An Introduction to Natural Healing

I was very lucky to discover natural healing in the mid 1990s when I had heart disease. I was totally ignorant about curing diseases. But I had to find a cure or die.

I cured myself of the heart disease, gall stones, constipation, muscle weakness and cramps, tooth decay, arthritis, chronic fatigue, depression, ringing in the ears, sinus and respiratory disease, and debility in general. I regained my ability to do vigorous exercise, to run, and hike long distances without fatigue.

While I was curing myself, I was studying natural healing. In 2001 I completed a Masters in Herbology from the School of Natural Healing in Springville, Utah.

I continued studying and researching while traveling around the United States, South Africa, Australia, India, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, and Thailand.

I looked into the historical roots of natural healing and into the various Healing Arts which comprise natural healing. I read and thought about the emotional and spiritual aspects of healing and how they relate to the physical aspects of healing.

I was searching for cures that really work. Although it was time consuming to do so, I decided check and verify everything myself. For each disease I either applied the cure to myself and/or I verified actual cases of cures.

This Guide to Natural Healing includes the following:

An explanation of what natural healing is
A Wholistic Program for preventing and curing diseases
Specific treatments for over 56 diseases and conditions
Information on Foods, Oils, Juices, and Medicinal Herbs
How to Make Herbal Preparations
Historical Information on Natural Healing Programs
Sources of Supplies, Books, Training, and Services

I am not a doctor and I can not diagnose, prescribe, or cure. I can only try to share information about what has worked in the past. I hope this will help you in your quest for health and happiness.

Please send me your comments and questions at deanalter@yahoo.com.

Dean Alter

What Is Natural Healing?

Natural healing is healing using only wholesome things that support life. Natural healing doesn’t use drugs, X-rays, or unnecessary surgery. These unnatural things do not really heal – at best they treat the symptoms but they do not remove the causes of disease. Natural healing addresses the causes wholistically without any side effects such as occur from drugs, X-rays, and unnecessary surgery.

There are no incurable diseases. All diseases have been cured using natural healing.

Natural healing is the only true healing there is. Unnatural healing is no healing at all and in fact causes much harm and even death.

Natural healing aims at healing the whole person, body, mind, and spirit. Within natural healing are all of the healing arts including herbology, chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, hydrotherapy, counseling, reflexology, iridology, sun therapy, cognitive development, and organic gardening and farming.

Natural healing is a way of living in harmony with nature while taking personal responsibility for achieving health and vitality. Prevention and cure of diseases follows naturally as a result of being healthy.

A strict definition of natural would be: “as found in nature and not altered very much by humans.” However, some natural healing practitioners sometimes use preparations such as alcohol tinctures which are not really natural because they are not found in nature. These unnatural things have to be used sparingly if at all and are best avoided when better alternatives are available. For example, glycerin and apple cider tinctures and fresh raw juices and sprouts should be used instead of alcohol tinctures when possible.

The techniques of natural healing were discovered thousands of years ago by observation of nature. Today natural healing is still guided studying how things work in nature.

The two basic actions of natural healing are cleansing and nourishing. By cleansing and nourishing we can be healthy and prevent and cure diseases.

In this Guide a wholistic healing program is described. This program includes six types of cleansing which are discussed first: Candida Cleansing, Parasite Cleansing, Liver and Gall Bladder Cleansing, Kidney Cleansing, and Blood and Lymph Cleansing. Then the processes of healing with food, water, air, light, and body movement are described. Finally, 14 ways to heal the whole person mentally and spiritually as well as physically are described. This program is for everyone whether sick or very healthy. I know it sounds like a lot, but every part of it is simple, easy, and harmless. I recommend to just start with some part of it and keep adding parts until you have the wholistic program that works for you.

The potential benefits of natural healing go beyond individual health. Healthy people are needed for healthy societies, healthy nations, and a healthy world. Peace and harmony can’t be legislated or achieved by force of arms. Violence only leads to more violence. But the philosophy of natural healing promotes compassion and non-violent living in harmony with the laws of nature.

The place to start is with your own health. By cleansing yourself and strengthening your life forces, you can gain the strength and understanding to help others as well. Every act of kindness and compassion instantly rewards the giver with a warm feeling and improved health – which is reason enough to be kind and compassionate.

How I Discovered Natural Healing

I used to be as ignorant as most people are and skeptical that herbs or lifestyle could cure any major disease. At age 45, I knew nothing about herbs or natural healing. I was just hoping it wouldn’t happen to me. But in 1995 I began having serious health problems including heart disease. Luckily for me, I discovered natural healing before it was too late.

My father, both of my grandfathers, and two of my uncles died from heart disease. Despite a life-long devotion to healthy foods, daily jogging, and outdoor exercises, I was also diagnosed with heart disease. A sonogram of the heart revealed leaky heart valves due to plaque build up. Another sonogram of the neck arteries showed 85% blockage in the arteries leading to the brain. I was having violent irregular heart beat, high blood pressure, fatigue, and depression. With my family medical history, the medical specialists told me my heart disease was hereditary and incurable and I could have a heart attack or a stroke at any time.

I had palpitations, fibrillations, irregular heart beat, and high blood pressure. The specialists wanted to give me more tests and monitoring and medications to control the symptoms. They wanted to take my money but they said that there was no cure, the condition would not improve, and would probably get worse. One specialist told me that it was a toss up whether I would have a heart attack first or a stroke first, because I was a good candidate for both.

I was first convinced that natural healing can really cure diseases when I cured myself of gall stones without surgery. I developed sharp pains in the middle of my back. I thought these pains might be in the kidneys, the stomach, or the gall bladder. The doctors I talked to said that the procedure to determine if I had gall stones would cost several hundred dollars and if gall stones were found then they would recommend surgery to remove the gall bladder. I wasn’t eager to have a gall bladder operation because I saw what this operation did to my mother and my wife.

A nutritionist at a chelation clinic where I was going for treatments handed me a printout of Sam Biser’s which describing the gall bladder flush recommended by Dr. John Christopher. It was to drink apple juice for three days (no food only fresh squeezed apple juice a gallon or more per day) followed by 8 oz of olive oil. I repeated this treatment 11 times getting more relief each time. The third time was when the toilet filled up with dozens of gall stones – green balls of cholesterol about the size of raisins floating on the surface. The pain was all gone and without surgery! I was convinced that Natural healing was for real and I launched into the Incurables Program to clear up my heart condition.

But today my heart disease is entirely gone. The plaque was dissolved by the juices and herbal teas which I drank daily. I followed the Incurables Program of Dr. Christopher, using juice combinations recommend by Norman Walker. I drank two quarts of juice and two quarts of herbal teas every day. The juices were about 50% carrot with cucumber, beet, parsley, radish, tomato, potato, green bean, spinach, ginger, and other vegetables added. Separately, I drank prune juice and lemon juice usually in the morning to start the day off. The teas were blood cleansing teas such as chaparral, bugleweed, and yarrow. Almost every day I took a quart of such a tea hot while in a hot bath soaking and sweating for one hour. I had salads once or twice a day to supplement the liquids. These salads were vegetables and fruits and almonds and walnuts. I had no animal products of any kind: no meat, no diary, no eggs, no fish, nothing from any type of animal. I made tahini from sesame seeds and garlic blended with lemon or apple cider vinegar. I made spicy sauces using cayenne, fresh peppermint, garlic, and olive oil and apple cider vinegar. I took daily sunbaths. I did deep breathing. I continued my regular jogging, walking, push ups, and sit ups. I watched the clouds in the day and the stars at night. I took Dr. Christopher’s Hawthorne Berry syrup for the heart. When a sore throat or cough came, I did tons of garlic. When the cough would not go away, I drank a quart of lobelia tea and threw up for three hours after which the cough did not come back. I had to work at the office every week day, so I took two thermoses with me – one quart of juice and one quart of tea and consumed them while working. Back at home I devoted my time to the therapy. I took Dr. Christopher’s bowel formula which worked sometimes. When it didn’t work, I took a stronger formula and did enemas. I made sure the bowel was clean daily. I took one or two teaspoons of powdered cedar berries daily for several months for the pancreas and this resolved my blood sugar problem. I took wheat germ oil for vitamin E, a very important nutrient for the heart.

All of this might sound like a bit much, but that is the point about curing the so called incurable diseases. You have to really work at it. It is a full time job. Most people have to quit their day job. I didn’t do that. But I did put in about 10 hours per day working on the problem.

The Wholistic Healing Program

By cleansing and nourishing we can prevent and cure diseases -- even the most serious diseases such as heart disease, cancer, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, kidney failure, tumors, brain disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

To cure diseases, we need a Wholistic Healing Program with the essentials for health – not just a few key herbs or just a magic type of massage or some other “silver bullet”. This program is a philosophy of life and an action program.

All living things need cleansing and nourishing for health. If they get proper cleansing and nourishing, they can be healthy. It is that simple. So, in natural healing all we do is cleanse and nourish and the Wholistic Healing Program is designed accordingly.

Cleansing: Anyone with a serious chronic disease probably has a digestive system that is in sad shape, a liver and kidneys that are congested and non-functional, Candida overgrowth, and other parasites. In fact, in a seriously sick person it is pretty safe to assume that all of the internal organs are swollen and the blood and lymph systems are clogged. To deal with this mess, 6 types of cleansing are needed:

1) Candida Cleansing

2) Parasite Cleansing

3) Bowel Cleansing

4) Liver and Gall Bladder Cleansing

5) Kidney Cleansing

6) Blood and Lymph Cleansing

Cleansing and Nourishing are needed for the body, the mind, and the spirit. We must heal the whole person. This is done in the following six areas:

1) Healing with Food

2) Healing with Water

3) Healing with Air

4) Healing with Light

5) Healing with Body Movement

6) 14 Exercises for Healing the Whole Person

Nobody can get well or stay healthy by accident. It requires both understanding and hard work. It requires giving up bad habits. For the seriously ill it is an 18 hour per day program.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. An enlightened person will be vigilant to build vibrant health and to prevent disease – not waiting for disease to strike before implementing a program of healthful practices.

Very few people are motivated to follow a natural healing program until some serious disease is upon them. But it would be far better if they had adopted good habits during childhood thus avoiding such diseases entirely. We need teaching programs in homes and schools for young people to help them to start healthy living at an early age.

Health Assessment

We use noninvasive means -- no x-rays, no blood tests, no injections through the skin, and no surgery. We look for external signs of internal strength or weakness. Much can be learned by observation and reflection on the condition of the body parts and mental and physical performance. Specific techniques of non-invasive health assessment include iridology, themagram, tongue reading, pulse reading, sonogram, hair analysis, saliva analysis, physical exam, blood pressure and stress test, muscle testing, urine analysis, interview, and physical exam to determine health status. Chiropractors, reflexologists, herbalists, and massage therapists are often able to tell many things while working on their clients. Practitioners skilled in non-invasive assessment techniques should be consulted when you don’t know what is causing your diseases, or what diseases you have, or what to do about them.

Health assessment is helpful and is certainly recommended when a health condition defies all remedies and remains mysterious. However, health assessment should not be overdone and may not be necessary in all cases. In many cases the cure may be cheaper and less work than the assessment and in such cases it is better to take the cure. We use only cures which can do no harm and can only do good – so there is no reason not to do the cure. For example, if gall stones or kidney stones are suspected, a sonogram to determine if they are present can be avoided by just doing the appropriate cleanses. Similarly, rather than take expensive tests for parasites, just take the standard parasite cleanses. In such cases taking the cure is actually a type of assessment, because if the symptoms clear it confirms that the condition did exist but is now gone.

Cleansing and Nourishing

If your car was covered with mud and dust and you had no idea how to clean it, we would recommend that you use water and soap. If you were cautious and wanted to be careful not to overdo it you might use one cup of water and one spoon of soap. The result would of course be to just make matters worse and not better. You need to use enough water and soap and the car will surely come clean. If you are not ready to use enough, you may as well not do anything. The same is true with your body, you must do enough cleansing and it surely will come clean.

Candida Cleansing

In the intestines, there is a yeast called Candida Albicans which is needed for digestion of sugar and alcohol. When the beneficial intestinal bacteria are in proper balance the Candida remains in yeast form and does not cause a problem. But if the intestinal bacteria gets wiped out by antibiotics or other chemicals or a high sugar and starch diet, the Candida can mutate into a fungal or mycelial form, penetrate through the intestinal wall, enter the blood stream and spread throughout the body causing a condition called candidiasis or Candida overgrowth. Typically, the immune system is unable to remove this overgrowth and it continues to grow over the years and continues to spread to new parts of the body. The billions of fungus cells release numerous toxins which overload the lymphatic system causing tissue swelling and causing or contributing to nearly all or all of the known diseases and health problems.

In his book entitled Life Force, Dr. Jeff McCombs lists numerous categories of disease which are reported by his patients. Digestive problems are the most common and include constipation, diarrhea, the so-called “leaky gut” syndrome, symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome and colitis. Hormonal, reproductive, respiratory, urinary, circulatory, nervous, muscular, skeletal, and psychological problems are also common and all of these problems are often caused at least in part by the Candida and often do reduce or even disappear once the Candida has been cleansed.

Actually, the situation is a little more complex than described above because there are hundreds different types of fungi, molds, worms, flukes, viruses, and other parasites which may be present and contributing to the problems. Therefore, in reality it is necessary to cleanse the body of all of these parasites and to henceforth keep the immune system armed against them. Luckily, the Candida Force supplement used in the Life Force Plan is very broad spectrum and is effective in killing many types of fungus and mold. For other parasites see Parasite Cleansing below.

There are tests for Candida, but they are unreliable and cost more than a Candida Cleanse. Therefore, it is recommended to do a Candida Cleanse early in the Wholistic Program. First thing is to call (or go on line) and order 4 bottles of Candida Force from the Life Force Plan (see description below).

While taking the pills for two months, eliminate sugar, mushrooms, vinegar, alcohol, yeast, dried fruits, and breads from the diet. The idea of these restrictions is not to give the fungus anything it can multiply rapidly on. Fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, vegetable juices, sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, poultry, herbal teas, tea, and coffee are all allowed – according to my experience. The Life Force Plan of Dr. Jeffrey McCombs does not allow seeds, grains (except brown rice only), sprouts, nuts, or fruit juices, but I think these restrictions are not necessary. I have seen the plan work well even with taking these things.

The Candida Cleanse was successful for me and for several of my friends. I followed the plan strictly as written. But one Thai lady age 35 ate tons of noodles and drank lots of orange juice – all of which are not supposed to be allowed on the plan. Still, she went from a 32 inch waist to a 27 inch waist in two months while eating plenty. She felt energetic, she slept better, and her periods were less painful after completing the Candida cleanse.

To order the Candida Force and read about the Candida Cleanse of Dr. Jeff McCombs, go to www.lifeforceplan.com. The label on the bottle says “Candida Force is an essential part of the LifeForce Plan. It is composed of undecylenic acid (10-undecenoic acid), which has been shown to be six times more effective than caprylic acid. Candida Force is used as an aid in eradicating candida in the body, and allowing the body to come back into balance.” There may be good alternatives to Candida Force. One possibility which I am investigating is neem tea which is known to be antifungal. If you want to try it, I recommend taking two or three cups of strong neem tea for two months and see if this results in any improvement. Please let me know if you have any insights into this question.

Parasite Cleansing

Besides fungus, there are many other parasites which invade the body. They include many types of worms, including tapeworms, round worms, hook worms, and pinworms. Other parasites include also guardia and flukes. There are tests for parasites but they cost money, take time, and are often wrong. The herbal cure for these types of parasites uses herbs that are nutritional and harmful in no way when taken in the recommended dosage. The cost also is very reasonable. Therefore, it is recommended to just do the cures and forget about testing.

Get a pound of black walnut hulls powder or black walnut leaves and take either of these until the pound is used up. The powder can be mixed with water and drunk or put on salads or cereals. Take a tablespoon per day. If you are using the leaves drink three cups per day. Black Walnut is a very broad spectrum anti parasitic and anti fungal herb. It is also nutritional and very safe. It will kill most parasites, but apparently not hookworms.

For hookworms, drink two cups or more per day of thyme tea for two or three weeks. Be sure the bowels are moving during this time to eliminate the dead hookworms.

Additional anti-parasitical herbs include wormwood, cloves, and neem.

Bowel Cleansing

A good healthful diet of organic fresh foods will be the first step to avoid constipation and insure a clean and healthy bowel. Certain ordinary foods have mild laxative effects and these should be tried before laxative herbs. These include all fruits and mucilaginous vegetables such as okra. Prune juice and blackstrap molasses are excellent laxative foods.

Laxative herbs to use first include the mild ones including licorice, cascara, and turkey rhubarb. These need to be combined with anti spasmodic and anti gas herbs such as peppermint, catnip, fennel, ginger, and wild yam. Herbs to cleanse the liver and promote production of bile (which has laxative effect) are often included and good examples include barberry, Oregon grape, and turmeric.

Stimulant herbs can also be included such as cayenne and garlic. Dr. Christopher’s Bowel Formula is an excellent example of a mild laxative combination which works for perhaps about 50 percent of the population.

When stronger laxative herbs are needed, cape aloe is a good reliable one to use. If even stronger is needed, senna can be used. Again these need to be combined with the anti spasmodic and anti gas herbs to avoid discomfort.

For an atonic bowel with really stubborn constipation, use mandrake root and/or culvers root. Be especially careful to take only a very small (not more than an eighth of a teaspoon) amount of mandrake root well diluted in a cup of water. Mandrake will cause violent griping and can be fatal if taken in large doses. Culvers root is also very strong but not as violent in overdose as is Mandrake root. Both of these herbs take about 15 hours to act and both are very sure. Their effects can be long lasting for up to two days. They are very beneficial when taken in proper dosage. They clear any obstruction in the bowels and also cleanse the liver and the blood.

In many people the beneficial flora in the bowel get killed and putrefactive flora take over. This results in gas, foul smell, and constipation alternating with diarrhea. In a case like this, which is common, the above types of remedies will not be sufficient to remove the bad flora and replace it with good flora. Mucilaginous herbs are needed to sop up the putrefaction and probiotics are needed to establish the correct bowel flora population. Flaxseeds (linseeds) blended with water, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and spices to taste can be taken in large quantities throughout the day for several days or a week or two until the putrefaction and gas are gone.

Other mucilaginous herbs include slippery elm and marshmallow and these can be used instead of or along with the soaked and blended flaxseeds. The slippery elm is very healing for the bowel and nutritional in a debilitated state. Slippery elm powder is difficult to mix with water because it tends to lump up. It needs to be mixed with something while still dry before adding water. A good thing to mix it with is psyllium flakes or powder. Psyllium is also good for soaking up impurities in the bowel and it will keep the slippery elm from clumping if it is well mixed with the slippery elm before water is added.

Marshmallow root can be purchased in powder or in cut form. In powder it can be added to soups and cereals as a thickener. In the cut form, marshmallow can be infused in hot water and strained to make a tea. Either way marshmallow soaks up impurities throughout the blood and lymph systems and drains away excess fluid everywhere.

Another remedy recommended by David Christopher is 70% slippery elm and 30% licorice powder 5 or more tablespoons in water per day. David reports many successes with this combination. In some people licorice aggravates high blood pressure and if this happens, David recommends just using the slippery elm.

Richard Schultz has an excellent formula as follows: flax seed, apple fruit pectin, Bentonite Clay, Slippery Elm, Activated Charcoal, Psyllium, and fennel. His recommended dosage is 5 heaping teaspoons per day mixed with water or juice. This formula is for people with a history of drug use or toxic exposure or serious contamination of the bowels and bowel atrophy. While Bentonite Clay and Activated Charcoal are not strictly speaking herbs, they are harmless and very effective at absorbing impurities. You can get them from Pacific Botanicals.

To restore the intestinal bacteria, one can either take probiotics or consume foods high in the beneficial intestinal flora. Probiotic capsules and drinks are sold commercially. The Ann Wigmore Program includes rejuvilac, seed yogurt, and sourkraut which are rich sources of beneficial bacteria.

Samuel Thomson wrote that bayberry is the best herb “for all disorders of the bowel.” He says that it is good for removing thrush from the throat, stomach, and bowels. When you chew some, it “leaves the mouth clean and moist. Bayberry is the best for cancer, highly stimulating and very pungent, prickling the glands and causing the saliva and other juices to flow freely.” You can take with water, in capsules, and as a rectal insertion. Most people just consider as a remedy for diarrhea, but it is much more than that.

In addition to the above diet and herbal therapies for the bowel described above, there is bowel hydro therapy in the form of enemas and colonics. For an enema, about a quart or more of pure water or herbal tea is injected into the colon and then ejected into the toilet thus cleansing the colon. Coffee enemas are not recommended because the caffeine unbalances the nervous system and the hydrolyzed tannins absorb the available iron causing cramping and constipation in the long run. The best herb to use in an enema is catnip which is anti gas and anti spasmodic. While catnip is the best, any mint will have similar effects. Other herbs used to rebuild the bowel include bayberry, comfrey, and black walnut.

Heavy coffee or black tea consumption can deplete the iron in the bowel and cause constipation. Coffee and black tea use should be very little or none. To get iron back in the digestive system, use yellow dock, black strap molasses, red raspberry leaves, nettle, beets, and other foods high in iron.

Liver and Gall Bladder Cleansing

Bitter foods and bitter herbs (e.g. wormwood, mandrake, barberry, etc.) in general stimulate bile flow and are cleansing to the liver. For liver cleansing, include at least one quart of carrot juice or (for stronger effect) of the combination two parts carrot, one part beet, and one part cucumber juice in the daily diet. Take two capsules three times per day of Dr. Christopher’s liver combination or an equivalent amount of milk thistle or of turmeric. These things are for liver cleansing for a person with a liver that needs a little cleaning, but is not in serious condition. For serious liver problems, see the section on Chronic Liver Disease.

The classic gall bladder cleanse passed down over the centuries is olive oil. The gall bladder is responsible for expelling fat and oil from the liver into the intestines. When the gall bladder gets full of olive oil, it squeezes out its contents into the intestines. If any gall stones or other garbage is stuck in the gall bladder, it can be cleaned out by drinking an 8 oz cup of olive oil. This goes into the gall bladder which then squeezes. There is no pain, but there is often diarrhea after taking the olive oil. This is good, just stay around the bathroom. Before drinking the olive oil, it is recommended to go on a three day apple juice diet drinking a gallon of fresh squeezed apple juice every day to dissolve any calcium or other solidified mineral deposits on the gall stones. An alternative to the olive oil is turmeric: mix a heaping table spoon of turmeric powder in a glass of water and drink it down. Turmeric’s action is centered on the liver and gall bladder both and it causes both to expel waste materials.

Kidney Cleansing

For kidney cleansing, the very first thing is to drink only clean water. The dead minerals in hard water clog up the kidneys. Stop adding to the problem and start flushing out with clean water.

Second, be sure to stay off of bread, noodles, processed cereals, refined sugar, and any cooked foods with high starch content (e.g. no cooked potatoes, etc.). The reason is that the sugars and starches in these foods clog up the tiny passageways in the kidneys.

Third, start consuming more juices which dissolve stones and deposits in the kidneys. These include juice of the whole watermelon including skin and seeds, cucumber and parsley juice, cranberry juice, citrus juice, blueberry juice, and grape juice. Drink at least one quart per day of these types of juices while doing a kidney cleanse.

Fourth, take two capsules three times per day of kidney cleansing herbs such as Dr. Christopher’s kidney combination.

For a serious kidney condition, see the section on Kidney Failure.

Blood and Lymph Cleansing

The blood and lymph systems are the rivers of life, carrying the nutrients to the body parts and carrying away the waste materials.

For blood and lymph cleansing, the “Incurables” Diet or the Maintenance Diet will provide a very solid foundation. If more help is needed, there are specific herbs to be used.

For blood cleansing, drink three cups or more per day of Dr. Christopher’s Red Clover Combination, or Mormon Tea, or Chaparral, or Burdock, or any good alterative herb tea. Or take two capsules three times per day of these type herbs.

For lymph cleansing, the combination of three parts Mullen and one part lobelia has proven most effective. This is the specific combination for all glands of the body including the lymph glands and the entire lymph system. Alternatively, burdock tea is also excellent for flushing out the lymph system and removing excess fluid and swelling. Drink three cups or more per day.

For a severe case requiring intense blood and/or lymph cleansing, do more of the above and follow the appropriate suggestions in the sections on Heart Disease, Cancer, Septicemia (Blood Poisoning), and Swollen Feet.

Healing with Food

The nourishing, natural diet includes fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, vegetable juices, grains, legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds – fresh and raw or low-heated below 130 F.

All of these foods should be organic and free of chemicals, hormones, and pesticides. Food grown on organic soil has much more nutrients and is well worth paying more for.

The only animal food recommend is fresh raw milk.

The “Incurables” Diet for Serious Conditions: In a case of a serious disease (which the medical profession usually considers to be incurable) such as cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, etc., or in a case of extreme obesity, or for any stubborn debilitating condition such as arthritis or gout, it is recommended to consume only juices and herbal teas and super foods with no or very little solid food. Drink at least one gallon of fresh squeezed juices and herbal teas per day. Drink throughout the day, one glass of juice or medicinal herb tea every hour or every half hour. Make the juices and teas several times during the day so they are fresh when you make them. Stay on 100% raw diet and strictly vegan. Fresh raw milk is excellent if you can get it, but otherwise no dairy or animal foods of any kind.

The Maintenance Diet: If your health is pretty good and you do not have any serious disease or debilitating condition, then you can consume more solid food and some cooked food on a Maintenance Diet – which was called The Mucusless Diet by Dr. Christopher because it is a diet which does not create excess mucus. As a general recommendation, it is recommended to go about 50% solid food and 50% juices and to keep the cooked food under 25% of the total. Cooked foods such as brown rice or lightly steamed vegetables or soups can add variety to the mostly raw diet—but fried food is not recommended. Also, avoid cooking spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, turnip and mustard greens, kale and collards, and broad-leafed French sorrel which are all high in oxalic acid a valuable nutrient that promotes the peristaltic motion of the intestines. However, if the oxalic acid is cooked it combines with calcium and can result in such a serious deficiency of calcium that it has been known to cause decomposition of the bones. Therefore, spinach and all these other vegetables should never be cooked.

Foods should be well chewed to mix the saliva with them before swallowing. Juices should be swished in the mouth and held until they also are well mixed with saliva before swallowing. This is very important for the digestive process.

Food and juices should not be taken when one is very upset or under stress because indigestion is likely to occur making matters worse. Drink water and nerve teas in such a case. Seek a quiet and pleasant atmosphere for eating, in the fresh air and with a good view if possible.

Any grain, bean, or lintel which can be sprouted should be sprouted or low heated below 130 degrees F. The soak water should be thrown away to get rid of the natural plant pesticides. Just soaking overnight will be sufficient to start the germination process and transform the grain from a dormant seed with enzyme inhibitors into a vibrant live food with active enzymes. Young sprouts are the more grain-like and have high levels of food energy. Mature sprouts are the more vegetable-like and have higher levels of water and chlorophyll. It is good to eat both young sprouts (one or two days old) and older sprouts (4 or 5 days old) to get this variety from them.

Grains, lintels, and seeds should be sprouted not cooked. When sprouted they have somewhere between ten times and a hundred times more vitamins, enzymes, and other nutrients – there is a vast literature of research and case studies which abundantly proves this. Sprouts can be consumed after only one day or up to 5 or 6 days old. In their early stages sprouts are more grain-like, higher in calories, and more hunger satisfying. Older sprouts have more vitamins, enzymes, and green chlorophyll. Lintels must have the skin on to be capable of sprouting. All grains, lintels, and seeds are soaked over night and rinsed to get rid of the natural plant pesticides and toxins they contain. The soaking also starts the germination process and thus converts the enzyme inhibitors into active enzymes.

Some of the things which are mucus forming and are not allowed are the following: breads, noodles, cakes, cookies, refined sugar, pancakes, soda pops, wine, beer, alcohol. tobacco, salt, canned foods, fast food, fried food, margarine, soy sauce, pickles, candy, pudding, etc.

Some of the specific foods which are recommended should be included are as follows: extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, wheat germ oil, black strap molasses, and Vitalerbs or the equivalent – about a tablespoon per day of each.

For discussion on specific recommended foods, please see the following sections:

Foods and Super Foods
Oils
Juices
Medicinal Herbs

Healing with Water

The average person needs at least a gallon of pure liquids daily. This can be in juices, in herbal teas, or in plain pure water. Drink an 8 oz glass every hour or half hour for a total of at least 16 glasses every day equals 132 oz or one gallon. Never miss or if you do take extra to catch up. Dehydrated is a major cause of disease. All of the internal organs get clogged with waste materials and they must be flushed out. The body tissues can’t be rebuilt when they are dehydrated.

The water in fresh squeezed juices is pure and clean. Besides the water in fresh juices we need water for drinking, for making herbal teas, and for food preparation. There are two methods of water purification which really get the water clean: steam distillation with carbon filter and reverse osmosis with carbon filter. It is best to purify all of the water coming into your house or apartment removing most of the impurities at the point of entry. A whole house system will avoid getting chlorine and other toxins in through your skin and lungs while you are taking a bath or shower. In addition, water for consumption should be purified 100%. Sears sells a good quality one gallon steam distillation unit with carbon filter for about $120. This unit works fine. I have used the Waterwise one gallon size and it is about the same but more expensive. There are many choices available in the Yellow Pages and on the internet.

Don’t be fooled by claims that mineral water is good for you. The minerals are inorganic and dead and of no value at all. You get plenty of minerals from food and juices and don’t need any more in the form of mineral water. Mineral water just calcifies your arteries, brain, and all of your internal organs.

Besides colonics and enemas described under Bowel Cleansing, hydrotherapy includes hot and cold bathes and showers. When fighting any disease it is good to have a daily hot bath for at least 30 minutes as hot as possible and accompanied by a good hot sweating tea such as yarrow or peppermint. In the case of a respiratory disease, fever disease or debility it may be best to proceed to bed after the hot bath wrapped in several layers of clothing and continue sweating while in bed. Otherwise, you can follow the hot bath with a cold shower or cold bath. Or you can alternate from hot to cold and back several times to stimulate circulation in the whole body or in one part of the body where there is disease perhaps. Many variations are possible. For example, for problems in the feet and ankles you can use plastic waste baskets full of water – one hot and one cold and every few minutes switch feet from hot to cold and cold to hot. Herbs can be added to the water in the bath with excellent effect.

Dr. Christopher had a bath procedure which he called The Cold Sheet Treatment. This started with a catnip enema to empty the colon and then a garlic injection to disinfect. Then the hot bath as hot as possible and as long as possible while drinking yarrow or peppermint or some other diaphoretic tea. He used to say that you have had enough tea when you tip your head to the side and the tea comes out the ear. After the bath the patient was wrapped in a cold sheet which was soaked in ice water and put quickly in bed to sleep and continue sweating. I never used the cold sheet, but I did to the bath with much benefit in helping me to overcome my heart disease.

Healing with Air

When the blood doesn’t have enough oxygen in it, recovery is not possible. Due to shallow breathing for many years, not enough oxygen has been available for cleansing and nourishing the body parts. This also is a major reason for all diseases. Learn to breathe from both the abdomen and chest at the same time. Extend both abdomen and chest out to the maximum taking in as much air as you can. Exhale slowly and pull the abdomen and chest inward as far as possible emptying the lungs as completely as possible. Repeat this at a medium speed, fully inhaling and fully exhaling each time for several minutes up to ten minutes at a time. Do this 3 or 4 times per day. In between these deep breathing exercises, do single or double deep breaths with full exhale. Feel how this makes you feel refreshed and gives power to your body. It can lift your spirits and inspire creative thoughts as well.

The quality of the air is very important as well as the quantity. Become sensitive and observe what the quality is where ever you are. When possible avoid going to buildings with chemical smells and stale air. Keep your windows open to get in clean air. Inside air is much more toxic than outside air. Even in the winter, open the windows enough to get an exchange of air. Wear your winter coat if necessary and turn on the heat, but get that clean air. Go outside as often as possible and go to the park or the beach and spend time there reading or exercising.

Healing with Light

Direct sunlight on the skin causes release of healing chemicals essential to curing serious diseases. There are many scientific studies which have proven this truth which the ancients knew and practiced thousands of years ago. Dr. Lorraine Day talks about these scientific studies on her audio entitled “There Are No Incurable Diseases.”

Some people believe that sunlight causes skin cancer. But Dr. Christopher tells of a patient who cured skin cancer with sunbaths and a cleansing diet including grape juice. Sunlight can bring the cancer to the surface where the body wants to eliminate the impurities. In a case like this, follow the suggestions in the section on Cancer.

The ideal sunbath is where sunlight hits the whole body. Try to find or create a private place behind curtains where you can lie totally naked in the sun. Otherwise, wear the smallest amount of clothing possible. Lie in the sun for about 30 minutes on the front and 30 minutes on the back. Don’t over do it and get burned. Put olive oil or some other vegetable oil on the skin. Use aloe vera or comfrey if the skin becomes red and burned. But never use sun block which is toxic and defeats the purpose of getting the sunlight on to the skin.

After finishing a sunbath, the longer you stay outside in indirect light absorbing the joy of sunlight through the eyes and skin the better. Sunlight chases away depression and strengthens motivation and life energy.

Starlight and moonlight at night are cooling and calming. They complement and balance the warming effect of sunlight. They have colors which feed the positive emotions. While watching the stars at night, one can reflect on the infinite nature of the universe, on eternal life, and on the universal law which is truth.

Healing with Body Movement

Only with body movement and exertion can the waste materials be moved out and the nutrients moved in to the proper places. This is especially true of the lymph system. The lymph is in vessels parallel to the arteries and veins, but is has no heart to pump it. The lymph only moves when the body movement agitates it.

Of course with all diseases exercise can be restricted and painful. But be inventive and do the best you can. Swimming is excellent. Use elastic and spring devices to exercise the arms and upper body. Arrange exercise mats and hanging bars to pull on. Get advice from professional therapists on a home program for frequent exercise during the day. Visit therapy facilities when possible. Go swimming as often as possible. Arrange a home Jacuzzi and/or sauna if possible.

If possible get some body work to move the blood and lymph and stimulate circulation to the areas which need it. Reflexology on the feet and hands can correct problems in corresponding areas of the body where the nerves connect through the brain to each of the internal organs, the head, and the extremities. Get chiropractic adjustments if the skeleton is out of alignment. Get specialized physical therapy for any weakened or handicapped areas.

14 Exercises for Healing the Whole Person

Most people with diseases have resentments, anger, fear, lots of misinformation, and negative self-images. They feel lonely, unloved, misunderstood, and unfairly treated. They believe that diseases can’t be cured and that diet and lifestyle have little or nothing to do with health. They think they should take vitamins and supplements, get regular medical check-ups, and visit the doctor whenever illness appears.

All these bad feelings, bad thoughts, and bad habits cause diseases. To break out of the downward spiral, we need some specific healing exercises for the mind and the spirit.

Your mind is your conscious self. It thinks thoughts, learns facts, plans movements, holds beliefs, and experiences emotions. All the senses come to the mind but often times the mind is not aware of them and needs to be trained for awareness.

Your spirit is what makes you alive and is the source of your true feelings – which are kept in the heart. Your spirit is also your source of conscience, creativity, fulfillment, and joy.

The mind, body, and spirit are one. It is an illusion when they appear to be separate. They are actually just different aspects or dimensions of the person. So in healing the mind and the spirit we must bear in mind that all of the cleansing and nourishing of the body which were discussed above are also for the mind and the spirit. Any damage to the body will also damage the mind and the spirit and any help to the body will also help the mind and the spirit.

Sometimes the body-mind-spirit link is extremely obvious. For example, depression can sometimes be chased away in a few minutes with exercise or with an herbal tonic such as cayenne.

The reverse link from the mind to the body has been investigated by scientists who have discovered neuropeptides which are released by the brain when ever we have a thought – any thought. A neuropeptide is any of the variety of peptides found in neural tissue; e.g. endorphins, enkephalins, etc. About 100 different peptides are known to be released by different populations of neurons in the mammalian brain. Certain of these neuropeptides travel through the blood and the lymph, attach to the immune cells, and direct their activities.

So, there is never a purely physical disease and there is never a purely physical cure. Preventing and curing diseases must be done by curing the whole person body, mind, and spirit.

Know that All Diseases Are Curable

One of the worst causes of disease is the belief that diseases are incurable. Most of the population and most of the medical profession consider diseases to be incurable. The medical profession wants to kill germs with chemicals and drugs, correct chemical imbalances with hormones and other chemicals, turn off or suppress overactive immune responses with blockers, conduct surgery, administer X-rays, give pain killers, and run tests. When a condition doesn’t respond to any of the things they have for sale at their bankruptcy prices, the doctors shift tactics and declare the condition incurable. To support their gloomy prediction they blame the condition on something supposedly beyond human control. This may be a mysterious virus and/or heredity. When people do recover from a supposedly incurable disease, the medical profession attributes the recovery to “spontaneous remission”.

The incurable prognosis is devastating to the individual. It is like a nightmare come true. It causes deep despair and depression. The individual has to fight hard to overcome panic and fear, to regain composure, and to grasp at some degree of happiness while accepting his or her “fate” as inevitable. Gradually, the individual becomes reconciled, accepts the worst, and blocks out any thought of recovery. Therapy or meditation may be used like a drug or trance to block out anxiety. He or she refuses to reopen the issue, doesn’t look for a cure, and doesn’t ever want to hear anything about a possible cure – because it would be painful to do so. The mind becomes shut and the diagnosis of incurability becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Because there is believed to be no cure, no cure is looked for, no cure is found, and no actions are taken to correct the condition. This is definitely a mental problem.

The medical profession makes a fortune on diseases while providing no cure.

But thousands of people do recover from heart disease, cancer, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and in fact all diseases. Not by accident, but because they work hard at it and cure themselves. This proves the diseases are curable. If something has been cured, it is not incurable.

The first step in curing all diseases is to know that they are curable. Cleanse out all of the negative, pessimistic ideas, thoughts, verdicts, and convictions that your disease is beyond your control and there is nothing you can do. Throw out the gloom and doom paradigm. Throw out the depression and despair – don’t just cover it up, throw it out.

Look at the literature, at the websites, and the videos depicting actual cures and the programs that work and produce cures. Talk to the institutes and the practitioners who deal in life programs and visit some of them. Ask about success stories and testimonials about similar conditions and seek out recovered individuals to learn the details of how they succeeded. In other words, convince yourself that the condition is curable, it has been cured, and it can be cured.

I know from personal experience what it is like. I was by the doctors that I had an incurable heart condition. In 1995 and 1996 I had violent palpitations. The sonograms revealed leaky heart valves and 85% blockage in my neck arteries. All of the doctors and coronary experts told me that these conditions were permanent and could not be reduced or reversed. The doctors stressed that my father, two of my uncles, and both of my grandfathers died of coronary disease and heart failure. They said that this was a hereditary condition and incurable. They said it was inevitable that I would have a heart attack or a stroke or both. Their recommendations were for more tests, frequent monitoring, and drugs to control the symptoms – but no cure.

The emotional shock and depression were real, but while the doctors scared me, I didn’t accept their verdict. I kept thinking there must be some way to cure my heart disease. I resolved not to loose by default. I started searching for alternatives and discovered that there are many alternatives that don’t work. But within a few months I also discovered that there are some alternatives which do work. This knowledge enabled me to be optimistic.

Some people know their condition is curable, but they don’t want to cure it. Having an illness or handicap, may have become a cherished possession which they don’t want to give up. The benefits of good health pale in their estimation with the status, attention, respect, financial benefits, and privileges that come socially, morally, or legally as a consequence of being an unfortunate, handicapped citizen. This type of thinking is a delusion. There is nothing more important than mental, physical, and spiritual health.

Connect with Your Spirit

When the link between the mind and the spirit is damaged through trauma or stress, the mind becomes lost without conscience, feelings, or purpose. Restoring the mind-spirit link becomes paramount. Light a candle and place it directly in front of you. Stare into the flame. Be aware of the flame itself, of its shape, colors, and movement. Don’t try to compose any thoughts about the flame but just allow it to be and experience its existence. After some time close your eyes and view the afterglow of the candle and the beams of light coming from it. Open and close your eyes repeating this experience and liken one of the beams of light to your spirit. Your spirit (like the beam of light coming from the candle) also comes from a higher source and your spirit is an expression of that higher source. Meditate on this. With that meditation fresh in your mind, turn your focus to reflect on your life up until now. What talents and skills have become apparent? Note them down. What activities have given you the most satisfaction and fulfillment? Write them down also. Now consider the things you have written from the perspective of someone who doesn’t know you. What would you advise this person to do to find joy and satisfaction in life? Good. Start doing these things to make your life more satisfying and meaningful.

Replace Negative Emotions with Positive Emotions

Negative emotions will cause disease and make it impossible to cure disease. Negative emotions can be replaced with their antidote – positive emotions. If you monitor your emotions by paying careful attention to what you are feeling, you may detect hate, anxiety, resentment, anger, cowardice, sadness, or grief. Once you have detected them make a conscious effort to replace them with their counterpart positive emotions.

In order to do this, we need to realize that it is in our self-interest to drop the negative emotion which is harming us more than it is harming anyone else. Negative emotions damage our mind and body; they shut us away from our fellow humanity and make us lonely. If we fully realize this, we will be motivated to drop the long cherished hate or anger or what ever evil we have been harboring. This realization of self-interest gives us