que producen la enfermedad se han reducido al nivel de tolerancia. Este nivel varía con el individuo y con las condiciones cambiantes del individuo. Por tanto, cuanto mayor vitalidad posee uno, menos materia mórbida su sistema tolerará, y a medida que la vitalidad de una persona con enfermedad crónica vaya aumentando, su punto de tolerancia también aumentará así que tendrá crisis».

Vemos personas que no se alimentan de modo sano, fuman y beben alcohol, pero parecen gozar de buena salud. Por el contrario, otras cuidan su salud, y, aun así, están enfermas frecuentemente. ¿Cómo es posible?

Hay dos respuestas opuestas.

1) La que sostiene hábitos malsanos es muy fuerte, y resiste todo su estilo de vida incorrecto sin caer enfermo; mientras que la que mantiene hábitos sanos es tan débil que aun cuidando su salud cae enferma. Se supone que si esta última siguiera malos hábitos estaría todavía peor.
2) Según la aproximación del higienismo de Tilden y Shelton, el individuo con costumbres malsanas tiene un nivel de tolerancia muy alto; es decir, tolera mucha suciedad en su interior antes de comenzar una enfermedad de eliminación. Por otra parte, la persona con costumbres de vida sanas posee un nivel de tolerancia muy bajo, así que una pequeña cantidad de sustancias perjudiciales en su organismo es rechazada inmediatamente. La gente con baja tolerancia suprime elementos dañinos con una crisis o enfermedad de eliminación; mientras que quienes poseen un nivel de tolerancia alto acumulan estas sustancias en su cuerpo, hasta que el organismo considera que es suficiente.

Mi nivel de tolerancia, como todo hipersensible, es extremadamente bajo. Esto puede suponer una ventaja desde el punto de vista científico, porque reacciono ante ínfimas cantidades de sustancias dañinas en poco tiempo, mucho antesde que otras personas las hayan acumulado o dañado sus cuerpos. ¡Somos como un canario en una mina!

El nivel de tolerancia o sensibilidad no es el mismo durante toda la vida. Los niños suelen ser más sensibles y desarrollan enfermedades de eliminación —resfriados, gripes, gastroenteritis, etc.— con mucha más frecuencia que los adultos. A medida que las personas envejecen, los adultos, en general, sufren enfermedades crónicas, las cuales son el resultado del daño producido por la acumulación de sustancias perjudiciales. Shelton afirma (28), «Al principio el cuerpo de una persona joven no tolerará más de dos o tres cigarrillos al día, pero en el curso de unos pocos años, estará fumando dos o más paquetes a diario. Así pues, en la infancia, el cuerpo no tolerará muchas toxinas, sino contraerá crisis frecuentes y las expulsará. Con el paso del tiempo, sin embargo, se construye una mayor tolerancia, y las crisis se vuelven menos frecuentes y menos vigorosas».

Pero en el momento que se deja de tomar lo dañino durante un largo tiempo, el cuerpo se vuelve intolerante y sensible otra vez a esa sustancia. Esto es lo que suele pasar cuando se excluye el gluten o los productos lácteos durante un tiempo. Cuando vuelve a tomarse experimenta una fuerte reacción en forma de diferentes síntomas dependiendo de la persona, mucho más fuertes que antes de dejar de tomarlos.

Fig. 3.25 Gestión del pozo toxémico

En la Fig. 3.25, el pozo toxémico representa la acumulación de sustancias dañinas para el cuerpo —toxinas de la descomposición bacteriana, residuos del metabolismo y tóxicos del exterior—, las cuales se sitúan, en realidad, en distintas partes del organismo: en el líquido intersticial entre las células, en el tejido adiposo, en los órganos, articulaciones, etc. El organismo escoge el mejor lugar según la predisposición genética, la naturaleza de la sustancia, la energía vital disponible, etc.

Los órganos de eliminación necesitan energía nerviosa o vital para realizar el trabajo de vaciar la fosa. Si esta energía es baja, o bien los órganos están sobrecargados, entonces el pozo se llena cada vez más, hasta que alcanza el límite del nivel de tolerancia. Entonces, hay un «sensor» que, al detectar el nivel de toxemia demasiado alto, abre el «tapón» y activa las vías extraordinarias, provocando una crisis o enfermedad aguda —diarrea, mucosidad, inflamación, etc.—, utilizando las reservas de energía nerviosa que el organismo ha guardado para casos de situaciones peligrosas.

Cuando el nivel de toxemia desciende bajo el nivel de tolerancia, las vías extraordinarias detienen la eliminación y, de nuevo, si hay suficiente energía nerviosa o vital, las vías normales entran en funcionamiento. De lo contrario, el cuerpo vuelve a almacenar toxemia de nuevo.

El organismo está tan cansado después de una crisis, porque ha agotado sus reservas de energía, que una gran postración y dolor fuerza a la persona a descansar. Pero si entonces gasta más energía vital de la que obtiene con el descanso, buena alimentación, el sol, etc., puede encontrarse en un serio peligro para su salud.

Shelton explica refiriéndose a la reserva de energía: «El cuerpo busca siempre a mantener una cierta reserva de energía y podemos disponer de esta energía solamente en casos de emergencia para los cuales esta reserva fue almacenada».

«La reserva de capital de energía se mantiene guardado para una emergencia, y mientras sea necesario utilizar esta reserva debido a cada asalto a la salud, para mantener el funcionamiento y la integridad estructural, será suministrado hasta que se agote. Después, si la demanda de energía para mantener el funcionamiento excede el aporte, el órgano u órganos fallarán en sus funciones, y puede comenzar la disfunción funcional» (28).

Muchas personas van muy lejos en el gasto de sus reservas sin ser consciente de ello. Cada vez que tomamos un analgésico, un antiinflamatorio, o simplemente un café, o cualquier otro tipo de estimulante o calmante cuando tenemos una molestia o dolor, que en circunstancias normales nos obligaría a parar toda actividad, entonces estamos explotando nuestras reservas de energía vital. Nuestras vidas apresuradas no nos permiten descansar el tiempo indispensable para recuperarnos, y luego pagamos las consecuencias.

Shelton afirma: «La falta de fuerza que debe preceder el desarrollo de una enfermedad es debido al gasto de fuerza ocasionado largamente por el uso de irritantes y excitantes, estimulantes. De ahí la locura atroz del uso habitual de estimulantes o tónicos de varios tipos, hasta que la economía vital es forzada a mostrar sus señales de dolor y luego emplear los mismos medios en cantidades mayores, u otros de carácter similar y más poderosos, para remediar los daños de la habitual sobreestimulación» (28).

Desensibilización por adaptación

En medicina convencional la desensibilización se realiza mediante la capacidad de adaptación del cuerpo humano.

La naturaleza tiene una alta capacidad de adaptación a cambios lentos en el tiempo, como variaciones de temperatura, humedad, presión, exposición al sol, cantidad de comida, etc.

Cuando las modificaciones en el entorno son suaves, el organismo regula progresivamente sus funciones vitales y se adapta a las nuevas condiciones. Pero incluso si el cambio es lento, si es demasiado importante, la capacidad de adaptación está limitada hasta un cierto punto, así que morirá. Por ejemplo, si la temperatura es muy extrema.

Por otra parte, si son demasiado rápidos, el organismo no podrá amoldarse al nuevo entorno, y para sobrevivir reaccionará, o bien huyendo, o quedando inmóvil. Para ilustrar este fenómeno, considerad la fábula de la rana que se sumerge en agua hirviendo. Si la rana ya se encontraba en el recipiente de agua templada y posteriormente el agua se calienta despacio, entonces la rana se adapta despacio; pero si asciende demasiado, morirá sin oponer resistencia. Por el contrario, si se coloca la rana en agua hirviendo súbitamente, saltará fuera del agua salvando su vida. Aunque se ha demostrado que, de hecho, la rana saltaría fuera del agua en ambos casos, es una buena analogía de la capacidad de adaptación de los seres vivos.

Este comportamiento de la rana se puede aplicar a los humanos, entre otros, con el tabaco. Cuando un no fumador empieza a fumar, el cuerpo reacciona tosiendo y vomitando. Pero cuando hace un cierto tiempo que fuma regularmente, si ha ido aumentando la cantidad diaria de cigarrillos, el organismo ya no reaccionará al tabaco; ha desarrollado una tolerancia o adaptación, por lo que se irá intoxicando progresivamente.

Lo mismo sucede con la mala alimentación que tomamos; el organismo de la mayoría de las personas no rechaza estos productos. Tan solo nosotros, los hipersensibles, las que son diagnosticadas con intolerancias alimentarias o alergias, somos los que rechazamos algunos o todos los productos nocivos. Aunque a veces también reaccionamos contra lo que se considera como agentes inofensivos.

Una forma de conseguir la desensibilización a estos agentes que no suponen un peligro es procurando que el cuerpo desarrolle una lenta adaptación. Este es el procedimiento que utilizan los médicos alergólogos en los tratamientos de desensibilización. Empiezan exponiendo el organismo a una pequeña cantidad de alérgeno, cantidad para la cual la persona no muestra una reacción, y luego van aumentando hasta que pueda tolerar un nivel habitual. Es el mismo caso de la rana que se quema viva… De hecho, se está engañando para que acepte una sustancia que en condiciones normales no toleraría.

Estamos suponiendo que el intelecto humano es más inteligente que la infinita sabiduría de la naturaleza de nuestro organismo. ¿Cómo podemos estar seguros de que el alérgeno no supone ningún peligro? Los médicos insisten en desensibilizar a los niños de los cacahuetes, la proteína de leche de vaca, la proteína de los huevos. Es muy discutible si estos productos son realmente sanos para los humanos; desde mi punto de vista no lo son, como se verá en el siguiente capítulo. Por lo tanto, se está induciendo a que el organismo se adapte a tolerar sustancias perjudiciales.

De la misma manera, cuando el tratamiento está dirigido a la desensibilización al pelo de los animales, el polvo, una picada de abeja, los ácaros, el polen, etc., ¿cómo estar seguros de que son tan inofensivos para las personas hipersensibles? Si el organismo tuviera la capacidad de eliminarlos por las vías normales lo haría; si utiliza vías extraordinarias significa que no tiene ningún modo mejor de hacerlo. Forzando la tolerancia no ayudamos al cuerpo a utilizar las vías habituales de descarte, porque la toxemia y la enervación no ha disminuido con el tratamiento. Lo que el tratamiento consigue es que el organismo se incline hacia un modo de almacenamiento en vez de eliminación, lo cual puede comportar enfermedades crónicas a largo plazo.

Albert Mósseri, higienista francés, enfatiza en su libro La nutrition hygiéniste (75): «Es hora de acabar con este engaño sobre la adaptación y la tolerancia del cuerpo humano. Es un doble lenguaje, una característica de la medicina. Es tiempo de comprender que lo que se llama adaptación es una ilusión y una decepción. La persona que fuma tabaco o que bebe alcohol desde hace tiempo, ¿se ha adaptado a estos venenos, hasta el punto de la tolerancia? La persona que come carne, pescado, pan y granos, ¿se ha adaptado a esta comida? ¿Los tolera? ¿A qué coste?».

Las personas hipersensibles tenemos una baja capacidad de adaptación comparada con otras. Una súbita exposición a una gran cantidad de ciertos agentes sensibiliza el organismo contra estos.

Vivimos en un mundo donde tenemos que afrontar muy a menudo cambios drásticos en la composición del aire. El aire de nuestras casas es diferente del exterior; lo mismo sucede con el del coche y en la oficina, debido a las sustancias que se liberan de los muebles, tapicería, productos de limpieza, etc. Y cuando viajamos, nos exponemos a muchos cambios bruscos de ambiente.

Creo que las alergias respiratorias son consecuencia de una falta de adaptación a los cambios en el aire.

En mi caso, en primavera, la fiebre de heno empieza al entrar y salir del coche, o al viajar largas distancias. Pero al transcurrir un cierto tiempo en el mismo lugar —puede ser una hora o más— mi organismo se adapta despacio al nuevo entorno, y la alergia va mermando hasta que para.

Muchas personas que sufren rinitis declaran que comienzan una crisis en el momento que entran o salen de una tienda, un edificio o una casa.

En la naturaleza, no estaríamos expuestos a estos súbitos cambios de ambiente. El polen en el aire aumenta progresivamente en un entorno natural, así que los animales son capaces de adaptarse despacio.

Nuestro organismo reacciona contra los cambios. Una buena reactividad a un repentino entorno hostil puede salvar la vida en muchos casos, como en la rana sumergida en agua hirviendo. Probablemente, un compromiso entre una adaptación y una reacción sería óptimo.

¿Por qué los hipersensibles tenemos un nivel de adaptación tan bajo? Una explicación es que hay una predeterminación genética sobre la estrategia que un organismo desarrollará frente a una condición que cambia repentinamente; si se rebelará contra ella o si la aceptará.

Como se ha visto en la teoría de la toxemia, los factores debilitantes o enervantes sobrecargan las vías normales de eliminación, por lo que necesitamos recurrir a las vías extraordinarias cuando estamos expuestos a ciertos agentes, lo cual se manifiesta como una reactividad. Según esta hipótesis, podríamos desensibilizarnos reduciendo la toxemia.

Desensibilización por reducción de la toxemia

Las personas hipersensibles tienen, en general, un nivel de tolerancia muy bajo, pero, aun así, es posible rebajar la hipersensibilidad.

Yo logré hacerlo. He padecido SQM (sensibilidad química múltiple) durante muchos años, pero ahora ya no sufro esta condición, siempre y cuando siga un estilo de vida sano. Todas las alergias e hipersensibilidades que tenía desde pequeña han desaparecido prácticamente por completo.

Lo que hace posible disminuir la sensibilidad es la reducción de la toxemia, la cual es posible controlar. Si se mantiene bajo un cierto nivel, entonces podemos hacer frente a los agentes externos a los cuales somos sensibles más fácilmente, porque el cuerpo no está ocupado con la eliminación de la carga toxémica diaria, y puede disponer de mayor energía vital para suprimir los agentes alérgenos.

Es decir, no controlamos, hasta cierto punto, el entorno o los factores desencadenantes: el polen, el polvo, los productos químicos, el ruido, la contaminación, el humo, etc. Pero sí los elementos debilitantes; lo que comemos, el ejercicio que practicamos, las horas que dormimos, etc. Si mejoramos nuestro estilo de vida y la nutrición, entonces somos capaces de hacer frente con menos dificultad las adversidades de la vida. Y lo mismo se aplica desde el punto de vista emocional; no controlamos las acciones y palabras de otras personas, pero podemos aumentar nuestra resistencia frente a sus agresiones.

Impacto de otros factores. Los límites de la nutrición

En higiene natural se considera que hay muchas causas, además de la nutrición, que juegan un papel importante en el estado de nuestra salud. Por ejemplo, el Dr. Klein menciona treinta elementos, que se encuentran en su libro Self healing colitis & Crohn’s (76).

Variar los hábitos alimenticios es uno de los pasos que tiene un efecto positivo más importante en el nivel de energía vital, pero hay muchos otros elementos que poseen un fuerte impacto negativo, de forma que todos los esfuerzos realizados en la mejora de la nutrición pueden ser en vano.

Un ejemplo de esta situación es el caso de un niño llamado Neil. Sus padres me consultaron porque sufría fuertes crisis asmáticas de manera casi diaria, y la mayoría de ellas acababan en el hospital. Por supuesto, estaban asociadas con problemas gastroenterológicos como reflujo gastroesofágico, dolor de vientre, inflamación, flatulencia, heces descompuestas y también insomnio, desórdenes del comportamiento, dermatitis, dolor de cabeza, de espalda y fatiga.

Después de seguir los cambios realizados en su alimentación que le indiqué, la mejora aún no era satisfactoria. Tan solo había reducido ligeramente su dermatitis, fatiga y dolores.

Creo que la nutrición no dio los resultados esperados porque estaba tomando medicinas para el asma a diario. Las medicinas añaden tanta toxemia que la cantidad de energía vital empleada para eliminarlas del cuerpo es inmensa, y no queda prácticamente energía vital para la realizar la digestión. Entonces, toda la comida que se toma, incluso si es sana, se convierte en desechos que aumentan todavía más la toxemia. Además, el malestar de la eliminación impide tener un buen descanso y sueño, lo cual mengua, a su vez, la energía vital. Es un ciclo que desafortunadamente no pudimos romper. La única solución era o bien discontinuar la medicación o hacer un ayuno, pero ninguna de las dos opciones podría ser contempladas, porque pueden desencadenar problemas con el sector médico, y porque, de todos modos, los padres lo rechazarían.

Algunas toxicidades, como la que procede de las medicinas, produce un daño tan importante en la salud, aumentando la toxemia a niveles tan elevados, que cualquier esfuerzo de mejorar la salud no obtiene resultados visibles.

Me he encontrado en esta situación en otros casos: tiroiditis de Hashimoto, epilepsia e hipertensión. En todos ellos, la persona se encontraba bajo una medicación que impedía cualquier mejora a través de la nutrición.

Se comprende mejor esta limitación con un ejemplo matemático. Imaginad que seguir una alimentación ideal mejora la salud en cien puntos y tomar una medicina la empeora en un millón. Está claro que el impacto de una buena nutrición no será perceptible mientras se esté tomando la medicación. Lo mismo sucede con cualquiera de los factores debilitantes que tienen un impacto importante sobre la salud.

El ayuno

«El ayuno: El mejor remedio de la naturaleza», Albert Mosséri (77).

El ayuno es, sin duda, el mejor método para sanar la mayoría de enfermedades; se ha demostrado ya su efectividad (78, 79, 80).

Personalmente, nunca he ayunado durante más de cuarenta y ocho horas. Pero si alguna vez sufriera una enfermedad grave, creo que el ayuno será mi primera opción.

Orienté en una ocasión a una persona en un ayuno hídrico prolongado de veinte días —sin comer, solo agua—, y no obtuvimos los resultados esperados. No soy partidaria de ayunar si no es realmente necesario, debido al gran sacrificio que representa, a menos que ella esté convencida de hacerlo.

Las personas hipersensibles no necesitan hacer ayunos prolongados, normalmente, de más de dos días, porque las hipersensibilidades se dan como consecuencia de tener un sistema inmune y un sistema de detoxificación que son hiperactivos. Nosotros no almacenamos toxicidad en nuestro cuerpo, sino que el organismo encuentra vías alternativas para deshacerse de las sustancias perjudiciales; incluso algunas inocuas también son atacadas por nuestro sistema para ser expulsadas.

Así que no necesitamos tratamiento de detoxificación de ningún tipo: juicing, hidroterapia, hierbas, ayuno, etc. Nuestro organismo se desintoxica de forma natural, ¡incluso a veces en exceso! Podríamos decir que es como si nuestro organismo estuviera obsesionado con la limpieza; no es por casualidad que muchos de nosotros tenemos manías con la limpieza y el orden…

Cualquier terapia de desintoxicación va a empeorar más nuestras sensibilidades.

La clase de ayuno que practico regularmente, y que aconsejo hacer, es el ayuno intermitente. La mayoría de los días tomo una comida al día, entre las 12 p. m. y las 4 p. m. Creo que este horario es el que resulta mejor para la salud, según mi experiencia. Cuando aumento el número de comidas a dos veces al día, por ejemplo, incluso si distribuyo la misma comida entre las dos, mi descanso nocturno se ve perjudicado y no me siento tan bien al día siguiente; empezando con rinitis por la mañana.

Descansar y dormir

Tenemos la idea equivocada de que la comida nos suministra energía, pero esto no es correcto. El Dr. Douglas Graham explica muy bien la diferencia entre energía y combustible:

«En la ciencia de la salud […] el término “energía” se define como una corriente eléctrica de bajo voltaje producido por nuestro cerebro durante el sueño, la cual corre por nuestro cuerpo vía el sistema nervioso (también conocido como energía nerviosa vital). Cuando se está despierto, se utiliza la energía nerviosa más rápidamente de lo que el cerebro puede producir. Por lo tanto, al final la energía se agota. Después de procurar un tiempo apropiado de sueño, uno se despierta recargado y lleno de energía nerviosa.

Por otro lado, la comida se refiere como “combustible”. Necesitamos consumir combustible por tres razones principales: nutrición, hidratación y placer. Mediante el proceso de digestión, quemamos combustible (comida) parar liberar su propia energía potencial y utilizarlo para nosotros. Durante este complicado proceso, obtenemos una ganancia neta de energía utilizando nuestra propia energía nerviosa para liberar el potencial en la comida».

Así que la energía liberada por la comida y la suministrada por el descanso y sueño es diferente; una no reemplaza la otra.

La mejor medicina a la que recurría para aliviar una crisis alérgica era tomar un descanso. A veces, cinco minutos eran suficientes para cortar un ataque de alergia, otras, necesitaba más tiempo y tenía que repetirlo varias veces al día. Es muy importante que durante el descanso los ojos estén cerrados; no es necesario entrar en meditación, pero sí relajarse.

Puedo imaginar diversas explicaciones al hecho de que descansar sea tan buen remedio:

1) Cerrando los ojos y no haciendo nada permite una reducción del gasto de energía, lo cual hace aumentar la energía vital y, por lo tanto, reducir la toxemia.
2) Descansando el cuerpo, el sistema inmune y los sentidos descansan, como sucede cuando dormimos. Todas las actividades de la vida son más o menos estresantes y esto lleva a un sistema inmune hiperactivo en personas hipersensibles.
3) Los hipersensibles son muy sensibles al mundo; es como si el mundo nos «hiriera». Cuando apagamos la percepción con nuestros sentidos nos sentimos mejor. Además, dedicamos más energía al sistema nervioso y gastamos una gran cantidad en el procesado de la información que procede del mundo por los sentidos, sobre todo con las imágenes. Este alto procesado nos proporciona una muy buena percepción, con muchos detalles, y somos capaces de prestar atención a muchos sucesos que se dan al mismo tiempo. Pero esto es a costa de una gran cantidad de energía vital, la cual no está disponible para otros procesos fisiológicos, como la neutralización y supresión de la toxemia mediante las vías normales de eliminación.

The Natural Hygiene approach to hypersensitivity

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 20:15:00 +0100

Allergies, asthma, multiple chemical sensitivity, electrosensitivity, hypersensitivity to sun, noise, smells, stress... different types of hypersensitivity are explained by the Natural Hygiene approach as an extraordinary elimination process, that happen when there is a toxemic overload in the body. In this post I explain with detail this process and I discuss a method of desensitization.
Photo by Shena Tschofen

Continue reading The Natural Hygiene approach to hypersensitivity

The theory of toxemia and the vital energy or nerve-energy as the onset of disease was advanced by one of the leading exponents of the Natural Hygiene (or Life Science) approach, Dr J. H. Tilden MD. Since then, this approach has been adopted by doctors and practitioners of Hygienism.

Toxemia

As seen in the previous section, the opportunistic and pathogenic bacteria in our body produce toxins that must be removed, as well as metabolic waste.

First of all, it is important to understand what toxemia exactly is, and how it is related to disease. In his book entitled Toxemia Explained, Dr Tilden clarified (74):

“Every so-called disease is a crisis of Toxemia; which means that toxin has accumulated in the blood above the toleration-point, and the crisis, the so-called disease—call it cold, “flu”, pneumonia, headache, or typhoid fever—is a vicarious elimination. Nature is endeavouring to rid the body of toxin. Any treatment that obstructs this effort at elimination baffles nature in her effort at self-curing.”

Additionally, he elaborated further:

“When the elimination takes place through the mucous membrane of the nose, it is called a cold —Catarrh of the nose; and where these crises are repeated for years, the mucous membrane thickens and ulcerates, and the bones enlarge, closing the passage, etc. At this stage hay-fever or hay-asthma develops. When the throat and tonsils, or any of the respiratory passages, become the seat of the crises of Toxemia, we have croup, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, etc.” “All are symptoms of the expulsion of toxin from the blood at the different points named, and are essentially of the same character and evolving from the one cause—namely, Toxemia— crises of Toxemia. “

“It should be obvious to the discerning how extraordinarily illogical it is to treat a catarrh of the nose as a local disease; or, when crises are repeated until ulceration takes place, and the mucous membrane becomes so sensitive that dust and pollen cause sneezing and watering of the eyes—symptoms called hay-fever—to treat these symptoms as a distinct disease caused by pollen. “

Shelton illustrated the following point in his book Human Life (28):

“In the case of the inspired gnat or cake crumb, the sneezing and coughing are obviously normal and are defensive efforts. Why should they be considered as other than this when it is mucous they are directed against as in a cold, a bronchitis, or a pneumonia? They should not.”

When the normal detoxification pathways (i.e. organs) — intestines, lungs, liver, kidneys, skin — become overwhelmed, then toxins and all kinds of harmful substances have to be eliminated through extraordinary pathways. One of these means can be through secretion. Rhinitis can thus be the response of the body trying to remove toxins by producing mucus and inducing sneezing.

This is congruent with the fact that rhinitis is stronger in the morning, because the body is expelling the harmful substances that have been accumulated overnight. The more toxins — especially, the heaviest and the unhealthiest an evening meal is — the more mucus is to be expelled.

As seen in the previous section, the removal of toxins due to unhealthy eating habits by the respiratory system leads to irritation in the nasal mucosa. This, in turn, creates an environment for hypersensitivity to all kinds of airborne particulates, such as smoke, perfumes, pollen, dust, and animal hair. This could explain why sensitivity increases when unhealthy food is consumed.

Nerve-energy

Since disease is the mechanism through which the human body has to rid itself of its problem: toxemia, it is paramount to understand why such a problem arises initially. As Dr Tilden explained, toxemia stems from a reduction of nerve-energy:

“Without nerve-energy the functions of the body cannot be carried on properly. The present-day strenuousness causes enervation, which checks elimination, and the retained toxins bring on Toxemia.”

By the same token, he argued: “Everything that acts on the body uses up energy. Cold and heat require the expenditure of nerve-energy.”

Figure 3.23 Vital Energy

As a result, Dr Tilden concluded that enervation was the most fundamental cause of disease. Self-indulgence or committing all kind of excesses — overeating, using stimulants, sex, or overworking — as much as a shock, an injury, or even abuse, fear, grief and envy, can, for instance, lead to disease. In other words, the enervating habits of body and mind stem from a lack of positive lifestyle factors, bad life habits and certain emotions, or feelings that are subjectively experienced as negative by the persons suffering from them.

If enervation is the root cause of disease, then the enervating habits of life must be changed in order to allow the body to heal. Moreover, Dr Tilden added: “Rest from habits that enervate is the only way to put nature in line for curing. Sleep and rest of body and mind are necessary to keep a sufficient supply of energy. Few people in active life rest enough.”

Enervating habits of life are the weakening factors contributing to hypersensitivity in persons predisposed to this kind of condition.

Toxemia management

There are two types of toxins: the internal ones (i.e. endogenous) and the external ones (i.e. exogenous).

There are two ways to manage these toxins: by elimination and by storage. Regarding elimination there are two kinds: normal and extraordinary; and two kinds of storage: harmless and harmful.

A normal elimination does not have any important consequences for the body; the main detoxification organs are used. But an extraordinary elimination requires considerable efforts from the organism, which exhibits a set of symptoms of disease: pain, swelling, phlegm, sneezing, cough, redness, high temperature and prostration, for instance. These are warning signs indicating us that something is done wrong and must be stopped. The issue arises when these alarm bells are ignored and muffled with chemical, natural or alternative medication, whereas the real solution would be to break these bad and unhealthy habits.

In the storage toxicity management, the body strives to keep toxins in a place which should not disrupt its functions and organs, such as adipose tissue (i.e. fat). However, the organism may decide that toxicity cannot be stored in this harmless place — it may already be “full”, or it may be due to the nature of the substances or due to other reasons. As a result, such toxins may be deposited in areas of the body in which harm can be caused. Nonetheless, the body will naturally endeavour to prevent these toxins from damaging the most vital organs. For instance, the joints of the knees may be chosen over the facet joints of the spine; or the muscles of the extremities over the cardiac muscle. Overweight and ulcerative diseases such as colitis, ulcers and sclerosis, as well as induration such as fibromas, tumours, cysts, atherosclerosis and cataracts may be the consequence of this storage strategy.

Whilst each individual has a genetic predisposition to one of these types of toxicity management, several factors influence the strategies adopted by the organism. In one single individual, the organism can decide to rid itself of certain substances, whilst storing others. Moreover, depending on the state of the body, the same substance can even be processed differently. For instance, medication and/or any other remedies for hypersensitivity tip the balance of the organism towards a storage mode, in order to stop the processes of elimination. Then, when using these medicines, instead of developing an inflammatory disease or hypersensitivity in the short term, we develop an ulcerative or induration disease in the long term.

In general and as depicted in the next section, when unable to be excreted from the body through the normal pathways, these harmful substances will be stored and will accumulate until a toleration threshold is exceeded. This will in turn trigger an extraordinary mechanism of elimination. This toleration level varies from one person to another, and is subject to change throughout life.

There are four different types of toxemia or toxicity management: normal elimination, extraordinary elimination, harmless storage and harmful storage. Hypersensitive persons fall into the second category, while chronic diseases may belong to the third and the fourth type.

Toleration level and reserves

Dr Tilden explained

“When nerve-energy drops below normal, the elimination of toxin—a natural product of metabolism—is checked, and is retained in the blood, bringing on Toxemia.

It should be obvious to discerning minds that the amount of toxin in the blood must vary with each individual, and that the degree of resistance also must vary with each individual. An amount that would cause a toxemic crises in one would apparently have no effect on another.”

Shelton elaborated further on this tolerance to toxins:

“Crisis usually last until the disease producing factors have been reduced to the toleration point. This point varies with the individual and with the varying conditions of the individual. Thus, the greater the amount of vitality one possesses, the less morbid matter will his system tolerate, and as the vitality of one with chronic disease is gradually raised, his toleration point also rises so that crises occur”.

Some persons who eat unhealthy food, smoke or drink alcohol may appear to be in good health, while others may often be sick although they take very good care of their health.

There are mainly two diametrically opposed explanations for this fact:

1) One obvious answer is that on the one hand, the person with unhealthy habits may be strong and may be able to lead an unhealthy lifestyle without falling sick.. On the other hand, the person with healthy habits may be so weak that even the wisest healthy choices may not prevent disease. If this second person followed unhealthy habits, it is likely that they would find themselves in a poorer state of health.

2) According to the approach of Hygienists Tilden and Shelton, a person with unhealthy habits has a very high toleration level, which means that their body have become accustomed to consuming a large amount of harmful substances, which are stored. However, once these toxins have accumulated above the toleration level, disease will be contracted in order to eliminate this excess of toxins. On the contrary, the weak person with healthy habits probably has a very low level of tolerance. Therefore, any small amount of toxins will be immediately excreted from their organism with a disease crisis.

Along with every hypersensitive person, my toleration level is extremely low. From a scientific point of view, I consider this as an advantage: similarly to a canary in a coal mine, We react to any harmful substances in tiny amounts and quickly. Our reactions occur well before the body of other persons may have accumulated or have been damaged by such substances.

The level of toleration, or sensitivity, varies throughout life. Children are more sensitive, thus more prone to developing elimination diseases (i.e. colds, flu or gastroenteritis) more often than adults. As the person ages, adults in general develop chronic diseases instead, which are the result of the harm inflicted by the accumulated toxins. Shelton stated (28):

“At first the young man’s body will not tolerate more than two or three cigarettes a day, but, in the course of a few years, he is smoking two or more packages of these daily. So, in infancy and childhood, the body will not tolerate much of the toxins of disease, but develops frequent crisis and throws them off. As time passes, however, more toleration is built, and crises become less frequent and less vigorous.”

However, as soon as the person stops having that harmful substance over an extended period of time, their body will become intolerant and sensitive again to this particular substance. This also applies to dairy products or gluten, for instance: When the person starts having these products again after avoiding them for some time, an intolerance reaction appears stronger than before it stopped, and the nature of this reaction can differ according to the person.

Figure 3.25 Pool of toxemia

In Figure 3.25 the toxemia pool represents the accumulation of harmful substances for the body (i.e. toxins from bacterial decomposition, metabolic wastes and toxics from outside sources). In fact, this toxicity is deposited and stored in several places of the body such as in the interstitial fluid surrounding the cells, in fat tissue, organs and joints. This allocation will be made by the organism depending on factors, such as the genetic predisposition, the nature of the substances, and the amount of nerve-energy stored.

The elimination organs need nerve-energy or vital energy for the process of emptying this toxemia pool. If the levels of energy are low, or if the normal pathways of elimination are overwhelmed with toxins, the barrel will fill progressively until the amount of toxins reaches the toleration threshold. Then, the body will resort to the extraordinary pathways of elimination. This mechanism will cause a crisis (e.g. diarrhoea, mucus or inflammation) by calling up the reserves of nerve-energy or vital energy that the body has built up to respond to dangerous situations,

Once toxins have decreased below the toleration point, elimination will resume through the normal pathways if there is enough nerve-energy. Nonetheless, toxins will be retained again within the body if the levels of nerve-energy are too low.

After a crisis, the body is so exhausted because it has been depleted of all his energy reserve supplies, that collapse and pain forces the individual to rest. However, expending more vital energy than they can replenish by resting, eating healthy and receiving the energy of the sun, for instance, will be very detrimental to their health.

Shelton explained the mechanism of the reserve of power (28):

“The body seeks always to maintain a certain reserve of power and we can get this power out only by supplying emergencies such as this reserved is stored up to meet.”

“The capital stock of energy, over and above the usual expenditures, is held in store for an emergency, and while, therefore the draft upon this reserve is increased by every assault, the supply necessary for the work of maintaining functional action and structural integrity will be furnished till the reserve is exhausted. After this, if the demand for power to sustain functional soundness exceeds the income, the organ or organs must falter in their functions, and here commences Functional Disease.”

Unconsciously, most of us are heavily depleting our vital energy reserves, whenever we rely on painkillers, anti-inflammatories, on a cup of coffee or on any other kind of stimulant or sedative upon suffering from ailments or pains, which, in normal circumstances, would force us to pause. Our busy lives do not allow us to do so, and rest as much as we should to recover. Such a lifestyle takes a toll on our health.

Finally, Shelton added (28):

“The loss of power that must precede the development of disease is due to waste of power largely occasioned by the use of irritants and excitants — stimulants. Hence the egregious folly of the habitual employment of stimulants or tonics of various kinds, until the vital economy is forced to hang out its distress signals, and then employing the same means in larger amounts, or others of similar character and greater power, to remedy the damages of the habitual over-stimulation.”

For the time being, I believe the theory advanced by Hygienism to be one of the most coherent ones about disease.

Desensitisation by adaptation

In conventional medicine, desensitisation is performed by means of the adaptive capacity of the human body.

Nature has a large capacity of adaptation to gradual changes occurring overtime, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, exposure to the sun and the amount of food.

Under subtle environmental changes, living beings have the ability to gradually perform changes in life functions and adapt to the new conditions. Nonetheless, their adaptive capacity remains limited. Therefore, for an organism to survive, it is crucial that these environmental changes, albeit gradual, occur at the same rate as adaptation’s.

On the other hand, living beings will not be able to adapt in a rapidly-changing environment (e.g. if the temperature is too extreme). In response to such a threat to survival, they will either flight or freeze. A typical example to illustrate this case is the fable of the boiling frog: if sitting in a pot of gradually heating water, the frog will adapt to the changes in temperature, but will eventually be boiled to death without leaping out of danger when the temperature rises too much. However, if the frog is suddenly plunged into boiling water, it will immediately jump out to save itself. Although it has been shown that the frog would jump out in both cases, this fable is an appropriate analogy of the capacity of adaptation of living beings.

Humans react in a similar fashion: for instance, when non-smokers start smoking, their body will react to the poisons being introduced, and they may experience coughing and vomiting as a result. However, after smoking regularly for a long period of time, or if their daily consumption of cigarettes has increased very gradually, these initial reactions will stop. Their body will have built up a tolerance to tobacco. Smokers, albeit accustomed to smoking, are slowly damaging their body.

In the same vein, unhealthy food is not rejected by the organism of the average person. Only hypersensitive persons, who are being diagnosed with food intolerance or allergies, are the ones whose bodies are rejecting some or all of these junk foods, although sometimes also reacting to agents which are normally inoffensive.

One way to desensitise a person to these harmless agents is to allow their body to slowly adapt to them. This is the procedure used by allergists in desensitisation. At the beginning, the organism is exposed to a tiny amount of a particular allergen, which does not cause any reaction. The doses are then gradually increased until the body can become accustomed and build up a tolerance to the allergen to a normal level. In fact, it is the same process as the frog being slowly boiled alive: our body systems are misleading us into accepting substances, which would not be tolerated in normal circumstances.

Although the human mind is deemed to be more powerful than the infinite wisdom of our body, how can we be sure that an allergen is not actually a threat? Doctors insist on desensitising children to peanuts, cow milk protein and egg protein. It is questionable whether these foods are actually healthy for humans; from my point of view, and as illustrated in the next chapter, they are not. To summarise, desensitisation involves adapting the organism to harmful substances.

By the same token, how can we be sure that some allergens targeted by the treatment, such as pets, dust, bee venom, dust mites or pollen, are harmless to hypersensitive persons? If the organism had the power to rid itself of these particles through the normal pathways of elimination, it would do it, but resorting to the extraordinary pathways is sometimes the only way to do so (if the organism is using extraordinary pathways, this means that it has run out of options.). Forcing the body to build up a tolerance to allergens does not help the organism to excrete the toxins through its normal channels. Desensitisation does not lead to reduced levels of toxicity and enervation. What this treatment does is prompting the organism to store allergens instead of eliminating them, which can lead to chronic diseases in the long term.

The French Hygienist Albert Mosséri stressed in his book La nutrition hygiéniste (75): “It is time to stop this deception about the adaptability and tolerance of the human body. It is a double language, unique to medicine. […] It is also time to understand that this so-called adaptation is an illusion and a disappointment; has anyone who has smoked or consumed alcohol for a long time adapted to these poisons, to the point of tolerating them? Have those who eat meat, fish, bread and grains as the staples of their diet, adapted to these foods? Is their body able to tolerate them? At what cost?”

Compared to the average person, individuals with hypersensitivities have a limited adaptive capacity. A sudden exposure to a large amount of allergens can sensitise the organism to them.

In today’s world, we are constantly challenged by the drastic changes in the composition of the environment. Indoor air (i.e. inside homes, cars and offices) is different from outdoors owing to the organic chemical compounds found in furniture, carpets or cleaning products, for instance Moreover, traveling can increase the exposure to these sudden, abrupt environmental changes.

I think that respiratory allergies are due to a lack of adaptation to changes in the environment.

I have personally experienced such allergic reactions in spring: hay fever starts as soon as I get into or out of the car, or when I travel long distances. However, after spending some time in a new environment — it can be one hour or longer — my organism slowly adjusts to it; the reactions would slowly diminish and, in most cases, eventually stop. Many people suffering from rhinitis have declared that a reaction would be caused as soon as they enter or exit a store, a building or a house.

In the natural environment, human beings would not be exposed to such radical changes in the environment: due to a gradual increase in the amount of pollen in the air, animals slowly adapt to changes in their current environment.

The hypersensitive organism strongly reacts to changes. Similarly to the fable of the boiling frog, hypersensitivity may be an asset in the face of a harsh and rapidly-changing environment — such reactions can often save lives. Probably, a compromise between adaptation and reaction could be ideal.

It would be interesting to understand why hypersensitive persons have such a limited adaptive capacity. This phenomenon may be due to a genetic predetermination, through which an organism will develop a strategy when facing sudden changes in conditions: it will either resist, or adapt to them..

As previously depicted in the theory of toxemia, the normal pathways of elimination can become saturated by the weakening factors or by an overload of toxins. As a result and in order to adapt to an environment, the organism reacts by calling the extraordinary pathways into play. According to this theory, desensitisation could be achieved by reducing the toxemia.

Desensitisation by toxemia reduction

Hypersensitive persons usually have a very low toleration level. Nonetheless, the immune system can be made less sensitive.

I succeeded in decreasing my hypersensitivity. I have suffered from MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) for most of my life. By following a healthy lifestyle, I seldom suffer from the allergic and hypersensitive reactions I have had since I was a child. Now, I only suffer from light rhinitis a few days of the year when the pollen count is very high and it is very windy.

Sensitivity can be decreased by reducing the level of toxins that can be controlled. Keeping toxicity below a certain threshold enables us to be in a stronger position when facing the external agents we are sensitive to. In fact, the body will not be overwhelmed by the daily toxic load, and more vital energy will be available to remove allergens.

In other words, neither the environmental nor the triggering factors for hypersensitivity reactions, such as the pollen, dust, mosquito bites, chemicals, noise, pollution and smoke can be fully curbed. Nonetheless, the weakening factors can be limited by what we eat, how much we exercise and by how many hours we sleep, for instance. By improving our lifestyle and our nutrition, we can minimize and better manage the risks we face in our daily lives. Moreover, the same principle can be applied to emotions; whilst we cannot control the acts and words of other persons, we can strengthen our resilience to challenge aggressive behaviours.

Impacts of other factors and limitations of nutrition

In Natural Hygiene, health is influenced by many other factors besides nutrition. For instance, Dr David Klein mentions 30 of them in his book Self Healing Colitis & Crohn’s (76): “Love of self, healthy self-image and esteem, passionate love of all life, awareness, intention, inner focus/listening, abidance of the senses of intuition, true knowledge, graceful, grateful, respectful, generous attitude; organic, properly-combined vegan diet; pure water, pure air, sunshine, warm climate, fitness and posture, security and peace of mind, rejuvenative rest and sleep, heart-centered self-nurturing, sharing of love, relaxation, humor, creative expression, emotional flow and release, rhythmic movement, musical indulgence, simple lifestyle, communing with nature, gardening, service—living your life’s purpose, engagement in self-improvement challenges.”

Changing our dietary habits is one of the steps that can be taken in order to bring about beneficial and more positive effects on vital energy. However, there are many other life factors that can have a more negative impact, which means that all efforts towards improving nutrition can be in vain.

For instance, I met a child called Neil. He suffered from severe asthma attacks on an almost daily basis, with most of them requiring hospitalisation. His condition was associated with gastroenterological disorders such as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), stomach aches, inflammation, flatulence, loose stools as well as insomnia, behavioural disorders, dermatitis, headaches, back pains and fatigue.

After following my advice and changing his diet, the improvement was still not satisfactory: only tiredness, headaches and backaches were relieved, and milder symptoms of dermatitis were exhibited.

I think that the outcomes expected with the nutritional changes were not achieved because Neil was on medication on a daily basis. The contribution of medication to the toxic load is such that a tremendous amount of vital energy has to be expended in order to expel it from the body, hence restricting the supply of energy for digestion. Subsequently, any food eaten, albeit healthy, will be converted into more waste, thus further increasing the amount of toxins. Additionally, the discomfort caused by the elimination of toxins disrupts rest and a good night of sleep, which decreases vital energy levels as well. Unfortunately, it was an unbreakable circle.. The only solutions would have been either to stop medication or to go on a fast, but neither options were available because that could have caused conflict with the medical establishment, and because in any case, parents would have refused to participate.

Some harmful substances such as those from medication can have such a strong negative impact on health: increasing toxemia to such high levels that any effort made in improving nutrition and other lifestyle factors will fail in achieving visible results.

I have faced this situation in other cases, too: with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, epilepsy and hypertension. In all of them, the person was on a medication that prevented any improvement in nutrition.

We can understand this limitation with a mathematical equation: imagine that having the best nutrition improves health by 100 points, and taking medication worsens it by 1,000,000. It is clear that the impact of a good nutrition will not be perceptible whilst taking medication. The same happens with any of the weakening factors influencing health.

Fasting

“Fasting: Nature's Best Remedy” — Albert Mosséri (77)

In my opinion, fasting is one of the best remedies to treat most illnesses. It has been shown that fasting is effective for many diseases (78, 79, and 80).

Personally, I have never fasted for more than 48 hours. However, if ever I suffer from a severe health condition, I think that a long fast will be my first choice.

I once coached a person who was going on a water fast (i.e. no food, only water) for 20 days, and we did not see the expected results. Unless necessary and unless the person is absolutely determined about it, I am not very enthusiastic about prolonged fasting because it is a great sacrifice.

Hypersensitive persons do not need prolonged fasting, namely for more than two days, because hypersensitive reactions are a consequence of both an overactive immune system and detoxifying system. In hypersensitive people, toxins are not stored in the body, but the organism finds alternative ways to expel any harmful substances; even some inoffensive substances are targeted by the immune system in order to be removed.

Consequently, a detoxifying treatment of any kind will not be necessary for hypersensitive people, whether juicing, hydrotherapy, herbs or prolonged fasting, for instance. Our body naturally detoxifies itself very well — albeit excessively. This could be interpreted as our internal organs being “obsessed with cleaning”, and the fact that many of us are quite obsessed with order and cleanliness may not be a coincidence after all…!

Any detoxifying therapy is going to increase hypersensitive reactions.

The type of fasting that I regularly practice and I advise is intermittent fasting. On most days, I eat only once a day, between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. In my experience, I think this is the schedule that works the best. If I eat more frequently, this is, two times a day, for example, I will not sleep well at night and I will feel much worse the next day, mainly hampered by rhinitis in the morning. This happens even if I split the same amount of food that I eat in one meal into two meals.

Resting and sleeping

We have the erroneous idea that food provides energy, but this is not exact. Here, Dr Douglas Graham (81) explains the difference between energy and fuel in detail:

“In health sciences […] the term, ‘energy’ is defined as a low-voltage electrical current produced by your brain during sleep, which run through your body via your nervous system (also known as vital nerve energy). When you are awake, you use nerve energy more rapidly than the brain can produce it. Hence, you eventually run out of energy. After an appropriate period of hours procuring sleep, you awaken, fully recharged and full of nerve energy again.

On the other hand, food is referred to as ´fuel´. We need to consume fuel for three primary reasons—nutrition, hydration, and pleasure. Through the process of digestion, we burn our fuel (food) to release its own energy potential and utilize it for ourselves. During this complicated process, we receive a net gain in energy by using our own nerve energy to release the potential in food.”

Consequently, the energy provided by food and the one provided by rest and sleep are different; one does not replace the other.

The best remedy I resorted to in order to reduce the symptoms of severe allergic reactions was to take a rest. Sometimes, five minutes are enough in order to stop an allergy attack, and on occasion, I needed more time and I had to rest more frequently during the day. Resting with the eyes closed is very important. Meditation is not compulsory; relaxation is what matters.

I can think of several different explanations as to why rest is so effective:

1) Closing eyes and being inactive saves on energy, which increases vital energy, which in turn reduces toxemia.
2) Similarly to sleep, resting the body allows the immune system to recover and the senses to rest. All activities of daily living are more or less stressful, which leads to an overactive immune system in hypersensitive persons.
3) Hypersensitive persons are very sensitive to the world around us, as if it was “hurting” us. When sensory receptors are shut down, we feel better. Hypersensitive persons have a very active nervous system, hence a high sensory processing ability and a heightened sense of awareness for detail and for any events that occur simultaneously. In fact, more energy is allocated to the nervous system than in the average person, and a very high amount of energy is spent in processing the information from the environment through senses, mainly as images. However, this is at the expense of a high vital energy expenditure. As a result, other systems of the body may lack energy to perform tasks, such as neutralising and eliminating toxins through the normal pathways.

In Human Life , Shelton stated (28): “Rest and replenishment of power is the first step in the curative work.”

New book: "A Holistic Approach to Hypersensitivity"

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Sun, 11 Apr 2021 18:26:00 +0100

My book is published!

This book is dedicated to those people who suffer from any kind of hypersensitivity - whether it be of an immune, sensorial or emotional nature; though it is a useful book for any person who reads it.
Living Fully Nourished - a good nourishment of the body, mind and spirit - is the key to healing. It is a holistic approach, with nutrition (food) as the main subject.
The Living Fully Nourished method examines weakening and triggering factors as the source of diseases, it reveals to the reader how to know oneself, and offers guidance on putting lifestyle changes into practice. It focuses on hypersensitivities, the main theories surrounding their origin, and how to find and apply the most appropriate treatment to overcome them.

Buy it here

Continue reading New book: "A Holistic Approach to Hypersensitivity"

Bloating: causes and prevention

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Sun, 22 Nov 2020 21:11:00 +0100

Bloating is one of the most current affections of population in general.
It is commonly known that certain foods, such as beans and pulses produce gas. But there are many other foods that can make you bloated too.
How does bloating appear and how can we prevent it?

Continue reading Bloating: causes and prevention

In general, intestinal gas is released by bacteria that lives in our intestine when decomposing the food that they digest, if there has been a bacterial overgrowth and the food has gotten stuck in the intestine during enough time to ferment or putrefy.

Given the current meal habitudes, one bowel movement a day is not enough. With the amount of food we ingest usually, three or four meals a day, we would need to have several daily bowel movements. But once a day, or even less, seems to be the norm. This fact makes it so that large amounts of waste stagnates in the intestine, with the consequent fermentation or putrefaction, causing the bloating.

Bacterial overgrowth is produced due to the important food supply they enjoy. They are fed by the matter that our body cannot digest, if we give them enough time. There are many different reasons why we cannot digest a certain food: it may be indigestible, or there is a food intolerance, or we have gone beyond our digestion capacity because of an excess of the amount; or we were submitted to stress or some kind of distress; or in general, in that moment the situation of our body was not suitable in order to digest that food. When fed, bacteria thrives in our intestine and releases gas in their metabolism, as well as toxins.

Face to this problem, there are mainly two options:

1) Taking antibiotics and/or antifungals and/or treatments such as colon hydrotherapy, in order to remove all these bacteria and/or fungi off of our intestine. This option tends to work in the short term, but it is not sustainable in the long term because if the same nutrition is unchanged, bacteria is still feeding. The same phenomena occurs with ants in fields; they come again even after killing them if there are still leftovers remaining on the floor.
Another issue is that these kind of medicines or treatments cannot be taken or followed forever, even if they are very natural or food (such as spices, garlic, herbs, etc.)

2) Changing the nutrition and/or life style in a way that we only nourish our body but not the bad bacteria. We must identify the reason of the slow intestinal transit and of the defective digestion.

In order to improve the intestinal movements, food that slows down and blocks the passage of quicker food must be avoided.

Fruits are digested much faster than other foods. Meat and fish can take up to three days to pass through the digestive system, while fruits do so in 12 to 24 hours. Consumption of meat can thus block the passage of fruit through the intestines. Starches and fats are likewise problematic, taking longer to digest than fruit. Imagine your digestive system as a road. On the road, there is a truck blocking the cars and they can’t pass. The cars honk, the noise annoys the neighbours, who blame the cars. But the real culprit for the noise is the truck blocking the road. The cars represent fruit, and the truck represents meat, fish, starch and fats.

When fruit is blocked in the digestive tract, it ferments, producing toxins and toxic gases which causes bloating. Unfortunately, many doctors and nutritionists diagnose this as SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth) or as a fructose intolerance and recommend a FODMAP diet, which bans most fruits and vegetables. But fruits and vegetables are not the source of the problem.

Before I stopped eating animal protein, these vegetables left me bloated, with stomach aches and intestinal problems. After some time, I began following the FODMAP diet (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols), avoiding fructan-containing vegetables, as well as most fruits. In reality, the problem was not these healthy food, but rather the animal protein, which provoked an intolerance to fructans and fructose, by inducing a small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), blocking or delaying the passage of fruits and vegetables through the intestines. The moment I changed to a diet of only fruits and vegetables, these problems I had associated with FODMAP intolerance disappeared.

In cases where a FODMAP diet is needed, instead of removing fruits and vegetables from the diet, it would be better to avoid animal protein and all other foods that slow down bowel transit, such as grains, especially cereals with gluten and refined cereals.

Lactose of dairy products may also be a problem for most people, mainly in adults, due to the lack of lactase. Since the moment of weaning, the production of this enzyme decreases progressively, until it disappears.

Legumes contain oligosaccharides that are indigestible.

There are a long list of conditions to take into account in order to have good digestion that are also good to know: avoid excess amounts, don’t eat too quickly and chew throughly, be careful with food combining, etc. Having water negatively impacts digestion, although most meals need water because of the food being dry such as meat, fish, potatoes, grains, legumes and nuts. In this article I mention several important aspects in order to get a good digestion.

Overall, the key to avoid bloating is to keep a healthy intestinal transit.

Testimonial of Acute Severe Respiratory Syndrome

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 18:27:00 +0100

Najat and Gemma Calzada, Ph.D. talk about the acute respiratory crisis that Najat suffers since the beginning of the pandemic. These crisis are the real SARS, the new disease of severe acute respiratory syndrome that was identified by some doctors in China and USA and has been the trigger of the pandemic. We wonder if there is a link with electromagnetic radiations.
(Activate subtitles in English, click on "CC")

Testimonial of the Spanish engineer: https://www.instagram.com/elfindelcabal/
Medical doctor in USA that explains his experience with patients that suffocate which seem to have been put in the top of the Everest: https://www.bitchute.com/video/dsjdgqR4mjlX/
I call to everybody that had a similar experience to contact me to try to find out what is the cause of this condition: https://livingfullynourished.com/forms/contact

Continue reading Testimonial of Acute Severe Respiratory Syndrome

Iron deficiency: causes and solutions

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 20:17:00 +0100

The low iron rate in blood is associated with anaemia, and it is mainly physically shown as weakness and fatigue. To face this problem, doctors recommend that the affected people get supplements in iron, usually by injection.
Another solution that people try is to increase their daily intake of iron contained in their meals. However, this generally doesn’t solve the problem.
Are there any other solution? Where does this low iron level comes from?

Continue reading Iron deficiency: causes and solutions

In the last few years the number of people with low iron count has blown up, mainly in women. We must take into account the fact that reference values in blood tests are changed by the laboratories over the years and this can start an “epidemic” of certain kinds of health problems. But assuming that the real problem is a lack of iron, there are some possible causes.

The first issue that comes to the mind is the ingestion of enough iron in our meals. We tend to think that we don’t take enough iron in our food, so we search for good sources of iron. Here are some examples of where iron can be found and it’s positive and negative impacts:

1) Spinach:
Spinach is very rich in iron. The problem is that it also contains oxalic acid, that impairs the absorption of iron. So this big amount of iron doesn’t reach the blood, but it is flushed away with the oxalates.

2) Liver:
The problem with liver is that it is the detoxification organ of animals, so it is loaded with toxins, heavy metals, and all kind of toxic substances.

3) Shellfish and fish:
Seafood, in general, is very polluted with heavy metals.

4) Legumes, mainly lentils and soy:
The inconvenience of legumes and pulses is that they are quite indigestible and cause bloating for most people.
Soy contains high amounts of goitrogens, that disrupt the function of the thyroid. Some studies show that soy is also linked to breast cancer, early puberty and early dementia.

5) Red meat:
Red meat may be a good source of iron if you are not vegetarian. High red meat intake has been linked to several health issues, mainly cardiovascular, and also cancer.

Other sources are quinoa, broccoli, chocolate, nuts, potato, etc.

But the amount of iron that is ingested in our food isn’t the origin of the low level of iron in most cases. People regularly eat red meat or legumes or other food that contain enough iron to fill the need. The main problem is not the lack in daily intake of iron, but the absorption of this iron.

The main preventer in this absorption of iron is due to the antinutrients. Antinutrients are substances that prevent the absorption of nutrients. You can find a detailed description of this topic in the article Foods by their antinutrient content. Food that contains a considerable amount of antinutrients against iron are:

1) Coffee. Caffeine can reduce the absorption of iron by up to 80%.
2) Legumes, whole grains and other seeds contain phytates that prevent the absorption of iron, zinc, calcium and other minerals.
3) Tea, chocolate, wine, coffee and vinegar contain tannin, that if consumed in excess, may lead to zinc and iron deficiency.

A poor iron absorption can also be due to damaged intestinal villi. These finger-like projections are the ones responsible for the absorption of the digested nutrients from the intestine to the blood. When their function is impaired, their task cannot be well performed. An example of this is the case of celiac disease, an auto-immune disease caused by a strong gluten intolerance. But villous atrophy can have other origins, such as parasites, some medications that suppress the immune system, some antibiotics and some anti-inflammatories; radiation, Crohn’s disease, lymphoma and AIDS, to name a few.

Anaemia is very often related with vitamin B12 deficiency. This deficiency is very often due to a lack of intrinsic factor, a protein made in the stomach. The production of intrinsic factor in the stomach can be impaired because of antiacid drugs, and it may also be due to an autoimmune disease against the parietal cells that make the intrinsic factor.

B12 deficiency is mainly caused by an unhealthy gut flora. Even though the intake of B12 is correct, this B12 that is present in the food must be transformed to methyl B12 in order to be available to the body. The responsible of this transformation is the good bacteria in our intestine. But if we have a bad gut flora then the process of methylation of B12 can not be performed, and it results in B12 deficiency.

Another possible cause of iron deficiency is the overgrowth of iron lover bacteria in the intestine. Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride explains in her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome: “ Most people with abnormal gut flora have various stages of anaemia. It is not surprising. They not only can’t absorb essential-for-blood vitamins and minerals from food, but their own production of these vitamins is damaged. On top of that, people with damaged gut flora often have a particular group of pathogenic bacteria growing in their gut, which are iron-loving bacteria (…). They consume whatever from the person gets from the diet, leaving that person deficient in iron. Unfortunately, supplementing iron makes these bacteria grow stronger and does not remedy anaemia. “…
“it takes more to remedy anaemia than supplementing iron. To have healthy blood the body needs magnesium, copper, manganese, iodine, zinc, and many other minerals, a whole host of vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, A, D, folic acid, pantothenic acid and many amino acids. It has been shown in a large number of studies all over the world, that just supplementing iron does not do much for anaemia. It saddens me to see that doctors still prescribe it to anaemic patients giving them a lot of unpleasant digestive side effects due to encouraging growth of pathogenic iron-loving bacteria and direct negative effect on the cells of the gut lining, which are already inflamed and very sensitive in GAPS patients”.

So a profound change in the nutritional habits has to be established in order to heal the gut flora and remove the iron loving bacteria. Supplementing iron is not the solution. The GAPS treatment is one possible approach, but there are many others, and it depends on every person. A deep study of the health condition and dietary habits has to be made in order to decide which is the best treatment.

Virus and exosomes

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada Roca) — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 20:22:00 +0100

Recent studies are showing that viruses are exosomes, messages between body cells. Exosomes are produced by cells when they are poisoned by some kind of toxicity (chemical, electromagnetic, emotional or any nature). Exosomes don’t come from the outside, but from inside of the body, and they play a very important role in disease healing.

Continue reading Virus and exosomes

The first suggestion I saw that exosomes are like viruses came from Bruce Lipton (1). Then, when I researched, I found several articles talking about exosomes:
"Exosomes: Generation, structure, transport, biological activity, and diagnostic application" (2),
"Exosomes - structure, biogenesis and biological role in non-small-cell lung cancer. (3)
"Exosomes: nanoparticles offering a new future to cure disease | Shivani Sharma | TEDxManhattanBeach" (4)

Dr. James Hildreth "now proposes that 'the virus is fully an exosome in every sense of the word.' " (5)

Later on, Doctor Andrew Kaufman published a presentation that shows that Covid-19 virus has exactly the same anatomy as exosomes. (6)

Exosomes are vesicles that contain genetic material inside, produced by cells with the purpose of communication between cells. It is suggested by Dr. Kaufman that when a cell is threatened by a chemical, bacterial toxin, electromagnetic radiation, stress etc., it releases exosomes with two main objectives. Firstly, to warn other cells of this danger; and secondly, to capture these toxics or toxins.

The message can be directed to neighbouring cells or to cells in other, sometimes distant, parts of the body. In order to recognize which cells are the destination, exosomes have a “key” in their membrane, that only can fit specific receptors of certain cells. These keys are proteins that confer the appearance of a “crown” in the case of Coronavirus.

Once an exosome reaches a recipient cell, it goes inside it and this cell takes the message, acts in consequence and replicates the exosomes. The action performed by this cell depends on the message it receives, and could involve the activation of the immune system, for example, in order to clean some kind of intruder, in other words, an inflammatory response. Another example is the activation of wound healing responses. In the previously mentioned articles, it has been shown that exosomes help the immune system, nervous system messaging and wound healing.

According to the conventional theory of viruses, viruses invade cells. From my point of view, this idea is a mis-interpretation. The virus doesn’t attack or invade, it just “opens the door” to enter a cell because it has the key.

In a bacterial infection, exosomes help to destroy the toxins produced by the bacteria.

Koch’s postulates

These are Koch's postulates, the requirements that a microorganism must fulfill in order to be the cause of a disease (7):

Koch’s postulates for microorganisms were redefined for viruses because viruses don’t fulfil the first requirement of the initial Koch’s postulates. Since then, the criteria for virus causality of a disease have evolved over the years (8)

Current postulates for viruses are Rivers' criteria (9):

1) Isolation
2) Cultivation in hosts cells
3) Proof of filterability
4) Cause the same disease
5) Re-isolation
6) Detection of specific immune response

Dr. Andrew Kaufman states that the main problem is that it is not possible to isolate a virus and the cultivation is not made in hosts cells. (12)

It has been claimed that Rivers' criteria has been shown to be fulfilled for SARS-CoV-1 (the virus related to SARS epidemic on 2002-2003) (10). Dr. Andrew Kaufman (12) gives a closer look on this paper, and argues that this is not correct.

1) They didn't isolate the virus, they just found genetic material.
2) They used monkey kidney cells for culture, not the human host cells.
3) They did not prove filterability.
4) They inoculate the virus obtained in a culture of monkey kidney cells (not the human host cells), and only 1 of the 2 monkeys got respiratory syndroms.
5) The did not re-isolate the virus. They just did a genetic testing.
6) The antibody response was not described as specific.

Concerning Covid-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2), there are not studies up to date that met the first three criteria and any studies address the rest of the criteria. (12)

My question is: can we be sure that following these postulates is a guarantee of cause-effect relationship between a certain virus and a certain disease?

I’m fairly certain that, if tested, exosomes could follow these criteria.

If a person is inoculated (injected) with exosomes, the body will react as if these exosomes have been produced by the self body: they will be replicated in the recipient cells and they will start to execute the message, such as activate the immune system (inflammation). These actions are what is commonly identified as a “disease”. So of course, exosomes would be responsible for the “disease” in the same way that viruses are.

However, this doesn’t proof that viruses, or exosomes, are contagious. In Koch’s postulates the inoculation or transmission from person to person is via manual intervention, by retrieving a sample in the source person and injecting or introducing the virus to the recipient person. The contagion theory has never been shown.

In Natural Hygiene we believe that people doesn’t catch viruses from other people, because we are protected by our skin, mucosa and immune system. Every person carries trillion of viruses inside. (11). There are always billions of symtomatic and asymptomatic persons in the world of flu, cold, SARS and all kind of viruses. If they were contagious, we would be continually experiencing pandemics. The only way to get a virus from another person, or other living being, is by injection.

The viruses / exosomes that are found in a person should come only from the same person, produced by their own cells. This is one of the reasons why vaccines are so dangerous, because we are directly injecting a message into a person, even if it has been "attenuated", when there is no need. We are telling our body to combat a bacteria that doesn’t exist, or to have an immune response to something that doesn’t exist, or to heal a part of the body that has not been hurt. This is, I think, one of the reasons why allergies, hypersensitivities and auto-immune diseases rise; we are making the body to go crazy with misleading messages.

Colds and Flus

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 13:35:00 +0100

We have been taught that colds and flus are caused by viruses, and medicines are prescribed for coughing, fever and pain.
Natural Hygiene has a very different perspective about these diseases, their cause and their treatment. In this post T.C.Fry’s teachings about the common cold and influenza are explained, from his book "The Life Science Health System"

Continue reading Colds and Flus

Almost as common as the “common cold” is the virtually universal misunderstanding as to what a cold really is.

The condition known as a “cold” is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose and throat; there also may be inflammation of the membrane lining the nasal sinuses, the larynx, the pharynx, or the bronchial tubes.

There is a profuse flow of mucus, initially thin and watery, gradually becoming thicker and whitish or greenish. The nasal lining thickens and interferes with breathing.

There may be a temporary loss of smell and taste. Often there is a raw, sore throat with a flow of mucus from this membrane, a husky voice, and a cough. The eyes and ears may become involved. The person feels miserable, and may have a fever, often a headache.

A disease that can be aborted to 24 to 48 hours lasts for weeks in many cases.

Treatments for colds

Everyone who has had a “cold” (and who hasn’t?) will agree as to the nature of the symptoms, and the misery they cause. But it is almost incredible to realize that the misunderstanding of colds, and the type of treatment commonly employed today, have changed very little in the last few hundred years.

The current medical community admits, that it hasn’t made much progress in its efforts against the common cold. The American Medical Association and doctors at Harvard Medical School say that colds still resist the best efforts of the world’s combined medical research talent.

German scientist Dr. W. Kruse announced in 1914 his discovery that colds were caused by viruses and this was hailed as the first big discovery on colds. After that, research sputtered along, seeking the elusive “cure” that was always just around the corner.

Dr. Robert Muldoon, specialist in virology, and professor of medicine at the University of Illinois, said in 1978, “Disgustingly enough, there is not much new about the, common cold. There really isn’t much you can do to protect yourself from a cold, and there still isn’t anything you can do for it once you get it except to treat the symptoms.” (We beg to contradict him!)

Dr. Muldoon took part in a classic experiment at the university with Dr. George Jackson, showing that exposure to cold temperatures or wet feet do not increase a person’s risk of catching a cold. He said that when a person with a cold sneezes on you, you can expect to receive a direct blast of germs, but your chances of catching his cold are only about one in ten. Dr. Muldoon does not give any explanation as to why he thinks nine out of ten people will not get the cold, even when directly exposed.

A cold research establishment in England has been working for twenty-five years to find a definite cause for the common cold. Everything they have tried has failed, though they have subjected volunteers to every conceivable circumstance in order to find some pattern or combination of factors which produce a cold.

Notwithstanding these conclusions (that no one knows the causes of colds)—I must insist that the causes of colds are known, and that the proper method of dealing with a cold has been known for many years. As long ago as 1873, Dr. Robert Walter said, “A cold is simply an effort of the system to relieve itself of its accumulated waste particles.”

Failure of the medical community to find the cause of colds is due to the fact that researchers are looking for something that isn’t there. No cure for the common cold has ever been found by the researchers for an excellent reason: the cold itself is the “cure.”

When the state of nervous energy is lowered, excretion, elimination and digestion are impaired. The two great causes of colds are exhaustion and repletion (surfeit).

When the state of bodily clogging which precedes a cold reaches intolerable proportions, the body organizes for a radical eliminative crisis. The temperature rises, the head and nasal passages become congested, appetite may disappear. The cold may go through various stages of eliminative processes, usually regarded as disease symptoms, instead of being understood as cleansing efforts of the body to unburden the vital organs.

If drugs are used to stop these processes, the body may face a more serious situation later on—perhaps influenza, or pneumonia, or possibly problems with other organs or functions.

We have been taught that colds lay the foundation for other more serious diseases. Rather, they are efforts to prevent the development of more serious conditions. The persistence of the causes, or the drug treatment common today, can lay the foundations for future degenerative pathologies. Chronic disease is due to chronic provocation.

Means of eliminating the accumulations must be employed by the troubled organism. Coughing, sneezing, discharge of mucus, all represent efforts on the part of the body to remove the accumulated unexcreted waste. The symptoms represent part of the remedial process, as the body is striving to maintain or restore the status quo—the homeostasis or physiological equilibrium.

When the body produces symptoms of a cold as vicarious elimination of toxic material which is threatening its survival, we should not even consider suppressing them. Why should we try to check a cough that is necessary to remove an obstruction? Why should we try to dam up in the body the noxious matter that the wisdom of the body has determined must be expelled?

Aspirin is the most commonly used cold remedy. Among so-called “health-minded” people, aspirin is often supplanted by vitamin C. Some people take both aspirin and vitamin C. Antihistamines are commonly used.

Neither “booze,” nor aspirin, nor antihistamines, nor vitamin C (nor anything else) can possibly “cure” a cold. Whatever temporary symptomatic relief they may afford is expiated later by accentuation and prolongation of the symptoms, and by insidious damage to the organism.

The most common “side effect” of aspirin is internal bleeding. Most people who experience slight gastric bleeding are unaware that it is occurring. Many people do experience overt, often serious, effects including burning mouth, throat and stomach; breathing difficulties and congestion; dizziness; lethargy; tinnitus (ringing of the ears); vomiting; a decrease in blood circulation; gastric bleeding, or hemorrhaging serious enough to cause ulceration or anemia, or to be life threatening.

Aspirin also interferes with the prostaglandin system, the body’s key defense against disease-causing elements, and the key to detoxification.

A study by researchers at the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland reported that five to ten percent of permanent kidney failure is due to damage by aspirin, acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol), and other analgesics (pain killers). I believe this to be a low estimate—Hygienists have been maintaining for years that drugs subject the kidneys (and the liver) to intolerable stress. The report says that taking three aspirin tablets a day for three years causes renal (kidney) disease, and many people are advised to use much more than that as blood thinners for chronic pain or to relieve arthritis and other inflammatory ailments. Dr. William M. Bennett told a National Kidney Foundation seminar that mixtures of drugs appear to cause more kidney damage than each drug alone. Dr. Bennett said it is not uncommon for people to take analgesics daily in the danger-level amounts, sometimes just to “feel good” or for the mild mood-altering qualities they have.

The mood-altering drugs in coffee and tea also have adverse effects on gastric, cardiac and renal function.

Alcohol, aspirin, antihistamines, and all drugs are designed to stop the body from doing what it is trying to do. The drugs form chemical unions with body tissues, fluids and processes, destroy the body’s ability to purify itself, dam up the poisons, and multiply the problems. So-called “natural cures” (herbs, vitamin C, etc.) are also used in an effort to thwart the action of the body.

Some people are under the impression that colds can be prevented or “cured” by megadoses of vitamin C. The publicity generated by Linus Pauling’s research and writings helped to perpetuate this belief. It is particularly unwise to use vitamin C if one is also taking aspirin, because vitamin C tablets intensify the effects of aspirin in the body, such as hemorrhaging and anemia.

It is true that a diet predominating in raw foods is high in vitamin C, and it is also true that such a diet is a good start in not developing disease. But vitamin C supplements are not food (contrary to what vitamin pill advocates are fond of proclaiming). The body’s reaction to their use is indisputable proof that they are just another form of drug. They are recognized by the body as acids and irritants, to be expelled as quickly as possible. Large amounts of vitamin C supplements trigger an extraordinary detoxification effort of the body (just as do garlic, mustard, camomille, etc.), at great cost in vitality and energy. Some of the toxins which made the cold necessary will often be borne out of the body, riding out on the “fast train” the body is using as an emergency measure to rid itself of the even more intolerable vitamin C supplements. The cold symptoms may disappear, due to the concurrent elimination of some of the toxins, but primarily due to the diversion of the attention of the body from the toxins causing the cold, to the more urgent necessity for getting rid of the acids and irritants in the vitamin C pills.

Viktoras Kulvinskas says, “Fighting colds with vitamin C results in acidification of mucus, which prevents its elimination via the respiratory system. It must instead be expelled by the kidney. The overall effect is strain on the kidney.”

The ultimate result of forcing the symptoms “underground” is insidious damage to the organism, and chronic degenerative disease.

Causes of colds

There is nothing mysterious about a cold—it is the body’s own cure for an intolerable condition brought about by the errors and omissions inherent in “civilized living.” Overeating; overconsumption of refined carbohydrates; too few fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables; coffee, tea, chocolate; soft drinks, hard drinks (even copious water drinking); insufficient muscular activity; not enough clean, fresh air; too little rest; excessive stress—the more of these mistakes we commit, the more often our bodies require “colds” or other eliminating crises.

Air-tight homes add to the problem. Modern homes outfitted with double- or triple-glazed windows; air-lock vestibules; weather stripping; insulation and plastic vapor barriers in walls, floors and ceilings make a “residential thermos bottle” which traps dangerous pollutants inside. In older, draftier homes, air is replaced by fresh air about once an hour. In today’s tightly-sealed homes, inside air is replaced only about once every ten hours.”

The net result of “civilized living” is that every cell in the body is filled with and surrounded by waste material, the blood vessels are lined with excesses of food, and the blood itself is overloaded with waste materials and excesses of food. Hygienists call this condition toxemia, and consider this to be the basic cause of disease.

When the cells, tissues and body fluids contain an abnormally high amount of metabolic waste, it is a threat to the organism. When the body reaches its toleration level, it must employ means of eliminating these accumulations.

Since the cells will, at all times, act in their own best interests, individually and cooperatively, they initiate a process to eliminate the wastes and excess food residues. The body speeds up some activities and reduces the level of others. Elimination is accelerated. The increased burning activity of the body in disposing of the excess materials produces greater heat—the body temperature rises and a fever is experienced. Loss of appetite is a self-protective mechanism.

“A cold is an intense and acute activity designed to rapidly, efficiently, and effectively expel accumulated wastes. … It is pure insanity to suppress the symptoms of a cold as is commonly done. … A cold is no more nor less than a period of intense housecleaning.” (Dr. Immerman) People speak of “catching a cold.” People with colds have not “caught” anything—it is just the opposite—they are getting rid of something: they are getting rid of accumulated foul material. A cold is a cleansing, rejuvenating, renovating process.

Toleration

A cold, or any disease, usually takes a lot of causation. The bodies of most people have taken so much punishment during the time since infancy, their bloodstreams have become so contaminated, that their levels of toleration have gradually increased. A nontoxic, healthy baby (or a truly Hygienic adult) has a relatively uncontaminated bloodstream. Improper feeding of the infant, too little sleep and rest, too much clothing, not enough fresh air and sunshine, results in a retention of toxic material and the baby develops a cold to eliminate wastes in excess of the toleration level.

As the bad habits continue and the child is dosed and drugged and “immunized,” the child’s body gradually learns to tolerate more toxins and will develop fewer eliminative colds and fevers. When bad habits force the system to learn to live with poisons, the waste products remain to damage the body and pave the way for the development of degenerative disease.

When the body has established high toleration levels, a cold does not eliminate all the toxemia—it only brings it down to a level at which the body has become adapted to functioning.

This adaptation is accomplished by the body as a means of preservation of life, since it could not survive the tremendous and constant elimination required by the mode of eating and living or the frequent interference with its remedial processes by drugs and treatments. So it adapts, sacrificing its level of vitality to the necessity for survival. Most physiological adaptations are regressive, as explained in detail in Lesson No. 66. The adaptation is not toward health; it is away from health. But the body has no alternative.

The toleration point can be returned to its pristine low level by fasting and improving the way of life. The toleration level of the average Hygienist has been reduced. The vitality has been restored to a point where the body will no longer tolerate a large toxic load, and may conduct extraordinary elimination at a level that would allow others to continue insulting their bodies. But if a Hygienist perceives the beginnings of cold symptoms, he knows what to do.

How to deal with colds

It is not true that colds are caused by viruses; that there really isn’t anything you can do to not cause a cold; or that there isn’t anything you can do for a cold once you get it except treat the symptoms (admittedly with scant success).

My [T.C.Fry] grandchildren have known what to do about colds since they were just a few years old. They know that the way to avoid colds is to avoid junk foods and overeating; and they know that a cold can be eliminated by withholding food completely when the first symptoms appear. They know that if one fasts for 36 or 48 hours (or, at the most, three days), the symptoms will usually disappear, and it will not be necessary to contend with a seven- to fourteen-day period of suffering nor the organic damage that can be caused to the respiratory organs or other parts of the body by a prolongation of the causes and the symptoms.

Such cooperation with the self-healing power of one’s own body enables the necessary elimination of toxins to proceed with a minimum of discomfort, a procedure which is quickly consummated.

It is not what we eat, but what we digest and assimilate that produces health and strength. Conditions which disturb or impair digestion produce decomposition, thus poisoning the body instead of supplying it with nutritional elements from the food eaten. Whether or not the individual is aware of overt symptoms of such decomposition, insidious damage occurs.

Acute diseases, such as colds, are debilitating, but they are self-limiting. Most people eventually recover without any treatment, or in spite of the treatment. For that reason, almost anything seems to be a “cure.”

When it is fully understood that a cold, or any disease, is body action and not an attack by an external entity, attempts are not instituted to suppress the body’s own defensive and remedial processes.

If the body is allowed to continue its cleansing actions, the person will feel much better afterwards. The only helpful means of aborting or shortening the duration of a cold is through fasting, keeping warm, getting plenty of fresh air and as much bed rest as possible.

This methodology will increase elimination of toxic materials through the regular channels of excretion, and will decrease the necessity for vicarious elimination through the nose, throat, eyes, etc. The headache and fever will subside and the other uncomfortable symptoms will be reduced and gradually disappear.

People who have frequent colds are conducting beneficial and necessary eliminative processes. Other people, equally toxic (or more toxic) may not have the energy to conduct such housecleaning and may, instead, undergo insidious degeneration.

The wise Hygienist will avoid toxemia, and avoid the necessity for so many housecleaning episodes. If such episodes are too frequent, damage to the channels of vicarious elimination will be inevitable.

Dr. Sidhwa says, “It must be pointed out that too frequent use of the same paths of vicarious elimination will lead to atrophy and degeneration of any path of elimination, as well as a gradual wearing down of the strength of the glands themselves. Although disease, especially acute disease, is a life-saving process, it is also a life-consuming process. Frequent stimulation leads to exhaustion, leading to further enervation of the whole system.”

Bacteria and viruses

When the body is undergoing a crisis of elimination, virulent bacteria (or viruses) may become involved as secondary or tertiary factors. The use of drugs may produce mutant, more resistant strains. Edwin W. Schultz, M.D., in an article in the Cyclopedia of Medicine, states, “It is well established that viruses do undergo variations … in virulence, in antigenic structure, and in the character of lesions induced … sometimes of a stable mutation type.”

All the newer knowledge about bacteria and viruses substantiate the Hygienic viewpoint: A healthy body will eliminate virulent or threatening influences, making disease unnecessary. Hygienists understand that disease originates inside the body as a result of poor eating and living habits; of physical, mental and emotional practices which subtly and insidiously weaken the organism.”

The true role of germs is as scavengers, breaking up and consuming dead and dying cells and other debris. Bacteria perform the same function in the toxic body as they do everywhere in nature.

Viruses, which the medical profession has been incriminating more and more as the cause of so many diseases, are not even living entities in the same sense as bacteria. Bacteria are microorganisms which have the ability to act. A Virus on the other hand, is not a living entity.

The poisonous materials called viruses have no existence apart from a living organism. Viruses are in no sense alive, nor do they have any ability to act, but their presence in the body is as toxic as any other retained body waste material, favoring the surfacing and multiplication of bacteria.

Actually, humans live symbiotically with bacteria. We adapt to, and are dependent on, bacterial flora. Health and disease are not antagonistic to each other. Disease does not attack the body, but rather is produced by it as a means of restoring health.

There are no “disease-producing” bacteria, germs, microbes, bacilli or viruses. It is the environment—the host—the disease condition—that determines the type of bacteria that proliferate. The germ does not produce the disease. The disease produces the germ by changing nontoxic bacteria into toxic bacteria in a septic environment.

During the early stages of a cold, the nasal secretions are completely void of bacteria. None are found in the thin watery secretion the first two or three days of the cold. When the thick purulent secretion begins, then pneumococci, staphylococci, or streptococci make their appearance.

Dr. Vetrano says, “Since bacteria are so conspicuously absent at the beginning of a cold, another cause had to be found. The unpopular idea that a person could change his life habits and not develop colds was too preposterous to entertain. The virus saved the day.” People don’t have to change their ways of life as long as they believe their colds are caused because they “picked up” a very malignant virus.

She adds, “Volunteers, we are told, developed colds when infected by filtrates of nose and throat washings from those who had colds. A poison, a virus is a poison, or any foreign agent, in contact with the nasal mucous membranes, occasions inflammation, rhinorrhea (running of the nose) redness and swelling, and fever in children. An example of which you can perform yourself, is to run a match stick up into the nostril. The nose will begin to run, sneezing will commence, and if kept there longer inflammation will develop to rid the body of the foreign agent.”

“When viruses are injected to cause colds in “susceptible” invidividuals, it must be remembered that only certain individuals develop symptoms of coryza, and that the great numbers of viruses present are treated as foreign agents and expelled by the only method the nose knows—inflammation and sneezing.”

A summation by Dr. Vetrano is concise and eloquent: “Colds develop and are not ‘caught.’ Bacteria and viruses have nothing to do with the development of coryza. They may be complicating features or function as saprophytes feeding on the debris. They arrive on the scene when tissues and fluids are abnormal and survive as long as the tissues remains abnormal. They help clean up the debris. Our enervating way of life is the true cause of colds.”

Why More Colds Develop in Cold Weather

Colds may develop at any time of the year, but the summer months show fewer colds because most people get more fresh air, sunshine, and exercise, and commonly eat less. The first colds of early winter are not “caught” from someone else with a cold but develop in those most susceptible because of the way they have been living and eating. The added stress of cold temperatures further checks elimination, adds to the general toxemia and enervated condition, and precipitates a crisis.

Leslie Thomson says, “To many people a ‘chill’ and a ‘cold’ are almost synonymous. It is an easy error, all the more so because it is not a complete fallacy; rather it is a seriously misplaced emphasis. Many people do develop a cold after an unpleasant incident in bad weather, but one should ask a few questions. In most cases the feelings of chill and the development of a cold are only different aspects—or successive stages—of a bodily springcleaning. When the body reaches a state in which retained wastes seriously impede normal vital functioning, the process has been so slow that the individual is only dimly aware of being substandard. Then some circumstance presents his system with an unusual challenge and the tolerance of his vital system is exceeded.” There is an inability to keep warm because the normal physical and chemical processes are so retarded that the heart is unable to maintain adequately free circulation. The body must, and does, organize for a thorough cleansing and rejuvenating “crisis”—uncomfortable, to be sure—but necessary—and eminently worthwhile. If no stupid interference occurs, “this wonderfully complex process achieves in a few days a massive ejection of waste and a burning up of combustible rubbish.”

Types of Influenza

Influenza often starts out like a simple cold. Sometimes the first symptoms are vigorous, and arrive without warning,. Suddenly the patient may suffer from fever, nausea, vomiting, severe neuritic pain, severe inflammation, general muscular aching, or other distressing or violent symptoms.

Leslie Thomson (son of Dr. James C. Thomson) describes the four main types of flu. No matter how novel the identifying names given by epidemiologists or immunologists, any particular case consists of either one of these types, or a combination of two or more.

Respiratory, which starts off with violent, paroxysmal coughing.
Gastro-Intestinal – nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are the immediate indications.
Nervous – headache of unusual severity, often concomitant with pains in neck, chest and upper abdomen. Depression and sleeplessness are common accompaniments.
Febrile – quite intense fever, sometimes accompanied by disorientation, to the extent of delirium. In this form, it is imperative that no nourishment whatever be given to the patient until the fever has subsided.

Leslie Thomson says that how individuals have lived, and the relative strength of the various vital organs—the individual physical makeup and the inherited temperament—are dominant and significant in determining the type and severity of the flu episode. Nobody needs to be “infected” by anyone else to develop flu. Flu is something which originates and is directed within the individual system.

Dealing with Influenza

A couple of days or more of bed rest with nothing taken in except sips of water, is all that is necessary. Plenty of fresh air should be provided, but chilling should be carefully avoided. No attempt should be made to bring down the temperature by prolonged cold bathing, or by applying ice packs, or alcohol, which can be a dangerous interference in the body’s processes.

After perhaps forty-eight hours, if the temperature is more or less normal, fresh fruit or small quantities of green salad may be offered. But the patient must continue to rest. There might be a second phase in a few days, during which food should again be withheld or reduced to a minimum. The patient should continue to rest in bed until the fever and shakiness have cleared.

If one must vomit, or experience diarrhea, to remove irritants and morbid matter from the body, it is the height of folly to try to block it. The body does not go to the trouble of initiating these modifications in its activities unless they are essential for survival.

Some waste is directly transferred from the bloodstream through the walls of the intestines into the alimentary canal, and then eliminated via vomiting and diarrhea. Violent diarrhea and vomiting rapidly clear the digestive tract so that it can be temporarily put to rest, and repair, rejuvenation and cleansing are accelerated. To eat while experiencing the flu is sheer insanity.

The heat of spontaneously-induced fever is produced for the purpose of acceleration of cell activity When the organism perceives that this is necessary. When there is an emergency, the metabolism is accelerated by increasing the amount of heat available. This is controlled by the hypothalamus, which is sort of a human thermostat.

Metabolism consists of the absorption of nutrients and the excretion of wastes. The heat is necessary to accelerate the excretion of wastes which have accumulated beyond the body’s ability to tolerate them, and beyond the body’s ability to eliminate without some extraordinary modification. Heat acts as a catalyst which causes the toxins to liquefy and pass into the bloodstream, where they are transported to the organs of elimination, and thus out of the body.

Herbert M. Shelton said, “Fever is a necessary increase in body temperature designed to enable the body, or some part or parts of it, to effectively meet and destroy some foe of life that is threatening the body and to repair damages.”

Eugene F. Du Bois, professor of Physiology at Cornell, University, in his monograph on fever, stated that antipyretics were abandoned in the early part of this century (although later their use was revived). Cold-tubbing in typhoid was also abandoned. Du Bois said, “Clinicians began to regard high temperature as helpful. This belief was strengthened by the realization that many pathogenic organisms (germs and viruses) were inhibited or killed at temperatures that could be tolerated by the human body.” The metabolism and chemical reactions of the body, including enzyme activity, are accelerated by a rise in temperature, thus enhancing the healing process. When fasting is employed during a fever, the metabolism and healing process are even more dramatically multiplied.

Both vaccinations and medications not only add more poison to the already overburdened system, they frustrate nature’s attempts to help you, and they prolong and intensify your miseries. In addition, they both Have the more insidious quality of increasing your susceptibility and vulnerability to future chronic and degenerative diseases.

Hygienists live to have health, not to prevent certain specific diseases. Good health is immunity against influenza and all diseases. Microorganisms only surface when there is a job for them to do—they help to clean up the debris created by atrocious diet and living habits.

Herbert Shelton said, “It is unfortunate that our seasons of good will and festivities are always seasons of overeating (commonly also of drinking), so that they are followed almost inevitably by colds, coughs, ‘flu,’ and more severe illness. Beginning with the orgy of Thanksgiving, extending through the revelry of Christmas and ending with the bacchanalia of New Year’s, our periods of festivity not only result in hundreds of deaths and much mayhem on the highways, but in more suffering and death from indulgence and excess. More bronchitis follows such indulgences than ever follows exposure. Those who are more moderate in indulgence, those who are least enervated and least toxemic escape the evolution of crises at these times, but often, they escape by the ‘skin of their teeth.’ “

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Gemma’s comments:

I would like to add that some recent stats show that most diseases increase during the winter and are lower during the summer, both chronic and infectious diseases. (strokes, absence rates)
If we accept the theory of toxemia, this fact makes sense, because in winter the life conditions are worse: low temperatures, low physical activity outside, low sunlight exposure, closed windows in buildings, … and the food and drink excesses during Christmas and New Year festivities add to the problem.
On the other side, what is the rational of germs being more virulent during winter, when all life beings are less active because of low temperatures?
Concerning epidemies, they could be explaining according to Natural Hygiene because people that live in the same area are exposed to the same enervating agents: weather and temperature; toxics in the air, water and food; traditions and festivities; political, economic and social problems; etc. In the same way, in a school all children breath the same air; drink the same water and eat the same food; as well as it is shared in a family. These are the elements that determine the contagion.
We don’t know for sure which is the correct theory concerning the responsible of colds and flus: germ theory or toxemia theory. I’m more inclined to the last approach.
In any case, it must be accepted that following a good nutrition and life style the colds and flus are almost inexistent, be it because we are stronger to “fight” against germs or because our body doesn’t need to do a cleaning process.

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Update Covid-19:

It has been found that viruses are, indeed, exosomes produced by the cell with the purpose of cell communication and toxin destruction.
Please watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWRbIIaPV78 and read this new post: "Virus and exosomes"

David's testimonial

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 12:18:00 +0100

The scientific literature on nutrition is very complex and full of contradictions. I am very critical about experts and very grateful to have met Gemma five years ago when I was looking for answers about celiac disease. At present, I am interested in nutrition as a general health and lifestyle issue. I started with a Paleo / GAPS diet for six months, followed by an essentially vegetarian diet. For the past five months, I have been on a natural hygiene diet (life science) based only on whole and fresh raw fruit, with an intermittent daily fasting. Symptoms I had, such as bad breath and hemorrhoids, completely disappeared for the first time in ten years. I also feel more vitality and brain clarity.
Gemma kindly advised me during these five years. She explained the different theories in a simple way so that I could decide what to do. She helped me apply them, from theory to practical advice, with recipes and weekly menus, as well as cooking lessons. She also supported me in decisions to be made at key moments (dips of tension, exaggerated weight loss), to become self-taught and to listen to my body (for example, to determine which foods suit me), and to become aware of the impact of sport, stress, emotions and sun on my health. Obviously, she does not have the answers to all the questions, but she admits it without any problem when it occurs.
Gemma is open, critical, scientific and passionate about nutrition and health in general. I particularly appreciate her thorough and up-to-date knowledge of nutrition and her honesty (she never tried to sell me nutrition products). We arrange an appointment in person or by videoconference when I need it, and she replys to my emails in less than 24 hours. I recommend Gemma's coaching warmly and without reservation!

Continue reading David's testimonial

Vegan or paleo? Choose vegan and paleo!

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 16:01:00 +0100

Vegan or paleo? Two approaches to nutrition that are completely opposed. How is it possible that both have considerably improved the health of many people?
Vegan and paleo!. Why not unite both approaches, taking the best of each one, to form a diet that is even better?

Continue reading Vegan or paleo? Choose vegan and paleo!

Both the nutritionists that favour vegan plant-based diets and those that stand for paleo diets have very good arguments supported by scientific studies. Innumerable testimonials are cited on both sides crediting the respective diet for their healing while criticising the damaging effects of the opposite diet on their health. The explanation for this may be found in the fact that both entail an improvement compared to a conventional “healthy and balanced diet”.
In the vegan diet, this improvement is the elimination of animal products and sub-products; while in the paleo diet grains, beans and pulses are removed. That is to say, not one but both of these foods are detrimental to our health: animal products, as well as grains and pulses. As such, by eliminating any of these foods, our health will benefit, as long as they are replaced with healthier products.
That is, if a person becomes vegan by replacing animal products by eating more bread, pizza, pasta and desserts, their health will worsen. In the same way, if by adopting a paleo diet grains and pulses are replaced with processed meat, canned fish, and dairy products, one’s health will also decline.
Instead, the replacement must be made by increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables. By doing so, either diet will bring about an improvement.
However, if one’s health does not improve even after making the replacement with fruits and vegetables, it is possible that the chosen diet was not appropriate to the type of healing (i.e. addressing a specific disease/illness) that was needed. For example, the principal causing factors of the Raynaud syndrome are the complex carbohydrates, so a vegan diet based on grains and starches won’t work. In this case, a paleo diet is more suitable. When following a paleo diet, however, it’s possible that new symptoms may begin to appear, including fatigue, dark circles under the eyes, constipation, bloating, slowing down of mental abilities, or even memory problems.
The improvement achieved by one of these diets would be even more significant if both of these were combined, by becoming vegan and paleo at the same time. How can we do this? This is possible by eating only the foods that are common in both diets.

Although there can be big differences between different branches of vegan or paleo diets, in general the food that is allowed in both diets are: fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. And these are precisely the foods that are recommended by the Natural Hygiene approach to health as the best sources of nutrition for humans.
As always, it is important to consider that one’s health condition may temporarily worsen in the process of changing one’s diet, due to the detoxification and possible withdrawal to food products that one might have been addicted to. In this case, consulting a nutritional therapist can be helpful.
Thus, if changing to a paleo or vegan diet has improved your health and you want to progress even further, opt for a paleo and vegan diet.

Put an end to your headaches without any kind of medicine

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 21:17:00 +0100

Headaches can be caused by certain foods when there is a predisposition to suffer neurological diseases, and also it can be due to bad life habits.
In this article we expose the main sources of headaches.

Continue reading Put an end to your headaches without any kind of medicine

We can highlight as the most common causes of headaches the following agents:

* Tobacco, smoked meat and fish:
Consuming smoked products and swallow tobacco smoke can lead to headaches.
These products contain a harmful substance called PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) that result from the incomplete combustion of food, tobacco and any kind of organic matter.
In addition to smoked food, other food that contain a high amount of PAH are food that has been cooked at very high temperatures, mainly barbecued, baked, fried, and roasted food. Boiling and steaming creates much less PAH. Here you will find more information about PAH concentrations in different cooking methods.
PAH are carcinogenic, and although in small doses, like the amount that can be normally found in the environment, it doesn’t signify a danger for most of the people; in more considerable amounts, like the intake of a smoked product or smoking tobacco, the effect begins to be significantly important enough to trigger a headache; and higher doses imply a significant risk of cancer.

* Alcoholic drinks and endogenous alcohol
It is known that the intake of an amount of alcoholic drinks that a person is not accustomed to, ends up in a hangover the following day.
But our body will suffer the consequences of the alcohol even without having any alcoholic drink, if we have a dysbiotic gut flora, such as for example, if there is an intestinal candidiasis or an intestinal overgrowth of any kind of mold or yeast. In this article you can read more about the endogenous alcohol production and its consequences. In this case, it’s necessary to find out which are the causes of that dysbiosis: a food intolerance, an excess of food consumption, stress, etc.

* Coffee addiction
The people who have coffee daily, experience migraine when they don’t have their daily dosis of coffee (caffeine).
Coffee is like a drug that creates addiction, so when the consumption is stopped or decreased, the related withdrawal syndrome appears, characterized mainly by headaches.
In order to abandone this addiction, it’s recommended to gradually reduce the amount of coffee every day, until stopping completely.

* Histamine intolerance
The people who have a histamine intolerance can suffer headaches, between other symptoms, when they have a certain amount of histamine in their food that exceeds their tolerance threshold.
The food that contains more histamine are all fermented food, such as dairy products, wine, vinager, soy products and fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, pickles, etc.). Other foods also high in histamine are: all processed meat and fish, such as charcuterie and canned fish; and shellfish.
Other food with a considerable amount of histamine are chocolate, coffee, tea, bread yeast, nuts, some fruits and any kind of food that is not fresh made.
Also, some food induce the release of our own histamine, such as some fruits, spices, egg yolk and additives.
To know more about histamine intolerance you can consult this article.

* Food intolerances
Eating food that you are intolerant to, such as gluten, eggs, dairy, nuts, etc., triggers an immune response caracterized by inflammation. The inflammation is shown as heat, redness, swelling, and pain. Depending on every person, the part of the body affected by the inflammation can differ. If the weak part of your body is the head, then food intolerances can lead to headaches.
You can know if you have a food intolerance with a blood test.

*Glutamate, aspartame
The artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, and some additives, specially the glutamate, are responsibles of many migraines.

* Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Some women suffer migraines before the period due to the hormonal changes and, headaches can start up to 14 days before the menstruation.
But PMS shouldn’t be considered as something “normal”. Improving nutrition and different aspects of life style PMS can be greatly decreased or even completely get rid of it.

* Electromagnetic sensitivity and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)
The people with electromagnetic sensitivity can experience migraines and cephalea when exposed to electromagnetic fields (WIFI, mobile, etc.); and people with MCS have the same problem when come in contact with any kind of chemical substance (cleaning agents, pesticides, perfumes, smoke, paint, etc.)
This sensitivity can be reduced in large part to a lower sensitivity thanks to nutrition and life style. In this article I explain my personal experience with MCS and how I got rid of it.

* Dehydration
The lack of water in your organism decreases the blood flow in the brain, and this may cause headaches.
In order to know if your headache is caused by dehydration, you can observe the presence of other usual symptoms associated with dehydration: dry mouth and thirsty; tiredness or sleepiness; low volume of urine and darker coloured urine; dizziness; dry skin; and even rapid heart rate, fever, nausea and vomiting, etc.
Evidently, you must drink more water if you are dehydrated, or take more food with high water content (fruits and vegetables).

* Other possible causes are: sleep depravation, extreme temperatures, strident noises, emotional problems, etc.

The effects of stimulants

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 16:39:00 +0100

Alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate, … are some of the stimulants that we consume on a daily basis.
We think that they are not harmful, and even some studies even claim they may be beneficial in small amounts. But what is really happening in the body of a person when he/she has these products? Why do they seem harmless if they are so toxic? And what happens when he/she tries to stop having them?
Did you know that some foods containing sugar, dairy and gluten follow a similar process in the body?
This article is a review of Herbert Shelton’s teachings about stimulants, from his book “Human Life. Its Philosophy and Laws”.

Continue reading The effects of stimulants

One of the Laws of Life, the Law of Vital Accommodation, states “The response of the vital organism to external stimuli is an instinctive one, based upon a self-preservative instinct which adapts itself to whatever influence it cannot destroy or control”. This means that when a human is exposed to a stimulant, the organism will try to defend itself from these substances, but if the defense is not possible, then the body will try to accommodate to it.

The intake of a stimulant produces the following phases in the body:

1) Refusal: Reaction against the product by developing a more or less strong acute disease
2) Tolerance and accommodation: Ceasing of the acute reaction. Stimulation and craving for that substance. Desensitization to the substance with the subsequent need to increase the amount. Protective reaction.
3) Exhaustion: Development of the chronic disease and organ failure.

Dr. Shelton explains the process the body undergoes from a strong refusal of the toxic substance to a resignation and tolerance:
“The first effort of the living organism, in response to adverse influences, is to overcome and destroy these. Failing in this it attempts to accommodate itself to such conditions and influences. For, what it cannot overcome, it must learn to endure or perish.
The man who habitually indulges in stimulation would exhaust and destroy himself with but few indulgencies if the organism had no means of curbing its reactions against the stimulation and thereby lessening the expenditure of vital power. The first effect of stimulation is exaltation of function; if it is long continued, or often repeated, exhaustion with an almost total abolition of function results. The repeated use of stimulants would soon result in death. But their repeated use soon brings about a condition in which the organism ceases to respond so readily and violently to the stimulant. If the former amount of stimulation is to be received from the stimulant a larger amount of the stimulant must be used.
All normal individuals are possessed of a natural repugnance to poisonous and injurious substances. The instinctive aversion to any kind of poison may be perverted into an unnatural craving after that poison. Instinct is plastic. If the warnings of the organic instincts are unheeded, and the offending substance is again and again forced upon the body, nature, true to the law of self-preservation, seeks to prolong life by adapting the body to poison.
The first smoke usually occasions a very powerful reaction against it on the part of the organism. The young man or woman is made very sick; there is headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, dizziness, muscular relaxation, tremor, weakness, etc. So long as the physiological powers and instincts are undepraved and unimpaired they instantly perceive the poisonous character of the tobacco and give the alarm to the whole system. A vigorous effort is made to destroy and eliminate it and the user is forced to throw away his tobacco. But if he continues to repeat the performance, the reaction against it grows less and less with each repetition until, finally, he is able to use many times the original amount without producing such results. His system learns to tolerate it and adapts itself to its use as far as possible. The system soon becomes depraved and its power impaired by the use of the tobacco, its poisonous character is no longer detected and no alarm is given; rather a craving for the substance is developed. However, the habitual use of any substance that is injurious in itself cannot in any way render it harmless or beneficial and the habitual presence of any such substance is injurious to life, even, though, no energetic effort is made to resist its action.
What is here said of tobacco is true of other poisonous substances. Ordinarily the user of drugs such as tobacco, opium, alcohol, cocaine, etc., becomes so accustomed to their use that he is able to take at one time enough of his favorite drug to kill several non-users outright, and yet, it only produces in him an apparent normal condition of comfort and strength.
If given time the body is able to adapt itself to all kinds of varying conditions. Only sudden and violent changes become immediately destructive of life. If we suddenly force upon the non-user the amount of alcohol, arsenic or opium used by the accustomed, it may cost his life.
Under natural living conditions, where enervating influences are removed and the organism is gradually strengthened, the body arouses itself to acute eliminating efforts or crises. These, too, occur, apparently, in accord with the law of periodicity and are similar to all other crises. Crises usually last until the disease producing factors have been reduced to the toleration point. this point varies with the individual and with the varying conditions of the individual. Thus the greater the amount of vitality one possesses, the less morbid matter will his system tolerate, and as the vitality of one with chronic disease is gradually raised, his toleration point also rises so that crises occur.
After toleration for any deleterious substance has been established, those acute reactions that followed its initial employment, arise only when one takes an unaccostumed amount of his accustomed poison. I will give a few examples from life to illustrate what I mean by this.
A man who suffers from constipation resorts to epsom salts to force his bowels to move. They work like a charm. He continues to use them until toleration is established and, then, finds that in order to secure the desired movement, he must increase the size of the dose. By using more slats than the body has learned to tolerate he secures bowel action. Similarly, physicians, in giving stimulants to their patients, find that they must continually increase the size of the dose, or, resort to another and unaccustomed poison, to secure the desired stimulation. The body is forced to accommodate itself to such substances, so that it no longer reacts violently against them, or else it will exhaust itself in the frequent reactions.
Arsenic may be taken with food as a seasoning; as freely as table salt, with as little immediate evidence of its poisonous character; and even prussic acid, which kills instantly like lightening, where the body is wholly unaccustomed to its action, may with proper care be gradually brought to act upon the human system, till it can be used with considerable freedom.
This wonderful capability of the living body to adapt itself by physiological depravity to the action of poisons of every kind, has not only led the human race to the excessive use of such substances as means of intoxication, but, almost as a necessary consequence, has also led them to the full belief that those substances are innocuous and salutary.
From an experience of this kind, the poisonous character of tea, coffee, tobacco, opium, alcohol, and all other narcotic substances, has been boldly and vehemently denied, by those who habitually use them as means of stimulation and intoxication.”

Regarding how to stop an addiction to these stimulants, Dr. Shelton says:
“Habits, gradually built and long established, cannot usually be suddenly broken. It is often the sudden breaking off of a habit, long practiced, it is often followed by one or more crises more or less severe as the organism seeks to accommodate itself to the changed conditions.
When a bad habit, like the tobacco habit or alcohol habit, is given up, the individual will lose weight and undergo crises and this will convince him that the abandonment of the bad habit was injurious. What was really happening was the tearing down and casting out of the system of the depraved tissues and substances and this is then followed by a renewal and regeneration of the body. The crises and loss of weight are beneficial measures and should be welcomed, not feared.
The headaches suffered by the coffee user when deprived of coffee, the pams suffered by the drug addict when deprived of his drug; the the unsteadiness of his nerves suffered by the tobacco user when deprived of his tobacco; the depression suffered by the stimulant user when deprived of his stimulant - these are not evidences of the beneficial influences of these substances but are evidences of their deleterious character. Outraged nerves and other tissues are simply coming out from under their influence and making their true condition known. Greater or less suffering and discomfort which are regarded by superficial and ignorant observers as indications of an adverse change, immediately result, but the sequel is a happy issue. “

In the presence of these substances, the body’s most important protective reaction is the hardening of tissues, as Dr. Shelton explains:
“The law of accommodation cushions the bottoms of the feet of bare-foot boys, girls and adults, and guards the hands of the manual laborer by a similar cushion. In the mouth, throat, stomach, intestine and bowel, a similar hardening and thickening takes place to guard the at first sensitive linings of these organs against the constant irritation to which they are ignorantly subjected by those who use tobacco, mouth washes and gargles, alcohol, coffee, tea, salt, pepper, mustard, horse-radish, spices, cathartics, mineral waters, etc. But this is an expensive business - this business of keeping the system accustomed to the action of irritants so that the sensibilities shall not be kept under torture by these. Such protection does not render them harmless.
A similar hardening and thickening must take place in the arteries and veins. Hardening of the arteries is due to irritation caused by toxins and irritants of all kinds.
Alcohol, whether ardent spirits, malt liquors, wines, cider or other alcoholic drinks, is a strong poison. It is highly irritating to every organ and tissue of the body and there is not one of them that is immune to its destructive influence. it coagulates the protoplasm of the cells of the body, just as it coagulates, or cooks, the white of an egg. This coagulation impairs and destroys the cells.
The normal cells are then replaced by a substitute of connective tissue cells forming what is called ´scan-tissue´. This may occur in the brain and spinal cord resulting in paresis, paralysis, insanity and other nervous disease; in the liver producing sclerosis; in the heart and arteries producing hardening and other troubles in these; or it may occur in the lungs, kidneys, muscles or any other organ of the body. The functioning powers of these organs are gradually destroyed and the individual’s resistance to other disease influences is lowered.
Moderate drinkers are not immune to these effects. They receive their full share of them. In fact, the habitual ´moderate´ drinker receives more injury from alcohol than the occasional drinker who gets drunk when he does drink. It is used as a stimulant to digestion, but finally wrecks digestion.”

Don’t forget that a person can have alcohol in their body even if he/she doesn’t drink alcohol at all, if he/she presents some yeasts in his/her gut flora that produce alcohol from the ingested carbohydrates. This results in the same damage as drinking alcohol.

"Tea, coffee, coca-cola cocoa and chocolate shall all be considered together because they all contain very much the same active principles and have very much the same effects. Neither of them have the slightest excuse for existences as beverages. Tea and coffee contain no food value, while the unaltered flavors of all of them are obnoxious to every unperverted taste.
They act primarily as stimulants and secondarily as depressants, or sedatives. Like tobacco, opium, and alcohol they are habit forming, and they are habit forming to exactly the degree in which they are stimulating. And they are stimulating in the degree to which they are poisonous and unfitted for the real needs of the body. The bitter, nauseous tastes of all these substances require the addition of sugar or other substances before they can be used by the undepraved taste.”

Finally, the toxicity of these products leads to exhaustion and chronic diseases:
“Give a stimulant to a man of full-resistance and he reacts to it with increased activity and an increased feeling of well-being. When the period of increased activity ends there sets in, due to the excessive expenditure of energy and substance, a period of depression.
All stimulants enable one to work beyond one’s normal strength. That is, they enable to keep on working long after nature has called for rest. They do this, not by adding to the powers of the body, but by calling out the powers held in reserve. They act in the same way a spur does on a tired horse. Slowly but surely, the reserve powers of the body are consumed under the influence of stimulants and physical bankruptcy follows.
Coffee, tea, coca-cola, cocoa and chocolate, because of their almost universal use, are great offenders in this respect. They produce enervation and sleeplessness in proportion to their use. Those who use them become coffee and tea or cocoa inebriates. They are addicts as truly as the opium user. the habitual user of tea or coffee is tired, irritable and suffers with headache and other discomforts when deprived of his habitual cup. Nervous diseases result from the employment of such nervines.
The body accommodates itself to the habitual use of tobacco, alcohol, opium, etc., to the extent of its ability to do so, but this does not prevent these substances from slowly and gradually undermining the constitution and finally resulting in disease and death.
Likewise, the unnatural and morbid conditions which have been imposed upon the system, which it has not been able to overcome but has been compelled to accommodate itself to, also, gradually and insidiously undermine the system, resulting in disease. If the body is able by the means of a crisis to overcome the disease influence then health is the result of disease. But if it is unable to overcome such influences and is not destroyed by them, it is forced to settle back into its accustomed quiet and make the condition as bearable as possible, This gives us chronic disease.”

Even if sugar, gluten and dairy products are not exactly stimulants, they have addictive properties and it has been suggested in several studies that they may be considered as “drugs”, at least for some persons, i.e. those who have difficulty digesting these products.
The following are some important studies that reveal the addictive character of sugar, which is even stronger than cocaine:
"Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake"
"Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward"
And here you can read more about the opioid effect of gluten and dairy products.
Tolerance to sugar, gluten and dairy products is developed in the organism the same way that tolerance to stimulants or any kind of drugs.
In infancy, from 4 months old, babies are gradually introduced to different grains or cereals, animal dairy products and other food. The organism of most of the babies refuse these foods showing up in different ways: vomiting, regurgitations, diarrhoea, eczema, mucus, etc. But we, parents, believe blindly in our doctors, who never link these diseases with food, and then we persevere giving these foods in increasing amounts and unhealthier forms, until child’s body finally gives up and stops the refusal, an inaction that we interpret as a “tolerance”. But in the same way as stimulants, what really happens in the long term is an exhaustion of the system, damages in body organs, development of chronic diseases, etc.
Later on, as teenagers, the process starts again with other more harmful substances: alcohol, tobacco, and sometimes also drugs. First there’s a rejection, second a tolerance, and finally exhaustion.
And in adulthood, if not before, we need the use of even stronger neurolytic substances, because the softer ones don’t have an effect on us anymore - we tolerate them - , and the real causes of our problems (physical, psychological or spiritual) and diseases have never been addressed.

Has lettuce opioid effects?

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 17:06:00 +0100

Has you ever felt a little bit sleepy after eating a salad? Or lightly constipated when you eat a very large salad?
Lettuce contains a substance called lactucarium that “is known as lettuce opium because of its curative sedative and analgesic properties”, although it’s not an opium derivative.
“The chemical constituents of lactucarium that have been investigated for biological activity include lactucin and its derivatives lactucopicrin and 11β13-dihydrolactucin. Lactucin and lactucropicrin were found to have sedative activity in measurements of spontaneous movements of the mice.” (Wikipedia)
Not every person will feel the sedative effect of this substance; the sensitivity of every person is very different. But if you are a hyper sensitive person, and you react to food-drugs such as coffee, chocolate, tea, coke, spices, herbs, etc., then I recommend you to be careful with lettuce. Have salads preferably in the evening meals, and avoid lettuce if you have tendency to have constipation. But also, if you are highly sensitive, you may use it as a medicine as an analgesic!

Continue reading Has lettuce opioid effects?

Food Intolerances: do they only affect some people?

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sun, 16 Sep 2018 16:23:00 +0100

A food intolerance or allergy is a rejection of a certain food that can manifest itself in one or several of many ways, though principally in the form of gastrointestinal and dermatological problems.
We perceive these as illnesses, given that the body rejects foods that we consider to be healthy. This happens because the body considers these foods to be harmful. But according to the Natural Hygiene perspective, the human body is wise, and it always generates the most adequate responses towards survival. In that case, why is it that it reacts in such an exaggerated way to regular foods?
A possible answer to this question is that perhaps these foods that people develop intolerances/allergies to are not as healthy as we thought. But why do only some people reject these foods?

Continue reading Food Intolerances: do they only affect some people?

When a harmful food product is ingested, a two-stage elimination process begins to take place. The first is an attempt to neutralize the harmful substances, and the second is through excretion: feces, urine, expired air and transpiration. But, what happens if these elimination routes are overloaded, for example, due to an excess in the amount of food eaten? The way the human body deals with this problem depends on several factors: genetics, the amount of food eaten, the general health of the individual, their personal history with that particular food, etc.
Depending on these factors, we are programmed to deal with inadequate foods in one of two ways: using ‘extraordinary’ routes of elimination or storing harmful substances where they do not cause any immediate harm.

The ‘extraordinary’ route for elimination is the immune system. It cleans our body of the harmful substances that have entered our blood circulation due to overloaded or low-functional routes of elimination. This may be due, for example, to the leaky gut syndrome; constipation; an overloaded liver due to large quantities of ingested toxic products or toxins, stress, depression or any other emotional problem that reduces the energy of our organs; lack of sleep, or rest; etc.
But the immune system’s action creates inflammation, with its consequent effects: pain, mucus or pus, swelling and redness. These are the common symptoms of strong respiratory or dermatological allergies such as rinitis, asthma, eczema or Quincke’s Edema; but also common diseases such as colds, coughs, flu, bronquitis, etc.
And when we need urgent elimination due to the dangerousness of these products, the elimination process is accelerated with vomiting and diarrhea.

In the case where the organism opts to store undesirable substances instead of eliminating them, we encounter an increase in weight. The advantage for these individuals is that they do not suffer from illnesses of elimination, but the transport of these substances until the point of storage is not without cost: that’s where cardiovascular diseases appear.
Subsequently, these substances will end up by dirtying the extracellular environment, and harming tissues and organs of the body, forming ulcers, cysts, and even cancer.
In autistic children, for example, it seems their disorder may be due to a deficient detoxification system, which entails an accumulation of heavy metals in the brain.
Most people tend to be a mix of these two types (elimination and storage), such that under certain circumstances, they may suffer from acute or chronic inflammatory elimination illnesses, according to their energetic state and the food ingested, and under other circumstances will tend to store them where it is least harmful.

So to answer to the question of the title (Food Intolerances: do they only affect some people?): everyone has some type of intolerance and/or allergy. What is different is the way that it manifests itself, with gastroenterological; or dermatological; or respiratory; or cardiovascular; or inflammatory illnesses.

In medical jargon, it is considered that those who do not react with elimination, as in, with allergies and/or intolerances, tolerate all foods. Simply, due to being overweight, they are recommended to eat less and do more exercise. But the problem is much more serious, and it must be treated in the same way as with a person who has intolerances/allergies; the solution is much more complex than simply reducing the food intake and doing more exercise.
If, in face of certain foods, the human body either tries to eliminate them or store them where they do not cause any issues, could it not be that certain foods are simply not as healthy as we thought? Instead of blaming the human body for rejecting certain foods, perhaps we should question whether the problem lies in the foods that we eat, and the circumstances that affect digestion, as in, our entire way of life, from exercise to our emotional and spiritual lifestyle.

The Brain Microbiome: a new discovery with important potential implications on brain health?

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sat, 16 Jun 2018 16:30:00 +0100

We already know about the gut microbiome or gut flora - the population of bacteria and other microbes that live in our gut. Recently, Dr. Marco Ruggiero has started to study the brain microbiome - the microbes that live in our brain, and the impact of those microbes on the function of the human brain.

Continue reading The Brain Microbiome: a new discovery with important potential implications on brain health?

Dr. Marco Ruggiero gave a very interesting webinar called “The Brain Microbiome” last February 2018. He introduced some very new ideas in the area of medicine; some of which I will explain to you in this post.

First of all he coined the concept of “The Fourth Brain” . The first brain is the one we all know about, which is located inside the skull. The second brain is the Enteric Nervous System, a network of neurons that lines the entire digestive track. It causes the sensation of nervous butterflies or a pit in your stomach for example, as well as performing very important digestive functions. The third brain is the Gut Microbiome, which is responsible for providing 90% of body’s serotonin and 50% of its dopamine. And this new Fourth Brain is the Brain Microbiome, the microbes in our brain.

Up to now, it was thought that our brain was sterile, that there was no kind of microbe inside. But in January 2013 an article was published that attracted the attention of Dr. Ruggiero: “Brain Microbial Populations in HIV/AIDS: α-Proteobacteria Predominate Independent of Host Immune Status” (1), a study of the susceptibility of people suffering from AIDS to develop infections in the brain due to their weakened immune system. In order to do this, the research team analyzed the microbes that were present in the brains of the people who had died from AIDS, and compared them with the microbes from people who had died for other reasons. To their surprise, they found that there were microbes in ALL the people, not only those suffering from AIDS! Of course, they verified that there was not a contamination.

The kind of microbes that were found in the brain are different to the ones that are present in other parts of the body. In the brain the predominant bacteria is α-Proteobacteria, while in the other body parts the ones that dominate are Firmicutes, Bacteriodetes and Actinobacteria.

They also analyzed the microbes in the brains of animals, and found that only the brain of primates contained some microbes, but not any other mammals.

It seems that some microbes that exist in the environment, i.e., soil and water, get into our body through oral consumption or inhalation and they are transported to the brain by our immune system: lymphocytes and macrophages that are trafficking into the brain; probably in purpose, hypothesizes Dr. Ruggiero. The reason why these microbes are transported to the brain would be because it represents an evolutionary advantage. Let’s explain the benefit of these microbes.

The first beneficial function of α-Proteobacteria is detoxification. Dr. Ruggiero says that some research indicates that they may help to keep the brain clean from harmful toxic products that could get into the brain.

The second benefit is the stimulation of neural connections. Dr. Ruggiero conducted an experiment where brain cells were cultivated in a petri-dish with brain microbes. He found that the number and complexity of connections were increased by the presence of microbes. He concluded that “there is experimental evidence that the influence of the microbes on the neurons is immense”.

Dr. Ruggiero found in another research paper (2) that probiotic supplementation promotes calcification, through the stimulation of the expression of key genes involved in ossification. He then extrapolated that research to the time where the skull fontanelles are closed. In humans this time is delayed compared to the other primates, which allows the brain to grow more, and an increased cranial capacity allows the development of a more complex neural system.

He then concludes that “fermented foods (rich in probiotics) were the responsible of us to have a higher craneal capacity, more rich neural network and brain detoxification”.

All these discoveries are quite important in terms of how nutrition, especially fermented foods and probiotic supplementation, can impact the brain function. However, he must also consider:

1) In the first article on the brain microbiome in AIDS patients (1), living patients who had undergone brain surgery for epilepsy were also studied and considered within the control group. The rest of the control group included patients who had died from diseases other than AIDS. Interestingly, the bacteria count was much lower in these living patients than in dead patients (AIDS or control). No actinobacteria, beta-proteobacteria or gamma-proteobacteria were found in the surgical samples, while these was present in the rest of the brains from deceased patients. The amount of α-Proteobacteria was also considerably lower in the living patients.
In the next table, the exact counts of each bacterial class for each case are shown as published in the article (1) , where ‘HIV’ denotes the patients who died of AIDS, ‘SUR’ denotes the patients submitted to surgery for epilepsy, and “Others” are the patients who died for reasons other than AIDS.

Clase bacteriana	HIV1	HIV2	HIV3	HIV4	SUR1	SUR2	Others1	Others2	Others3	Others4
α-Proteobacteria	41	49	37	17	3	19	168	39	98	27
Actinobacteria	17	9	24	4	0	0	13	8	6	7
ß-Proteobacteria	0	0	1	0	0	0	5	3	0	0
γ-Proteobacteria	0	4	1	0	0	0	2	0	2	20

This raises the question of whether the development of these microbes is a post-mortem effect (which would explain why the living patients have lower counts of bacteria, perhaps depending on their health). So in my humble point of view, perhaps the presence of microbes in the brain could be a sign of decay, that is, the development starts when there is some kind of disease, especially neurological diseases such as epilepsy, or after death in the case of a person with a healthy brain. It would be necessary to analyse the brain microbiome of a perfectly healthy, living person for this to be confirmed, however this has never been done, or at least published in a scientific journal.

2) Similarly, the experiment showing augmented neural connections when brain cells are in a proteobacteria-rich environment may be interpreted in a different way. It is known that slightly stressful situations, such as challenges, stimulate our intelligence. In nature, it is known that organisms who are submitted to some degree of defiant environment grow better. For example, fruit trees that grow in wild environments submitted to weather inclemencies such as strong winds give much richer fruits than the ones that grow in protected environments without wind. In the same way, an environment full of microbes constitutes a very important challenge for the survival of a cell, stimulating them to grow more and create more connections in order to solve this problem of microbial infection. Again, we cannot know for sure whether the presence of microbes is an advantage for the brain’s development or just a dangerous and stressful situation.

So I think that the conclusions that Dr. Ruggiero states concerning the brain microbiome must be taken with a little caution and more research is required.

One must also take into account the conflict of interests that he himself recognizes. He is the founder of a company dedicated to the development and production of advanced microbiome-based probiotics.

References

(1) Branton WG, Ellestad KK, Maingat F, Wheatley BM, Rud E, Warren RL, et al. (2013) Brain Microbial Populations in HIV/AIDS: α-Proteobacteria Predominate Independent of Host Immune Status. PLoS ONE 8(1): e54673. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0054673

(2) Maradonna F, Gioacchini G, Falcinelli S, Bertotto D, Radaelli G, Olivotto I, et al. (2013) Probiotic Supplementation Promotes Calcification in Danio rerio Larvae: A Molecular Study. PLoS ONE 8(12): e83155. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083155

Having a dog: The best way to Live Healthier and Longer

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 16:35:00 +0100

Having a dog is one of the best investments for your health and your whole family's.
According to studies, people who have a dog have a longer presumed life span of 10 years (1).
The exercise done thanks to the necessary daily walks, the unconditional love, the company, the fidelity and the protection that a dog offers you; and the love that a dog portrays in their owner, these are all factors that spectacularly improve someone’s health. Additionally, there exists dogs trained for people with disabilities and for kids with a development disorder.

Continue reading Having a dog: The best way to Live Healthier and Longer

We have recently adopted a dog. She is a Labrador, a breed that is very strong, energetic and intelligent; and very sweet and affectionate. They need a lot of exercise and offer a lot of love.
The positive effects in our family’s health have already begun to be noticeable.
My daughter is responsible for walking her when she comes back from school and in the week-ends; so now the time that she spends in front of her computer has decreased, and has increased the amount of time that she spends outside; evidently, walking the dog.
My husband and I also walk her daily, we have substantially increased the amount of daily physical exercise. In my case, this helps me with being able to better tolerate certain foods and to have better quality of sleep.
Like mentioned before in this previous article, increasing the energy of the body thanks to many different factors, such as physical exercise or the sun, affects the energy used in digestion, improving the capacity of tolerating different foods. The physical exercise also helps fall asleep faster and to enjoy a deeper sleep.
In addition, if the owner suffers from some kind of psychological disorder, such as a depression, a bipolar disorder or a obsessive compulsive disorder, having a dog can be the best kind of therapy. In my case, my obsession with cleaning the house has greatly disappeared. The truth is that it is impossible to maintain a house with a garden impeccably when you have a dog, and the love for the dog will overpowered the need to have an immaculate house.
And for hyperactive, autistic and disabled kids, a dog can be a great help in their situation. In these cases it is preferable to have an assistance dog trained to accompany these kind of kids. In this article is mentioned that these dogs "They act as motivators and reinforcers of behaviours, as well as catalysts of emotions, their socialising effects are very effective, and encourage, among other things, the increase of social skills; the attention; concentration; the communication; and self-esteem. “
In the words of David R.Hawkins (1): “The more we love, the more we can love. Love is limitless. Love begets love. this is why psychiatrists recommend having a pet. A dog, for example, brings love and expands love in the heart of the owner. Love prolongs life. In fact, research documents that having a dog extends the owner’s life by ten years! Just think of all the bizarre exercises, diets, and other regimens that people go through to add relatively small amounts of time on to their life, when they can simply get a dog and add ten years! Love has a powerful anabolic effect. Love increases endorphins, which are life-enhancing hormones. You live ten years longer with a dog in your life because a dog catalyses the energy of love, and that energy of love heals and prolongs life.”
Having a dog is an experience that I recommend to all families and it suits people of all ages!

References:

“Letting go. The pathway of surrender”, David R. Hawkins (p.177):

Hunger and appetite

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 17:57:00 +0100

This explanation about the difference between hunger - a real need of food - and appetite - just a desire for food - has been extracted from “The Life Science Health System” by T.C. Fry.

Continue reading Hunger and appetite

“Hunger is the great safeguard of all life. It impels the organism in need of food to search for and procure food. It may be safely inferred that if there is no hunger, there is no need for nourishment. Hunger is a normal expression of a physiological need and when it is absent, we may take it for granted that the physiological need that gives rise to it is also absent. When hunger is absent, therefore, no food should be taken.

We use to mistake the morbid sensations of a food-drunkard for the normal expressions of life. Real hunger, rather than producing lassitude and drowsiness, or faintness, produces alertness and activity in the search for food.

The feeling of emptiness, and the gnawing are not symptoms of hunger. Neither it is a feeling of weakness, headache, or nausea. These are morbid sensations representing gastric irritation, a neurosis, gastric ulcer, indigestion, gastric catarrh, reaction from withdrawal of stimulation, etc., rather than hunger. That faint sinking feeling at the pit of the stomach, with a morbid craving for something to eat, is due to catarrhal inflammation of the lining membrane of the stomach. Such symptoms of gnawing and faintness are seen in their height in cases of acute gastritis as well as in gastric ulcer. Indeed, a bowel movement may induce them in cases of colitis.

How often we see people who are always eating and who complain that they are always hungry. They eat several times a day and three or more times at night, but they never seem to get enough to eat. Of course, these people are never hungry; they are food drunkards who employ food as palliation. Eating temporarily “relieves” their gastric and nervous distress. They are merely extreme cases of what physiologists mistake for hunger. The sense of all goneness in these cases is not from a lack of nutrient material, but owing to the absence of the habitual stimulus.

If left alone these morbid sensations sooner or later pass away, but if palliated by eating or or by drink; they are but temporarily smothered. As soon as the stomach is again empty of food, they are back again, perhaps with renewed intensity. It is true that eating will allay these sensations, just as a shot of morphine will relieve the morphine addict, and there is just as much sense in taking food in the first instance as there is in taking the morphine in the last.

True hunger is felt in the mouth and throat and is related to the senses of taste and smell. it is indicated by a watering of the mouth for plain food, for any kind of food. True hunger is a mouth and throat sensation rather than a stomach sensation. It’s similar to thirst. Thirst if felt in the mouth and throat and there is a distinct and conscious desire for water.

Most men and women have never experienced normal hunger in all their lives. Their appetite and taste are perverted by overfeeding in infancy, and have never had a chance to become normal during the whole course of their lives - owing to the overfeeding being continued ever since. It began with the first meal which the baby was forced to eat before they were ready for it. Thereafter, every outcry of nature was interpreted as a signal of hunger. The meals of the infant, all through the first year of life are regulated by the tunes of crying. Gastric impairment and gastric distress are built in infancy by wrong feeding. “

In this other article you will find more information about the cause of cravings, food addiction and overeating, as well as some tips to overcome these food-related disorders.

Auto-immune diseases and allergies: an error of human nature?

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:43:00 +0100

Auto-immune diseases and allergies have in common that they are considered by conventional medicine as a malfunction of immune system.
But, are there any other hypothesis? Is it possible that in reality the organism is not wrong, but it is giving the most adequate response in the given circumstances?
If it’s not a failure of the immune system, have the anti-inflammatory remedies any sense?

Continue reading Auto-immune diseases and allergies: an error of human nature?

In auto-immune diseases, medicine considers that cells of our body are attacked and destroyed by mistake. Depending on the damaged organ, it will result in different diseases. For example, in rheumathoid arthritis the attack is produced in the joints; in celiac disease the intestinal villi are destroyed; in diabetes type 1 it is the pancreas the affected organ; in multiple sclerosis it is about nerves; in psoriasis it is the skin; etc.
“The exact cause of autoimmune disorders is unknown” is said in MedlinePlus, as well as in any site dedicated to conventional medicine that addresses this subject.
In conventional medicine several hypothesis are offered to explain the auto-immune process.
The first one, the most accepted one, is the cross reaction. It consists that when certain microorganisms are attacked or harmful substances are to be removed, then the self cells of the organism are also damaged, because of the similarity between both of them (the harmful agent and self cells).
The second hypothesis is that for some reason, such as a virus or a toxic compound, the cells have been modified, and therefore, they are not recognized as self.
The third one is that the white cells doesn’t work well, destroying healthy cells.
The fourth one is that a substance coming from another part of the body comes to another part, and because it is not found in the proper place, the immune system attacks it. For example, when there is a damage in the eye and the eye fluid gets to the blood.
We are going to analize with a little more detail each hypothesis in order to know if in any of them the immune system is not working well.
First hypothesis: it is absurd to think that it is possible in the nature to exist a confusion of this kind between harmful external substances and the self cells. If evolution and/or Nature would had allowed this phenomena to happen, neither the humanity nor most of species that exist nowadays in this world would not exist. Even more, if this hypothesis were true, many wild animals would also suffer this condition, and this is not true. (Only domestic animals also suffer the same kind of diseases like humans, because they are submitted to the same kind of inadequate life style).
Second hypothesis: if the cells of the body have been damaged for some reason, it is not an error that the immune system destroy them in order to be replaced by new healthy ones. So the immune system is not mistaken in his labour.
The third hypothesis is not a true hypothesis, it is not a reason. It is said that the immune system malfunction is due to the malfunction of white cells, but no reason is given to explain this. If white cells don’t work it is for some reason!
So we can imagine that the most logical reason is because the white cells have been damaged, for example.
The immune system is very complex, and there are multiple mechanisms to detect that if some process doesn’t work well could be controlled. It’s is like an army where the soldiers shoot against the citizens of his own country. If this happens, immediately the higher officials arrest the soldiers. In the same way, if the white cells doesn’t work well, there is a type of cells in our immune system that controls the white cells, called regulatory T cells, that prevent this kind of errors.
But, what if the high ranks, the regulatory T cells, have become crazy? Yes, it’s true that certain psychological troubles are self-destructive. Addiction, depression and desperation are states of mind that lead to a subconscious suicide. In these cases, the mind is sending signals of self-destruction to our body, and the immune system just obey them.
So even in this case the immune system has a correct functioning, it is just following the instructions that receives.
In the fourth hypothesis, if there is a substance coming from another place of the body that shouldn’t be there, it is the duty of the immune system to clean this substance. So again, the action of the immune system is right.
We can conclude that the auto-immune diseases are not a mistake of the human nature.
Regarding hypersensitivities or allergies, conventional medicine explains that it’s about an exaggerated response of the immune system against inoffensive external agents, such as pollen or certain food. They add that the factors that can influence the development of allergies are mainly genetic, but also stress may worsen the situation, and they mention the hygiene hypothesis. In this hypothesis is argued that the children that live in an aseptic environment have a weakened immune system. Other factors that can have an impact on allergies are suffering certain diseases in childhood and environmental pollution. Nevertheless, conventional medicine doesn’t offer any real explanation to the fact that the immune system have become hypersensitive to natural substances. Simply the consider that the immune system is disrupted.
Functional medicine states the hypothesis that when the intestine is damaged by different reasons, such as chemicals, stress or bacteria, then it becomes leaky and different harmful substances can cross through the small intestinal lining and get into the blood stream. This is called the leaky gut syndrome. Then the immune system reacts against these substances that are not supposed to be found in the blood, such as partially digested food, toxic products and bacteria. This is an underlying inflammation that is the indirect cause of the environmental hypersensitivities, and the direct cause of food allergies and intolerances.
Upon this theory, the immune system is not malfunctioning, because it is necessary that it carries out his task of cleaning the undesirable substances that have crossed the leaky gut. So in this case, the immune system is wrong neither.
The immune system is our defence and our internal cleaning system. It is a perfect army, that always gives an adequate and proportionate response to the problem that it has to face.
The only case where the immune system may have a deficient answer is when the body does not have enough nutrients to work. In this case, we are talking about a completely opposite kind of diseases compared to allergies and auto-immune system; it’s about a lack of reaction, instead of an over-reaction.
There are some theories that show that cancer may be caused by an immune system insufficiency, where damaged cells are not cleaned. This will be the subject of another post.
For the moment, the conclusion is that diseases associated to an hyper-active immune system are not because of an impairment.
Then, if the immune system is just doing all his best, it does not make any sense to impede its functioning with anti-inflammatory remedies. In this other post you can read the continuation, where we address the mechanism of action of anti-inflammatory remedies.

Bibliography:

* “The Life Science Health System” by T.C. Fry.
Lesson 2 – The Nature And Purpose Of Disease
Lesson 72 - Rheumatic Diseases
Lesson 71 – Allergies, Hay Fever, And Other Chronic Diseases

Natural anti-inflammatories

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 19:30:00 +0100

It is well known that anti-inflammatory medicines are associated with a long list of harmful side effects so, many people search for natural remedies to treat pain and inflammation.
In this post I call into question the need of fight inflammation, which is a thought shared by both conventional and alternative medicine.
I offer other solutions to alleviate inflammation while respecting the wise decisions of the body concerning the need of the inflammatory process.

Continue reading Natural anti-inflammatories

First of all we need to clarify the concept of inflammation.
We identify inflammation mainly with redness, swelling and pain in the tissues or organs.
Inflammation has two origins: immune and restorative. The immune response may be caused by different reasons, but the goal is always the same: cleaning our organism from harmful substances, whether they are foreign substances coming from outside - toxics and microbes - or from internal substances - toxins resulting from the metabolism.
The restorative inflammation happens when some part of the organism has been injured. In this case, the body dilates the blood capillaries in order to allow the passage of healing substances, such as platelets, and cleaning and defensive substances to the damaged area.
From this explanation, we may deduce a fact: the inflammation is a beneficial process for the body, because the purpose is the restoration, defence and cleaning of the organism.
Deepening a little bit more into the deduction, we may understand that when the inflammatory process is stopped then the restorative, defensive and hygienic action can not be taken place, so the organism can not heal. Further more, the anti-inflammatory medicine inhibit the inflammation - the healing process!
But, what about the natural medicine, such as phytotherapy and homeopathy? We have been told that natural remedies are not harmful and they have insignificant side effects. Yes, their side effects are lower, as well as lower anti-inflammatory effects. Nevertheless, it’s also an anti-inflammatory - they disturb the healing process.
Regarding the anti-inflammatory food, such as turmeric, broccoli, omega 3 rich oils, garlic, coconut oil, etc., they perform the same function as a natural remedy, although less powerful. So they are not as counter-productive as conventional or natural medicine, because these last ones are a pure extract of anti-inflammatory agents, while food is an aggregate of substances with different effects. So this kind of food are not a problem, provided they are taken in normal amounts. Juicing therapies or turmeric supplements, for example, have the same effects as a natural remedy.
Now we understand that inflammation is necessary for healing. But, isn’t it possible that the body makes a mistake, and it produces an excessive inflammation when it is not needed? There are several conditions in which medicine considers that the organism is taking wrong decisions. This is the case of allergies and autoimmune diseases.
In this other post I expose the reasons that show that autoimmune diseases and hypersensitivites are not an immune malfunction. Therefore, neither in these cases is not convenient to stop the inflammatory process. The inflammation, although is an annoying process, is also needed in these diseases.
In the same way, flu, a cold, the inflammatory bowel disease, a faringitis, vaginitis, bronchitis, conjunctivitis, gastritis, otitis, cistitis, tendinitis, … are the result of the proportionate answer of the immune system to the current circumstances. They mustn’t be stopped. But we can search the way to alleviate them respecting the immune process; and of course, we can search the causes of that diseases in order to prevent happening again.
The immune system is never excessive. If inflammation exists it is because it is needed. The body is very intelligent, it doesn’t make mistakes, it always acts in the best direction for us, in a proportionate way depending of circumstances.
Medicines, both natural and conventional, help us to live better, relieving our physiological and psychological pains, so we can continue with our daily frenzy of stress, pollution, junk food and other live pleasures. But our health pays a very high price for that, with a chronic deterioration.
Pain and suffering shorten our health too, I don’t suggest dying of pain. What to do then?
The only therapies that help to soothe the pain in the emergency, without any side effect, are the body-mind and energetic therapies: meditation, visualisation, laughter therapy, hypnotherapy, reiki, massages, prayer, etc. Because they don’t block inflammation, but in first place, they deviate the attention of the mind to another point, and in second place, they stimulate the production of endorphins, the wellbeing substances. In order to understand it better I suggest an exercise. Any day you have a worry, a fear, a malaise; stop for a moment and distract your mind to another subject. Think about your vacations, a pleasurable event in the past, or simply watch a comedy on the TV. You will see how your problem substantially decreases. However, another day concentrate your attention to your problem, making your head spin. You will verify that it makes the problem worse.
The solution is to evade the mind with a method that is not harmful for the health, strengthening the mind. Then, in the long term, the pain will disappear when the cause has been identified and you have put an end to it.
Our organism is immensely wise, and it knows perfectly how to heal. In the same way that when a bone is fractured, or when we have a wound, it is the organism who restores the bone of the skin - the same happens with every disease.
We simply must stop the process that is hurting the body, whether the stress, unhealthy food, negative emotions, sleep deprivation, lack of sun, etc.
Following a healthy life style in all the areas we can heal and prevent inflammation. It’s not easy, but at least it’s worth to try it. And finally, if we don’t succeed in changing our life style, because of different reasons, the resource of anti-inflammatory medicine is always available - natural ones if you prefer.

Bibliography:

* “Head First: The Biology of Hope and the Healing Power of the Human Spirit”, by Norman Cousins

* “The Life Science Health System” by T.C. Fry.
Lesson 2 – The Nature And Purpose Of Disease
Lesson 72 - Rheumatic Diseases
Lesson 71 – Allergies, Hay Fever, And Other Chronic Diseases

The vital energy system. Can sunlight, exercise or Reiki compensate for an unhealthy diet?

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 17:47:00 +0100

Millions of people travel every year on holidays to the south of Europe, looking for sunlight and Mediterranean beaches. Others prefer to spend their vacation doing sports in a little mountain village. We are attracted to beaches by the sunlight, warm temperatures softened by the sea breeze and the idyllic landscapes; and to the mountains by the various sport possibilities, the clean water and air, nature, cool nights as well as the dreamlike landscapes. In both cases, people look to find activities that will bring them wellness and health.
Sunlight, warm temperatures, sports, nature, … from the Natural Hygiene or Life Science perspective, it is considered that for a person to enjoy good health, they need to obtain all elements that are essential in life: pure air and water, the appropriate nutrients, sunlight, nature, physical exercise, rest, sleep, emotional stability, etc. (see description and detailed list in this article)
Nevertheless, in our busy everyday life, it is difficult to fulfil all of these needs. There is always an element that is missing in every person: for some it is a healthy diet, for others it is sufficient sleep, or physical exercise, emotional stability, etc. However, it seems that we survive, and even manage to live in good health, despite missing some of these essential elements in our lives.

Continue reading The vital energy system. Can sunlight, exercise or Reiki compensate for an unhealthy diet?

We could say that there exists a type of compensation between each of the different necessities in our lives. When one fails, it can be compensated by another that is stronger. This happens in the same way as in people with any kind of disability.
Have you ever observed a disabled person? Blind people, for instance, have develop their senses of hearing and touch extraordinarily. This heightened development of these two senses compensates not being able to see. In the same way, when an essential aspect is missing in a person’s health, they must look to compensate it by other needs.

Although a person’s problem may be of a psychological nature, the simple fact of improving their diet, taking care to eat foods that facilitate the flow of neurotransmitters, will always make them feel better and stronger psychologically. And if a person’s problem is of a nutritional nature, then being strong psychologically – for instance by having a positive attitude and knowing how to accept the disease – will help them to recover from their disease.
The most important objective to help a person restore good health is to find the causes of their disease. For this reason, therapists should master all those disciplines related to health: physical health, sleep, nutrition, psychology, spirituality, etc. This is the aim of the Natural Hygiene approach to healing. But it is difficult for a health counselor to learn so much about so many different topics in sufficient depth. This is why therapists specialise in a specific topic; and the truth is that a great majority of people are satisfied to follow a certain therapy, even if this discipline is not the real cause of their disease. Doing more physical exercise always helps all people, in the same way that eating healthily, having a stable emotional, and spiritual life also has an important impact.
Personally, I always notice the fact that when I am on holidays, I enjoy a better health. I can even eat some foods that make me sick in normal conditions, as they barely affect me when I am on holiday. For instance, I would be able to eat a paella every now and then without a problem, whereas during the rest of the year I can’t eat any rice without suffering serious circulatory problems (see this article). We could say that the fact of enjoying the sunlight, having less things on our mind, less stress, a more agreeable temperature, etc. can compensate for dietary excesses. In my case, alimentary intolerances and an inadequate diet are better tolerated when the other aspects necessary to life are more than fulfilled.
From these facts, you could see the functioning of the human body as an energy system. The energy I am referring to has nothing to do with calories; you could compare it to a battery. Our human battery can be charged with vital energy in different ways: rational sunbathing, walking into nature, practicing some physical exercise, sleeping well, eating healthy foods, laughing, listening to classical music, praying, etc.
There exist a great number of human activities that decharge our vital energy batteries. For instance, listening to strident music, as Masaru Emoto demonstrated; electromagnetic radiation such as from mobile phones; cold temperature and humidity from the fog; travelling on an airplane; negative emotions; …
Some of the essential aspects needed for life can spend vital energy if provided negatively. Once a person breathes polluted air or water, they will need to spend energy to get rid of the toxic products in their body; if they eat unhealthy foods they will spend energy to get rid of such products from their body; if they suffer from stress or negative emotions the body will use up more energy than if the person is happy and relaxed; if one carries out physical exercise beyond one’s capacity this will also reduce their energy. Physical exercise consumes calories, yet if it is carried out correctly, it charges the energy in our batteries positively.

We need a certain level of vital energy to enjoy good health. When the level reduces beyond a certain value, we start to suffer from health problems. The lower the level of vital energy, the more serious the diseases, and when the level of vital energy is chronically deficient, diseases also become chronic. Let’s see some examples to better understand this phenomenon.
Imagine that eating a paella consumes 5 units of energy. If this person is just at the limit of the energy level for good health, by eating a paella they will fall sick. But imagine that sunbathing for a few hours provides you with 6 units of energy. Providing that all other essential elements that intervene in the human energy system are constant, if the person has sunbathed, they will have sufficient energy to eat a paella without falling ill.
Another example would be to suppose that every minute of physical exercise brings one 0.25 units of energy. Then, a person who has carried out 40 minutes of exercise (0.25*40=10) would be able to eat a paella (5 units of energy) for lunch and some French fries for dinner (if the French fries consume 5 units of energy).
Now imagine that eating a salad with the adequate ingredients, adequate quantity, and at the adequate time, gives you 20 units. Then the person can endure maybe 20 minutes of intense stress without becoming sick (if every minute of stress consumes 1 unit of energy).
On the other hand, some actions have an energy cost that is too high. Let’s suppose that the minimum level a person must maintain to be in good health is 10,000. People who have a level of energy higher than 10,000 enjoy a good health and can afford certain vicissitudes in their lives without becoming sick, and they can also afford certain negative actions, depending on the amount of energy they have in excess.
We can consider, for example, that eating a hamburger with French fries and coca-cola has an energy cost of 100 units. If a person’s energy level is no higher than 10100, they will begin to suffer certain health issues when they eat this food.
As logic predicts, it is necessary to have the necessary level of vital energy to be able to spend it in certain activities that consume it. Then, it is not a question of eating unhealthy food in excess, believing that these excesses can be consumed or “burned” by exercising. It doesn’t work this way – instead one must elevate their energy level sufficiently by exercising before, to afford a treat.
In summer, when we enjoy the sun, resting, exercising, and we are not summited to too much stress, our vital energy level is higher, and we can spend this extra energy by eating some treats such as ice glaces and paellas. We don't use to fall sick too much often in summer.
But in winter, there is not sun; we work until late in the evening, often summited to high stress; we don't sleep enough and the cold weather consumes our vital energy. Then, excess food on Christmas and other celebrations decrease even more our energy, so we finish with such a low level of energy that we often fall sick.
A person with alimentary intolerances would be able to overcome them, in a way, by improving other aspects in their lifestyle, in such a way that their energy is elevated to a sufficient amount to be able to “spend” it on those prejudicial foods.
I would like to add that Reiki and a number of other energetic therapies increase the vital energy level of our batteries in a very significant manner. See more about my offer on energy therapy sessions here.

However, what I explained is not as simple as it seems, our body does not function in such a mathematic manner. This phenomenon consists of a non-lineal system, with an infinite number of variables, and therefore it is not as deterministic. It is also much more complex and there probably exist many different types of vital energy: physical energy, emotional energy, spiritual energy… and also within physical energy we might be able to distinguish between the energy of each organ and body part.
All of the different vital energies that a person possesses are related and there exists a compensation between them: good physical energy can compensate for low emotional energy; a good health and sleeping well can help one to be emotionally stronger. Although evidently, physical activities have a more important impact over our physical energy; emotions and beliefs over our emotional energy; and spiritual lives over our spiritual energy.
But despite the complexity of the human vital energy system, we can try to understand a bit about how our own vital energy system works, and identify what are our limits, even if sometimes we are mistaken. For this reason I suggest you keep a diary where you write down every day what you have eaten, and the other important variables: how much physical exercise you carried out, stress, types of activities, sleep, etc. With time, you can arrive to conclusions based on studying this diary. For instance, a person may conclude that every time that they eat rice they feel more tired, more bloated, and their memory fails them; but if they exercise for an hour or fasts for 24 hours, eating rice doesn’t have this negative effect.
I encourage you to write your diary and learn to know your personal vital energy system better and its possible compensations!

Winter foods to keep warm and healthy

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sun, 19 Nov 2017 08:50:00 +0100

When its cold outside we prefer to eat warm or hot food, such as soup, potaje, stew, legumes and chestnuts in Spain; or fondue, raclette and croûte in the Swiss alpine villages. But, are these the best dishes to consume in winter?

Continue reading Winter foods to keep warm and healthy

Traditions are wise and traditional foods usually adapt to the climactic conditions of different countries. But sometimes, other circumstances determine what the traditional food is. For example, the scarcity of food in winter. This would be the case for rösti, fondue and raclette. These dishes originated to make use of the scraps of stale bread and cheese by melting it and softening it with wine. In fact these dishes were often the meals in poor villages and nowadays has become a luxury food!

The wine that is in the fondue and the croûte produces an effect of corporal warmth. And in general warm dishes produce a sensation of immediate internal bodily warmth. However, this sensation does not last long. After a few hours the effect of warmth will not depend on the initial temperature of the food but on the kind of food consumed.

In general, foods that are rich in protein, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, produce a stimulation of the heart and increases the blood flow to be able to eliminate the metabolic residues from the body, for example uric acid and urea. In the same way, the body tries to dispose of the alcohol toxic sub-products as soon as possible. (1) This activation of the circulatory system produces a sensation of bodily warmth.

When digestion commences, there will always be a sensation of stupor that can be more or less strong depending on the person and the foods that have been consumed. This is why in Spain, it was usual to have a nap after lunch. This is because the blood and the energy from the organism concentrates on the digestive system, reducing the blood circulation in the brain and muscles. So a sensation of coldness is felt during digestion. Therefore, during winter it is better to have the main course after coming back home in the afternoon.

Foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates, like legumes and grains, are known for providing energy slowly. But many studies show that the longterm effect of eating carbohydrates is disrupting blood circulation because of a phenomenon called glycation of proteins (2). Therefore, foods rich in carbohydrates are not adequate for winter. Even though legumes, chestnuts and rösti are very sought after in winter, they do not help us gain warmth, in fact the opposite is true.

Fruits and vegetables first give a sensation of coldness but in the long-run the reaction they have in the body is neutral. They don’t stimulate or reduce the blood circulation. They are the ideal foods for our health. A vegetable soup or potaje can be one of the best dishes to have in winter, because they comfort us when being eaten and are healthy. Regarding fruits, even though the ideal is to eat them raw, it’s possible to prepare some warm foods made of fruits: baked apples, compote, fruit pudding, fruit casserole, fruit soup, etc.

It is true that the larger majority of winter foods, both Spanish and Swiss, help heat us up in winter. But this doesn’t mean that they help to get our health any better.

We have to consider that humans are designed to live in warm or hot regions, like the Mediterranean (1). The cold does bother us humans… and wanting to fix this problem eating foods that are not appropriate is not the best solution. If we don’t live in a warm zone we have two options: we continue with a healthy Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables and we suffer from the cold temperatures of winter, or we take the typical foods of colder countries and we damage our health. The best alternative is to eat warm foods made from fruits and vegetables that can comfort us when eaten and are healthy in the long-run.

References:

(1) “The Life Science Health System”, T.C.Fry
(2) “Grain Brain”, David Perlmutter

Brain fitness: How to improve concentration and learning

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 15:46:00 +0100

May 6 from 09:30 to 10:30
at Impact Hub Geneva
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Continue reading Brain fitness: How to improve concentration and learning

Alcoholism without drinking alcohol

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 07:55:00 +0100

Irritability, aggressiveness, borderline personality disorder, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, development delay, defiant oppositional disorder, and insomnia are some symptoms seen in alcoholics. But alcohol may also induce the opposite effects: depression, hypoactivity, somnolence, brain fog, social apathy, anxiety, etc.
If the person never drinks alcohol, how is it possible that they show characteristics of an alcoholic person?
The answer is: a yeast-like fungus infection or intestinal candidiasis. In this article we are going to explore the topic of yeast overgrowth: testing, causes, consequences and treatments.

Continue reading Alcoholism without drinking alcohol

Candida is a kind of yeast that can develop in different parts of the body, for example, the mouth, vagina and the intestine, when adequate conditions are present: over abundance of sweet food, acid pH, warmth and humidity.
The original source of a vaginal and oral mycosis is the intestine. The yeasts first develop in the intestin and later they can migrate to different parts of the body. The candidiasis can even be found in the blood. This is because of a food intolerance, that is caused by an insufficiency of the production of amylase enzymes in the saliva and pancreas, and/or maltase, lactase and sucrose in the intestine. Many other causes exist, for example: an inadequate food combination or an excess amount of food consumed that exceeds the capacity of digestion or any other situation that perturbs the good digestion of carbohydrates and sugars (read here for other causes and this other article for the principles of food combinations)
Candida is not the only yeast that can reside in the intestine; saccharomyces and aspergillus can also be found. They all nourish themselves on carbohydrates and sugars. The products of their digestion are CO2, ammoniac, alcohol and 80 different toxic wastes such as tartaric acid, arabinose, etc. It’s an alcoholic fermentation, that is the base of the production of wine and alcoholic drinks.
Out of all the different kinds of alcohol produced by yeasts, the most dangerous one for the brain is acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde gives a long list of toxic effects, such as:
* Gastro-intestinal disturbance: diarrhoea, constipation, gas, stomach ache
* Damage in liver, pancreas, estomac, intestine, etc
* Damage in the central nervous system (brain) and peripheral (nerfs) and its consequences that are psychological disorders, neurological disorders, behavioral disorders, neuropathies, neuralgia, etc.
* Reduced capacity of detoxification of other toxic substances
* Hormonal disorders, premenstrual syndrome
* Auto-immune disorders
Many available pharmacological treatments exist, such as fluconazol, and natural treatments, such as grapefruit seed extract, coconut oil and multiple other essential oils and herbs. But the source is located in the intestinal candidiasis, so it’s mainly this that we need to treat.
All these natural or chemical medications are usually effective in the short term but candidiasis appears again after some time if the source has not been treated properly. It’s the incorrect digestion of carbohydrates and sugars that must be addressed. If you continue nourishing the microorganisms, they will continue to thrive. By identifying the cause of this bad digestion (read here some of them) you will need to act accordingly. For example, if the problem is a stressful situation you will have to find a way to get rid of stress; if the problem is an antibiotic therapy you will need to take probiotics; if the food is inadequate you will need to change your diet, etc.
To confirm that your health problems come from a candidose or a yeast overgrowth, it is possible to have to different clinical tests: blood antibodies, presence of yeasts in stools and urine fungi organic metabolites.

Are our children malnourished?

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 09:31:00 +0100

Although in the occidental world we don’t suffer of hungry, undernutrition is common in most of the children and adults. Because symptoms of lack of nutrients are present in most of the people, we think it’s normal.
In this article, I would like to alert parents about the danger that we and our children are exposed because of our incorrect way of eating and living, showing how to identify a possible case of malnutrition.

Continue reading Are our children malnourished?

Herbert Shelton (1) says that “ A child may be normal, as far as height and weight are concerned, ans still present many evidences of malnutrition. A child that is fat may be undernourished.
The more common symptoms of malnutrition are:
* a dry, delicate skin, which is either pale or wax-like or else sallow. or pasty, or earthy in appearance;
* dry, rough hair, brittle nails;
* blue circles or dark hallows under the eyes, with a pale, colorless mucous lining of the eye-lids;
* loose skin, flabby, underdeveloped muscles, round shoulders, projecting shoulder blades, fatigue posture, prominent abdomen,
* irritability, listlessness, inattention, laziness, undue mental and physical fatigue, mental backwardness, a temperamental disposition, lack of natural inquisitiveness and a lessened * power of concentration
* the child is also likely to be picky about his food
You don’t need to have all the symptoms, if any of these symptoms are present malnutrition is likely to be the cause.”
There’s a lot of other symptoms linked to a faulty nutrition. Recurrent ENT diseases, learning and behavioral troubles; teeth and bone problems such as cavities, the need of orthodontia and flat foot; sight problems such as the need of wearing glasses; and a long list of symptoms that currently appear in most of our children.
Malnutrition doesn’t mean that the person is not eating enough; all the contrary, in our occidental world, paradoxically undernutrition comes from an excess of food intake, or the consumption of inadequate food.
Shelton says “Overcrowded nutrition means starvation, whether it be in the infant that is fed more because it cries from already having had too much, or in the adult who glutonizes because he is drunk on food and craves more stimulation of the same sort”.
The most frequently life style deficiencies that can lead to these health problems are also the lack of sunshine, lack of rest and sleep, lack of exercise, lack of caring, lack of clean air and water; or it may be an excess of unhealthy life style routines, such as improper kinds of amusement or chronic exposure to some kind of toxicity (medicine, vaccines, and any kind of chemicals).
In any case, if you or your family suffer of any kind of disease, and you are following a normal, standard, and what the conventional medicine community considers an “balanced” diet, then you are not following a healthy diet. Most of the food that is commonly considered as healthy is not healthy at all. A nutritionist may help you to find out what could be the problem in your diet, so you can live really fully nourished.
Read more about the causes of malnutrition in this other article.

References:
(1) Hygienic Systems Vol. II, “The science and fine art of food and nutrition”, by Herbert M. Shelton.

Workshop: "L’impact de la nutrition sur les troubles de l’apprentissage”

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:44:00 +0100

April 8th 10:00 to 11:00
at Grand Hôtel du Domaine de Divonne.
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Continue reading Workshop: "L’impact de la nutrition sur les troubles de l’apprentissage”

Raynaud syndrome, neuropathies, fatigue, concentration deficit, somnolence, brittle nails. ...

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 10:11:00 +0100

Raynaud’s disease, tingling and numbness in hands and feet, cramps, fatigue, concentration difficulty, drowsiness, … these diseases may have different causes, but one of the most important one is a problem in the circulatory system, that prevents to provide the needed energy to the extremities and to the brain.
After experiencing these diseases for several years, I explain in this article my conclusions about the influence of nutrition and life style on these diseases.

Continue reading Raynaud syndrome, neuropathies, fatigue, concentration deficit, somnolence, brittle nails. A personal experience

Raynaud syndrome is a lack of blood supply in the tip of the fingers, or even in the whole fingers. They turn completely white and insensitive, and it appears under certain circumstances. One of them is when the temperature drops below a certain value, that is not necessarily very low; it can be 15ºC.
Tingling, numbness and cramps in limbs are symptoms that are related with the peripheral nervous system. But the origin of this problem go back to a blood flow problem, where the distal median nerve doesn’t receive enough blood and lead to a lack of sensitivity, such as numbness; or a very intense involuntary contraction of muscles, that results in cramps.
Tingling and numbness may aggravate with time, and become a peripheral neuropathy, with acute pain in the extremities.

Diabetes, sugar, fats and inflammation

It’s widely accepted in conventional medicine that diabetes is one of the most important causes of these kind of diseases we are dealing with. But in some cases, people suffer temporal cramps or numbness, and without being diabetics, the cause is also a blood flow problem due to a temporal hypoglycemia or high blood sugar, which leads to a phenomena called glycation, with the associated vascular injury. It’s a pre-diabetes.
As we have explained in the previous article, the responsible food of the glycation is, according to Dr. Perlmutter, sugars and carbohydrates; while Dr. Graham thinks that fats are the responsible. Dr. Campbell-McBride attributes, on the other side, the cause of vascular problems and the kind of diseases we are dealing with in this article, to the endogenous production of alcohol and other toxins by opportunistic and pathologic bacteria in the intestine, that feeds on carbohydrates and sugars that are not well digested by the person.
I would like to explain my personal experience when eating any kind of carbohydrates: grains, beans and pulses, starches, sugars, syrups, honey and dry fruit (but fresh fruit it’s not any problem). Approximately one day after the intake, I suffer of hypothermia, hypotension, tingling and numbness in the superior extremities during all night; and if the temperature in low, also Raynaud’s disease during the day. Also, my nails turn brittle and my hair is weaker. The effect remains for 2 approximately days. The same thing happens eating fruits with fats or oils.
Eggs make also numbness and pain to appear in my legs. I can’t explain the exact reason to this reaction, it may be the high amount of fats in them; the inmune inflammatory effect; or to the oxidative stress.
These experiences I’ve described coincide with Dr. Perlmutter’s and Dr. Campbell-McBride’s theory about carbohydrates and sugars; and Dr. Graham’s theory about fats.

Digestion and energy

Another cause that leads to a decrease in blood flow in the extremities is digestion.
Digestion is a process that consumes a lot of energy, which is taken at the expense of reducing the activity of other organic processes. We have all experienced some time an irresistible feeling like sleeping after a copious meal. This is because the blood flow and the energy of the body are concentrated in the digestion, and it decrease in other parts of the body, which are mainly the extremities and the brain; this is, the peripheral and central nervous system.
Therefore, if our meals are excessively abundant for the body, and they are repeated too frequently, maybe it won’t give somnolence, but it will reduce the attentiveness, memory, mental acuity and all the rest of cognitive processes. If this situation happens too often, although at too low scale, it may lead to mental developmental delay in children, behavior disorders, hypoactivity and low performance, chronic fatigue, and even depression. Concerning extremities, the affectation may result in neuropathies, Raynaud’s disease, cramps, etc. And it would entail a lack of nutrients in skin, hair and nails.
In the same way, when you practice sport or any important physical activity, the energetic expense is concentrated in muscles; so it’s not possible to perform digestion or any intelectual activity at the same time than a physical activity. This is the reason why, for example, it’s advised to wait some hours after a meal before swimming. So then, the lighter a meal is, the less the energy is needed for digestion, so the greater is the energy remaining for the rest of activities in the body.
The energy spent to digest different food depends greatly on every person, the type of cooking, the food combining and many other factors. But approximately, 100 grams of fruit (about an apple) consume about 12 calories to perform the digestion; while 100 grams of meat spend 60 calories (72 calories for a steak); 100 grams of pasta burns about 36 calories (7 calories for every tablespoon); and oil needs 27 calories every 100 grams (about 4 calories for every tablespoon).
On top of that, the energetic balance of food is also very different. Meat consumes 30% of their caloric contribution for their digestion; fruits and vegetables consume about 20%; carbohydrates burn 10%, and fats only 3% of their energy delivery for digestion.

Sleeping

Sleeping not enough is another main reason for a lack of energy.
In my experience, the most important aspect that impacts on Raynaud’s disease is sleep deprivation. When this situation is given, and temperature is low, and/or the process of digestion starts, then the circulation of blood in the capillary vessels of the extremities experiences important deficiencies.

Physical exercise

Practicing some sports, on the other side, improves Raynaud’s syndrome, because the blood circulation is activated in all the muscles and extremities, whereas it decreases the blood flow in the brain and digestive system.
The completely lack of activity is highly harmful for all the systems. The body follows the law of minimum energy, so after a long convalescence in bed, or the immobilization of a member because an accident, rehabilitation is needed in order to recover the normal functions of the muscles. The same happens, in a smaller scale, after a long trip. Although it may last for “only” 8 hours in car or plane, the body already decreases the energy dedicated to the muscular system. (Interestingly, this phenomena doesn’t take place at night, as the body intelligently identifies that this reduction of activity is because of sleeping, and it doesn’t take it into account to decrease the muscular force). This is why after mi frequent trips back to Switzerland from Barcelona in winter, when entering in a extremely cold house, unloading the baggage, and placing everything in order, Raynaud’s syndrome appeared in my fingers. My circulatory system had been kept down in my muscle system because of the long trip, and it couldn’t face a sudden increase of activity.

Congenital vital energy

The expense of energy to maintain the basal metabolism is not the same for everybody. It’s not true, for example, that all the same kind of people need the same calories. So for example, not all adult sedentary women consume 1800 calories daily. I’ve verified that in my case, for example, I need very much less calories, and an excess of them leads to health disturbances.
In the same way, not every person has born with the same vital energy. Some persons born with genetic diseases; other ones enjoy a perfect health and develop an extraordinary athletic indurance; other ones are born with paraplegias and they become genius. So then, the digestive force of every person is different too. Some of them have several alergies and food intolerances since young; other ones seem to resist eating any kind of junk food without any apparent injury.
This is why some people can keep healthy just following a traditional home made food; while other ones need to pay very much attention with food and adhere to some diets.
This is my case. For different reasons, I’ve found myself with the need to follow a frugivore diet if I want to enjoy a good health. Like me, many people have a very delicate vital energy, that is affected in great mesure by the food we consume.
If I stick to my fruits, I’m able to walk during a week, 6 hours a day, climbing mountains under the sun of the summer. But if I jump my diet, a strong hay fever in spring and summer makes me impossible even go upstairs just one stage.
I think that this lack of energy im the central and peripheral nervous system, may have some responsibility in some neurological, degenerative and behavior diseases, too.

Stimulants

In order to alleviate this lack of energy, people use to intake some stimulants, such as meat, coffee, tea, chocolate, and unfortunately, some people even go to drugs. But stimulants have an effect very likely to giving a whiplash to a tired horse in a race. Yes, maybe this horse will win the race, but what will his fate will be afterwards? The stimulants extract the tiny reserves of energy that still exists in the body, exhausting it even more, day after day.
Instead of searching for stimulants, the only solution the the lack of energy is to rest, not only physically but also mentally and physiologically. The first reflex should be to recover the missed sleeping hours, with a nap or advancing the time to go to bed. Fasting, semi-fasting or light meals are really needed during the days where energy is not enough to perform the digestion. A relaxation session, with a mediation of at least 15 minutes, is also very beneficial for a mental rest.

Conclusion

There are mainly three systems that compete for the energy of the organism: digestive system, nervous system and muscular system. When the available energy in the body is low because of different reasons, such as lack of sleep, improper food, stress, etc., then some of the systems have a great demand of energy, and the other systems may suffer a scarcity of that energy, with all the associated symptoms and diseases.
Following a healthy diet and life style will allow that all these systems work full of energy.

Síndrome de Raynaud, neuropatías, fatiga, falta de concentración, somnolencia. ...

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 10:08:00 +0100

Síndrome de Raynaud, hormigueo, entumecimiento, calambres, fatiga, falta de concentración, somnolencia, uñas quebradizas, caída del cabello ... estas enfermedades pueden tener diversos orígenes, pero uno de los más importantes es un problema del sistema circulatorio que impide que llegue energía suficiente a las extremidades y al cerebro.
Después de haber sufrido estas enfermedades durante muchos años, os explico las conclusiones a las que he llegado sobre la influencia de la nutrición y los hábitos de vida como el dormir y el ejercicio.

Continue reading Síndrome de Raynaud, neuropatías, fatiga, falta de concentración, somnolencia. Una experiencia personal.

El síndrome de Raynaud consiste en una falta de circulación en la punta de los dedos o en los dedos enteros de las extremidades. Estos se vuelven completamente blancos e insensibles, y aparece en ciertas circunstancias. Una de ellas es cuando la temperatura ambiental desciende hasta cierto valor, puede ser simplemente a partir de los 15ºC.
El hormigueo, entumecimiento o adormecimiento de las extremidades y los calambres son síntomas asociados a problemas del sistema nervioso periférico. Pero el origen de este problema remonta a un problema de circulación sanguínea, donde los nervios distales de las extremidades no reciben suficiente sangre y producen una falta de sensibilidad, en el caso del entumecimiento; o una contracción involuntaria muy intensa de los músculos, en el caso de los calambres.
El hormigueo y entumecimiento puede agravarse con el tiempo y llegar a convertirse en una neuropatía periférica, con dolores agudos en las extremidades.

Diabetes, azúcares, grasas e inflamación

Está comúnmente aceptado que la diabetes es una de las causas más comunes de estas enfermedades. En algunos casos, las personas sufren calambres y hormigueos temporales, y sin llegar a ser diabéticos, la causa es igualmente un problema circulatorio sanguíneo debido a una hiperglicemia temporal o tasa de azúcar en sangre demasiado elevada, la cual provoca un fernómeno llamado glicación, con el daño vascular asociado. Es una pre-diabetis.
Como se explica en este artículo anterior, los alimentos responsables de la glicación son, según el Dr. Perlmutter, los azúcares y los carbohidratos; mientras que para el Dr. Graham, son las grasas.
La Dra. Campbell-McBride, en cambio, atribuye a la producción endógena de alcohol y a otras toxinas por parte de las bacterias oportunistas y patológicas en el intestino que se alimentan de carbohidratos y azúcares que no son bien digeridos y absorbidos, la causa de que haya problemas vasculares, y la aparición de las enfermedades que nos ocupan.
Os cuento mi experiencia personal al tomar cualquier tipo de carbohidratos, sean cereales, legumbres o féculas; y/o azúcares, del tipo azúcar refinado o moreno, jarabes, miel, o frutas secas (mientras la fruta fresca no supone ningún problema en absoluto). Aproximadamente un día después de su consumo, sufro hipotermia, hipotensión, entumecimiento de las extremidades superiores durante la noche y, si la temperatura ambiental es baja, también la enfermedad de Raynaud durante el día. Además, mis uñas se vuelven quebradizas y mi pelo se debilita. El efecto permanece durante 2 días aproximadamente. El mismo fenómeno me ocurre al tomar fruta fresca junto con grasas o aceites.
Los huevos también me provocan entumecimiento de las extremidades superiores un día después, permaneciendo el efecto durante 2 días. La razón exacta de esta reacción no sabría si es atribuible también a su alto contenido en grasa; a su efecto inflamatorio inmunitario, con la generación de una gran cantidad de complejos antígeno-anticuerpo, los cuales impiden la buena circulación sanguínea; o al estrés oxidativo derivado del efecto inflamatorio.
Estas experiencias coinciden con la teoría del Dr. Perlmutter y la Dra. Campbell-McBride sobre los carbohidratos y azúcares, y del Dr. Graham sobre el efecto de las grasas.

Digestión y energía

Otra causa que provoca una disminución del riego sanguíneo en las extremidades es la digestión.
La digestión es un proceso que consume mucha energía, la cual se toma a costa de reducir la actividad de otros procesos orgánicos. Todos hemos experimentado alguna vez unas irresistibles ganas de hacer una siesta después de una comida copiosa. Esto se debe a que el flujo sanguíneo y la energía del cuerpo están dedicados a la digestión, y disminuye en otras partes del cuerpo, que son principalmente las extremidades y el cerebro, es decir, el sistema nervioso periférico y central. Así pues, si nuestras comidas son excesivamente abundantes para el organismo, y se producen con demasiada frecuencia, quizás no llegarán a producir somnolencia, pero sí que reducirán la capacidad de atención, la memoria, la agudeza mental y todos los demás procesos cognitivos. Si esta situación se da de forma continuada, aunque sea a baja escala, con comidas inadecuadas, excesivas o demasiado frecuentes; puede producir retrasos del desarrollo intelectual en niños, trastornos del comportamiento, hipoactividad y bajo rendimiento, fatiga crónica, y hasta depresión. En cuanto a las extremidades, la afectación dará como resultado neuropatías, síndrome de Raynaud, calambres, etc. Y también conllevará una falta de nutrientes en la piel, el cabello y las uñas.
De la misma forma, cuando se realiza deporte o cualquier actividad física importante, el gasto energético está concentrado en los músculos, y por lo tanto, no es posible realizar la digestión ni una actividad intelectual al mismo tiempo que la actividad física. Es por esta razón, por ejemplo, que es prudente esperar unas horas después de comer para hacer la digestión antes de bañarse.
Así pues, cuanto más ligera es una comida, el gasto energético digestivo es menor, y se dispone de mayor energía para el resto de las actividades del cuerpo.
La energía consumida para digerir los diferentes alimentos varía en gran medida para cada persona, el tipo de cocción, la forma de combinarlos y muchos factores más. Pero aproximadamente, la fruta consume unas 12 calorías para realizar la digestión de 100 gramos (aproximadamente una manzana), mientras que 100 gramos de carne gastará unas 60 calorías para su digestión (78 calorías para un bistec); 100 gramos de pasta de trigo necesitará para su digestión unas 36 calorías (7 calorías cada cucharada); y el aceite consume unas 27 calorías los 100 gramos (4 calorías para una cucharada).
Además, el balance energético de los alimentos es también muy diferente. La carne consume 30% de su aporte calórico en su propia digestión, las verduras y frutas consumen un 20%, los carbohidratos un 10% y las grasas sólo un 3%.

Dormir

Dormir insuficientemente es otra de las causas de la falta de energía.
Por experiencia propia, a partir de la observación durante muchos años, he deducido que el factor que más incide en la enfermedad de Raynaud es la falta de sueño. Cuando se da esta circunstancia, y la temperatura es baja, y/o además, empieza el proceso de la digestión, entonces la circulación en los vasos capilares de las extremidades no es suficiente.

Ejercicio físico

El hecho de hacer deporte, en cambio, tiene un efecto positivo en el síndrome de Raynaud, debido a que se activa la circulación sanguínea en los músculos y las extremidades. En cambio, el deporte disminuye el flujo sanguíneo en el cerebro y el aparato digestivo.
La extrema falta de actividad también es perjudicial para todos los sistemas. El cuerpo sigue una ley que es la de minimizar el gasto de energía. Así pues, sucede que después de una larga convalescencia en cama, o de la inmovilización de un miembro debido a un accidente, sea necesario realizar una rehabilitación para recuperar sus funciones de movilidad normales. Lo mismo sucede, a menor escala, cuando por ejemplo hacemos un viaje muy largo. Aunque “solamente” se trate de 8 horas en coche o en avión, el cuerpo disminuye la energía dedicada al sistema muscular. (Curiosamente este fenómeno no se produce durante la noche, ya que el cuerpo inteligentemente reconoce que la reducción de actividad se debe al normal reposo nocturno, y no lo toma en cuenta en el hecho de disminuir la fuerza muscular). Es por ello que después de mis habituales viajes de vuelta a Suiza desde Barcelona en invierno, al entrar en una casa helada, y con el ajetreo de descargar y deshacer las maletas, y poner la casa en orden, me aparecía el síndrome de Raynaud. Mi sistema circulatorio se había adaptado a la no actividad del viaje, y no podía hacer frente a un súbito incremento de actividad.

Energía vital congénita

El gasto de energía del metabolismo basal no es el mismo para todas las personas. No es cierto, por ejemplo, que todas las personas del mismo tipo necesitemos las mismas calorías. Así por ejemplo, no es cierto que todas las mujeres adultas sedentarias consuman 1800 calorías diarias. He podido comprobar que en mi caso, por ejemplo, necesito muchísimas menos calorías, y un exceso me conlleva problemas de salud.
De la misma forma, no todas las personas hemos nacido con la misma energía vital. Algunas personas nacen con problemas de salud genéticos; otras nacen con una salud excelente y desarrollan una fuerza atlética extraordinaria; otras nacen con paraplegias y se convierten en genios. Así pues, la fuerza digestiva de cada persona es también diferente. Algunas tienen numerosas alergias e intolerancias desde pequeños; otras parece que puedan resistir comer todo tipo de comida insaludable sin caer prácticamente nunca enfermas.
Es por ello que algunas personas pueden seguir una comida tradicionalmente casera sana, sin hacer un régimen en especial, y permanecer en buena salud. En cambio, otras personas necesitan seguir dietas muy estrictas para poder gozar de relativa buena salud: sin gluten, sin lácteos, sin azúcares, vegetarianas, Paleo, crudivorista, etc.
Este es mi caso. Por distintas circunstancias de la vida, me he visto obligada a seguir una dieta frugivorista para poder gozar de buena salud. Como yo, muchas personas tenemos una energía vital muy delicada, que se ve afectada en gran medida por los alimentos que consumimos. Si me ciño a mi dieta, soy capaz de andar durante una semana, 6 horas al día, subiendo montañas bajo el sol del verano. Pero si me salto mis restricciones alimentarias, mi fiebre de heno en primavera y verano me imposibilitan incluso poder subir las escaleras de un piso.
Creo que esta falta de energía del sistema nervioso central y periférico podría tener parte de responsabilidad en algunas enfermedades neurológicas, degenerativas y del comportamiento, también.

Estimulantes

Para paliar esta falta de energía se suelen tomar estimulantes, como carne, café, té, chocolate, y por desgracia, algunas personas recurren hasta a las drogas, como es el caso en algunos yuppies. Pero los estimulantes tienen un efecto parecido al de dar un latigazo a un caballo cansado en una carrera. Sí, quizás llegará el primero, ¿pero cuál será su suerte después de atravesar la meta? ¿Aguantará mucho más? Los estimulantes extraen la poca energía de la que todavía dispone el cuerpo, extenuándolo todavía más, y cada día más.
En vez de buscar estimulantes, la única solución a la falta de energía es el reposo. Este reposo no es solamente físico, sino también mental y fisiológico. El primer reflejo debe ser recuperar las horas de sueño perdidas, con una siesta o adelantando la hora de ir a dormir. El ayuno, semi-ayuno o comidas ligeras son necesarios los días en que la energía no es suficiente para hacer la digestión. Una sesión de relajación, con una meditación de al menos unos 15 minutos, es también beneficiosa para un reposo mental.

Conclusión:

En el organismo existen principalmente tres sistemas que compiten por la energía del organismo: el digestivo, el nervioso (cerebral y periférico) y el muscular. Cuando la energía disponible del organismo es baja debido a diferentes circunstancias, como la falta de sueño, una incorrecta alimentación, el estrés, etc., y se da la situación que alguno de estos sistemas tiene una gran necesidad de energía, los otros sistemas padecen una escasez de dicha energía, con los consecuentes síntomas y enfermedades asociados.
Seguir una alimentación y estilo de vida adecuados permitirá que estos sistemas no sufran una falta de energía.

To what extend does nutrition affects psychology?

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 09:10:00 +0100

In a previous article I introduced the narrow relationship between body and mind; and I concluded that a physical and/or psychological perturbation may be the origin of any physical and/or psychological disease.
In this present article I would like to focus on the influence of physical disorders on psychological diseases, and more specifically, to what extend nutrition can change our mind.

Continue reading To what extend does nutrition affects psychology?

Dr. Campbell-McBride explains in her book, “Gut and Psychology Syndrome”, how a dysbiosis or gut flora unbalance can impact on the development of psychological diseases, such as depression, anorexia and bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder; as well as it can impact on neurological diseases, such as autism, schizophrenia, epilepsy, Alzheimer, etc.
After several years working with children with this kind of diseases, I would like to share one observation.
It’s important to differentiate between two different families of mental diseases: psychological and neurological. In the psychological ones, as the word say, there’s a very important component of psychology. This is why it is essential that the person follows a psychological treatment with a specialized therapist. It will be very difficult to heal a person with a pathology of this kind in a deep level if there’s not a psychological work.
In this cases, the nutritional therapy is very helpful, but it’s not enough at all. On the other side, neurological diseases, and hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder (ADD) as well, have a physiological origin, so a nutritional intervention is translated into a significant improvement, even a healing in numerous cases, with no need of any other therapy added.
Dr. Amen (1) shows that, through his studies on the brain with SPECT scanners, there is an important correlation between mental disorders and activity on the brain. So for example, he shows that people with ADD have a prefrontal cortex activity very much lower than the one of a normal person, and in fact, the more they try to concentrate, the less the activity in the brain; this is, when the more they try to concentrate, the worse they succeed. Other psychological disorders, such as anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, etc., are related with other disturbances in other parts of the brain.
Dr. Amen suggests a series of psychological, naturopathic and nutritional interventions to improve these diseases. And if it is necessary psychiatric medication too.
Nobody and nothing is going to avoid to feel a painful grief for a separation or the loss of a dear person, but the impact can be more or less deep, depending on the physical and psychological state of the person. Herbert Shelton (2) says that in a study about nutrition and mental factors, it was found that the emotional trauma is survived by the healthy people with a minimum of injury and leave no bad effects. But they frequently result in permanent troubles in those whose health, particularly their digestive health, has been neglected.
So it’s really worth to follow a daily correct nutrition of the body, mind and spirit, living well nourished (Living Fully Nourished).

References:

1) Dr Daniel Amen, “Magnificent mind at any age”
2) Herbert Shelton, “Hygienic Systems Vol II. The science and fine art of food and nutrition”

Nutrition for optimal brain function

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 10:16:00 +0100

We all long for an optimal brain function, but most people, from children to the eldest, complain about brain weaknesses: lack of memory, poor concentration, learning disorders, poor results at school, low performance at work, absent-mindedness, hyperactivity, …
We can do a very important job using different therapies for the brain function, but it is very hard work to improve these issues when there is a physiological problem, which can come from an incorrect nutrition.
Check in this article if your diet is healthy enough in order to sustain a high brain performance..

Continue reading Nutrition for optimal brain function

You can do all the memory exercises that are available in the market, and all the sensorial stimulation and development therapies, but if the brain does not have the building blocks that allow to set this information in it, it will be quite difficult. It is as if the best architect in the world did not have construction materials to build his houses.
We must provide the body with these basic materials through a good nutrition in order to build a strong and healthy brain.
We acquire a set of beliefs concerning what is a healthy diet starting from our childhood, and we all follow, more or less, these ideas which come from the family, school, advertising, doctors, tradition, etc. But maybe these beliefs about a “healthy diet” are not exactly correct, after all…?
Our brain does not have any special need different from the rest of the body. It needs energy from glucose; the building blocks for the neurones from amino acids and fatty acids; minerals and vitamins for the biochemical reactions; as well as water.
All these nutrients come from the food we consume, and the recycling of the damaged tissues of our body (yes, our body is very ecologic!). So we mainly focus our diet in order to provide the food we think is good for our body. But we forget that these nutrients must be correctly digested, transformed, absorbed, delivered to the brain, integrated into the tissue; and the residues of all these activities must be removed form the tissues.
When we plan our meals, we need to think not only about providing the food that our brain needs, but we must also take care of all the processes that our food will be submitted to, from the mouth to the brain. Moreover, we must avoid eating some substances that could disturb the proper functioning of the different systems that perform these processes: digestive system, circulatory system and detoxification system.
In the next part I will explain how to help the optimal functioning of all these systems with a good nutrition.

1) Food intake: nutrient-rich food

We need to eat nutrient-rich food. This is why it is very important to consume produce that is grown in rich and healthy soils. Poor soils give “nutrient poor” food. For example, tomatoes grown in mineralized soil had five times as much calcium, 13 times as much magnesium, and 1.900 times as much iron as samples grown in depleted soils. (10)
Furthermore, transport and storage time of the produce from the field to our plate is also very important. For example, up to 50% of vitamin C is lost in 24 hours after picking the produce. Green beans experience a typical nutrient loss of 45% from the field to the plate (there is usually a about 15-day period), and broccoli and cauliflower suffer a 25% loss.
This is why it is better to buy organic, local and seasonal products.
Another issue concerning nutrient-rich products are wholegrain products. Refined products such as white sugar and white flour must be removed from our diets because they are void of several minerals, vitamins, and fiber contained in the husk of the grain. But as we will see in the next section, the consumption of whole grains may bring about some problems because of their anti-nutrient content, which is higher in whole grains than in refined grains. So we’d better remove all grains from our diets.
In processed products nutrients are destroyed, altered or rendered useless for the body. They also contain additives and other harmful substances. Home made food is infinitely better.
Special attention must be paid to fats when talking about brain nutrition. The brain is composed in a way that is is nearly 60% fat. So the kind of fat we eat really matters for brain health. In that sense, it is important to avoid any kind of burnt oils and fats, and industrial TRANS fats.
Our body needs saturated and unsaturated fat, but up to now, only 2 fatty acids have been found to be essential as external sources, because the body can not manufacture them: the linoleic acid omega 6 and α-linolenic acid omega 3 (9). The rest of fatty acids can be derived from these two omega 6 and omega 3. So it is important to provide good sources of these fats, which can be found in any kind of whole product in more or less amount (whole grains, nuts, vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, eggs, …).
However, it has been found that the ratio between these two kinds of fatty acids, omega 6 to omega3, is also very important. The ideal ratio is set to 1:1 or 2:1 (16); higher ratios progressively increase the risk of developing inflammatory diseases. So that means that food that contains an excess of omega 6 is not optimal for health, such as grains and most nuts and seeds, and all kinds of grain fed animals and animal sub-products. Learn more about fats in this article .

2) Digestive system: Gut-Brain connection

More than 2,000 years ago Hippocrates said “All diseases begin in the gut”.
The gut and the brain are connected. The gut means the first step in providing the brain with nutrients to. But as we will see, the gut may also become a source of toxicity for the brain.
Moreover, it’s said that the gut is the second brain. 90% of the body’s serotonin and 50% of its dopamine is made in the gut.
Several substances may disturb the correct functioning of the digestive system. They inhibit the enzymatic function, the scissors that break down the food into elementary substances. Here is a list with some of the most important digestion disturbing substances:
* Anti-nutrients such as phytates, oxalates, and saponins contained in legumes (beans, lentils, peas, soy), grains, seeds and nuts. These anti-nutrients are very much reduced by different culinary processes, such as fermentation, soaking, sprouting and cooking; but even after all these processes, the amount of anti-nutrients is still considerable and can really disturb the digestion. Read more here.
* Vinegar: the acetic acid is a very powerful digestive inhibitor of starch
* Alcohol: impairs protein digestion
* Medicines: for example anti-acid and proton pump inhibitors, inhibit the hydrochloric acid production, impairing the protein digestion.
It is not only what we eat that matters, the way we eat is much more important. If we eat at a stressful moment, we eat too much food, or too frequently, or in a bad combination, even the the world’s healthiest food may be very harmful. The most frequent mistake for most people is overeating, even if they eat healthy food such as vegetables. Read more here.
But even considering that the best conditions for digestion are provided, we must face another problem: having to be able to produce the enzymes that digest that food.
Some foods are, by themselves, indigestible for humans. For example, we can secrete some kind of amylase enzyme to digest starches, but this ability is very limited, compared to some birds that can digest even the starch of raw grains. Our usual food is full of different substances which are, in fact, indigestible for us:
* Some oligosaccharides that are present in legumes, which are not completely eliminated with the different culinary process (12), (13)
* Protein of modern grains (gliadin in wheat, secalin in rye, hordein in barley, avenin in oats, zein in corn, kafirin in sorghum, and panicin in millet). Read more about why modern grains are indigestible in Dr. Seignalet’s book. (11)
* Acrylamides and PAH from burnt meat, starch and oils, and all kinds of grilled food. Pasteurization, deep-frying and barbecuing are the worst cooking methods. In general, the higher the temperature that food is cooked at, the more difficult it is to digest. (14)
* Lactose for adults (2)
* Additives (15)
Also, some people suffer from food intolerances because of their lack of some specific enzymes, for different reasons. Hypochlorhydria is a deficit of hydrochloric acid in the stomach to digest proteins; a deficit of amylase secreted by the pancreas to digest starches, which may be caused by an adrenal fatigue; the lack of bile when there has been a gallbladder ablation, which impairs fat digestion; etc.
All these foods that can’t be digested by our enzymes, are then digested by different undesirable strains of microorganisms that grow in our gut. These bacteria, and sometimes also protozoa and worms, feed on the food that we can’t digest, and the waste of their digestion are gas and toxins (called organic metabolites) that can lead to a long list of diseases in different parts of the body. In the brain, some metabolites are particularly dangerous, such as the opioid peptides coming from gluten and casein (read more here). Acetaldehyde and alcohol coming from yeasts in the gut are also toxic for the brain; clostridia neurotoxins with tetanus-like effect; histamine and other amines; etc. The problems related to these toxins are very different: from a mild lack of memory or sleeping problems to a very acute psychiatric disease. Read more about the detailed effect of toxins in Dr. Campbell-McBride’s book (2). Dr. Campbell-McBride suggests following the GAPS diet in order to heal all kind of psychological and neurological diseases.
The dysbiosis or unbalance of the gut flora also affects the synthesis and methylation of vitamins from the K and B group, which perform a very important role in the brain function.

Another consequence of food digestion problems is inflammation. Inflammation appears when some of these partially digested foods cross the gut-blood barrier because of the leaky gut syndrome. Other undesirable substances that can finish in the blood are chemicals, bacteria, and virus. Then, these substances trigger an immune reaction in the body, that is, an inflammation, which is the origin of a high oxidative stress and free radical production that damages the tissues. When this inflammation happens in the brain, it can lead to psychological pathologies, degenerative diseases, behavioral problems, etc. And these problems can take place without the need of any kind of gastro-intestinal symptom; so food digestion problems may manifest directly in the brain. (1)
It’s also very important to take into account the amount of energy needed for digestion, in spite of the energy delivered to other parts of the body, such as the brain. Read this other article to learn more about the body energy.
After the food is digested, the glucides, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals must cross the gut lining in order to get to the blood stream. This process is called absorption, and we need a healthy gut lining in order to perform a proper absorption.
It has been shown that some food and mainly a big amount of toxins can damage the gut lining, such as gluten and lectin contained in modern grains (1); mercury in amalgam dental fillings; antibiotics and anti-inflammatory pills; pesticides, and a long list of chemical substances. (2)

3) Circulatory system: a good delivery

Transport of the nutrients and oxygen to the brain must be done in a proper way.
Some food may cause damage in the circulatory system, preventing proper blood flow in the brain.
Dr, Perlmutter (1) explains that one of the main problems that disturbs the circulatory system and impairs the function of the brain is the phenomenon called glycation of proteins. Glycation is when sugars bond to proteins (such as haemoglobin), rendering these proteins useless and damaging the tissues: blood vessels, organs, skin, muscles, etc. This happens when there’s too much sugar in the blood, which comes from a diet that is too rich in carbohydrates and sugars. A study from the Mayo clinic showed that high carbohydrate diets increase four times the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, characterised by memory, language, thinking and judgement problems.
Cholesterol is a controversial subject concerning its effect on the cardiovascular system. In conventional medicine, it is very well-known that it is pointed as one of the major culprits of cardiovascular problems. But many research studies have shown that in fact, people with high cholesterol levels live longer, and cholesterol is a fat we really need for our brain. (1)
Dr Campbell-McBride (8) says that cholesterol is a substance that repairs damaged tissues, such as blood vessels, and if blood cholesterol is too high we should find out the reason why some tissues suffer such a high degree of tear. Our liver makes 75% of all cholesterol, so even if we cut down on the external cholesterol intake, blood cholesterol will still be high.
Dr Campbell-McBride created the GAPS diet for all kinds of neurological and psychological diseases, where all carbohydrates, starches and sugars are completely removed and a high intake of animal fat is encouraged.
Dr. Perlmutter (1) claims in a study that people with the lowest LDL cholesterol were at increased risk for Parkinson’s disease by approximately 350 percent. LDL transports cholesterol to the neurons, where it performs critically important functions. But an LDL molecule can be damaged by the free radicals of an oxydative process, such as the one created by high carbohydrate diets, and any kind of psychological or physical stress to the body. This oxydative stress is the one that also damages the blood vessels, the one that is responsible for the cardiovascular diseases that also impair the proper transportation of the nutrients to the brain. Dr. Perlmutter strongly recommends a fat-based diet, with copious amounts of fat and cholesterol, with some protein and vegetables, and a very small amount of gluten-free grains and sugars (syrups, dairy and fruits included).
Dr. Graham (4) says that a glycation problem arises when there are too many fats and sugars in the blood at the same time, because fats render unusable insuline and so prevent sugars from being properly absorbed, increasing the amount of sugars in the blood and favoring glycation. He supports this argument with the Pritikin Program (17), which is scientifically proven by more than 100 studies. So he advocates a low fat and high fruit diet, as he belongs to the Natural Hygiene current, that considers that humans are essentially frugivore (fruit eaters). On the contrary, a high intake of fats comes from a high intake of pure vegetable oils and/or animal fats, which are extracted from the natural products (olives, nuts, seeds) in a mechanical refinement process that is an industrial process to a higher or lower degree; while eating a reasonable amount of whole fat which natural products contain, which is the case of some fruits such as olives, avocado and coconut, is not a problem.
The conclusion is that fats and sugars are incompatible in a same diet. Both a high-fat low-carbohydrate diet (a ketogenic diet), and a high-fruit low-fat diet (a frugivore diet) show good results in preventing and reversing brain diseases, as well as healing most of diseases. Personally, I’ve got better results with the frugivore diet, although the ketogenic diet is enough in most of the cases.
The most frequently used solution to improve blood flow is supplementation with omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) in the form of fish oil. It’s a very useful remedy, but as all remedies (natural or chemical), it does have side effects. All kinds of remedies that improve blood flow also have an anti-clotting effect, which may be dangerous if a person suffers an accident because of the risk of hemorrhage. It also causes low blood pressure, affects cholesterol levels and may cause vitamin E deficiency. (18) Safety values are set in order to decrease these risks, but sometimes the therapeutic amount that can really have an impact on the brain and cardiovascular diseases is higher than the security values.

It is always better to try to find out what is the origin of the neurologic or cardiovascular condition, as it may be, for example, the glycation or inflammation process due to grains, instead of rushing to have some remedies or supplements.
Other solutions in order to improve the brain function by identifying the factors that disrupt blood flow are described by Dr Amen (3):

* Constrictors: stress, caffeine, and nicotine
* Limiting the blood flow: heart disease, diabetes, lack of sleep, lack of exercise
* Toxicity: drugs, tobacco, alcohol abuse, environmental toxins
* Dehydration
Dr. Amen also suggests some healthy lifestyle choices in order to improve the brain function:
* Avoid practicing risky activities for the brain, such as heading soccer balls; riding a motorcycle or bike, skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding without helmet; driving without seat belt; etc.
* Avoid chronic stress
* Avoid negative thinking, chronic worry, or anger
* Avoid aspartame and monosodium glutamate
* Avoid excessive TV, video games, computer, cell phone time
* Exercise, sleep enough, have a healthy diet

4) Detoxification system: keep clean inside

In Natural Hygiene, toxemia is the main responsible for most diseases. When toxic wastes can not be properly removed from the tissues, then the tissue cells are damaged because of the acid toxicity and the lack of oxygen and nutrients. When the accumulation of debris in the interstitial fluid that baths the cells, coming from an endogenous production or external sources, is quicker than the removal process, then toxemia is present.
It has been shown that most people with neurological diseases have some kind of detoxification system failure. Different genetic polymorphism associated with a poor detoxification system have been found that are related with neurological diseases (6). In particular, the APOE gene has been strongly related to Alzheimer disease (7).
People with an impaired detoxification system must pay special attention to both the internal and external sources of toxicity. That means taking care of all kinds of toxins in one’s environment; in food, air, water, radiations, skin, etc. In this article you will find a detailed explanation about different sources of external toxicity.
Regarding the endogenous production of toxins, the gut flora takes a very important role. As we saw when we were talking about the digestive system, undesirable opportunistic bacteria may produce a wide range of toxins. Taking care of our diet, as we explained in that section, is the first step towards a healthy gut and brain.
Another of the main issues related with gut flora is preventing constipation. When constipations are installed, the food ferments and putrefies in the gut, as the consequence of bacterial action. In order to enjoy a regular bowel transit, several measures are suggested here and solutions here.

Conclusion:

In order to enjoy an improved brain fitness, it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle and a good nutrition, provided not only by a healthy diet, but also a well-performing digestive system, circulatory system and detoxification system. Our nutrition habits have to take care of all these systems, apart from the very well known rule of providing the essential nutrients that the brain needs.
In this sense, it is highly recommended by most of the diets to avoid all kind of grains and refined sugars. Then, every kind of diet recommends different guidelines in terms of proteins, fats and fruits. A bio-individual approach is the best solution to find out the best diet for every person.

Bibliografía:

Dr. Perlmutter, “Grain Brain”
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, “Gut and Psychology syndrome”
Dr. Amen, “Magnificent mind at any age”
Dr. Graham, “The 80/10/10 Diet”
Dr. Herbert Shelton, “Hygienic Systems Vol II”
“A key role for an impaired detoxification mechanism in the etiology and severity of autism spectrum disorders”
“Alzheimer's genes: Are you at risk?”
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride “Put your heart in your mouth”
“Discovery of essential fatty acids”
Dr. Firman Rutgers University, 1948
Dr. Jean Seignalet, “L’alimentation ou la troisième médecine”
“ Effect of soaking and cooking on the oligosaccharides and lectins in red kidney beans”
“Oligosaccharide content and composition of legumes and their reduction by soaking, cooking, ultrasound, and high hydrostatic pressure”
“The dangers of over-cooking your food”
“Researcher Links Digestive Problems to Food Additive”
“The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids”
“The science”
Mayo Clinic, Drugs and Supplements “Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil, alpha-linolenic acid”

Iván's testimonial: development delay

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 18:55:00 +0100

Arnau does not have a clear diagnostics. The doctors talk about autistic spectrum, development delay, … The physiological diseases he presents when he first comes to my consultation are: bloating and abdominal distention, parasites, sensitive skin, very frequent and strong bronchial spasm attacks and otitis.
He follows several alternative therapies: homeopathy, osteophaty, and development stimulation such as Tomatis. He’s already having a gluten-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free diet that have allowed an important improvement, but his evolution is still deficient.
Thanks to food intolerance tests, we discover that Arnau is suffering some food intolerances.
We install a GAPS diet taking into account these food intolerances.
Putting GAPS diet into practice is not easy for the family. Arnau suffers a regression in his cognitive skills: disconnection, return of some stereotypes, … but they persevere with the diet, and very slowly they begin to appreciate the improvements.
Finally, we succeed to remove the bronchial spams and Arnau begins to experience a normal development: oral expression, concentration, memory and motivation. Two years afterwards, it’s possible to reintroduce some food and go out GAPS diet without problems.
You can read his father’s testimonial:

Continue reading Iván's testimonial: development delay

“Our son Arnau, who is now 5 years old, began to present difficulties few months after his birth. We have tried different therapies, some of them have been discarded because of lack of improvement, but we do have followed the GAPS diet suggested by Gemma.
We have always said that between all things we have done, one of them that we know that has worked is the diet. When we did it, we saw a positive change and evolution in Arnau”

Xelo's testimonial: Epilepsy

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 18:57:00 +0100

Samuel suffers multiple chemical sensitivity. He can’t tolerate any chemical substance such as medicines, pesticides, sweeteners, preservatives, personal hygiene products, etc. His mother says that he has allergy to everything.
With a low histamine GAPS diet, ecological, and rich in vegetables we succeed to completely control the epileptic crisis in this 16 years old boy without any kind of medicine.
You can read his mother’s testimonial:

Continue reading Xelo's testimonial: Epilepsy

“We came to visit Gemma Calzada after more than one year of GAPS diet by our own. We bought Dr. Campbell-McBride’s book, and we installed more or less the protocol on our 16 years old boy suffering autism and epilepsy. Sometimes it worked well, and other times, not so well. After more than a year, we perceived that he had important rise in histamine levels, and we didn’t know how to manage this question.
We contacted Gemma, who guided us to a more adequate diet for our son’s pathology. We changed to a low histamine GAPS diet, more alkaline, with more raw vegetables.
The use of ecologic fruits and vegetables has been crucial in the treatment.
Our son has greatly improved, calming down his nervousness. Today he is free of epilepsy and without medication.
Gemma has guided us, but mainly, we have learned a lot. She’s a professional that doesn’t keep her wisdom for herself, but she shares and encourage us to study and to learn”

Ana's testimonial: autism

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 18:55:00 +0100

Ana M. comes to my consultation because his autistic son Victor when he’s 26. Ana has tried all kind of alternative treatments, and thanks to that, his son has greatly improved since he was a baby.
When Victor follows the GAPS diet he experiences another important improvement that greatly satisfy Ana. This is her testimonial:

Continue reading Ana's testimonial: autism

“Victor was diagnosed with autism a little bit before 4 years old. He had a quite problematic behaviour that derived in an important aggressiveness. When he was 8 years old he even had to take anxiolytic medication:, Sinogan, Meleril, Haloperidol, Tranxilium, … in very high doses. But even though, we didn’t succeed to control his aggressiveness attacks and self-harm.
At the beginning of 1998, when he had about 10 years old, he started a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free diet, avoiding other 52 food to which he was intolerant. The diet was a success and in less than a week his behaviour completely changed. Little by little the medication that he was taking since 2 years ago was lowered, and in 3 months he completely stopped them.
In addition of violent behaviour, he also improved his constipation that he was suffering since he was a baby.
Although all the improvements with other therapies during some years, Victor didn’t put on weight, and when he was 24 years old he still wore a 14 years old size, so it was quite difficult to find trousers that fit him!
At the beginning of 2013 he started the GAPS diet. His diet was very high in fats and proteins (eggs, meat, coconut oil, seeds, nuts) and he also took a lot of vegetables and some fruits. There was a very low carbohydrate intake. The most impressive effect was that in a few months he started to gain weight. He jump two sizes in little time.
Another very important data was a significant change in the cell tests. Since some years, we observed in the microscope the irregularity of his cells, the fragility of cell membranes and the dirty in the interstitial liquid that bath cells.
In Mars 2015, after following GAPS diet for more than a year, there was a huge change in this cell test. Cell shape was beautiful and cell membrane was not fragile anymore. The doctor told us that cell membranes are made of phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins… just what he was receiving in his diet. It seems that his intestine could absorbe now better and this was reflected in the weight.
I think that the glutathion treatments could help too, but sincerely, I think that the diet was determinant”.

Healing with Nutrition Series

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 21:08:00 +0100

Continue reading Healing with Nutrition Series

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16 main causes of gastro-intestinal disorders and how to heal them

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 11:24:00 +0100

“All disease begins in the gut” stated Hippocrates. The main causes of most diseases are the lack of nutrients due to imbalanced nutrition, malabsorption and an imbalanced gut flora with bacterial overgrowth.
It’s not only the kind of food we eat that matters, it’s also or even more important how, when, how much, how frequently we eat, apart from many other circumstances.
In this article we are going to study the main sources of digestive and health problems as their consequence.

Continue reading 16 main causes of gastro-intestinal disorders and how to heal them

Digestion is performed by the movements of the organs of our digestive system and the enzymatic action of the juices poured by these organs. In order to have a good digestion, the proper conditions for the action of these enzymes must be accomplished.
Digestion is performed by the movements of the organs of our digestive system and the enzymatic action of the juices poured by these organs. In order to have a good digestion, the proper conditions for the functioning of these enzymes must be accomplished.
We don’t realize how much all our life can impact in our digestion. Most people have serious problems to meet all these requirements because of their lifestyle. That is why most people have some kind of gastro-intestinal disease, and as a consequence, some kind of health problem.. It's not rare that people with auto-immune diseases, cardio-vascular diseases, neurological, psychological and degenerative disorders, fatigue, and any other kind of chronic diseases, suffer of some kind of gastro-intestinal disorder too, such as GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) , bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, stomach aches, peptic ulcer, etc..

1.- What we eat.
Junk food, processed food, refined food, genetically modified food, overcooked or burned food, sugar, unhealthy fats, .... There’s a long list of unhealthy food, on top of that a lot of foods are not well tolerated by some people, because most people are not aware of their food intolerances to lactose, casein, gluten, egg, soy, legumes, fructose, histamine, etc. We should eat only what our enzymes can digest, otherwise all undigested food will feed undesirable bacteria.

2.- Food combining
The laws of food combining disclosed by Dr. Shelton are detailed in this other article.
When a meal is composed by a mixture of incompatible foods, some substances of the meal won’t be well digested, because the conditions that enzymes require for every kind of food are different. So for example, the pH for digesting proteins in the stomach must be acid, while starches need a basic pH.
The most important rules of food combining are:
* Don’t mix carbohydrates and proteins.
* Eat fruits alone

3.- Digestion inhibitors and antibiotics
Some foods inhibit the digestion of other foods, preventing the enzymatic action on food to break it down into its basic elements.
There is a long list of food that contain some antinutrients that inhibit digestion, some of them currently consumed by most of the population: tannic acid in wine, caffeine in coffee, theine in tea, theobromine in cocoa (chocolate), phytic acid in the bran of all grains and legumes, saponins in legumes and potatoes, acetic acid in vinegar, and alcohol in all kinds of alcoholic drinks. Condiments such as salt and spices slow down the digestion.
Phytic acid and saponines are reduced in different levels by soaking, fermenting, cooking or sprouting, but they still remain in some amount when the food is consumed.

4.- Chewing
Chewing in the mouth is the first stage of digestion. Chewing allows to convert food into small pieces, and also, to begin the salivary digestion of carbohydrates.
If we swallow food without chewing, which is the case when we eat smoothies or purées and drink juices, or to a lesser extent, with grated and chopped food, we don’t salivate. Also, during the process of grating, chopping, blending and juicing food is oxidized and it allows to start the undesirable aerobic fermentation and degradation of all nutrients.

5.- Water
Some nutritionists, such as Dr. Shelton, say that drinking water during meals dilutes enzymes, which makes the digestion more difficult. However, others claim that digestive juices will adapt to the amount of water that is poured depending on the needs. So if we drink water, digestive juices will contain less water.
My opinion is that you must listen to your body, the sensation of thirst, and feel what works better for you. Drinking water during meals generates bloating for some people, which is a symptom of bad digestion, while other people feel that drinking water helps the process of their digestion.
It also depends on the type of food you eat. Dry meals such as a grilled steak or French fries will need some water in order to get them go through the esophagus. But if you eat salads, vegetables and fruits, then your food contains enough water, so it is not necessary to drink water. ds, vegetables and fruits, then food contains enough water, so drinking additional water is not needed.

6.- Temperature
Enzymes work optimally at body temperature. If we increase or decrease this temperature ingesting hot or cold drinks and food, then digestion takes more time to take place, because the body has to spend more energy and time regulating the temperature, and digestion will have to wait until the adequate temperature has been reached.
So in winter, don’t consume your meals too hot, and avoid eating ice creams too fast in summer. Let the cold or hot food reach body temperature in your mouth before swallowing it.
In the same way, the ambient temperature of the dining room must be warm. If someone is eating in a cold place, they will need to spend a lot of energy in order to warm themselves up, an energy that will be taken from the digestive process.

7.- Amount of food
Everybody agrees that overeating is not healthy. (See this article to know more about how, paradoxically, overeating lead to a lack of nutrients). But we don’t agree about where the line is that separates rational amounts from overeating. The place where this line is placed depends of a long list of factors: gender, physical constitution, physical activity, type of diet, etc.
It has been shown that calories is not a good guideline (see the reasons in this book).
In general, I would recommend following these guidelines to find out what the amount of food you can eat is:

Stop eating when you feel satisfied, don’t wait until you feel completely full. In order to notice the messages that your stomach is sending, practice conscious eating. If you can’t notice these messages, follow the conscious eating directives very strictly. Later on, you will be able to listen to your body while eating in company.
People with leptin resistance hardly feel full even after eating big amounts of food, because the brain doesn’t get the message that the person should stop eating. These people need to address their leptin resistance problems.
Eat as little as possible. It’s always better to err on the side of lack of food rather than excess of food.
Never force a child or any person to finish their meal against their will.

Of course, people with eating disorders would need other guidelines that a psychologist and/or nutritionist may suggest for each case.
In this other article you can find more detailed information about the possible reasons of overeating.

8.- Frequency of eating
How many meals should we eat? Some nutritionists advise eating small quantities very often, others prefer eating very few meals with more abundant food.
The option of few meals is what the body organs need to rest between meals in order to be able to secrete the adequate amount of enzymes for the next food.
On the other hand, some nutritionists say that having snacks helps prevent cravings and excessive hunger, others argument that it helps maintaining a constant supply of nutrients, such as glucose.
In general, a person that follows a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle, such as Natural Hygiene doesn’t need to eat too much nor too frequently. Usually, one or two meals a day are enough. But if you are not well nourished because of the diet and/or your lifestyle, then you will need to eat more amount and more often, because the digestive system won’t be able to digest and absorb enough nutrients, and the diet may be nutrient deficient. Besides, you will feel hungry because of the addictive properties of several products, such as processed food, glutamate, sugar, salt, coffee, chocolate, tea, dairy products, gluten grains, etc.
I think that everybody has to find out what works better for them in terms of better digestion, less cravings, energy boosts, and in general, feeling better.
But the most important thing is to avoid eating when you are not hungry, so skip as many meals as necessary until you get really hungry. And if you are hungry very often, maybe what you are feeling is not really hunger, but the symptoms of detoxification of your last meal, or the symptoms of withdrawal of some kind of addictive food or product you consume.
A healthy hungry feeling is pleasant, and it’s always possible to wait a little bit more without feeling sick. If you feel really tired, trembling, with stomach ache, headache, lack of energy, etc. when you are hungry, then it means that you are not eating in a correct way, probably you are not eating the appropriate food for your body or some of the conditions we are explaining in this article are not respected. Another difference between true hunger and craving is that when you are really hungry you are able to eat any kind of healthy food. If you only desire some specific kind of food means that it is craving. See in this other article the different reasons for having cravings.

9.- Emotions
There is no doubt that emotions influence our digestive system. If we feel upset, our digestive system is also upset and doesn’t work well. So if you feel any kind of negative emotion: sadness, fear, injustice, envy, anxiety, etc., resist compulsive eating until you have managed to calm down your emotional state. Use any technique that helps you to relax and cheer you up before eating, or ask a psychologist for help or find some kind of therapy if it is a chronic state you are in.
In this article you can read more about nutrition and the body-mind connection.
Eat in a calm state. Avoid discussions, heated arguments, business meetings, listening to news on the TV, etc. at the dining table. Choose good company or eat alone, in a nice and quiet place, relax while eating and listen to your body.

10.- Stress
Stress is the greatest enemy of good digestion. When an organism is under stress, it redirects all the energy to the muscles in order to fight or flee from danger, and it stops wasting energy on the digestion, which is not necessary in a life threatening situation.
So again, use some kind of technique in order to relax before eating and take all the time you need for the meals. If you don’t have enough time to eat a long meal, just skip it or eat a very light, small meal.
It’s also important to avoid stress during the whole process of digestion, which can take from 2 hours up to 4 hours, depending on the kind of meal.

11.- Fatigue
Feeling tired means that your digestive system is tired too, so it won’t have the energy to perform digestion.
What is currently believed (food gives us energy, so if we are tired we must eat) is not true. If a person is tired he/she must rest or sleep in order to recover energy.
If you experience a “high” after eating or drinking some stimulant product, it means that the body has made a big effort in order to make the digestion of that product. It may be that the product has hurried the body to make a quick disposal of it because it contains toxic substances, which is the case of excitants such as coffee, chocolate and tea.
In any case, if you feel a “high” after eating and you were tired before, it means that you have exhausted the little bit of energy that was still remaining in your body, and that means that less energy will be left after the digestion than before eating or drinking that product.
The process of digestion always takes energy from the body, so you can never feel more energized immediately after meals. It’s after several hours, when digestion has finished, that food has been converted into fuel and can provide more energy.
So, don’t eat if you are tired, just rest. And don’t make any strong physical or mental effort while the digestion is in process.

12.- Disease
In the same way that we must avoid eating when tired, fasting is the best option when we are sick; or just have very light and less frequent meals.

13.- Beliefs
When a person holds on to his/her beliefs, in case those are wrong, it is difficult to change the dietary habits. It is always good to doubt any nutrition dogma and knowledge you have, whatever its source (even mine!).
Read a lot, find out about the arguments of all the different approaches, try them on yourself and listen to your body. Finally choose the approach that makes you feel best.
We must distinguish between the conscious beliefs and subconscious ones. These latter ones are very difficult to change. In this other article you can learn more about subconscious beliefs.

14.- Toxicity
Some toxic substances inhibit or even destroy enzymes. Mercury, which is to be found in metallic amalgams (“silver” dental fillings), is the biggest problem for the digestive system. This mercury is releasing vapors little by little, which are diluted in the saliva, destroying the enzymes there, and later on, other enzymes in the stomach and intestines. Also, it has been linked to the leaky gut syndrome, stomach ulcers and the destruction of gut flora (see here and here). But mercury is found in many other places: fish, hair dyes, paint, batteries, broken thermometers, vaccines, etc. (click here to know more).
Any kind of toxin will inhibit or stop enzymatic action: from pesticides in food to tobacco. Here you will find a more detailed list of the most frequently toxic products in our environment.

15.- Medicines
The anti-acid and proton pump inhibitors act by inhibiting the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Because hydrochloric acid plays a key role in the digestion of proteins, this kind of medicine leads to protein indigestion and the consequent growth of proteolytic bacteria in the stomach and intestines, such as Clostridum (see here).Also, hydrochloric acid is important for the absorption of minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium, and vitamin B12. (See more about the proton pump inhibitors here)
Sodium bicarbonate neutralizes the hydrochloric acid, so side effects of this remedy are mainly the same as proton pump inhibitors. Another important function of hydrochloric acid is that it is antiseptic, killing any bad bacteria, virus or parasite that has eventually entered with food.
So if you have acid reflux or heartburn, it’s better to find out what is the cause of this problem, reviewing all the factors that are exposed in this article.
Antibiotics destroy the gut flora, both the beneficial and pathogenic, creating a desert that is normally repopulated by undesirable bacteria such as candida and/or clostridium. (See this article about antibiotics)
I won’t explain the side effects of all medicines on the digestive system here, but I would like to highlight the detrimental effect of laxatives and the contraceptive pill. Nevertheless, we may claim that almost all of them disturb the digestive system in some way.
But not only medicines have a big impact on our digestive health. Also some food have medicinal effect and can do the same harm. Besides the food that act as digestion inhibitors that we have already seen in a previous section, other substances currently used in meals such as salt, spices, herbs, honey, alcohol, garlic and onion have antibiotic properties.

16.- Other body needs
For a healthy digestive system and a good general health, we also need to nourish our body and all its needs. In this article you will find the main needs of a human person, all of which influence our food digestion as well.

Conclusion:
In order to prevent and/or heal gastro-intestinal diseases, as well as all derived health problems, you must work on changing your lifestyle and nutrition habits so that you can fulfill all the necessary requirements for a good digestion.

Bibliography:

Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, “Health for the millions”

Dr. Natasha Cambell-McBride, “Gut and Psychology Syndrome”

Dr. David Klein, “Self Healing Colitis & Crohn’s”

Cravings, food addiction and overeating

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 19:33:00 +0100

Everybody knows that junk food is unhealthy, however, some people struggle to give up this kind of food. Other people would like to follow a certain diet, but they find it difficult to avoid eating the forbidden food, such as for example, cooked food in a raw food diet.
Every day, everybody in the occidental countries is faced with temptations focused on us by the food industry. They create the most attractive packages, ads and flavours to get us addicted to their food.
How can we resist? How can we manage to follow a healthy diet? How to control our cravings, food addictions and overeating?

Continue reading Cravings, food addiction and overeating

First of all, it is important to identify what the reasons of the problem could be. Following are some of the most common causes of cravings and food addiction:

Compensation for an emotional or psychological problem: loneliness, lack of love, grieving, boredom, separation or divorce, lack of self-esteem, depression, anxiety, annoyance, etc.
Compensation for a physiological problem: tiredness, stress, nervousness, lack of sexual pleasure, sleeping problems, etc.

In these previous cases, the person tries to evade from the problems of life by eating some kind of comfort food, which produces a high in neurotransmitters or endorphins which leads to a state of pleasure. The problem is that in order to get the same pleasure the person needs to consume a higher amount every time, creating an addiction to the substance contained in that food, such as sugar, fat, salt, monosodium glutamate, chocolate, coffee, tea, gluten, dairy, etc.

Food is used as a reward for having been a “good girl/boy”. This is a habit that may have been set in someone’s childhood. Unfortunately, a lot of parents and teachers use candies and sweets as reward when a child behaves well.
Food is used as punishment for having been a “bad girl/boy”. In this case, food is used as an auto-destructive way of punishment, like a kind of slow suicide, for having done something wrong. It is usual in the case of people with very low self-esteem or with depressive tendencies.
Food takes a person back to his/her childhood. Some food, such as milk or sugar, calls on the souvenir of childhood and maternal love. It happens to people with the “Peter Pan syndrome”, who can’t face the problems of adulthood.
A person was educated to having to finish the whole dish in his/her childhood, or eating a lot in order to grow and be strong, or a person was given many candies, cakes or junk food.
A person suffered a traumatic experience, such as rape. So this person builds a cuirass to protect himself/herself from being abused again. The body unconsciously decides to be “ugly” so it feels protected.
Lack of nutrients. Unhealthy dietary habits may lead to cell starvation, which sends messages to the brain asking for more food. Even if the person eats a big amount of food, if this food is void of nutrients, it is like the person is not eating at all (in fact the effect on health of eating food void of nutrients is even worse than eating nothing).
Hypoglycaemia. A high intake of products that are very rich in refined sugar or refined flour makes a quick rise in the insuline levels followed by a quick decrease below the normal level, which creates a hypoglycaemic state. Then, if the person eats these kind of products again, a cycle of insuline peaks is created, with the associated effects on mood and health in general.
Leptin resistance. These refined products also lead to leptin resistance, which is the hormone that indicates that someone is full and can stop eating. When a person has leptin resistance, he/she can’t stop eating because he/she never feels full.
Candidosis. Some bad bacteria and fungi overgrow in the gut when they are fed on sugars and carbohydrates that can’t be digested by the digestive system of a person. These microorganisms release some neurotoxins which get to the brain and kidnap the person to ensure the survival of the microorganisms, convincing the person to eat more food to feed them, that is, more sugar or refined products.

Once the problem is identified, we can address the solutions. Some of them are:

Writing down one’s feelings at the moment of the craving. If a strong emotion is present it should be addressed with other therapies.
Find replacements for that addictive food: fruits instead of sugar, carob instead of chocolate, chicory instead of coffee, etc.
Practice an alternative activity instead of eating when the craving appears: sport, relaxation, music, reading, resting, etc.
Avoid risky situations: passing by bakeries, going inside a tea room, etc.
Posting little messages in the kitchen encouraging positive messages: “ I will eat healthily”, “I will only eat my main meals”, “I will eat the right amount”, etc.
Make a shopping list before going to the grocery store or supermarket, planning your meals for the whole week.
Thinking about the negative consequences of the craving: “I will feel sick”, “I will gain weight”, etc.
Practice conscious eating
Therapies that can help to reprogram the subconscious and overcome past trauma, bad habits and wrong education: hypnose, EFT, psychotherapy, visualization/meditation/prayer, PSYCH-K, PNL, coaching, etc. The Gabriel Method is also one of the best.
Identify possible food intolerances that lead to a bacterial or fungi overgrowth.

The Food Combining System

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Sat, 25 Jun 2016 11:38:00 +0100

The food combining system, logically evolved from the study of gastric physiology and the actions of enzymes and digestive juices. Hygienic food selection and the principles or food combining are based on the nutritional needs of humans and the limitations of our digestive systems. It is not what we eat, but what we digest and assimilate, that determines the nourishment our bodies receive. Food combining is based on the discovery that certain combinations of food may be digested with greater ease and efficiency than others.
This article has been extracted by the “Digestive Physiology and Food Combining” by T.C..Fry

Continue reading The Food Combining System

Correct food combinations result in an immediate improvement in health by lightening the load of the digestive organs. Better nutrition is assured, and there is better digestion, less fermentation and putrefaction, more comfort, less distress and less gas.
Fermentation causes irritation and poisoning. Proper food combining removes fermentation as a cause of indigestion (though there are many other conditions that can cause digestive problems, such as overeating; eating hurriedly or when tired, worried, angry, fearful, grieved, etc.; or when you are in pain or have a fever or inflammation).
The successful results obtained through the utilization of me food combining rules can be explained and substantiated by the facts of physiological chemistry, particularly the chemistry of digestion.
No food program, nor any food combining program, will cure disease. Healing can be effected only by removal of the causes of disease. Incorrect food combinations can be an important cause.

Food Classification

Foods vary widely in character and nutritional constituents. This classification of food categories will provide clarification and greater understanding of our discussion of the principles of digestive physiology and chemistry that decree correct food combining.

Proteins

All foods contain some protein, and the amounts of protein in different foods vary widely. We classify as protein foods those that contain a comparatively high percentage of protein—these are the concentrated protein foods. Such foods include:

Nuts
Seeds
Soybeans
Animal proteins
Cheese
Eggs

Digestion time in the stomach of proteins use to be quite longer than the rest of food:
Seeds & Nuts - 2 to 3 hours.
Egg yolk - 30 min Whole egg - 45 min.
Fish (white) - 30 min. Fish (fatty fish) - 45 min. to 60 min.
Chicken - 1 h 30 min to 2 hours
Beef, lamb - 3 to 4 hours
Pork - 4 h 30 min to 5 hours.

Carbohydrates

The carbohydrates are the starches and sugars.
The starchy vegetables are potatoes (all kinds), mature corn, parsnips, and Jerusalem artichokes; the mildly starchy vegetables are carrots, globe artichokes, beets, winter squash, cauliflower, rutabaga, salsify and several others.
The combination foods (starchy proteins) referred to under the protein category are classified as starches for purposes of food combining. These include dried and fresh legumes, grains, peanuts, cashew and chestnuts. Green vegetable proteins (to be combined as starch) include peas in the pod, lima and other beans in the pod, and mature green beans in the pod. Sprouts contain significant amounts of protein, especially in the early stages.
Digestion time of carbohydrates:
Starches and mildly starches: 60 min.
Grains: 90 min.
Legumes & Beans: 90 min. Soy beans -120 min.

Nonstarchy and green vegetables

Lettuce, celery, endive, chicory, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, collards, spinach, dandelion, beet tops, turnip tops, chard, chinese cabbage, chive, chicory, mustard, turnip, egg-plant, green beans, cucumber, sorrel, parsley, rhubarb, onions, leeks, garlic, zucchini, escarole, cardoon, bamboo sprouts, asparagus, radish, pepper, fennel, etc.
Digestion time:
Raw salad vegetables 30 to 40 min.
Steamed or cooked vegetables 40 min.
Root vegetables 50 min.

Fats

The recommended fats are nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and coconut.
The other fats are not recommended (vegetable oils, meat fats, butter, etc).
Digestion time:
Avocado and olives: 45 min to 2 h (depending what they are eaten with)
Coconut (fresh): 2 h 45 min

Fruits

The acid fruits are those with the tart flavors, for example, citrus (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime), pineapple, strawberries, kiwifruit, promenagrate, sour apples, sour grapes, and sour plum. Tomatoes are also considered acid fruit (without the sugar content of other acid fruit).
The subacid fruits are those that possess a slightly acid flavor (but not tart), such as pears, peaches, cherries, apricot, sweet apples, sweet grapes, fresh fig, papaya, cherimoya, mango, etc. Grapes, for example, can be acid, subacid or sweet.
The sweet fruits are those that are rich in sugar and taste sweet-bananas, persimmons, sweet grapes and all dried fruit.
Melons: Watermelon, canteloupe, honeydew and many others. (See charts)
Digestion time:
Melons - 20 min to 30 min.
Acid and subacid fruits - 30 min. to 40 min.

Syrups and sugars

All kinds of sugar, syrup and honey (not recommended).

Food Combining Rules

When foods are eaten in incompatible mixtures, and the efficiency of digestive enzymes is inhibited, it is subjected to decomposition in the digestive tract. If the digestive enzymes cannot perform their intended functions of breaking down and hydrolyzing the food (adding water from the body's reserve supply), bacterial decomposition may occur, resulting in fermentation and the production of alcohol and acetic acid.
A simple way to avoid production of these poisonous substances in the digestive tract is to learn and implement the hygienic guidelines for food combining.

Fruits

* Never eat acid foods with carbohydrate foods.
Starch digestion begins in the mouth with the action of the enzyme ptyalin. Ptyalin requires either an alkaline or neutral medium. Ptyalin is destroyed by even a mild acid. If fruit acids-or any acids-are taken with carbohydrates, especially with such foods as potatoes, beans, bananas or dates, digestion will be inhibited or prevented and fermentation may occur.
The combination of citric, malic and oxalic acids in tomatoes (which are released and intensified by cooking) interferes drastically with starch digestion.
The acetic acid in a teaspoonful of vinegar can suspend salivary digestion.

* Do not eat acid fruits with proteins.
Citrus, tomatoes, pineapple, strawberries and other acid fruits should not be eaten with nuts, cheese, eggs or meat. Acid fruits inhibit the flow of gastric juice. The digestion of protein requires an unhampered flow.
Although Dr. Shelton includes in this rule the prohibition of citrus and tomatoes with nuts and cheese, he goes on to say that nuts and fresh cheese do not decompose when used with acids, but have their digestion delayed.
Many Hygienists use tomatoes with nuts and believe they cause no problem. Citrus fruits present a different situation, due to the sugar in the fruit, which can ferment if its digestion is delayed by the nuts. Various experiments with the use of citrus fruits combined with nuts have produced differing results. Some Hygienists continue to use citrus with nuts.
If sweet oranges are used at the same meal with nuts, the precaution of waiting thirty to sixty minutes after eating the citrus is sometimes observed. Grapefruit might be better suited to combining with nuts, since it usually has a much lower sugar content.
Such acid-protein combinations as sour salad dressings and acid fruit drinks used at conventional meals serve as a check to hydrochloric secretion.

* Do not combine sweet fruits or sugars with foods that require a long digestive time-foods such as proteins, starches and acid fruits.
The sugars in sweet fruit should be tree to leave the stomach quickly, in perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes, and are apt to ferment if digestion is delayed by mixture with other foods. No digestion of sugars takes place in the mouth or stomach; fermentation is inevitable if sugars of any kind are delayed in the stomach awaiting the digestion of starch, protein or acid fruit.
Sugar-starch combinations cause additional problems. When sugar is taken, the mouth quickly fills with saliva, but no ptyalin is present. Ptyalin is essential for starch digestion. If starch is disguised by sugar, honey, molasses, syrup or sweet fruit, the signals are scrambled and digestion is impaired. Pure sugar also has a marked inhibiting effect on the flow of gastric juice and on gastric motility. No other food depresses the action of the stomach and the desire for food as does sugar.

* Acid fruits may be used with subacid fruits.
This is an acceptable combination, though some subacid fruits are rather high in sugar and the acid fruit may delay the sugar’s normally quick exit from the stomach. However, there is no sharp line of division between the acid and subacid fruits. If combining subacid fruit with acid fruit, it is better to use only the less subacid fruit.
Tomatoes should not be combined with subacid fruit, nor any other kinds of fruit. They are best combined with the salad at a meal at which no starchy foods are served.

* Do not use acid fruits with sweet fruits.
Acid fruits are best used alone (a single variety), but if used in combination with other acid fruits, this is considered an acceptable combination.

* Subacid fruits may be used with sweet fruits.
There is no sharp line of division between subacid fruits and sweet fruits. When using subacid fruits with sweet fruits, it is best to use the sweeter varieties of subacid fruit.
Some people prefer to eat bananas alone, but most people have no difficulty in combining them with subacid and other sweet fruit at a fruit meal.
It is best to have sweet fruits at a fruit meal combining only with lettuce and/or celery. Since fruits are usually high in acids or sugars, they do not combine well with other foods.

* Dried fruits should be used sparingly.
Use but one kind at a meal, in small amounts, combined only with subacid fruit and/or fresh sweet fruit and/or with lettuce and/or celery. Overeating of dried fruits will often bring on symptoms similar to a “cold”. The sugar concentration is naturally greater in fruits which have been dried. Some dried fruits, esp. dried apricots, should be soaked overnight to replenish the missing water. Dates are usually used without soaking, figs or raisins can be used either way. If they are rather hard, soaking will soften and improve them.

* Take Melons Alone
Do not consume melons with any other foods.
This rule has been somewhat under question in recent years. It have even found advisable not to mix two different varieties of melon at the same meal.
Many people who have complained that melons did not agree with them have no trouble handling them when eating only melon at a meal. Yet, certain Hygienic professionals are offering more than one variety of melon at a meal (even melons in combination with grapes or other subacid fruit). If you want to experiment with these combinations, do it sparingly and carefully. But if you have a history of digestive problems, don’t do it at all.
Melons are more than 90 percent liquid and leave the stomach quickly if not delayed and fermented by combining with other foods. Dr. Vetrano says, “Melons are best taken alone because the sugar and other nutriments are in a less stable form than the nutrients of other fruits. If you refrigerate watermelon juice for only ten minutes, its flavor, color and composition markedly change. It decomposes much more quickly than other fruits. Consequently, if it is held in the stomach awaiting the digestion of other foods, it will decompose (ferment) and cause a great deal of gastric distress.”

* Do not combine fruit with any vegetables except lettuce and celery.
It is best not to combine fruits with vegetables (especially cooked vegetables), proteins or starches because if such a combination of food is eaten, the digestion of the fruit will be delayed and subject to fermentation. Lettuce and celery, however, may be combined with any fruit except melon, and will cause no problem.

Protein-carbohydrate

* Never eat a concentrated protein and a concentrated carbohydrate at the same meal.
Physiologically, the first steps in the digestion of starches and proteins take place in opposite media—starch requiring an alkaline medium, protein requiring an acid medium in which to digest. The enzyme ptyalin (salivary amylase) that initiates starch digestion is active in an alkaline medium only and is destroyed by a mild acid. On the other hand, pepsin, the enzyme that initiates protein digestion is active only in an acid medium. If starches and proteins are eaten together, the acid gastric juice destroys the ptyalin and puts an end to salivary digestion of starch. That the presence of the undigested starch in the stomach interferes with the digestion of protein is shown by the presence of undigested protein in the stools. Physiologists have shown that undigested starch absorbs pepsin and this will surely interfere with digestion of protein.
If a food that is a natural protein-starch combination is eaten alone (starchy protein), the body is capable of modifying its digestive juices and timing their secretions in such ways that digestion can go on with a fair degree of efficiency. But when a starch food and a protein food are eaten at the same meal this precise adaptation of the digestive secretions to the character and digestive requirements of the food is not possible. There is a marked and important difference between eating a food that is a natural protein-starch combination and eating two foods, one a protein, the other starch.
When starches and proteins are eaten together, there is a fermentation and this results in fouling the whole digestive tract. Fermentation means irritation and poisoning. If starch is eaten without protein, the gastric (stomach) secretions will not be acid, or will be so weakly acid that they will not interfere with salivary digestion. In this case here will be no fermentation, except from other causes, such as overeating, hurried eating, other wrong combinations, eating when fatigued, worried, angry, fearful, grieved, etc., eating immediately before beginning work, eating when in pain, fever or when there is inflammation, etc. The causes of indigestion are legion.

Protein-protein

* Never consume two concentrated proteins at the same meal.
Two concentrated proteins of different character and composition (such as nuts and cheese) should not be combined. Gastric acidity, type, strength and timing of secretions for various proteins are not uniform. Some people with impaired digestions find it necessary to limit themselves to only one variety of nuts/and or seeds at a sitting, but other people may find, upon experimentation, that two or three varieties of nuts or seeds may be used at the same meal, if desired.

Starch-starch

* Eat but one concentrated starch at a meal.
This rule is probably more important as a means of avoiding the overeating of starches than as a means of avoiding bad combinations. But it is true that starch foods may differ greatly. If two different starches are eaten together in small quantities, this is thought to not cause problems.
Slightly starchy vegetables may be combined with more starchy vegetables (e.g. carrots with potatoes), but not with combination foods (starch/protein foods) such as grains and legumes.

Protein-fat

* Do not consume fats with proteins.
Fat has an inhibiting influence on digestive secretion and lessen the amount and activity of pepsin and hydrochloric acid, necessary for the digestion of protein. The fat may lower the entire digestive tone more than 50 percent. Since most proteins already contain a good deal of fat, it would certainly be contraindicated to add more to the meal.
Most nuts contain about 10 percent to 20 percent protein, and about 45 percent to 70 percent fat. Avocados contain about 1.3 percent protein (Florida varieties) to about 2.2 percent or a little more (California varieties) and 11 percent to 17 percent fat. Most other protein foods are high in fat, including cheese, eggs and flesh foods. The only protein foods not high in fat are legumes, skim milk cheese and lean meat.

Fat-starch and fat-fruits

* Do not consume fats with starch
Fats (oils and animal fats) also delay the digestion of other foods and, if used with starch, it will delay the passage of the starch from the stomach into the intestine. Fat not only inhibits the secretion of gastric juice—it also inhibits the physical actions of the stomach. Too much fat taken with a meal results in acid eructations and a burning sensation in the throat. When fats (avocados, olives or nuts) are eaten with green vegetables, preferably raw, the inhibiting effect of fats on gastric secretion is counteracted and digestion proceeds quite normally.

* Avocados:
Eating avocados with salad enhances their digestion. The next best combination for these food is taking it with subacid or acid fruit. The fat in the food does not seem to interfere with the emptying time of the stomach and we have excellent results with this combination. The protein, which is about 2.1 to 2.5 percent, is not sufficient to interfere with the digestion of fruit. It is even better when lettuce leaves and celery are eaten with the fruit and avocado. By diluting the fats and the sugars with the lettuce, the emptying time of the stomach is not depressed.
Those who have weak stomachs with poor muscle tone would probably do better by taking avocado only with vegetable salads. If lettuce is taken with a sweet fresh fruit and avocado, even these digest well. It is probably best to never combine avocado with sweet dried fruit unless it is just a small amount of both eaten with a great deal of vegetables.
Since the avocado is low in protein, it may also be used with potatoes or other starch foods. Some people like to use avocado with the potato instead of using butter. However the best way to use avocado is with the salad.
Avocados should never be used with nuts, which are also high in fat, nor should they be used with melons.

* Coconut:
Coconut is a starchy protein. It is sometimes used with sweet fruits. While coconut with sweet fruit is not an ideal combination, it seems to work out fairly well in most cases. Don’t use coconut with nuts or with acid or subacid fruits. You can make nondairy coconut carob ice cream.

Vegetables-proteins and starches

* Salads and nonstarchy vegetables combine very well with proteins or starches.
Any nonstarchy vegetables may be combined with proteins or starch, except tomatoes, which should especially not be used with starches. The green leafy vegetables combine very well with most other foods. They are excellent food and should be used in the diet.
Lettuce and other green and nonstarchy vegetables leave the stomach with little change—they pass through the stomach rapidly unless delayed by oily dressings or foods that require a more thorough gastric digestion. Lettuce and celery are good combination with fruit because all of these foods require little gastric digestion.
However, even if these vegetables are held up in the stomach with other foods, as when using salad with nuts, there is no fermentation.
Eating a large salad of fresh raw vegetables (three or four varieties) daily is an excellent practice. Dr. Shelton says, “A large bowl of salad each day is required by everyone.”

* Sprouts:
Alfalfa sprouts may be combined as a green vegetable.
Other sprouts should properly be classified in the same category as the original seed, even though the sprouting process has somewhat lowered the protein and carbohydrate content.

Milk, yogurt and clabber

* Milk is best taken alone.
This rule is included because it is one of Dr. Shelton’s food combining rules, and because it may be helpful to those still on a mixed diet. Hygienists do not drink milk. Adults do not need any kind of milk. Infants need their mother’s milk; if this is not available, they need a substitute.
Dr. Shelton says that the use of acid fruits or subacid fruit with milk does not cause any trouble and apparently does not conflict with its digestion. This would also apply to clabber (sour milk) or yogurt, which may be preferable to milk for adults. He also says that clabber is even a fair combination with dried sweet fruit.
Many adults (and some children) lack the enzymes lactase and rennin necessary for the digestion of milk. Lactase catalyzes the conversion of lactose (milk sugar) to the glucose and galactose which can be utilized by the body. Rennin is a milk-coagulating enzyme, which many adults no longer secrete.
This is also the reason that cheese is considered preferable to milk, although no dairy products are recommended for regular use.
None of these products are recommended. If any milk products are used, they should be raw (unpasteurized) and should not be used on a regular basis. Yogurt cultures, particularly, can inhibit the body’s own natural production of beneficial intestinal flora.

Water and juices

It is important that starches be eaten dry, not moist. So, ideally you should eat steamed or baked potatoes dry rather than in potato soup. The eating of liquids with starches promotes the tendency to swallow moist starch without thorough mastication and insalivation processes that are particularly needed for the digestion of starches. Drinking liquids or eating watery foods softens the food artificially and may also cause you to eat more food than if you had eaten it dry. Drinking at meals can dilute the digestive juices and also prevents thorough mastication and insalivation of the food.
If thirsty, one may drink ten to twenty minutes before meals, one-half hour after a fruit meal, two hours after a vegetable or starch meal, and four hours after a protein meal. It is best to sip water, not gulp.
Never use large quantities of juiced foods and don’t use them as part of your regular food program. If you use juice occasionally, four to six ounces of vegetable juice may be taken twenty to thirty minutes before the evening meal at which a salad and, perhaps, some cooked food are eaten. Fruit juice— preferably fresh-made at home—may occasionally be used prior to a fruit meal. However, keep in mind that juices, either fruit or vegetable, are not beverages but fragmented foods.
The only time juices are indicated as part of a Hygienic program is when breaking a fast (though many people do very well in breaking a fast on whole fruit) or, very judiciously, as a temporary elimination diet

Coffee, tea and infusions

Coffee, tea and other such infusions can cause a premature emptying of the stomach and thus cause foods to leave the stomach before gastric digestion is complete. Tannic acid (in coffee and tea) inhibits starch digestion, as do drug acids.

Rules Summary

Do not eat Acid-Carbohydrate combinations.
Do not eat Protein-Carbohydrate combinations.
Do not eat Protein-Protein combinations.
Do not eat Protein-Fat combinations.
Use Fats sparingly in combination with other foods.
Do not eat Acid-Protein combinations.
Do not eat Sweet Fruit with Starch, Protein or Acid Fruit.
Do not eat Starch-Starch combinations.
Acid fruits combine well with Subacid fruits.
Subacid fruits combine well with Sweet fruits.
Do not eat Fruits with Vegetables except Lettuce and Celery.
Eat Salads with most foods.
Melons are best used alone.
Sprouts-Combinations.
Milk, Yogurt, Clabber – eat them alone; ideally not at all.

Tip: On a practical note, it is very important adhering to “The Big Three” food combining guidelines - #2, 7 & 13 from the above list:

Do not eat Protein-Carbohydrate Combinations.
Do not eat Sweet Fruit with Starch, Protein or Acid Fruit.
Eat Melon Alone

Sequence of Eating

It is true that all the food will be mixed in the stomach, but the so-called “Ideal Order of Eating” is helpful to some extent.
* Eat raw food before cooked food. Raw foods contain live enzymes, which influence digestive efficiency; cooking destroys all enzymes. Moreover, the consumption of raw foods stimulates gastric enzyme secretion, which is necessary to initiate good digestion. Besides, the more raw foods eaten as the first course, the less cooked foods will be eaten.
* Eat juicy foods before dry foods. During the process of digestion, hydrolysis occurs—that is, the combining of the food with liquid from the body’s reserve supply. Juicy foods contain some of their own liquid, which facilitates the initial processing of the food mixture. (Do not take water with dry foods as an alternative—this causes problems)
* Eat easy-to-digest foods before foods, that require a longer digestion time. The digestive process starts while the meal is being consumed, and the most liquid portion of the food mixture, the chyme, leaves the stomach at intervals. Thus, some of the easy-to-digest foods may be processed and leave the stomach before the end of the meal. Even if this does not occur, if the concentrated foods are eaten last, you may possibly eat less of them, which would be an advantage for many people, especially those who have a tendency to overeat of the concentrated proteins and starches.
An exception may advantageously be made in the case of eating salad alternately with nuts, rather than consecutively. Many people find that eating the salad along with the nuts actually aids digestion, and also eliminates the dry or thirsty feeling that sometimes follows the eating of nuts after the salad.
If you sometimes would like to eat fruit in combination with a mixed vegetable meal, the best way would be to eat the fruit first, and then, if possible, delay at least fifteen minutes before eating the other foods, starting with the salad.
As previously indicated, exceptions to this arbitrary “eating order” are not serious. After all, it does all go into the same stomach, and is quickly combined into a mobile mixture, the chyme.

Bibliography:

Digestive Physiology and Food Combining, T.C.Fry

"Food Combining made Easy", Herbert M. Shelton

Gabrielle’s Testimonial: Lyme disease

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 11:42:00 +0100

Gabrielle suffers Lyme disease. On her fist visit, she talked about her symptoms which were imporant gastro-intestinal disorders; cramps; strong pain often even causing her immobility, migraines; fatigue; dizziness; tingling and spots in front of her eyes. Furthermore, she had a tendency to depression and changeable mood. She had followed a vegetarian diet for several years and had also tried many different therapies and diets.
You can read a brief explanation below about the way she became healthy again thanks to the Natural Hygiene approach.

Continue reading Gabrielle’s Testimonial: Lyme disease

Her health status at the beginning was the following :

She was permanently exhausted or fatigued, often having to stretch/take a nap.
She used to be anorexic with depression when she was young. She had a tendency to depression, moodiness, anger for no reason and had had 3 burnouts.
She had a lack of vitamin B12 as well as low levels of vitamin D and she had been taking a high dose of magnesium for over 20 years.
She had been seeing spots like flies since her adolescence.
She was hypersensitive to noise.
She had metal fillings (amalgams) and bruxism.
She had had bleeding oral ulcers for years.
Her tongue had always been white, sometimes even black.
She had a burning feeling and soreness on the corners of her mouth and on her tongue, too.
She had frequent stomach aches, nausea attacks and spasms. She always felt full and heavy even when she had eaten little. She had some acidity and reflux problems as well. Depending on what she had eaten, she often woke up at night and had trouble sleeping. Although she had eaten, she could still feel hungry and not feel like eating.
She had cramps at night.
She had constipation issues.
Some days her belly was really swollen.
She often had spasms and could have attacks of diarrhea as liquid as water.
She had a white complexion with dark circles under her eyes.
She had been suffering from pain throughout her body, cramps at night and headache for years, according to her sleeping position. Occasionally she also had migraines, suffered from dizziness and saw black spots.
She had had tingles all over her body for 2-3 years that have become permanent and felt like acidity in muscles and tendons, her joints hurt as well. The pain had become so great in the last months that she could hardly move and had to stretch regularly.
She took vitamin B12 injections, a blend of essential oils, magnesium, probiotics, vitamin D and analgesics.
She tried homeopathy, acupuncture, osteopathy and energy therapies.
She was a vegetarian, did not consume gluten and only very little sugar. Since her adolescence she had tried different diets and dietary changes, without any results.

We started the hygienic diet : a detox that involves eating only fresh fruit. Then we progressively introduced vegetables, nuts and some fatty fruits and finally tubers, quinoa and buckwheat.
Six months later her status is the following: The gastro-intestinal disorders, dizziness, fatigue, depression, mood swings, pain and migraine have dissapeared. Besides, there has been a great improvement regarding the cramps, tingling and spots in front of her eyes.
Although she is going through a time of great stress, she can now take it much better. Some symptoms have returned owing to the stress, but they are much milder than before.
She explains her experience how her health improved with these words:
« The third day of the detox was amazing. I felt energy and a zest for life that I had not experienced for years. It is amazing how dietary changes have influenced my energy levels. I could not have put up with the period of great stress I am going though right now. Although not everything is 100% perfect, I know that I am on the right track.
The same way as the energy and zest for life, inner calm has appeared in my life. I do not feel carried away by emotions anymore, I feel I can control them now.
I am experiencing long periods without seeing spots in front of my eyes.
There has been a great improvement in my sensitivity to noise.
I have been able to live without ulcers for weeks; in the last 6 months I have only had 3 small ones, which I had never before experienced!
During the detox I've seen a change in the state of my tongue. Then, when I started to eat richer food and also because of the stress it became worse, but nothing comparable to what it was like previously.
I am not suffering from the burning feeling and soreness neither on the corners of my mouth nor on my tongue anymore.
From the third day the stomachache has decreased significantly, then it disappeared for months. Now stress has returned but much lighter than before, and it only happens sometimes.
Attacks (nausea, cramps, etc.) occur depending on what I eat. I react very strongly to everything that is fatty, such as nuts, especally if I'm stressed or I eat very fast. It is still a weak point.
Neither acidity nor reflux occur anymore.
Cramps at night have significantly lessened, however, they still do occur from time to time.
My belly is much less swollen, only a little bit, epecially when I consume fatty foods.
I do not experience diarrhea and spasms anymore.
The pain disappeared during the detox and the reintroduction of vegetables, nuts and cereals. But with the stress it has returned, although much milder than before.
I don’t get migraines, only a slight tension from time to time.
I no longer feel dizzy.
There has been an improvement of black spots in my vision, but I still see them occasionally.
Due to stress, I have tingling, but I have not had it since the detox.
I practise nordic walking again, about 30 minutes 4-5 times a week and 2-3 hours at the weekend. Previously I could not do any sports.
I still take magnesium but only when I have cramps and I also take probiotics. In 6 months I have only taken 2 analgesics; before I had come to take 6 to 12 times a day for several days.»
« When I eat cooked food, even vegetables, I feel that my digestive system is upset, it is more difficult for it to work, so it wants raw food!
When I return to my fruit it gets calm, I feel a big difference.
When I add some raw vegetables, everything goes well too, but there is nothing to do, fruit is perfect for me, even if I need to change my diet and if it is socially easier if varied.
What I would like to add is the importance of being accompanied in a dietary change. I would never have imagined that eating according to the hygienic diet could bring about so many benefits. However, it raises many fears and doubts, which may appear due to beliefs, social pressures, etc. Gemma, with her precise knowledge, has accompanied me with care and quality. She has answered my questions, my doubts and my remarks professionally. She guides with respect, without imposition or sectarianism, her openness and attention are a real gift! »

The Erroneous Medical Notion of “Cure”

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Thu, 05 May 2016 15:31:00 +0100

This article has been mainly extracted from the chapters “Discussion Of The Medical Approach To Health And Disease”, “The Nature And Purpose Of Disease” and “The Dangers Of Drug Medication” of “The Life Science Health”, by T.C.Fry, and “The Alkalizing Cleanse & The Alkalizing Diet” by Dr. David Klein.

Continue reading The Erroneous Medical Notion of “Cure”

The Concept of Self-Healing or Self-Repair

Self-healing is the only healing. Throughout nature we see animals with cuts, bruises, broken bones, and other injuries undergo healing. Obviously this healing is effected by internal faculties and powers, for in nature, animals seek out a quiet secluded spot and rest. They undergo almost no activity. They partake of no food.
Instinctively an injured animal will abstain from all indulgences that detract from the full application of the body’s energies and faculties to the reparative/restorative process. Likewise, humans when placed under the same conditions in keeping with our nature and disposition undergo healing in a fraction of the time that occurs when regular activities are pursued.

The Notion of “Cure”

The idea behind medicine is more than 2,500 years old and, like most ideas from behind the dark ages, it’s very unscientific. The premise is that the body is like a machine that can be repaired by outside agencies. The machine goes wrong because of invading entities. In ancient times these entities were evil spirits, demons, and devils which had to be exorcised. By and by these evil spirits became known as little beasties called microbes, germs, bacteria, viruses, and yet other appellations.
Medicine today has the concept of “cure,” a word that has been perverted from the original of “care.” Medicine itself means a curative or healing substance. The idea behind the use of medicine is that the “medicine” acts within the organism, that it seeks out the trouble, routs the invaders and effects in some manner the necessary healing. The medical concept of the modus operandi of drugs which they call medicines is very hazy at best. But medicine is the harmful practices that men do to try to help ailing people.
People go to physicians for medical intervention. They want to get “fixed up.” Something must be done lest they suffer grave consequences or death. Medical practitioners assure them that, if they do not do something soon, grave dangers will ensue.

“Cures” Do Not Deal With Causes

Can you imagine trying to develop a drug to “cure” drunkenness without going to the root of the whole matter, i.e., the drunkard’s drinking habit? How can we deal with drunkenness if the drunkard continues to drink?
This is what happens with the medical approach. They try to remedy effects or symptoms without dealing with causes. In reality they drug, butcher, and purge while almost totally ignoring basic causes of physiological problems. They resort to crippling surgery and treatments running into the thousands of dollars when the problems can be simply and inexpensively solved by a change in life practices.
You’ll learn herein that nothing happens without sufficient cause. You’ll learn that all affections of the body must be caused and the cause is almost always initiated by the sufferer. You’ll learn that unless cause is discontinued the problem will always develop again, ever more serious.

“Cures” Do Not Furnish the Needs of Life

To be returned to health the body must be provided with its requirements. First, those substances, influences, and practices which beget illnesses and disease must be discontinued. Secondly, it is necessary to bring the essentials of health. Very simply these are pure air, pure water, correct diet, sunshine, exercise or wholesome activity, adequate rest and sleep, emotional poise, security of life and its means and yet other factor elements and influences.

“Cures” Destroy Body Vitality

Dr. Herbert M. Shelton must be proclaimed the greatest oracle of Hygienic philosophy, principles, and practices unto this day. He has noted that now we have more medical discoveries than ever before; we have more medical practitioners than ever before; medical men enjoy more respect than ever before (at least until recent years) and yet, for all this, we also have more disease and suffering than ever before.
Because, very simply, drugs destroy. They never build. It is not within the province of drugs to create cells and replace body tissue. But yet, medical men act as if their drugs perform some kind of magic that will effect healing.

What do drugs, when administered, really do?

In truth, drugs do nothing other than form chemical unions with body compounds and fluids. When these chemical unions occur, the body suffers distress. When the character of a substance is determined as harmful by the body, it goes into a frenzy. When it does this, it is stimulated. Sometimes the body has a reaction of depression in which case it is sedated or narcotized. This means function has been inhibited or paralyzed. In both cases the reaction is one of self-protection against an unwelcome intruder, in this case a poison even though it is called a medicine.
In causing an emergency in the body, drugs are harmful. The body must redirect its energies from the healing process which it is conducting. The symptoms for which the drugs or medicines are administered are evidences of the body’s self-conducted healing process. When drugs are ingested or injected, the body must leave off partially or wholly the cleansing/healing efforts and attend to a greater threat which the drugs represent. When healing efforts are discontinued the symptoms disappear. Physicians interpret the disappearance of symptoms as a “cure” or a healed condition. They thus mistake drug or poison effects for healing effects. In reality the body has more problems than before. For now it has, additional to its prior problems, the problem of expelling a terrible poison too.

Medical and “Healing Art” Approaches Are Deadly And Deadend

We readily recognize that drug addicts take illicit drugs and eventually become physiological wrecks as a result. Also the drug addict loses moral values. Thinking ability is lessened and almost totally redirected to acquiring the addictive drugs and to the spell the body casts when they are taken.
What we also recognize is that physician-prescribed drugs have precisely the same actions. What we do not recognize is that the prescriptions, administrations and treatments of all so-called healers have the very same effects whether the medics be called physicians, homeopaths, chiropractors, osteopaths, herbal doctors, acupuncturists, or whatever. Because treatments are more or less deadly and because causes are left intact by those who treat the diseased, the situation gets progressively worse.

Drugs are Dangerous to Both Bacteria and Human Cells

Hygienists or Life Scientists deplore the medical practice of feeding the ailing and drugging them too. When ill, the continuance of feeding alone is enough to thwart the healing forces within. But the addition of drugs so destroys vital powers that the body must often redirect its purification efforts to freeing itself from the more virulent poisons administered.
Yes, drugs kill bacteria. But they’re just as deadly to all forms of metabolic life. That which deranges and destroys the metabolic functions of bacteria usually does likewise to the cells of all forms of life. Even physicians will tell you that drugs have no effect on viruses. Of course they don’t have any effect on what they call viruses because that is dead cell debris that can’t be made any deader.
In conclusion disease is not something to fear. That’s like being scared of your own body. If you fear anything fear your disposition to indulge in unwholesome foods and unwholesome living conditions.

Example: “healing” a leg ulcer with medicines

I do not deny that the leg ulcer healed by the topical application of comfrey poultice, and I do not deny that the comfrey poultice was the agency that precipitated the healing process of the leg ulcer. But the body is probably worse, not better for the treatment.
What happens physiologically to cause the ulcer in the first place? Why do they sometimes persist only to heal later? What happens when the agency of toxic materials such as in garlic, aloe, comfrey, or in pharmacological preparations are applied and the ulcer is healed?
The comfrey poultice neither caused nor healed the ulcer. The body created the ulcer in the first place just as it creates a boil, fever, pimple, or other so-called infection. The body creates these conditions as outlets for an extraordinary load of toxic materials. As long as the body is burdened with toxicity that it cannot eliminate through normal channels, it will utilize vicarious outlets, i.e., outlets other than normal. As long as the practices introduce into the body toxic materials and the sufferer’s habits are such as to cause the body to retain its own metabolic wastes, then the body will protect itself against a death-dealing situation by getting rid of its problems any way it can.
An ulcer is created in two ways. First, a lesion can be created by the body through self-autolyzation of its tissues. The body causes the self-digestion of a hole to the surface in the case of a boil or pimple. It is the body that forces toxic materials into the hole it has created to the surface. It is the body that creates the tremendous pressure necessary to keep the pus and debris near the surface in the form of a boil until drainage or expulsion occurs.
Just so it is the body that causes the ulcer in one way or another. Probably the leg ulcer was caused by the body’s collection and concentration of poisons in a given area until the cells and tissues of the area were totally destroyed. Then the body utilizes the open sore as a drainage outlet much as a teakettle will discharge its steam through a blown hole after the hole is blown. When aloe vera, comfrey, or certain pharmaceutical preparations are applied, they do not solve the body’s problems. Herbs and drugs have not the intelligence or power to create cells and new tissue to bridge the chasm or gulf that constitutes the ulcer or lesion.
What happens is that the poultice or drug application applied to an open sore poses a new danger. Absorption of poisons from the outside causes the body to change strategy. Where it had been exuding poisons to keep them low, the body is now absorbing poisons there. To obviate this new threat the body closes up the dumping ground and seals it off from the outside by scarring it over.
Though the body healed the ulcer, it is now worse off than before. It is retaining the toxic material previously expelled through the open sore or ulcer. Either it must now create a new extraordinary outlet or suffer the retention of the toxic materials it previously expelled through the ulcer.
Had the ulcer sufferer fasted, the ulcer would have healed more quickly than with the application of a poultice. Moreover, the body would, under the fasting condition, be free of the input of toxic materials and toxigenesis due to enervating habits. Under this condition it can accelerate expulsion of toxic materials through regular channels. Once the level of toxicity has been reduced below a certain tolerance level, the body will promptly proceed to heal the ulcer. Healing takes place much more quickly under the fasting condition than any other. While fasting, the body can concentrate its energies and its material resources to the healing process, thus affecting healing much more speedily.
So, the comfrey poultice did not do anything other than become a source of irritation. The body “closed up shop,” so to speak, at the ulcer site and did business elsewhere. Keep in mind that all healing is a body process and never that of drugs. And let us not mistake the drug nature of comfrey. It contains pyrrholizidine and allantoin, two quite toxic alkaloids or glycosides.
Correct diet and health practices build health, not disease. Aspirin does not “cure a headache.” The problems remain as before plus the toxic presence of the aspirin itself. Aspirin merely causes our body to paralyze or incapacitate the nervous system. Just because you remove thermometers does not alter the temperature. The fact that the body finally expels the aspirin from its domain and reinstitutes the processes that give rise to another headache is ample indication that drugs solve no problems.
Under the Life Science regime all causes of headaches are removed. Causes of health are instituted. This is the ultimate solution to the problem of disease and suffering. When there are no causes there can be no disease. When only the causes of health are indulged, only health can result.
Since illness is the result of unhealthful practices, then health should be restored by removing these causes and supplying the conditions for health. This is the philosophy of the drugless practitioners. They do not add further contaminants to an already toxic organism by dispensing drugs but rely on natural means which depend upon the body’s own ability to heal.

What Do Drugs Do

Drugs produce disease. People take so-called headache remedies, stimulants, anesthetics, pain killers, sleeping pills and narcotics for the temporary relief they afford. As a direct consequence of drug poisoning, gastric ulcer, anemia, kidney disease or any of many other ailments many develop. The pathologies these poisons occasion are added to the disease for which they are given. This is to say, physician-made diseases are worse than the natural disease.
It has been said that drug-treated patients have to recover twice—first, they have to recover from the original disease and, second, they have to recover from the drug-induced disease. The fact is that every drug is a poison and every drug produces disease. All too often patients are killed by the drug and, in an even greater number of cases, where the drug does not kill, it produces permanent harm. In fact, the most common cause of chronic disease is drug treatment for acute disease.
There are no harmless drugs; there are no safe drugs. All of them, even the least toxic, result in the production of pathologies, if they are repeatedly administered, even in small doses. It is certainly unwise to continue drug practices, especially in the face of the fact that they produce only ills. For example, what good comes from the administration of cortisone for arthritis? The symptoms are temporarily suppressed; the patient may be provided a certain measure of relief from pain, but the sufferer’s condition inevitably becomes worse and recovery is more difficult. The ultimate result is increased suffering for a brief respite from pain. This is true of all suppressive measures. Both physician and patient are deluded into believing that some suffering is being saved, but the later increased suffering outweighs the brief periods of freedom from pain. In fact, the increased suffering is usually of longer duration than the periods of comfort and is far more acute than the periods of “relief.”
It is foolish to suppress symptoms. Let us consider a cough. It is a vigorous, forceful and dramatic expulsion of air from the lungs and is accomplished by sudden contractions of the walls of the chest and of the diaphragm. It is intended to force obstructing and irritating matter (mucus, blood, water, particles of dust, smoke, gas, etc.) from the air passages. In pneumonia, coughing keeps the lungs cleared of exudate so that breathing remains possible. The cough is part of the remedial effort, not an attack upon the body from without. If the cough is checked or suppressed by drug devitalization, passages tend to fill with exudate. Checking the cough definitely, reduces the patient’s chances of recovery.
Analogous to coughing is diarrhea. Like coughing, diarrhea is a dramatic acceleration of a normal physiological action. It is a bowel action and is, designed to free the colon, perhaps even the small intestines, of unwanted material. The unwanted substance may be unsuitable, or decaying food or drugs, or it may be a mineral water. In any case, the diarrhea is a remedial effort. To check the diarrhea while there is a need for it is to lock up, as it were, in the food tube the unsuitable material the diarrhea is intended to remove. The diarrhea automatically ends when its purpose is served and no suppression is necessary.
There are no drugs now used by the medical profession and there were no drugs used by any of the schools of medicine in the past that did not and do not produce disease.
If a drug, which is a chemical substance, unites with the protein of the cell, it destroys the cell. It is precisely to prevent this union and thus to save the life of the cell that the drug is resisted, rejected and expelled. All the action that is mistaken for drug action is cellular or organic action designed to protect and preserve life.
When a drug is picked up by the blood, either from the digestive tract or from the site of the injection, it is carried by this medium throughout the body, so that it comes in contact with tissues everywhere. The so-called side effects of drugs are the actions of the different tissues with which the drug comes in contact in rejecting, resisting and expelling the drug. So-called drug effects are not drug actions but vital actions.
If a drug may be employed and it suppresses symptoms, it is said to be good. That the drug may produce unwanted effects at the same time it suppresses the symptoms is, of course, unfortunate and the physician hopes that the “side” effects will not be too great or that he can stop the drug if the “side” effects threaten to become formidable.
Hygienists know how to avoid these poisonous effects. They simply avoid all drugs. We cannot be poisoned into health.
Should the sick be poisoned? One might also ask, should the well be poisoned? Is there any more reason the sick should be poisoned than there is that the well should be poisoned? If poisons are not the proper things with which to preserve health, why should they be thought of as the proper things with which to restore health? If poisons make the well man sick, what do they do for the sick man?

Law Of Dual Effect

The Law of Duel Effect states that all substances which are taken into the body, or which come in contact with it from without, occasion a twofold and contrary action— the secondary action being the opposite of the primary action, and the more lasting.
Therefore, the primary action (reaction) from taking a stimulant would be stimulating but the secondary and longer lasting effect would be depression. Likewise, the primary reaction from taking a pain-suppressant would be relief from pain but the secondary, longer-lasting effect would be increased pain. If the immediate and temporary effect of a dose of digitalis is to stimulate the heart, the secondary and permanent effect is to depress the heart.
Why would this be so? The body marshalls its available forces to handle the situation at hand which at that moment might be an abnormal substance in the form of a pain-suppressant. This toxin which has been so introduced has to be dealt with and eliminated as quickly as possible. During this time, the organism halts reparative and healing processes which are felt as symptoms, thus temporary relief.
However, as soon as the foreign substance is disposed of, the body reinitiates its healing processes with the return of the old symptoms. However, due to the tremendous expenditure of vital energy and the added toxins from the drugs, greater harm has been done. The heart becomes weaker after its stimulation due to exhaustion and added toxins. Likewise affected are all bodily organs.

Exceptions—Why?

Sometimes, when the body is under extremely critical, life-threatening duress, such as in cases of extreme malnutrition, poisoning and enervation, unnatural intervention may be necessary to preserve life. The body’s inflammation response is not a “cure-all” for every toxic assault or physiological limitation in a body that has extremely diminished vitality. In other words, the body has its limits, and some life-saving modalities can be beneficial in emergency situations. One example is cases of inflammatory bowel disease where there is internal hemorrhaging, too much blood has been lost, bodily reserves are low, and nutritional intake and absorption is difficult, impairing the body’s ability to purify the bloodstream and heal bleeding ulcerations. Medically-administered medication (typically a corticosteroid) has turned around such crises. Yes, there is a place for emergency medical help.

Gemma's Comments:

Concerning the ability of the body to heal, it’s true that, as Natural Hygiene says, if all the essential conditions for life are restored then the body will be able to restore health. But in a practical way, this is not always possible. We live in a polluted and stressed world, when it’s almost impossible to find pure water, pure air, perfect food, exercise, avoid stress, sleep enough, etc. all at the same time. Most of the time, some of the elements are missing. Luckily, humans can bear with these lacks quite well, but the body has a limit, and it’s not always possible to change life style in order to provide all the needs and avoid all damaging elements to the body in order to enjoy good health. What to do in this cases? Medicine and alternative therapies offer to us the possibility to alleviate pain and symptoms of disease in this cases, although we must be aware that doing it we are damaging our global health even more. It’s a decision that must be consciously taken, knowing the risk we are exposed when we undergo to any kind of therapy or medical treatment, the advantages and disadvantages. It’s the eternal dilemma between living more time although suffering or living less time but free of pain.

The Immense Wisdom And Providence Of The Body

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Tue, 03 May 2016 15:30:00 +0100

This article has been mainly extracted from the lesson “The Immense Wisdom And Providence Of The Body” of “The Life Science Health”, by T.C.Fry.
The human body is possessed of an intelligence and order that is incomprehensible to our intellects. While many humans are vain and will not admit to an inability to know and understand, let’s face it—we are all finite in our capacities. We cannot comprehend the concept of infinity and we are mystified by many realities of existence.

Continue reading The Immense Wisdom And Providence Of The Body

From intellectual wisdom and understanding flow humility, kindness and other humane virtues. Wisdom recognizes our finite nature and admits to ignorance, an act of humility. Humility does not stifle the innate drive to seek knowledge. Rather, humility is born of a realization that spurs the quest for greater wisdom. True wisdom motivates us to continual exploration and improvement.
When we view the vastness of the incredible multitude of faculties possessed by the human body, we must stand in awe of the enormous intelligence displayed in each of the quadrillions of processes conducted within the body daily . We must stand in wonderment at the precision we observe. We cannot help but conclude that the body operates on principles that manifest the reign of law and order within the organic realm. We must observe that we are constituted on such an order as to comply in every act with the universal laws of existence.
We want to charge you with an overwhelming realization of the enormity of innate intelligence—of inherent body wisdom that exceeds by thousands of times the intellectual powers we arrogantly boast of. So vast is this innate intelligence that it is positively staggering. The immensity of inborn intelligence is not an easy subject to present. Very few studies touch upon this subject. However, we can delineate and point out some of the many manifestations of inherent body wisdom.
You will become aware of an internal providence that should be respected. So great are our body endowments that you should adopt this attitude: Never interfere with the vital domain. You cannot possibly help it—you can only harm it. All the knowledge and wisdom of civilization to date does not equal the intelligence exhibited by the operations of a single cell within the body! The best you can do is to order the external environment to make it more favorable for the organism. The only thing you can do for the body is to leave it intelligently alone! It knows what it is doing. You don’t!

What Constitutes Body Wisdom And Providence?

Providence is the ability to anticipate needs and provide for them. The body is always provident. All providence exhibits wisdom. Reproduction of kind is providence. It is provision that the species shall survive. The complexities of reproductive provisions defy human inquiry and intellect in their profundity and detail.
Nutrition and elimination are provisions insuring that the organism survives. Likewise, the complexities and subtleties of these many provisions defy human inquiry and intellect, though compliance is easily accomplished.
The immensity of the wisdom exhibited in all things so staggers the human intellect that many often retreat into the comfort of some all-encompassing outlook that relieves them of the burden of inquiry, assessment and understanding.
Wisdom can be said to be all-knowing and all-understanding within a given sphere. Wisdom is at once the comprehension of a matter in both depth and breadth and an expertise or mastery that enables the possessor to pursue a correct course of action.
While there are books on body wisdom and its inherent programming, these books have little substance. This sphere of our existence is little explored, though the mechanisms of inherent wisdom have been charted extensively. What we can do here is to, by observation and deduction, invoke your realization of the colossal wisdom of the body.
Body wisdom comprises the multitude of faculties within the body that recognize, communicate and effectively respond. For example, if you bite into a luscious apple, the whole system is coursed with delight. If you bite into an apple that has been injected with a solution of caustic soda, you’ll immediately recognize the danger, begin spitting and sputtering and run for water to dilute and remove the deadly poison that contacted your mouth tissues. Rejection of toxic matters is just as natural as delighting in beneficent materials and influences.

Cell Wisdom and Providence

The wisdom of a single cell is said to exceed all the accumulated knowledge of the human race so far! Each cell is, quite literally, a city in itself. It is a self-contained organism. The membrane is like the wall around a great city. Within are numerous inhabitants, many of them enjoying an existence within the cell on the order as the cell enjoys within the body. These forms of life, called mitochondria, have independent metabolic systems and can thusly be said to operate symbiotically with the cell and in concert with each other. All the components of a cell act for their mutual welfare and for the welfare of the cell as the host organism.
If we marvel at the extensiveness and complexity of the cell, then we must be even more astonished with the human body. The human body is said to possess 125 trillion cells, give or take a few trillion. (Some texts say there are 75 trillion and others say there are as many as 300 trillion cells in the human body.)
To say that the cell is a self-contained city in itself is no exaggeration. Cells vary in size from midgets to giants. But even the smallest cell is about one billion times the size of its smallest component! There are thousands of organelles within each cell. These are the cell’s life support system. Among these organelles are mitochondria which appear to be an independent form of life within the cellular context. Mitochondria are analogous to, or like, bacteria in their organization and functions.
A cell seems to be a city of specialized bacteria united into an organic unit to maintain a favorable environment and to more effectively secure the needs of existence.
Additional to its mitochondria, a cell has many organelles (functioning systems within their own membranes) that complement the mitochondria in making the cellular organism self-sufficient in its operations. Thus the cell, like the human body, requires only that its needs be supplied within the context of a favorable environment. Just as humans strive to create favorable environments for themselves, cells have long since ordered their environment by organizing into a super city known as a body. The human body can be said to be the super city.
The wisdom manifested in the faculties, organization and operations of a single cell stun the intellect. By observation we must admit that it is there and regard it with respect, even if we do not know or understand it.

Multicellular Intelligence and Intercellular Relationships

If wisdom characterizes the seemingly infinite faculties of the cell, then think of the wisdom that unites a hundred trillion of them into an organism! Think how great must be the wisdom that guides the destiny of each and every cell within the body complex.
Cells are organisms within themselves. They contain mitochondria which have the characteristics that would earn them the ascription of an organism, too! Thus, if the human body contains over a hundred trillion cells, and each cell contains a complement of mitochondria, then there must, in reality, be several quadrillion organisms within the human body. If a cell is a colony of sophisicated bacteria that have banded together for their mutual welfare, then the body may be said to be made up of sophisticated cells that have banded together for their mutual welfare.
Cells have allied themselves within a unit we call an organism to specialize in functions in complementary coordination for mutual good. If we hypothesize that bacteria have confederated and specialized in carrying on the functions that make the cell a self-contained functioning organism, then cells have likewise affiliated and specialized to better create an ideal environment and to secure the needs of life.
If we observe the life cycle of a tree, we must marvel at its tremendous intelligence. From an acorn that sprouts and slowly grows over the years into a stately oak, we see the unfolding of an intelligence that is beyond our knowledge and understanding. Within the genetic encoding of each and every cell of the acorn and the resulting tree is the knowledge, understanding and operational expertise to secure needs from environment, to fashion them precisely into its specific requirements, to utilize them and to eliminate the wastes.
In making alliances with other cells, a supra-cell coordinator is created to coordinate the activities of the cells. This is called the nervous system or brain in multicellular organisms.

Ascertaining the Intelligence of Physical Phenomena

What kind of intelligence does it require for the body to recognize food and secrete the correct enzymes for its digestion? What kind of intelligence is required to create the enzymes?
When we start asking questions exhaustively, we begin to discover the immeasurable wisdom and providence of every faculty of life.
Below is an excerpt from a physiology text. It is quoted merely to highlight certain body processes so that we might divine some of the body faculties and the intelligence they exhibit:
“Often tissues of the body regress to a much smaller size than previously. For instance, this occurs in the uterus following pregnancy, in muscles during long periods of inactivity and in mammary glands at the end of the period of lactation. Lysosomes are probably responsible for much if not most of this regression, for one can show that the lysosomes become very active at this time. However, the mechanism by which the lack of activity in a tissue causes the lysosomes to increase their activity is completely unknown.
Another very special role of the lysosomes is the removal of damaged cells or damaged portions of cells from tissues-cells damaged by heat, cold, trauma, chemicals or any other factor. Damage to the cell causes lysosomes to rupture, and the released hydrolases begin immediately to digest the surrounding organic substances. If the damage is slight, only a portion of the cell will be removed, followed by repair of the cell. However, if the damage is severe, the entire cell will be digested, a process called autolysis. In this way the cell is completely removed and a new cell of the same type ordinarily is formed by mitotic reproduction of an adjacent cell to take the place of the old one.
What this really means is that body parts not in service atrophy and that it is believed that lysosomes are responsible for regression or atrophy. But, whether or not we divine the wisdom of loss of unused faculties, there is an intelligence that creates and regresses faculties involved in pregnancy, lactation and musculature.
In the paragraph that follows, we will study one way in which the body uses lysosomes for special purposes. As you may already know, lysosomes are powerful digestive enzymes the body creates, stores and uses. When a cell is to be scrapped, the old cell is autolysed (self-digested) and the remnants are passed off as wastes into the lymph and then into the bloodstream. The wastes may be recycled in part and excreted in part. The point here is that cells have their own “self-destruct” mechanisms in the form of lysosomes.
The processes described evince tremendous body intelligence in their performance. The vital domain does not tolerate unneeded baggage. Therefore, it disposes of the useless and the surplus to the extent it can. Cells that are crippled are either repaired or replaced. High-level function is the objective of the body. The welfare of the remaining cells decrees that they dispatch crippled cells if not repairable.
The body secretes lysosomes and uses them for special purposes. Let’s examine a boil or carbuncle. The little hole that extends from the body surface to the fleshy interior represents a real body disaster! But the purposes served decree the ravage that the body inflicts upon itself. When there is deadly toxic accumulation that threatens the integrity of the organism—when this toxic accumulation cannot otherwise be eliminated through regular channels of elimination—the body autolyzes a tube, hole, passage, duct or fistula-like opening to the surface. Perhaps a hundred million or so body cells will be destroyed by lysosomes. After the completion of the tube, the body collects the toxic material and forces it to the surface through the specially-created duct. There it is quarantined until drained or detoxified.
In fasting, for instance, lysosomes are utilized in destroying and digesting growths. The materials destroyed are utilized as food. These growths may be breast tumors, cancer cells, warts, cysts, etc.”
The order of intelligence involved in sensing errant conditions, communicating them to the brain, assessing the reports, determining a course of action and responding with coordinated orders to all the body cells and systems involved to effect a result is beyond human comprehension. We can only intimate the vastness of the wisdom involved with our limited concepts and expressions.
This is just one of the many kinds of body wisdom that further fortifies the Life Science stricture: Leave the body intelligently alone.

The Brain as the Kingpin Behind the Human Show

For us to comprehend the magnitude of the brain’s dominion and the cooperation of each cell member of that dominion, we’d have to have an intellect infinitely more developed than it presently is. The limits of intellect leave too much that is “not clearly understood.”
In one of the articles used as text material in this lesson, it is pointed out that the body possesses some 125 trillion cells. Each cell consists of a multitude of organelles or life support systems that keep the cell functioning. This article points out that it is difficult for us to conceive a few thousand people getting together and cooperating harmoniously in all things. If that seems difficult, then imagine all the four billion individuals on earth acting in unison. But then, compared with the body, that is nothing! Can you imagine 36,000 earths, each with four billion inhabitants, acting in unison?
Only with such staggering thoughts as these is it possible to grasp some idea how infinite is the, knowledge, understanding and expertise of the human brain. It coordinates the activities of an astronomical number of cooperating cells. We emphasize the word cooperating because all cells are completely subservient to the brain, which, in turn, serves the whole organism. The brain exists as the controller of the body cells collectively. It serves the cells by providing them with needs they cannot obtain on their own.
Sometimes a cell may become “independent” in that its control mechanisms are affected and it either no longer possesses innate intelligence or can no longer focus its innate intelligence to cooperative endeavors. Such a cell becomes a parasite cell in that it draws from organic stores but is so “crazy” it cannot contribute to function. It is called a cancer cell. Its operations disrupt physiological harmony rather than contribute to it. A cancer cell is created by continual assault by toxic substances that eventually derange and destroy its encoded blueprints and intelligence. When such a cell exists, the brain will bring the residual powers of the organism to destroy the errant cell.
The brain, though the creature of its cellular constituents, is nevertheless supreme in the organism of which it is a part. The cells have created it as president to preside over and direct their affairs.
As the supreme faculty of the body, the brain is protected and served by its cell constituency preferentially. The brain thus is treated royally. It receives the best of everything; it is served and kept operational, even if this means the sacrifice of millions upon millions of cells. Thus, we can say the brain is the kingpin behind the human show.

Cell And Brain Programming

Each cell has a blueprint called genetic encoding. As a matter of fact, each mitochondrion within the cell has its own genetic material, too. This encoding enables the cell to reproduce itself faithfully. Further, it enables the cell to perform chemical, mechanical and electrical activities with exactness. The cell is a chemical factory performing more chemical feats than all the chemical factories in the world combined. Incredibly, it performs them within its membraneous confines, the volume of which is so small as to be undetectable to our eyesight.
The intelligence of a cell does not have to be learned. A new cell comes into existence just as experienced and knowledgeable as the cell that begot it. The intelligence is inherent and is automatically transmitted to progeny. The endless duplication of phono discs might be compared with cell replication. The programming is within.
The brain and central nervous system, likewise, are possessed of most of the knowledge, programming and expertise needed for operating an infinitely complex organism. The programming necessary to internal operations is automatically transmitted through reproduction of genetic codes in the developing organism. We marvel that the blueprint for the whole organism in all its incomprehensible number of faculties and functions exists within a fertilized ovum. Our stupefaction must be thorough when we realize that the microscopic fertilized ovum has all the instructions encoded that will create a grown “human being with 125 trillion cells. A perfectly developed and symmetrically formed organism of 125 trillion cells will result from the blueprint born of the union of sperm and ovum.
Everything about this organism is at all times perfect in faculties and functioning potential. It is faithful in every detail of the blueprint. It carries within all the accumulated experience and knowledge of billions of years of development. It will reliably produce a human being to the highest standard to which humans have developed. The perfect precision with which millions and trillions of formulas, processes and procedures are exactly transmitted and performed (some for just once in the whole life of the forming organism) is truly mind-boggling. (All this presumes no vitiating interference from toxicity or injury.)
We can throw up our hands and dismiss probing into such baffling complexities because of their irrelevance to the practical plans of human existence. Indeed, we can! We can live in bliss and never inquire once into our origins or the intricacies of our being. Humans lived happily unaffected lives in nature, just as animals, long before we plumbed the depths of our bodies and minds. Hence, we do not pursue this course to teach the profundities of the organism. You can procure books on physiology, biochemistry, cytology, anatomy and kindred subjects if you choose to do so. But that will add little to your effective knowledge of how to guide errant humans. That know-how is much simpler and easier, at least insofar as it involves learning.
Our objective is to imbue you with an awareness of the extensiveness of inborn intelligence and an understanding that it is to be trusted implicitly at all times and in all cases. Never be so presumptive or arrogant as to imagine that you can second-guess the body. Neither you nor anyone else can. While we can fathom the vast intelligence within, we cannot begin to substitute for it. We cannot help it a smidgeon. All that we do to the vital domain constitutes morbid interference.
The brain consists of fifty billion cells that are the most highly developed of any known. They have the potential to live for hundreds of years. They do not reproduce as do other body cells—they do not reproduce at all. But even the healthiest of us lose perhaps a hundred thousand of our brain cells daily. At this rate, it would take 150 years to lose 10% of our brain capacity. But humans often squander this precious heritage and become senile in their sixties, seventies and eighties, still in the relative youth of life’s potential, with loss of perhaps more than 50% of their cerebral matter.
On the conscious level, we are babes in the woods. While our intellects have been millions of years in developing, cell intelligence has been developing for billions of years, and our subconscious faculties have been hundreds of millions of years in development. Our infant intellects are at a stage where it can most appropriately be said that “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” If the human race survives long enough, we may come to a general intellectual level consonant with Life Science ideals. We may all come to realize that our own well-being is indelibly bound in following nature’s mandates—in living in complete harmony with our fellow sojourners—in total non-exploitation of humans or of other creatures.

Wisdom and Precision of Body Processes

Some 100,000 different proteins are synthesized within the body. The blueprints or formulas for these proteins exist within almost every cell. The exact procedures involved for making these proteins most efficiently are a part of cell encoding or programming.
Likewise, the cells have a wealth of abilities—to store and use all the raw materials they need, to create the compounds they need and will need, to create the energy they need, to create and apply the energy commanded of them in behalf of the organism—the multitude of capabilities of the cell overwhelm the intellect. It is said that if all the processes and capabilities of the cell were to be taken over by a computer, a computer of the dimensions of New York City could not cope with them.
A cell might better be likened to a self-contained universe rather than a self-contained city.
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the source of energy for most cell functions. Most ATP is created by the specialized organelles called mitochondria. Mitochondria create this complicated molecule, ATP, which “fires” when given a proper signal. When the ATP is used, the resulting spent molecule is recycled or “reloaded” for reuse. The know-how, providence and expertise involved in these chemical processes stagger the imagination.

Cognitive Faculties

At every level of its being, the body has highly-developed sensors that can readily recognize that which is good, bad or indifferent. All our senses coalesce to recognize foods, dangers, pleasurable and enticing situations, unpleasurable and repulsive situations, and so on.
Externally, our conscious faculties and intellect fulfill sensory and cognitive roles. Within the vital domain there are millions upon millions of specialized faculties for sensing the electro-chemical-mechanical nature of everything that enters.
Nerves translate all sensory data into electrical impulses and transmit them to the brain for a coordinated and purposive response that will effectively deal with the situation.
To provide an example, let us propose that many cells are short of an amino acid needed to synthesize a crucial protein requirement. This need is communicated to the brain, which relays a message to cells for inventories of surplus amino acids. Those required for deamination and reamination into the needed amino acids are directed to the liver, where deamination is conducted and the new amino acid is synthesized. The order of intelligence that can perform these immensely complex inventory and chemical activities makes our intellects, as marvelous as they are, look rather miniscule by comparison.

The Body Communications System

The body has some 50 billion brain cells. It has billions of nerve cells involved in message transmission. Messages travel within and around the body with the speed of electricity—nerve transmissions are almost all electrical. There are chemical communications within the body as well.
If we viewed a city like New York with eight million inhabitants, millions of telephones, hundreds of exchanges and thousands of switchboards, we can only begin to understand how intricate and complex are the body communications systems. The body has a communications system that serves at one time the equivalent of 36,000 earths, each earth having over four billion residents! Each of those inhabitants has a telephone.
If you knew what was involved in turning over during the night during sleep, you’d be astonished. An area of the body involving countless billions of cells becomes cramped or distressed in some way. An urgent request goes to the brain—rather, the brain has been monitoring the situation all along. But movement is not initiated as long as matters remain within certain parameters. When the situation threatens the integrity of certain areas, the brain, entirely beneath the level of wakefulness, will mobilize trillions of cells that comprise hundreds of muscle systems and effect a shift of body weight to a more comfortable position.

The Body’s Master Coordinator

We have commented upon the brain as the kingpin in all body operations. The brain is the supreme creation that trillions of cooperating cells have devised to serve them as a master communications and coordinations center. The brain has been developed to administer the many needs within. As well, the brain has been developed to aid the organism to deal with the external world on its own terms.
The thoughts we have on a conscious level are marvels when viewed from one aspect. But our intellects are hardly capable of conducting more than one line of thought at a time. In comparison, the brain conducts millions of processes simultaneously beneath the level of awareness! This service never ceases, going on every second for our entire lifetime. The busyness of the brain in serving the equivalent of 36,000 earths with four billion inhabitants each is unimaginable. We can only hint at it.
For example, one of the brain’s responsibilities is overseeing the maintenance and circulation of the blood—among a few million other things. And speaking of a few million things, while you read this sentence your body has created 10,000,000 new blood cells! That is, it creates ten million blood cells per second! The body has some 25 trillion blood cells, and their average life expectancy is only about thirty days. Blood maintenance and circulation have unimaginable intelligence behind them.
The luxury of abstract thought is possessed by only a few creatures on earth. Some races of humans, notably the negrillo or pigmy, are said to be incapable of mastering abstractions. Yet there are other creatures, most notably whales, dolphins (porpoises) and elephants, who may be able to think in abstractions. Perhaps even dogs and wolves are capable of abstract thought. We don’t really know much about the subject. Certainly no other creatures approach the capacities of humans for abstract thought.
The brain is absolute master of all the cells within its domain. Yet it is totally subservient to its cells and is very responsive to their needs. But the organic order of the body system is such that the brain is at the very apex in importance. While the brain was the last development of the human organism, it is the first in importance. Every cell, tissue and organ system other than the heart are slowly sacrificed, in critical periods such as starvation, that the brain might survive. When the brain can no longer survive, death occurs.
The brain is the prime instrument in establishing, supplying and maintaining the needs and stable environment of the trillions of cells. Each cell has yet other organisms that thrive within its internal environment called mitochondria. The brain exists for every cell in the body and, in turn, the brain’s welfare is dependent upon the well-being of the cellular system it serves.

Knowledge, Expertise And Resources For Healing Processes

Can anyone doubt, after a study of the countless control mechanisms within the body, after observing what happens with predictable reliability when cuts, broken bones and other injuries are suffered, that the body is completely self-repairing?
Can anyone not see that the body has vast resources, that it is completely self-sufficient and that it is fully capable of coping with internal exigencies that beset it to the exclusion of all other agencies?
Can anyone of average intelligence not see that any intrusion upon the vital domain is grossly wrong? That it obstructs and interferes with processes revealing far more wisdom and expertise than we can ever hope to master?
Can anyone doubt that all body action is intelligent, purposeful action?
Can anyone doubt that symptoms of sickness evince body action in purifying and healing itself? Can anyone doubt that, in conducting disease processes, the body is manifesting wisdom and physiologically correct remedial activities?
Can anyone doubt that an organism with the power to develop itself into a superb human being from a fertilized ovum is less than capable of managing its internal affairs?
Can any person presume a knowledge of internal needs better than the body itself?
It is very unwise, even dangerous, for anyone to presume an ability or knowledge superior to that of the body. Leave the body intelligently alone!

Body Actions Always Are Right Actions

It has been said in jest that “we are our own worst enemies.” The facade of a joke often conceals an element of truth.
What humans often do relative to their bodies reminds me of a story. Two husky men were going down the street. They observed a huge piano apparently stuck in a doorway and two workmen inside trying to move it. They offered their help and started struggling to get the piano into the house while the two workmen inside struggled also. After about half an hour of fruitless efforts, one of the workmen inside yelled for a break so they could get their heads together on this thing. Upon convening, one workman commented that he’d never had such great difficulty in getting a piano out of a house before.
“Getting it out of the house?” asked one of the volunteers. “We been trying to help you get it into the house.”
When we deem our intellects superior to the obvious demands of the body in a crisis, we exhibit gross ignorance. The only way to help the body is to cooperate with it, to meet its needs in accord with its condition. That is the only wise thing to do. This means “leave the body intelligently alone” to do its thing in full confidence that all body action is right action.

Intervention of Intellect in Body Affairs

If you hold your breath or force yourself to breathe in a manner that is contrary to normal breathing, you are interfering in a vital body process. Not many people hold their breaths long nor perform forced breathing (often called deep breathing) such that they underventilate or hyperventilate their bodies and beget hallucinations.
The body is the best arbiter of its needs. It is autonomous and operates from a cumulative fount of wisdom that we can never hope to emulate.
Often the body will make its demands upon us in some gentle manner, such as in thirst, sleepiness, hunger, etc. But when we figure that wine, beer or soda pop are just fine as ways to satisfy thirst, we are imposing upon the body a health-sapping burden. The body demanded water, and only water, in thirst. To supply it with anything other than water is a mistake.
At some time in our past the current superstition about diseases began. The present idea about disease is the result of a gradual evolution from the ideas of evil spirits and demons. The people who held these ideas admitted that they were wrong by the fact that they changed their minds and replaced them with new ideas. However, the new ideas have the same roots as the old ideas and are, therefore, equally wrong.
The misconception that still prevails in matters of sickness or disease is that the body is being attacked. The misconception further holds that the attacker or attackers must be counterattacked and routed from the body. Under this misconception many people have been harmed (by drugs). Death occurs in some cases. In fact, when physicians go on strike, the death rate usually plummets by 50 to 60%!
One of the prime dicta of the Hygienic philosophy is noninterference in the body. Each cell of the body possesses more knowledge and expertise than the whole of the human race collectively on the conscious level. Our voodooistic rituals with drugs are based on conjectures about what the body should be doing or what it needs when ill.
It bears repeating that sickness is vital body action. It is right action. The body initiates and conducts the disease process to accomplish physiological objectives. To mistake that action as an attack by an invader that must be routed is disastrous in practice.
Refrain always from second-guessing the body—what it needs or what should be done. We’ll repeat over and over: “Leave the body intelligently alone.” Establish the external conditions of health based on the body’s capabilities of the moment and that’s all. That is a simple enough dictum to follow.

Building Confidence in Inherent Faculties

This lesson cannot pinpoint body wisdom any more than have our many researchers and thinkers. We know its there and we perceive how extensive it is when we explore it. But, by and large, most of our population is unaware of their bodies’ tremendous faculties. They violate the laws of their being and then seek “help” when problems arise.
When the resources and powers of the body fail to restore health under favorable conditions, then the condition is irremediable. Life Science is the court of last resort for many who have tried everything but healthful living. Many turn too late—they’re already over the hill.
Everyone can benefit by the employment of healthful practices within the context of their condition.

A Medical Assessment Of Body Wisdom

Dr. David Reuben, M.D., has authored two best-selling books. One, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Nutrition, contains much erroneous guidance. But it also shatters many commercially-fostered myths in the field of foods, feeding and nutrition.
The following quote from the book illustrates the body’s needs and powers:
“Look at it this way. A plain old apple contains 191 known chemical compounds, each of which plays an important role in human nutrition. When you eat that apple, over 1,300 chemical reactions occur to break it down into its component molecules. Those molecules are then dispatched to exactly the areas of the body where they are required. The pectin goes to the large intestine, the vitamin C is sent to the skin, the vitamin A goes to the retinal area of the eyes, and so on times 191. You don’t make it happen because you don’t even know it’s happening. There are 160,000 edible plants on this earth—you didn’t put any of them there. But most of them help keep you alive. Your digestive system was designed by God—not by you, not by IBM and not by a government agency. It can take almost any animal that walks by or any plant that springs up in an empty field and convert it into brain, bone, heart, muscle and energy to keep you alive. Even the most arrogant and self-important “scientist” must admit that a Being far wiser than any human must have devised and implemented that will-uncomprehended nutritional system.”
So don’t think that the people who make instant breakfasts or imitation orange juice or yucky white imitation bread have the slightest idea what your body needs. That applies as well to those who turn out vitamin pills and nutritional supplements. Those fumbling human brains cannot improve on the Master Design that brought you here and allows you to survive from day to day.

Law and Order Reign Within the Body

Pick up any book on physiology, nutrition, biology, cytology, biochemistry, anatomy and related sciences. Each attests to the multitude of activities the body conducts. Each bespeaks the orderliness and precision with which the activities are conducted; each witnesses the enormous wisdom—the vast know-how and expertise posessed within; each tells of the multitude of faculties and resources within the body.
However, for a person who elects to make a practical application of the world’s most needed expertise, a pursuit of esoteric knowledge would be luxurious entertainment. Most of it is meaningless, for we cannot change nature. It does not need to be changed. We can always rely on it. The multitudinous processes and relationships proclaim the unalterable reign of law and order within. All body wisdom is based soundly upon the immutable physical relationships of matter. Entitative existence depends entirely upon fixed principles and undeviating physical relationships. Bodily survival depends upon taking charge of and utilizing needed natural substances in accord with invariable laws.
The order of intelligence evinced in the mastery of nature’s forces dwarfs our intellects beyond our ability to comprehend. The best we can do is bend our knees in awe and acknowledge our inner wisdom and resources as our master. We must make our intellects totally subservient to our bodily wisdom. Our intellects will thrive ever more if we learn to cooperate with our inner wisdom.
By teaming up with your body intelligence in all matters, you can become a winner in the game of life.

Programming The Intellect For Exuberant Well-Being

By now you are no doubt persuaded that the body is constructed for perfect operations.
The body is a perfect instrument within the environment of its adaptation when its needs are correctly furnished. Because intellect often misinterprets body processes and actually contravenes its needs—because cumulative institutionalized errors regard the body and its needs incorrectly, much suffering and disease prevail today.
Learn to trust the body implicitly. Learn how to properly supply it and know that it will perform correctly whether in struggle or great health. Struggle is occasioned when the body is incorrectly supplied or interfered with. Lacing our bodies with toxic fare, miscalled food and drink, is incorrect supply, and the administration of drugs, treatments and anti-vital modalities constitutes gross interference.
From wrong intellectual programming flows errors that undermine and destroy health.

Gemma’s comments:

“All I know is that I know nothing” - Socrates, V century B.C.

One day it was raining and I watched through the window a snail climbing our house - ‘He must be lost” - So I went out and I took it and left it on a leaf in the garden. Next day, before going into our house, I payed attention to the walls of the house, and there was not only one but many snails climbing the walls. Then I realised that the snail I put on the leaf was not lost, but he was doing what the instinct was guiding it to do - searching for a refugee in the high when it’s raining too much and it may be dangerous to stay in the ground.
Humans believe that they are the most intelligent species in the planet. Every time recent scientific discoveries show us how wrong we were regarding our scientific theories. Scientific errors have repeatedly occurred throughout the human history, but we haven’t learnt the lesson of humility yet.
We have even succeed to modify the weather (cloud seeding) for our convenience, throwing silver nitrate; we have achieved to alter the genetic code of species and to make clones; and all this believing that it’s for a good purpose, for our own good and the progress of the humanity. But what have we done? Every human intervention in the planet only makes it worst. Humans don’t know anything, mother Nature knows best.
In our occidental society, doctors are considered as gods, they are the only authorities in health and disease, they know it all. What they say must be done in order to heal, and we are threatened with big fatalities in case that we don’t obey. Also, some people read a post about nutrition in some kind of glossy magazine or listen a nutrition program in the TV and they believe they already know what is healthy food.
One of the first things I learnt when I began using alternative medicine was that conventional medicine was wrong. Then, naturopath therapists and homeopaths become to be my health gods. But after some years of trying a long list of therapies, and seeing that they only helped to heal temporarily, because the diseases came back again after some time, and observing that the different approaches about nutrition contradict themselves, I concluded that the human intellect, the reason and science also makes mistakes. Then I discovered that our body knows exactly the way to heal: through disease. The symptoms of what we feel as disease are only the manifestations of the healing of the body. When we impede a disease, by conventional or natural methods, we are preventing healing (this subject will be explained in detail in the next article). So the human intelligence doesn’t know anything, the Body Wisdom or Inner Nature knows best.
But evidently, the body intelligence has his limits, and if we don’t provide the elements that it needs and we attack it with detrimental products, then it’s not able to heal himself. Then, how can we know what are the exact correct needs for the human body and the whole person to fully perform their functions? As we have said: only Mother Nature or the Higher Self or God, you name it, knows it. We only have to observe this Higher Intelligence, learn from It and follow Their teachings. We must observe the animals in the nature; the anatomy and physiology of our body; the signals that our body send us; and also for religious people, the teachings that God give us (all religions give very good advices concerning how to be healthy, such as, for example, fasting).
In this previous article we described with detail the deductions that we get when observing all these elements, and then, the needed life conditions and dietary regime that we should follow.
In this present article we demonstrated how powerful and intelligent the human organism is, and how wrong and weak the human intellect is. In the next article we will show what are the consequences of a human medical intervention.

Osteoporosis, bone diseases and calcium deficiency. Part II

gemmac@gemmacalzada.com (Gemma Calzada) — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 16:55:00 +0100

In the first part we described the physiological process of osteoporosis and we revealed the real causes of bone diseases. In the second part we will explain what interventions may be taken at a nutritional level and lifestyle in order to prevent osteoporosis.

Continue reading Osteoporosis, bone diseases and calcium deficiency. Part II

What are our needs of calcium and minerals?

On this site you can find the recommended allowances of minerals and vitamins. The official USA RDA of calcium can be found here. For example, the recommended RDA of calcium for an adult is 1000 mg.
However, Dr. McDougall states that in reality,

“Human Calcium Needs Are Surprisingly Low. A recent study of Inuit (Eskimo) children found their diet, consisting largely of meat (which has almost no calcium), provided about 120 mg of calcium daily, but because of their physiologic adaptations these children were found to be healthy. As long ago as 1978 Paterson wrote in the Postgraduate Medical Journal, 'Many official bodies give advice on desirable intakes of calcium but no clear evidence of a calcium deficiency disease in otherwise normal people has ever been given. In Western countries the usual calcium intake is of the order of 800-1000 mg/day; in many developing countries figures of 300-500 mg/day are found. There is no evidence that people with such a low intake have any problems with bones or teeth. It seems likely that normal people can adapt to have a normal calcium balance on calcium intakes as low as 150-200 mg/day and that this adaptation is sufficient even in pregnancy and lactation. Inappropriate concern about calcium intake may divert attention and resources from more important nutritional problems.' And that is exactly what the talented marketing people in the dairy industry have done with the help of friendly government officials in the USDA: they have placed the spotlight on the nutrient, calcium, which is easily obtained in sufficient amounts from almost any diet—and at the same time, taken the beam of truth off of the fat, cholesterol, and contamination—the life-threatening components of dairy foods. One of the ways this has been done is by sensationalizing rare cases of calcium deficiency in children on bizarre diets.” (Dr. McDougall)

Dr. Glenville adds

“Don’t pay attention to the government’s RDA or recommended daily allowances. I don’t think anyone really knows the basis for these government-recommended amounts of nutrients, but at least one author has theorised that they came from nutrient profile of the needs of a World War I soldier, later revised and translated to women’s needs without any scientific basis. Considering the relative nutrient status of some 100 years ago, and the comparatively primitive nature of the laboratory equipment of the time, it makes absolutely no sense to make such a determination to apply to today’s humans.” (Dr. Glenville)

Are dairy products the best source of calcium?

Most of doctors and authors quoted in this post agree that dairy products must be avoided:
Dr. T.C.Fry argues that dairy products contain too much phosphorus and a deficit of magnesium and manganese. Moreover, they are acid-forming foods.
Dr. Thompson and Dr. Mouton provide studies that show that a higher rate of osteoporosis is linked to dairy products.
Dr. Mouton also explains the problem of dairy intolerance related to calcium malabsorption.
Dr. Glenville compares the rate of osteoporosis in different countries with different dairy intake.
Finally, T.C.Fry says that casein in milk disturbs calcium absorption.

“Boosting intake of conventional calcium sources (dairy products) does nothing to alleviate the situation. Calcium absorption drops sharply when intake is elevated, so little of the added calcium actually reaches the bloodstream. Moreover, dairy products are high in phosphorus as well as calcium, and almost all of the phosphorus does get into the bloodstream. Thus the addition of dairy products to a diet already high in phosphorus may actually speed up the rate of bone deterioration.
All so-called “protein foods,” including milk, tend to acidify the blood. Without exception, they are rich in the three acid-forming minerals; moreover, all of their chlorine, and a major segment of their phosphorus, lies external to their protein. Thus, they have an acid-forming capacity which is independent of their protein.
Cow’s milk is used to induce both manganese and magnesium deficiencies in animals.
Manganese-deficient milk left young rabbits with bowing front legs and a bone structure that was weak and porous. Magnesium-deficient low-fat milk induced kidney stones in 97 percent of a group of rats; it can offer no solace to milk drinkers that researchers believe the protein in milk played a role in the stone formation. In all fairness, though, it should be pointed out that milk is not the only dietary item that is low in manganese and magnesium: all animal products are markedly low in both minerals; in fact, the entire American diet is dreadfully low in both.” (T.C.Fry)

“Willett, who co-authored The Nurses’Health Study, one of the largest investigations ever into the risk factors for major chronic disease in 122.000 women, found that women with the highest calcium consumption from dairy products actually had substantially more fractures than women who drank less milk.” (Dr. Thompson)

"Other studies confirm the absence of protection of dairy against osteoporosis. Furthermore, an American study published in 1997 is even more troubling: the risk of hip fracture is increased by 45% in women consuming at least two glasses of milk per day, compared to the ones that have maximum one glass per week.
Far from protection, the intake of milk may favour osteoporosis. This is what we can conclude from worldwide statistics which relate the intake of milk to the rate of osteoporosis: nations with higher intake of milk show higher rates of osteoporosis.
These phenomena can be explained by the suffering of the small intestine mucosa due to milk intolerance. The richness of calcium in dairy products do not have favorable consequences on the amount of calcium assimilated when this calcium is not absorbed because of an intolerance. On the contrary, the disruption of the absorption decreases the capability of assimilating the calcium contained in other food, leading to a calcium deficit, which is the origin of bone diseases.
What is more, the troubles of assimilation affect other micronutrients too, such as magnesium and silicium" (Dr. Mouton)

“What is crucial is not the amount of calcium you put in your body, but how your body deals with it. We are the only animals that drink milk past the weaning stage and we persist in drinking a type of milk that was designed for a completely different species.
In many cultures around the world milk and dairy produce are rarely eaten. In Chine, for instance, two thirds of the population do not consume milk or milk products regularly. In the West, 70-75% of dietary calcium comes from dairy products and less than 10% from green leafy vegetables and soy bean products, compared with Chine, where only 20% of calcium comes from dairy foods and 50% from plants.
Post-menopausal Chinese women tend to have lower hip-bone density than Caucasian women, but sustain fewer fractures.
Japan is another country where dairy products are not routinely consumed and although Americans drink three times more milk than the Japanese, the American hip fracture rate is 2.5 times higher.” (Dr. Glenville)

“It is extremely doubtful that we can utilize any of the calcium in milk in any event. The calcium in milk is bound to its protein complement, casein. Without the key enzyme, rennin, neither casein nor its nutrient complement, calcium, can be used in the digestive system.
Milk forms no part of the normal diet of man after the period of infancy and therefore our advice is—don’t drink milk or eat milk products.” (T.C.Fry)

To learn more about the reasons to avoid milk and dairy products please read this article.

Foods rich in calcium and other minerals

T.C.Fry gives a list of fruits and vegetables with high calcium content, as well as a list of them with high phosphorus and high magnesium content. Regarding vegetables, he recommends to avoid those with high oxalate content.

The following foods are high in calcium content: Sesame seeds, Oranges, Green vegetable leaves, Strawberries, Almonds, Papayas, Figs, Most nuts, Sunflower seeds, Most seeds, Broccoli, Most green vegetables, Apricots, Most fruits, Dates.
ll seeds and nuts are excellent sources of phosphorus. In addition, the following foods contain a high percentage of phosphorus: Coconuts, Apples, Peaches, Pears, Apricots, Avocados, Broccoli, Green vegetable leaves, Figs, Carrots, Dates, Mung bean sprouts, Cabbage, Beets, Squash, Persimmons
The following are good sources of magnesium: Almonds, Cherries, Dates, Green vegetable leaves, Bananas, Beets, Walnuts, Avocados, Raisins, Pears, Raspberries, Broccoli, Mangoes, Canteloupe
The late Henry C. Sherman, Ph.D., Sc.D., formerly professor of Chemistry, Columbia University (Essentials of Nutrition), said that the dark green leaves are a prime source of calcium, well utilized in nutrition.
Be sure to note and differentiate among the various dark green leaves. The “good guys” are romaine, buttercrunch and leaf lettuce; kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and collard. These vegetables contain significant amounts of calcium and negligible amounts of oxalic acid. In kale, broccoli and collard, calcium exceeds oxalic acid by a ratio of forty-two to one. Beet greens, spinach and Swiss chard have up to eight times as much oxalic acid as calcium. (Prevention, June 1980, p. 40)” (T.C.Fry)

Another list is provided by Dr. Glenville:

*Food*	Calcium (mg per 100gr)
Milk	119
Cheddar cheese	721
Eggs (yolks)	139
*Hazelnuts*	113
Tofu	162
Wholemeal flour	80
Cod	21
Trout	86
*Figs*	145
Haddock	42
Chickpeas	49
Miso	65
Broccoli	48

200 gr of cooked kale or 350gr of cooked broccoli contain the same amount of calcium as 225ml of milk.” (Dr. Glenville)

Another obvious observation that may be made when worrying about calcium because someone is told to stop consumption of milk and dairy products, is that there isn’t any animal that drinks milk once it is grown up, but all of them have very strong bones, both herbivorous and carnivorous animals, birds or any other kinds of animals. How do they get their calcium? The answers are below:

“Where do cows, moose, and even elephants (who all have very strong bones) get their calcium if all they eat is grass? Humans drink milk for calcium, but if cows just eat grass, where do they get their calcium?
While we tend to associate dietary calcium with diary products it is found in many other foods including plants. Cows obtain their calcium from grass hay which has approximately 0.4% calcium. Other plants such as alfalfa have approximately 1.5%. This calcium is absorbed by the plant from the soil. “ (The Sidney Morning Herald)

“Wild carnivores eat pretty much the entire animal. In eating the skin, hair/feathers, hooves/nails, muscles, bones, connective tissues, blood, internal organs, and even the gut contents, the carnivore is getting all of its nutritional needs met in one neat package.
A diet based on muscle tissue, while providing plenty of calories, protein, and some vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, will be profoundly deficient in calcium and marginal or frankly deficient in various other essential nutrients. Adding bones, bone meal, or another source of calcium addresses the calcium problem, but an all-meat-and-bone diet, when the meat is just muscle, is still an incomplete diet for a species designed to eat most, if not all, of its prey” (Anima Vet)

“How do birds get calcium in the wild? Hawks can get calcium from the blood and bones of their prey, shorebirds may consume the calcium-rich shells of small mollusks, while certain species of sparrows and blackbirds eat plant matter, like kale, that is high in calcium.” (Wild Birds Unlimited)

Supplementation

“Bone is comprised of at least a dozen minerals, and the exclusive focus on calcium supplementation is likely to worsen bone density and actually increase your risk for osteoporosis. Overconsumption of calcium creates other mineral deficiencies and imbalances that will increase your risk of heart disease, kidney stones, gallstones, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, obesity and type 2 diabetes.” (Dr. Mercola)

"It is a grave error to believe that the body can digest and assimilate and utilize powdered nails and crushed rocks. Mineral supplements are of no benefit to the body because they are: 1) inorganic and 2) fragmented.
Because mineral supplements are inorganic, the body cannot assimilate or use them. In fact, the body must work harder to compensate for the imbalance created by ingesting these supplements. The body accelerates its eliminative activities and works hard to expel these foreign substances. This stimulation is often mistaken for the “beneficial action” of the supplement. Actually, the supplements are not beneficial—they are harmful—and they are inanimate and therefore incapable of acting (except chemically).
As health consumers have grown more aware of the differences between organic and inorganic minerals, so have producers of these supplements. Consequently, there are now mineral supplements which are advertised as coming from “organic” sources. These are equally useless because they exist in a fragmented state, extracted from the sources within which they naturally occur.
Minerals do not work in isolation. When they are extracted from their natural sources, the other co-existing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc., are not also extracted. Even if they were, the process of laboratory extraction destroys any vital benefits that may have been associated with the minerals.
Minerals must be consumed in their natural, unfragmented and organic state to be of any use to the body. The best mineral supplements are those naturally occurring in mineral-rich foods in their unprocessed state—fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts. (T.C.Fry)

“Here are the results of a study done in 1986. Yes, supplementing with calcium did increase bone density, but it does not reduce bone fractures. The countries with the most calcium consumption have the largest chance of hip fractures. Why is this?
Too much calcium in the bones actually makes bones more brittle. So you get denser bones when you supplement with calcium, but you are just as likely to break those bones as you were before you 30-year, 1200mg-a-day, odyssey.” (Olsonnd)

“Many nutrients compete for absorption sites in the gut. So, if we supplement too much calcium, for example, it may impair absorption of other nutrients: magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, some amino acids and others, creating deficiencies in those nutrients.
Indeed this is a very confusing area of nutrition. The truth is nobody knows how to prescribe vitamins and minerals because we do not have enough research or knowledge on this subject.“ (Dr. Campbell-McBride)

Read more about my opinion on supplementation here.

How to prevent osteoporosis?

Avoid refined and modern food

“An amazing study was done by Dr. Weston Price about fifty years ago. He was a dentist who traveled the world over to investigate the relationship between diet and dental health. What he discovered was that as long as people ate their natural diet of unprocessed and unrefined foods, they enjoyed sound teeth and healthy gums.
Whenever the modern foods of civilization—refined grains, sugars, junk foods, preserved foods, etc.—were introduced, the teeth of the people rotted, their gums became diseased and the actual shape of their mouths changed.” (T.C.Fry)

"Two serious defects from which many individuals in our modernized civilization suffer are impacted teeth and the absence of teeth due to their failure to develop. It is significant that in the arches of the primitives races practically all teeth form and erupt normally, including the third molars. In the modernized primitives and among our modern whites with deformed dental arches many teeth are impacted and often several of the permanent teeth have never formed." (Dr. Price)

Low-protein diet

The fact that high-protein diets are harmful for bone health is not clear. There is no consensus concerning the indigenous populations with a high protein intake. T.C.Fry (rawfoodexplained.com) says that they do suffer from osteoporosis, while Dr. Edward Howell and Dr. Weston Price says that only eskimos who have been in contact with modern civilization develop this kind of diseases, while the ones that keep their original diet do not. I think that the difference may exist due to the fact that T.C.Fry studied the eskimo civilizations that had already been modernized, while Dr. Howell and Dr. Price studied the really isolated ancient populations.
This is important, because it contradicts the theory of a high-protein diet being responsible for osteoporosis.
It seems that the indigenous populations with a high-protein diet didn’t have any problems with osteoporosis, while modern civilizations with a high-protein diet do, as Glenville says in her book. Maybe it is the kind of meat that counts: wild fish and grass-fed meat animals vs factory fish and meat. Or maybe other factors are correlated with modern people with vegetarian diets, such as healthier lifestyle in terms of avoiding not only meat, but also alcohol, tobacco, exercising more, a higher respect for nature, etc.
Concerning vegetarians, there is the same contradiction; Dr. Price states that vegetarian indigenous populations show problems with their teeth, while T.C.Fry says that vegetarian indigenous populations do not suffer from osteoporosis. It may also depend on the kind of vegetarian diet they follow, that is, on the amount of vegetables, grains, dairy products and eggs they consume. As we have seen, dairy products can have a very big impact on the development of osteoporosis, so not all vegetarian diets are the same!

"Poor posture is the hallmark of osteoporosis, and Sula Benet describes the Abkhasians posture as “unusually erect, even unto advanced ages.” Elderly Abkhasians are unbothered by spontaneous fractures, but as horsemen and mountain climbers, they do sometimes break bones and when such breaks do occur, they are wont to heal rapidly and completely, which would not be the case if they were suffering from osteoporosis.
Vilcabamba centenarians are, in Grace Halsell’s words, “known to have healthy bones.” Hundred-year-old Vilcabambans still work in the fields, bending the whole day, and show no ill effects. Ms. Halsell reports never having heard of an elderly Vilcabamban’s having fallen and broken an arm, leg or hip. She adds that she saw not one Vilcabamban who limped or was disabled.
Other groups that manage to avoid osteoporosis include the Hunzas and Yucatan Maya. Like the Abkhasians and Vilcabambas, these groups live in traditional ways and take low-protein, primarily vegetarian diets. And from the way groups taking flesh-based diets decline with age, there is little doubt it is the diet of the Hunza, Abkhasians, et al. rather than their lifestyles, that enables them to circumvent osteoporosis.
The heavy meat eating Masai males, Eskimos, and Greenlanders apparently develop osteoporosis at very early ages. The Eskimos normally become bent, shrunken and disabled in their late 20s while Greenlanders become decrepit in their 30s. The most interesting case, however, is that of the Masai. The tribe’s males spend their formative years roaming with their herds, drinking the animals’ blood and milk, and eating only small amounts of plant foods. Then, at the age of 20 or so, they take off to do a two-year stint as warriors, during which time they try to live on flesh alone. Following the warrior stint, and while still in their early 20s, they migrate to the tribes’ villages, arriving at the villages with bent backs, diminished heights and debilitated bodies, whereupon they are cared for by the villages’ women until they die. Now here’s the rub: the tribe’s females, who remain in the villages while the males are out subsisting on flesh and making war, raise and eat plant foods, and remain remarkably free of osteoporosis.” (T.C.Fry)

“A great number of eskimos live on the mainland and islands, a distance of several hundred miles, and have little or no contact with this food [modern foods]. … In their 288 teeth only one tooth was found that had ever been attacked by tooth decay, or 0.3 percent…. In the case of people who had received a considerable quantity of the “store grub” twenty-seven per cent of the teeth had been attacked by dental caries. In another village, none of the people who had lived on native foods had any tooth attacked by tooth decay. Those living partly on “store grub” had dental caries in 12.2 per cent of their teeth. In other villages the percentage of tooth caries in people eating native foods was 0.1,0.1, 0.09, while the percentage in people eating modern food was 11.6, 35, 13.
The foods used by these primitive eskimos are dried salmon, seal oil, fish eggs, caribou, ground nuts, berries, blossoms of flowers, sorrel grass, organs of the large animals of the sea.
As yet I have not found a single group of primitive racial stock which was building and maintaining excellent bodies by living entirely on plant foods. I have found in many parts of the world most devout representatives of modern ethical systems advocating the restriction of foods to the vegetable products. In every instance where the groups involved had been long under this teaching, I found evidence of degeneration in the form of dental caries, and in the new generation in the form of abnormal dental arches to an extent very much higher than in the primitive groups who were not under this influence. ” (Dr. Price)

“Eskimos live on an exclusively meat and fish diet, all eaten usually, and preferably, raw. These people were examined for evidence of renal and vascular disease. The results show that there was no unusual prevalence of vascular disease or renal disease. The people lead a life of great physical activity.
Dr. Thomas contrasts the excellent health of eskimos of northern who have been encouraged to retain their primitive ways, with the poor health of eskimos across the Atlantic. These people have abandoned their primitive methods of living. in adults there is the rheumatic pain, stiffness of joints, and fatigue.”(Dr. Thompson)

Take care of your gut flora

“I recommend putting most effort into implementing the [GAPS] diet first and starting the healing process in the gut. Once the digestive system starts working properly in many patients their nutritional deficiencies disappear without any supplementation. They disappear the natural way through the body sorting it out for itself. “ (Dr. Campbell-McBride)

Exercise

“Remember that bone is living tissue that requires regular physical activity in order to renew and rebuild itself. Peak bone mass is achieved in adulthood and then begins a slow decline. Exercise is very important in maintaining healthy bone mass. Weight-bearing exercise is one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis. “ (Dr. Mercola)

“Inactivity is still another, and possibly important, cause of skeletal erosion. Extended bed rest led to calcium losses at a rate of 6% of total bone mass per year in young men. On the other hand, exercise tends to enhance calcium retention and it has been shown that low-protein, low-fat diets boost endurance and engender spontaneous activity. " (T.C.Fry)

Leafy vegetables are the best source of calcium

“We do need a good source of calcium in the diet, but we don’t need milk. Milk is, after all, merely a substitute, and a poor one, for dark green leafy vegetables. Collards, parsley, turnip greens, watercress, kale, mustard, spinach, etc. provide twice as much calcium as milk and yet they contain considerably less phosphorus. They have calcium-to-phosphorus ratios three to four times that to milk. And unlike milk, greens have a strong alkaline ash; what is more, they are excellent sources of manganese, magnesium, and Vitamin C. They are also free of the troublesome protein, fat and cholesterol of milk. As for the problem of excess protein, replacing the milk and cheese with a few ounces of greens (which is all that is necessary) would cut protein intake by 10-15 grams per day.
A few greens, including spinach, are high in oxalic acid, which may reduce the availability of their calcium. It is advisable to include at least one oxalate-free green in the diet, but there is no reason to avoid these vegetables completely. Vegetables are best taken raw, of course.” (T.C.Fry)

“The best way to make your diet the more alkaline is simply to aim to have more alkaline-forming foods each day than acid. It has been suggested that the ratio should be 80 per cent alkaline to 20 percent acid.
As a quick reminder acid-forming foods are meat, dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, grains, beans, soft fizzy drinks, alcohol, tea, coffee and most drugs; alkaline-forming foods are fruit and vegetables.
Instead of looking at the actual nutrients in foods (for example, calcium in dairy foods), researchers have been looking at the effects of the foods themselves. Scientists have been finding that higher consumption of fruit and vegetables has a positive effect on bone health across all ages and both sexes - young girls and boys, pre-menopausal women, peri-menopausal women, post-menopausal women and elderly women and men.” (Dr. Glenville)

“The calcium absorption from vegetables is as good or better than that of milk. Calcium absorption from milk is approximately 32 percent. Figures for broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, turnip greens, and kale range between 40-64 percent. A noteworthy exception is spinach, which contains a large amount of calcium, but in a form that is poorly absorbed.” (PhysiciansCommittee)

Conclusions

The most important aspect to take into account for osteoporosis and other bone disease prevention is not the amount of calcium intake, but avoiding foods that:

are refined and poor in minerals,
contain anti-nutrients that disturb mineral absorption,
are acid-forming in the metabolism so need to be neutralized by alkaline minerals,
you are intolerant to or that may lead to the development of food intolerances,
disturb the gut flora, favouring the development of undesirable bacteria that prevent proper absorption of nutrients

Also avoid medicine, alcohol, soft drinks, caffeine and salt.
As we have seen, dairy products are not the best source of calcium, on the contrary, they may cause osteoporosis.
Supplementation of calcium is not recommended because of the risk of creating excess calcium in the body and mineral imbalances.
Other lifestyle habits impacting bone diseases are mainly sun exposure, stress and exercise.
So don’t worry too much about calculating the amount of calcium in your food. Wild animals don't make calculations about their food, they simply eat what is destined to their species.
Simply follow a diet that is full of fruit and vegetables, avoid all previously mentioned detrimentral products and lead a healthy lifestyle

References

Robert Thompson M.D. & Kathleen Barnes, “The calcium lie”

T.C. Fry, “The Life Science Health"
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/why-we-should-not-eat-meat/osteoporosis-the-key-to-aging.html
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/why-we-should-not-eat-animal-products/dairy-products.html
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/the-basic-four-diet/should-we-drink-milk.html
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/minerals/the-minerals-in-the-body.html
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/minerals/organic-and-inorganic-minerals.html
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/healthy-eyes-and-teeth/natural-hygiene-your-key-to-dental-health.html
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/why-we-should-not-eat-meat/osteoporosis-the-key-to-aging.htm

Marilyn Glenville PhD, “Osteoporosis the silent epidemic”

Dr. Weston Price, “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration”

Paul Fanny, PhD, “The AAA Diet”

Dr. Georges Mouton, “Ecosystème intestinal et Santé optimale”

Marilyn Glenville PhD, “Osteoporosis the silent epidemic”

David Klein, Ph.D, “Self Healing Colitis & Crohn’s”

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, “Gut and Phsychology Syndrome”

Dr. Peter Osborne, “Can Gluten Sensitivity Cause Bone Loss?”

Dr. Mercola:
“The "Calcium Lie" Every Woman Should Know About”
“Calcium Supplements Can Spike Your Heart Attack Risk by 30%…”

Dr. McDougall, “When Friends Ask: Where Do You Get Your Calcium?”

The Sidney Morning Herald

Anima Vet

Wild Birds Unlimited, “Calcium and Birds”

Olsonnd, “Calcium Myths”

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis”

“El calcio en palomas”