Category Archives: Digestive System

This Food Contains 100 TIMES More Probiotics than a Supplement

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By: Dr. Mercola
Source: Mercola.com

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is a formally trained Russian neurologist whose child developed autism.

As a result of her own research into autism, she ended up developing what might be one of the most profoundly important treatment strategies not just for autism, but for a wide range of neurological-, psychological-, and autoimmune disorders as well.

I believe her Gut and Psychology Syndrome, and Gut and Physiology Syndrome (GAPS) Nutritional program is vitally important for MOST people, as the majority of people have such poor gut health due to poor diet and toxic exposures. We’ve previously discussed how the GAPS program can help those with autism and other neurological- and psychiatric disorders, such as:

  • Dyslexia and dyspraxia
  • Depression
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Epilepsy

What is Gut and Physiology Syndrome?

In this interview, we discuss how your gut affects your immune system, as there’s profound dynamic interaction between them. Dr. McBride covers the problems related to Gut and Psychology Syndrome in her first book by the same name. Her next book will cover Gut and Physiology Syndrome, which relates to diseases that are not located in the nervous system but rather elsewhere in your body, such as:

  • Arthritis
  • Asthma and allergies
  • Skin problems
  • Kidney problems
  • Digestive issues, and
  • Autoimmune disorders

Abnormalities in your immune system are a common outcome of GAPS, and such immune abnormalities are at the root of virtually all degenerative diseases.

“Why is that? It’s because about 85 percent of our immune system is located in the gut wall,” she says.  “This fact has been established by basic physiology research in the 1930s and the 1940s. Your gut, your digestive wall, is the biggest and the most important immune organ in your body. There is a very tight conversation and a relationship going on between the gut flora that lives inside your digestive system, and your immune system…

Your gut flora—the state of the gut flora and the composition of microbes in your gut flora—has a profound effect on what forms of immune cells you will be producing on any given day, what they’re going to be doing, and how balanced your immune system is.”

How Your Gut Flora Directs Your Immune System

There are two primary “arms” in your immune system:

  1. Th1 immunity is responsible for normal reactions to anything in your environment, from pollen to animal dandruff, dust mites, chemicals, food and anything else you come into contact with. Th1 is kept robust and healthy by your gut flora. As long as your gut flora is normal, you will have no adverse symptoms when exposed to these types of environmental influences, but if your gut flora is abnormal, your Th1 become increasingly disabled
  2. Th2 immunity is designed to address immune functions inside your body, and is not equipped to handle environmental influences. However, it will try to compensate if your Th1 becomes disabled. Unfortunately, since it’s not properly equipped for this job, it ends up dealing with environmental influences like pollen and foods in an inappropriate way; the end result of which is allergies and intolerances.

It’s important to realize that food allergies and intolerances are a very different group of allergies from the more acute anaphylactic allergies. Food intolerances caused by disabled Th1 (due to abnormal gut flora) are not mediated by the same immunoglobulin as the true allergies are. Food intolerances can also manifest hours, days, or even weeks later, making identifying food allergies very difficult.

 “Different reactions can also overlap on top of each other. For example, on any given day you can be reacting to broccoli that you have just had for lunch, and to lamb that you’ve eaten yesterday, and to egg that you’ve eaten two days ago, and to a piece of bread that you’ve eaten 10 days ago. All of these reactions overlap on top of each other. On any given day, you have no idea what exactly you’re reacting to,” Dr. McBride explains.

Making matters even more difficult, these food allergies and intolerances can result in all sorts of reactions, from headache, to sneezing, to rashes, or abdominal pains or swollen joints. Or they may result in psoriasis, or cause eczema to flare up.

“Or, it can be an episode of depression, anxiety, or a panic attack. Any kind of symptom can be brought up by food allergies and intolerances,” Dr. McBride says.

At the same time, because your gut flora is abnormal, your gut lining begins to deteriorate, since it is actively maintained by our gut flora. (The beneficial bacteria in your gut make sure the cells that line your entire digestive tract are healthy, well-fed, and protected from chemical- or microbial attacks.) As your gut lining deteriorates, the junctions between the cells open up, causing your gut to become porous, or “leaky.”

“It becomes like a sieve, and foods don’t get the chance to be digested properly before they are absorbed,” Dr. McBride explains.

“They’re absorbed in this maldigested or partially broken down form. When the immune system and the bloodstream finds them and looks at them, it doesn’t recognize them as food. It says, “You’re not food. I don’t recognize you,” and it reacts to them. It creates immune complexes, which attack these partially digested proteins. As a result, we’ll get all sorts of symptoms in your body.”

So what’s the answer?

The key to resolving your health issues is NOT to determine which foods you’re reacting to in order to avoid them. Rather you need to focus on healing your gut lining, because this is the most likely root of your problem. This will also be your most cost-effective strategy, as allergy testing can be quite expensive.

“There are many testing methods developed now for food allergies and intolerances,” Dr. McBride says. “… [But] if you had enough money to test twice a day for two weeks in a row, you would discover that you react to everything you eat… The majority of practitioners who are experienced in this area give up on testing… They recommend focusing on healing and sealing your gut lining instead. Then these food allergies and intolerances will disappear, and you will be able to eventually start eating foods that you could not tolerate before.”

GAPS and Autoimmune Disease

Autoimmune disorders are a very common side effect of GAPS. Conventional medicine has identified about 200 different autoimmune conditions so far, and the list is continually growing.

“The testing in autoimmunity is fairly expensive, so not many people get tested,” Dr. McBride says. “But the more we test, the more we realize that pretty much every degenerative condition has got an autoimmune component. Why is that? Because 85 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive wall, in your gut wall, and the state of your gut flora has a direct and very profound effect on the way your immune system functions.

… Your immune system is a very hungry organ. It needs to be continuously fed… People with abnormal gut flora – GAPS people – do not digest and absorb their food properly, so they develop multiple nutritional deficiencies; their immune system is starving… At the same time, a river of toxicity is flowing from the gut into the bloodstream of these people, because all those pathogenic microbes sitting in their gut flora are converting the food that comes along into hundreds and hundreds of very toxic substances.

The immune system gets quite a lot of this toxicity, so… we have a poor immune system—it is malnourished; it is intoxicated; it is unbalanced, and, at the same time, it is challenged with a huge amount of work to do. Of course, it cannot function properly. Of course, it cannot react appropriately to various things. Autoimmunity is the result of that.”

Abnormal flora in your digestive tract can easily lead to overgrowth of:

  • Pathogenic bacteria
  • Pathogenic viruses
  • Fungi
  • Worms
  • Protozoa

Once your gut lining begins to deteriorate, these disease-causing agents can be easily absorbed into your bloodstream and circulated throughout your body. Some of them have affinities for certain proteins, and will attach themselves to them. When that happens, it changes the three-dimensional shape of that protein molecule. When your immune system comes across this foreign-looking protein, it will attack it and begin producing antibodies against it.

“This mechanism is particularly at work in multiple sclerosis in patients. We have researched that quite a lot,”  Dr. McBride says.

“Mercury, lead, aluminum, other toxic metals and organic molecules that contain this toxic metal have a particular propensity for getting stored in high-fat tissues such as your brain and the rest of your nervous system, particularly the myelin sheath on your nerves… These toxic metals target your brain and your nerves. But when they get accumulated in those high-fat tissues, these toxins attach themselves to proteins in your myelin, in the white matter of your brain, and other parts of your nervous system. Once they’ve accumulated, once they’ve attached themselves to those proteins, they change their three-dimensional structure. Then the immune system develops an antibody against your protein and your myelin.

That is the number one antibody, which is at work in multiple sclerosis. It is called a myelin-specific protein antibody. It’s an antibody which attacks proteins in your myelin… What the immune system is trying to do is it’s trying to clear out mercury, lead, and other toxic metals out of the nervous system, which got stored in there. Where do they come from? 99.9 percent of anything toxic in your body comes out in the digestive system.”

GAPS and Multiple Sclerosis

Interestingly, when your body is unable to clear a particular toxin on its own, it will invite and employ microbes from the environment to help clear these toxins.

“The microbes in the environment are not our enemies at all. They’re actually our allies. They’re our helpers. Your body employs them when it needs them,”  Dr. McBride explains.

“If you have accumulated certain amount of mercury in your brain and in your nerves… your body might employ a virus… If you got a cold, that virus (many viruses target your nervous system) will go directly to those toxic patches in your brain and your nervous system and attack them. It will start gobbling it up… Of course, your immune system then joins in, trying to attack the virus. It joins in with inflammation, and you [begin to experience] symptoms of multiple sclerosis. You will get tingling. You will get numbness in your face or in your extremities. You might start wetting your bed, or you might get peripheral loss of vision for a while… That’s one of the first symptoms in multiple sclerosis.

in this situation, if you would just feed your immune system properly and leave the work for the immune system to complete, then these symptoms would last for a month or two, and then they would disappear, because… the virus will gobble up the [toxins] and your immune system will clear out the virus. Your nerves will recover naturally.”

Unfortunately, this is not what happens nowadays. Typically, as soon as people get tingling, numbness, and other symptoms, they rush to the doctor, who will immediately put them on some form of medication, which will typically have a dampening effect on the immune system. As a result, the viruses spread and become even more established, and the disease becomes chronic and permanent.

You have Natural Antibodies Against Virtually All Autoimmune Diseases…

“What people have to understand is that we all – 100 percent of humans – have in our bodies antibodies to deal with multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, or any other autoimmune condition,”  Dr. McBride says.

It all begins in utero.  As soon as the baby’s thymus develops, the proteins floating about in the bloodstream, which is shared between the mother and the baby, begin to educate the baby’s immune system, and allocate a particular responder cell to every protein encountered. Autoimmune conditions develop when your immune system attacks particular tissues or proteins in your body because they’ve been contaminated by toxins or some other environmental influence. And remember, this imbalance, this toxic influence, originates from your digestive system or gut wall.

“Autoimmunity is born in the gut. That’s where it comes from – your gut wall,”  Dr. McBride says. “That happens because your gut flora is abnormal. In order to heal any autoimmune condition – whether it’s multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, alopecia, psoriasis, or anything else that has got an autoimmune component – you have to focus on healing and sealing your gut lining with the GAPS Nutritional Protocol. And you have to focus on… normalizing your gut flora. You have to drive out the pathogens from the gut flora and replace them with the beneficial flora. Then a lot of healing will happen…’

Unfortunately, conventional medicine is largely ignorant about this research, and does not view autoimmune disorders as digestive disorders, which Dr. McBride is convinced is the case.

The Importance of Fermented Foods

Did you know the number of bacteria in your body outnumber your cells by about 10 to 1? These bacteria in turn are comprised of both beneficial ones and harmful ones. The ideal balance is about 85 percent good bacteria and 15 percent bad. Maintaining this ideal ratio is what it’s all about when we’re talking about the importance of probiotics. It’s important to understand though that probiotics are not a new concept. The only thing that’s new is that you can take them in pill form. But historically, mankind has consumed large amounts of probiotics in the form of fermented and cultured foods, which were invented long before the advent of refrigeration and other forms of food preservation.

“Every traditional culture, when you look at their traditional diet, they ferment their foods. They fermented everything. You can ferment dairy, grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, meats, and fish. Everything can be fermented, and there were fermented beverages in every culture. When the cabbages were ripe in September, you made it a fermented cabbage. Perhaps for a month or two, you were eating fresh cabbage, but then for the rest of the year, 10 months of the year, you ate your cabbage in a fermented form. Quite a large percent of all the foods that people consume on a daily basis were fermented. And with every mouthful of these fermented foods you consume trillions of beneficial bacteria…”

Fermented foods not only give you a wider variety of beneficial bacteria, they also give you far more of them, so it’s a much more cost effective alternative. Here’s a case in point: It’s unusual to find a probiotic supplement containing more than 10 billion colony-forming units. But when my team actually tested fermented vegetables produced by probiotic starter cultures, they had 10 trillion colony-forming units of bacteria. Literally, one serving of vegetables was equal to an entire bottle of a high potency probiotic! So clearly, you’re far better off using fermented foods.

How the Fermentation Process Works

“Mother Nature is extremely wise and extremely kind. It populated all organic fruit and vegetables, the dust on our soils, and all plant matter with Lactobacilli. The fresh cabbage leaves, if it’s organically grown (not the one from chemical farming), will be covered in Lactobacilli—lacto-fermenting bacteria. You don’t need to add anything. You just chop it up. Add some salt in the initial stages. (The salt is added in the initial stage in order to stop putrefactive bacteria from multiplying.) Then as the Lactobacillus stop working and start multiplying, they produce lactic acid. That’s why they’re called Lactobacillus. That’s just lactic acid.

If you look at the research in lactic acid, it is one of the most powerful antiseptics. It kills off lots and lots of bacteria…. So as the lactic acid starts producing, it will kill off all those putrefactive and pathogenic microbes and preserve the food. It’s a great preservative… A good batch of sauerkraut can keep for five to six years without spoiling or rotting, as long as it is covered by its own juice.”

For instructions on how to ferment your own vegetables, which is easier than you might think to do at home, please listen to my previous interview with Caroline Barringer:

This anaerobic process (fermentation) does more than just preserve the food, however. It also makes the nutrients inside the food more bioavailable. For example, according to Dr. McBride, the amount of bioavailable vitamin C in sauerkraut is 20 times higher than in the same helping of fresh cabbage!

“This is because in the fresh cabbage, vitamin C is bound in the cellulose structure and various other molecules, and our digestive system is just not able to cleave it off and absorb it. Lots of it goes undigested and come out right out of you. So despite the fact that cabbage may be very rich in vitamin C, a lot of it you will not be able to absorb. But if you fermented that cabbage and made sauerkraut, all the vitamin C becomes bioavailable,” she explains.

How to Reduce Chances of “Healing Crisis”

There is one precaution that needs to be discussed here, and that is the potential for a so-called healing crisis, or what Dr. McBride refers to as a die-off reaction, provoked by the massive die-off of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other harmful pathogens by the reintroduction of massive quantities of probiotics. It can significantly worsen whatever health problem you’re experiencing, before you get better.

The reason for this is because when the probiotics kill off the pathogens, those pathogenic microbes release toxins. These toxins are what’s causing your problem to begin with; be it depression, panic attacks, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, or any other symptom. When a large amount of toxin is suddenly released, your symptoms will also suddenly increase.

“If you’ve never had fermented foods in your life, you need to start very carefully and very gradually,”  Dr. McBride warns.

She recommends starting off with just ONE TEASPOON of fermented vegetable, such as sauerkraut, with ONE of your meals, and then wait for a couple of days to see how you react. If it’s manageable, you can have another helping, and gradually increase your portion.

“But if the die off is too much, then you need to stop. Let the die off subside, and then have a tiny amount of sauerkraut, or even just a teaspoon of juice from it first; not the cabbage itself. Then two teaspoons per day and so on, until enough die off happens in your body, and your gut flora has changed enough for you to be ready for having the cabbage itself.”

It’s important to realize that besides containing massive amounts of beneficial bacteria, fermented foods also contain many active enzymes, which act as extremely potent detoxifiers.

“Healing goes through two steps forward, one step back, two steps forward, and one step back,” Dr. McBride says. “But you will find that the next layer is smaller. The die off and the detox will not last as long as the previous one… We live in a toxic world, and many of us have accumulated layers and layers of toxicity in our bodies. The body will clean them out, but you will find that each layer will last shorter and not be as severe… Eventually, you will come to complete, radiant health. You will feel 100 percent healthy, no matter how ill you were before.”

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Ways to take Stress off the Liver for people who have been Paralyzed

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By Andreas Moritz 

This is a question about people that have been paralyzed or crippled, bedridden, whether there are ways to take some load off their liver, because they obviously… one cannot move the body, the body’s ability to rid itself of toxins and waste products is diminished, and the liver tends to be the organ that accumulates toxins and waste matter, often producing intra-hepatic gallstones which is the liver’s way to trap or hold on to toxins and waste products in order to keep the rest of the body from being damaged by them.

The issue is obviously difficult in this case, but there are some methods or approaches that can take the toxic load off the liver and these obviously include a diet that is not contaminating the body. So using organic foods and drinking enough water, which is absolutely important in all ways for detoxifying the body.

So the foods that are best avoided and that are difficult for any person who is paralyzed, is food like meat products – very hard to digest for people paralyzed – chicken, fish, any high protein foods – and foods that are processed, refined, that have diminished nutritious value. So I will go on a vegan vegetarian diet in order to minimize the toxic load on the liver.

Eating healthy fats, fats that have not been processed, refined, that are whole, like olive oil, expeller pressed oils, natural oils that have not been heated. Canola oil is an unnatural, genetically modified oil that must be avoided.

Eating healthy salts so that these are not refined salts, these are natural sea salts or rock salts like Himalayan rock salt, or salt from Utah mountains, beautiful real salts, there is a name for it: ‘Real salt’ but any natural sea salt that doesn’t come from an area of contamination of the sea, these are very, very good salts and they help with the detoxification of the liver as well. Many people reduce salts because regular salts are toxic, they change the blood pressure, they should definitely be avoided, they are very, very harmful for the liver.

Then anything that can support the liver directly like the liver herbs, the tea that I mentioned in my book “The Amazing Liver And Gallbladder Flush”, that is something that helps with a gentle liver detoxification and allowing the liver to remove toxins. Obviously the tea cannot remove the intra-hepatic gallstones that impact the liver bile ducts, and paralyzed people may not be able to do liver flushes. So in that regard, there is some limit to as much a person can do, but again one can regulate the functions in the liver by reducing the amount of toxic foods or harmful foods.

Also, I would suggest to if possible to do either enemas, ideally however doing colonic irrigation or colemas to also reduce the load of toxins that may come from the large intestine because if waste matter is sitting in the large intestine for too long, a lot of toxins are generated by bacteria that decompose the undigested food sitting there for too long, and these toxins they end up going into the liver and then again overtaxing the liver.

So natural ways, whatever works… I have written a book called “Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation” and most of the things mentioned there applied to people who are paralyzed just as much to a person who isn’t paralyzed, such as sleeping regular hours, making sure you go to bed before 10 o’clock, this helps the liver to remain strong because the liver works most during the night time more than any other time in the 24 hour cycle. So between 10 and 2 – that’s when the liver requires most blood, it can get in order to remove toxins from the bloodstream and when you sleep during this time, the liver is able to get that blood from the back of the brain, the digestive system and the rest of the tissues in the body, such as the muscle tissue, and this allows the liver to directly work with the blood, to filter the blood, remove contaminants, so that the next day you have cleaner blood, and you have a better chance of transporting nutrients to the cells in the body which is diminished when the blood is toxic, or has more waste products in it because the liver was not able to remove that during night time. This is very important.

Also, staying or going out in the sun, having someone to take you into the sun, taking the shirt off, very important for people who are paralyzed in order to keep the immune system as strong as possible, so that enough vitamin D can also help with the cardiovascular functions and the nutrient uptake, particularly minerals from the food that the person is eating. So vitamin D is absolutely essential, unfortunately many paralyzed individuals are indoors, they don’t go out, they don’t sit in the sun, they don’t sunbathe, and this is a very detrimental and it prevents the recovery or more speedy recovery from paralysis.

I don’t believe that paralysis is permanent.

In many cases the paralysis has been reversed and people have completely regained the functions of the limbs even though the medical profession and doctors have told them they would never regain functions of their body. So there are examples that paralysis is reversible and this should be an incentive, an inspiration, for others who are also paralyzed to follow suit and do their best to regain the functions, and nature around us has very powerful benefits if we use it to our advantage.

Sunlight, good fresh air, good drinking water, proper hydration – drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water a day and eating healthy nourishing food… this goes a long, long way to strengthen the body and allow the body to repair itself from any damage that may have occurred as a result of paralysis, so that the body can regain strength and start healing itself.

Thank you.

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Parsley is a blood purifying superfood

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By: Dr. David Jockers
Source: NaturalNews.com

Parsley is considered the world’s most popular garnish. Parsley was originally cultivated in Europe and the Middle East but has become a staple in American cuisine. This herb has remarkable healing and blood purifying benefits that classify it as a superfood.

Parsley has been revered throughout history and used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. The Greeks made crowns of parsley to bestow upon their sports champions. It was used for the Hebrew celebration of Passover as a sign of rebirth in the spring. The Romans used it to deodorize corpses before funerals.

It contains a unique combination of nutrients that make it a powerful superfood. The volatile oil compounds myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene have been shown to inhibit tumor cell formation. Additionally, parsley is rich in flavonoids-including apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin that have strong anti-oxidant properties.

Parsley also contains about three times the amount of vitamin C by volume as an orange. Vitamin C is extremely important for healthy immune function and youthful skin & joints. Additionally, it contains carotenoid anti-oxidants lutein and zeaxanthin which enhance eye function and help the body neutralize damage from UV radiation.

Super rich in chlorophyll

Parsley is super rich in chlorophyll, the energy producing substance that gives herbs and plants its characteristic green color. Chlorophyll helps to alkalize the body, purify blood, and form new red blood cells. In addition, the chlorophyll and flavonoids in parsley help to enhance cellular glutathione formation. Higher levels of cellular glutathione allow the body to detoxify and heal more effectively.

Through these properties, parsley is able to improve cellular oxygenation properties. Increased oxygenation = increased cellular energy = increased detoxification & healing mechanisms.

Parsley is a fantastic source of folic acid which is extremely crucial for its ability to reduce homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an inflammatory mediator that is linked with cardiovascular disease and brain degeneration. Folic acid is also important for pregnant women as it plays a critical role in fetal development. It is also an important nutrient for cancer prevention.

Parsley is also known as a powerful diuretic that reduces blood pressure and enhances kidney function. In particular, parsley increases sodium and water excretion thru urine and increases potassium reabsorption into the kidneys. This is particularly useful for anyone with poor circulation, swelling, cellulite, and other cardiovascular problems.

Juiced parsley is also believed to stimulate uterine contractions during labor. This juice has also been used to enhance skin and hair texture. It is also thought to reduce inflammation and mucous formation throughout the body. This is why many individuals see results using parsley to reduce symptoms of asthma, allergies, bronchitis, & urinary tract infections.

The rich chlorophyll content is also a great body odor and breath freshener. Chlorophyll acts as an anti-mutagen and it reduces odor causing bacteria which are responsible for producing bad breath and body odor. Parsley combines well with garlic and onions and reduces the strong pungent body odor these sulfur rich foods are known to cause.

Parsley dipped in apple cider vinegar is especially useful for reducing body odor and improving digestive function. The natural acids, chlorophyll and enzymes present in this food combination synergize to enhance the intestinal microflora. This is one of the best aids for neutralizing acid reflux, gas and bloating.

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They Outnumber Your Cells Ten to One but Researchers Show they Play Crucial Role in Your Health

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By: Dr. Mercola
Source: Mercola.com

Probiotics, along with a host of other microorganisms, are so crucial to your health that researchers have compared them to “a newly recognized organ.”

In fact, your microflora – a term used to describe the bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microbes that make up your microbial inner ecosystem – impact far more than your digestive tract.

Researchers have found they may play key roles in the development of cancer, asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and even brain, behavioral and emotional problems like ADHD, autism and depression.

Rob Knight, a biologist at the University of Colorado, told the Washington Post:

“In terms of potential for human health, I would place it with stem cells as one of the two most promising areas of research at the moment…

We’re seeing an unprecedented rate of discovery. Everywhere we look, microbes seem to be involved.”

To put this into perspective, your body contains about 100 trillion cells, but only one in 10 is “human.” The others? They’re made up of bacteria and other microorganisms.

Gut Bacteria Divides People Into Three Types

Just as you have one of four blood types, researchers have revealed that there are three distinct microbial ecosystems in the gut of people they have studied. The three “enterotypes” could not be linked to ethnic background, sex, weight, health or age, so what causes you to develop a certain “gut type” is unknown (one theory is that infants’ intestines are simply randomly colonized by different pioneering species of microbes, which alter the gut so that only certain species can follow them).

Lead researcher Peer Bork suggests that one of the “obvious” potential benefits of this finding is that doctors may some day be able to tailor diets or drug prescriptions based on your gastrointestinal enterotype. This includes providing a potential alternative for antibiotics – instead of killing off all your bacteria (good and bad) with antibiotics, doctors may give you a “prescription” for specific good bacteria that would restore you enterotype.

This is still an emerging field, but one that is growing by the day and revealing a host of exciting discoveries about the intricate workings of your inner ecosystem. One thing is for certain: the makeup of the “bugs” in your gut may have a direct role on your current and future health.

You are a Microbial Being

Your microflora plays an active role in a wide variety of diseases. If you want to dig into the research, check out the Human Microbiome Project (HMP), whose goal is to characterize microbial communities found at multiple human body sites and to look for correlations between changes in the microbiome and human health. There you can find 15 demonstration projects looking into the role of microflora and conditions like psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, obesity, acne and more.

Other interesting research to date includes:

  1. Behavior: A study published in Neurogastroenterology & Motility found mice that lack gut bacteria were found to behave differently from normal mice, engaging in what would be referred to as “high-risk behavior.” This altered behavior was accompanied by neurochemical changes in the mouse brain. Researchers stated:
    “Bacteria colonize the gut in the days following birth, during a sensitive period of brain development, and apparently influence behavior by inducing changes in the expression of certain genes.”
  2. Gene Expression: As noted above, researchers also discovered that the absence or presence of gut microorganisms during infancy permanently alters gene expression.
    Through gene profiling, they were able to discern that absence of gut bacteria altered genes and signaling pathways involved in learning, memory, and motor control. This suggests that gut bacteria are closely tied to early brain development and subsequent behavior. These behavioral changes could be reversed as long as the mice were exposed to normal microorganisms early in life. But once the germ-free mice had reached adulthood, colonizing them with bacteria did not influence their behavior.
    In a similar way, probiotics have also been found to influence the activity of hundreds of your genes, helping them to express in a positive, disease-fighting manner.
  3. Diabetes: Bacterial populations in the gut of diabetics differ from non-diabetics, according to a study from Denmark. In particular, diabetics had fewer Firmicutes and more plentiful amounts of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, compared to non-diabetics. The study also found a positive correlation for the ratios of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes and reduced glucose tolerance.
    Researchers concluded:
    “The results of this study indicate that type 2 diabetes in humans is associated with compositional changes in intestinal microbiota.”
  4. Autism: Establishment of normal gut flora in the first 20 days or so of life plays a crucial role in appropriate maturation of your baby’s immune system. Hence, babies who develop abnormal gut flora are left with compromised immune systems and are particularly at risk for developing such disorders as ADHD, learning disabilities and autism, particularly if they are vaccinated before restoring balance to their gut flora.
    To get a solid understanding of just how this connection works, I highly recommend reviewing the information shared by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride in this recent interview.

5. Your Gut Bacteria Are Under Constant Assault

Do you eat a lot of sugary foods? Take antibiotics? Drink chlorinated water? Eat CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) meats (which are typically pumped full of antibiotics)? All of these common practices will wreak havoc on the makeup of bacteria in your gut. And even though you may be born with a certain enterotype, your lifestyle can and does influence your gut flora on a daily basis. Your gut bacteria are extremely sensitive to:

  • Antibiotics
  • Chlorinated water
  • Antibacterial soap
  • Agricultural chemicals
  • Pollution

This is why eating fermented foods is so beneficial!  Doing so will help you to “reseed” your body with good bacteria. If you do not regularly consume the traditionally fermented foods below, a high-quality probiotic supplement will provide similar benefits:

  • Lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner)
  • Fermented milk, such as kefir (a quart of unpasteurized kefir has far more active bacteria than you can possibly purchase in any probiotics supplement)
  • Various pickled fermentations of cabbage, turnips, eggplant, cucumbers, onions, squash and carrots
  • Natto (fermented soy)

When choosing fermented foods, steer clear of pasteurized versions, as pasteurization will destroy many of the naturally occurring probiotics. This includes most of the “probiotic” yogurts you find in every grocery store these days; since they’re pasteurized, they will be associated with all of the problems of pasteurized milk products and they typically contain added sugars, high fructose corn syrup, artificial coloring, or artificial sweeteners, all of which will only worsen your health.

Avoid This to Optimize Your Gut Flora …

Along with eating the naturally fermented foods above and/or taking a high-quality supplement, it’s essential that you avoid sugar, including fructose. Eating sugar actually nourishes the bad or pathogenic bacteria yeast and fungi in your gut, which may actually harm you more than its impact on insulin resistance. One of the major results of eating a healthy diet like the one described in my nutrition plan is that you cause your beneficial gut bacteria to flourish, and they secondarily perform the real “magic” of restoring your health.

Remember, an estimated 80 percent of your immune system is located in your gut, which is just one more reason why “tending to” your gut microflora is an essential element of good health. A robust immune system, supported by your flourishing inner ecosystem, is your number one defense against ALL disease, from the common cold to cancer.

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Tips for Healing Ear Infections

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Hi, this is a question from a reader who asked what you can do if you have an ear infection. And this is more common amongst children nowadays because of vaccinations. There are studies to show that vaccinated children have 5 times the number of ear infections than non-vaccinated children.

It also happens when a child or an adult eats a lot of sweets, sugary things, soft drinks, which always lead to some form of infection, either in the intestinal tract or in the auditory ducts or in the ears themselves.

The auditory ducts are two ducts that run from the throat all over into the ears and they can easily fill up with bacteria, toxins, waste matter that backs up from the intestines all the way up into the ear ducts and into the inner ears even. And once the contaminants, toxins, waste matter sit there along with the bacteria, there can be an infection and the infection is basically to help digest these contaminants and waste products that have made their way into the ears.

It’s not that bacteria viciously try to infect the lining of the ears or the ear walls, but it’s basically due to the innate instinctive aspect of any bacterium that has destructive properties that is meant to ferment or putrefy or break down waste matter in nature outside of ourselves and also inside our bodies.

Now in order to deal with that, many people take recourse to antibiotics which is a real nuisance because once you have taken antibiotics, you also destroy the healthy, friendly probiotic bacteria population, and according to one new study, this can ruin your probiotic bacteria population for the rest of your life.

So children will not even have a chance to have a proper digestive process for the rest of their lives once they have received just one course of antibiotics.

It’s always good to take recourse to more natural means to deal with that, and research has also shown that antibiotics are not more effective in saving or shortening the duration of the infection by more than half a day. So there is not really much benefit from taking these drugs.

On the other hand, it is better to make sure that the child or adult eats or takes only liquid foods during this time, which are more easily digested. Ideally, drinking lemon and honey water, warm water with lemon and honey, a teaspoon of honey and some lemon juice, which has shown to have disinfecting qualities… the honey is bacteria-static so if you put bacteria on honey, they will die off readily, very quickly.

So gargling with that is also a good idea because some of that will end up moving into the auditory ducts and into the ears.

One can also take a spray bottle, which contains 4% or 3 % of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide should be applied once every one or two hours during the time of the pain, directly into the ears, spraying it into the ears, one or two sprays in each ear, that will help to clean up or mop up, oxidize the waste products and make it unnecessary for bacteria to decompose these things, and so the infection sometimes subsides within a couple of hours.

This is probably the best advice I can give, besides obviously avoiding food which have lymph congesting effects such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, any sugar obviously, which always causes lymph congestion and mucus secretion that can block the auditory ducts and then prevent the proper healing in the ears, the infected ears…

So it’s very important to avoid any artificial means of suppressing an infection, because that leads to repeat infections in the future, and a permanent problem in this part of the body; that is very important because that is where we have our sensory organs, and the sensory organs are essential for living a comfortable happy life.

Thank you.

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Having Water with Your Meals Impairs Digestion

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Hello, this is Andreas Moritz, and today I would like to discuss the importance of not drinking water or other beverages during your meal. And this is something that is extremely important because it will determine whether you are able to digest your food properly or improperly.

Improperly digested food becomes a source of contamination in our intestines and absorption of toxins into your blood and lymph, which can cause multiple problems throughout the body.

So it is a very essential part of our health to not drink large quantities of water or other beverages during the meal for reasons as I will explain now.

One of the principle reasons is that when you drink large amounts of fluid with your meal, you dilute the digestive secretions including hydrochloric acid, the bile. Bile is necessary to digest fats and the bile that is secreted or discharged by your gallbladder is highly concentrated where almost all the water has been withdrawn and it’s a very, very sticky, thick substance that needs to stay that way, otherwise it can… it’s unable to help digest the fats, emulsify the fats, and interfere with the digestion of proteins and other foods. So it is essential that we don’t dilute our digestive secretions during the meal.

What you can do is to make sure that you stay well hydrated before you actually eat your meal and you do that drinking like a glass of water, an eight ounce glass of water, up to 20 minutes or 15 minutes before your meal, ideally about half an hour before your meal and this will ensure that your digestive secretions are plentiful and that also means that you will be able to digest your food properly and efficiently.

Also, when you drink a glass of water that time before, like half an hour or 20 minutes before your meal, then your blood will become enriched with that water and any kind of thickness in the blood will be diminished, and your blood consistence is normal. This allows the uptake of nutrients from your intestines into your blood to be much more effective as well. This means the nutrients applied to the cells of your body will be efficient.

The other reason why it’s good not to drink large amounts of fluids, more than a couple of sips which is absolutely fine during the meal to dilute some of the food that you have eaten, particularly if it’s very dry food like rice and potatoes and beans, you may want to take a couple of sips throughout the meal to help make the food more digestible but drinking a large amount of water will basically  flush down the food like in the toilet using water to flush down waste, which is not very conducive to the digestive process but makes it much more difficult for the body to later on properly digest the food and take up nutrients from that food.

So, when you also drink cold beverages, which is very common in this country, the United States, and also throughout Europe, when you use ice-cold water, something else happens. There is a certain temperature environment that is needed for enzymes, digestive enzymes, that are released by the pancreas and by the small intestine to properly and effectively digest the food. Once you change that temperature, you drop it suddenly, when you drink an ice-cold beverage that will immediately change the temperature environment and prevent these enzymes from becoming activated and to act on the food that you have eaten. That means you leave behind a large amount of undigested food.

So drinking large amounts of water and drinking cold beverages during the meal will severely interfere with the digestive process and it also prevents you from properly masticating the food. It’s almost like you wash down the food instead of masticating and mixing the food with digestive enzymes that are secreted from the mouth in the form of salivary enzymes. Salivary enzymes are needed to predigest about 80 % of the carbohydrates that we have eaten, such as in vegetables and grains and other plant-based foods.

So it’s very, very important that we not drink a lot of fluid during the meal. We can drink half an hour before a meal and once again at least wait for one hour after having eaten the meal, particularly a large meal, wait for an hour or one and a half hours before you drink anything.

This is a very simple advice, anyone can do that, but it’s going to make a huge difference for your digestive system and your ability to make use of the food that you have eaten and to help nourish your body in a very efficient manner.

Thank you and have a beautiful next meal.

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Blood In Stools – Chronic Inflammation in Intestines

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Hi, this is a question from Gabby and she is wondering why she has fresh blood in her stool every day.

This is a question that I cannot answer unless someone is examining this properly but when the body, when the large intestine releases blood it usually means there are areas or one area where there is chronic inflammation, where there is strong irritation from exposure to either toxins or there is a polyp that is opening up or there is a hemorrhoid that is not healing and there can be numerous hemorrhoids in the intestines that are hidden, or that are more exposed, so it would be good to check it out and see if there is any of the things that apply.

However, I can tell you that bleeding is not as serious as most people think it is, because bleeding always means that the body is trying to get rid of something that is causing problems in the blood, so if there are blood toxins, the body goes into an involuntary bleeding response trying to get rid of these toxins.

It looks scary perhaps, but it is not as scary as most people are made to believe and not letting in a way, it is a way to clear up excessive Hematocrit values and to get rid of some extra proteins in the blood that otherwise can cause blood thickening and potential damage to the coronary arteries and to the brain.

So I would be very cautious in believing or making you believe that there is something seriously wrong, but if bleeding is consistent it is important to look for underlying causes of what is it that is constantly irritating you, if there is any food that you are eating that has very strong irritating effects, could be beverages as well, soft drinks, it could be animal protein, if you eat meat, that can often lead to such responses, also garlic, if you’re eating a lot of garlic, for example, which can literally irritate and burn tiny little holes into the intestinal wall, there are many things that are… in terms of processed foods… that can cause irritation and toxicity in that part of the body. So it’s good to always look at those.

Also see if the digestion is not working very well, if there is a need for cleaning out the liver so that you release more bile.

Bile has incredible healing properties, it’s not just to carry toxins out of the liver and pass them through the intestines, but also it helps with the digestion of fats, emulsifying of fat, which is necessary to digest carbohydrates and proteins and to absorb minerals. So if there is a lack of bile, you may not be able to neutralize hydrochloric acid that is secreted in the stomach sufficiently enough which then can cause a great deal of irritation in the lower intestines, but that is avoidable by cleaning out the liver and taking care of the food and also the times of eating.

If you eat a lot of heavy foods in the evening or late in the evening, then a lot of the foods will not be digested and it will sit there in the intestine, ferment and putrefy, and release a lot of toxins, as the fermenting or putrefying bacteria are producing these kinds of toxins that can then create inflammatory responses.

So having said that, again I would caution anyone to think that there is something terribly wrong, it just shows that the body is doing the right thing, given the circumstances that we somehow create through our diet and lifestyle eating habits or living habits.

So it’s good to take care of the basic factors of diet and lifestyle before jumping into the conclusion that there is a cancer, tumor or something of that nature, than just doing some experiments to see which kind of foods might be irritating, leaving them out for a while and see if the bleeding continues, before jumping into conclusions of believing that there is something very, very serious.

Thank you.

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Tips for Balancing Altitude Sickness

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Hi, this is question from someone who is wondering if I have any recommendations to avoid or to balance altitude sickness. Many people who are going to places like Peru or to higher regions of mountains where the air is thinner, that means it has less oxygen, and henceforth suffer from altitude sickness which can be severe headaches, shortness of breath, can be poor digestion, many of the functions in the body are diminished when there is not enough oxygen going through the system and reaching the cells.

So, there are a number of things that I suggest in countries that are used to high altitudes and in Peru, for example, I have been there, they will offer you the traditional drink, the cocoa tea that is very, very effective in improving the circulation of blood so that enough oxygen is delivered to the cells.

When I traveled to Peru ten years ago I used that myself and within a day I was basically fine, I didn’t have any negative experiences, however, I noticed that those traveler friends of mine, who were eating meat, they took more than a week to recover, and some never recovered from altitude sickness and they only felt better when we went back down to lower altitudes.

I have been a vegetarian for 40 years and I had really no problem of digesting, and my wife the same. We are both vegetarians, so, the advices, and I have given that advice to others who were meat eaters and I told them to stop eating any animal products for at least 4 to 5 days and then they would also rapidly recover from the altitude sickness.

The reason why the meat or heavy foods are so detrimental for the system when you travel to high altitudes is because the digestive system requires most oxygen, besides the brain, than any other part of the body. And in order to digest food, it really uses up a lot of energy and so, so much of oxygen and glucose get used up by the digestive system and there is just not enough around.

If you eat a lot of meat that requires high energy, amount of energy, to process those heavier foods, then there is not much left for other functions in the body. So these people would feel very low in energy and depleted, and it’s not much fun, even if you go to really beautiful places, it is not fun to drag yourself along because you don’t have enough energy, or if you have splitting headaches.

So I wholeheartedly recommend to do that, avoid any animal products, eat lots of vegetables, drink the cocoa tea, some grain foods, some beans are fine, seeds, salads, fruit, these are all wonderful foods to have when you go into high altitude regions and get, if possible, sun exposure that helps to make your transition to more efficient circulation during those months or weeks that you are living in high altitudes.

UV radiation in high altitudes is very beneficial for keeping infection rates low and to make sure that the immune system stays strong and can protect itself from any bacteria that potentially could cause infections. Because infection can be, infection rates are higher when people move into high altitudes and the water doesn’t boil as well, so any germs that might be in the water will not be killed so you have more than usual numbers of bacteria coming into the body. Again, food cannot be cooked as well and as fast as in lower altitudes.

So once again, keeping the immune system strong is your best bet, otherwise you may go through infections, parasitic infections, bacterial infections, in high altitudes

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Healing Constant Heartburn which causes Thyroid Inflammation

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Hi, this is a question from Simona in Italy and she is wondering if there is anything that can be done for a thyroid that has been inflamed because of constant heartburn.

I have describes how heartburn can lead to thyroid inflammation or irritation, in my book “Timeless Secrets Of Health And Rejuvenation” but I just want to stress that the best way to deal with thyroid inflammation is to go to the root cause, which in this case is heartburn, and heartburn is largely due to an inefficiency of the stomach to produce enough hydrochloric acid. Most people think that it’s because I produce too much hydrochloric acid that I have heartburn or acid reflux, but in 99% of the cases that’s not the case. It’s due to making too little hydrochloric acid.

There is a sphincter, the sphincter of the esophagus, which closes after you have eaten a meal and it closes only if there is a sufficient amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, that means when the stomach responds to that particular ingested food by secreting hydrochloric acid. If you make too little of it, then the sphincter is not closing properly and food content, stomach content, is backing up and regurgitating into the esophagus and that can even come out through the throat and you may even vomit, and so the acid is very strong, hydrochloric acid has a burning sensation, hence the word heartburn and it usually is felt in the chest area because of the burning of the esophagus.

So, the hydrochloric acid ruminants of it can also move into the throat area and inflame this area and irritate it for sometimes years, before there is a serious consequence that leads to chronic depletion of functions in the thyroid.

So I suggest that deal with avoiding foods that possibly can lead to heartburn, there are foods like meat, chicken, fish, eggs, sugar is particularly a serious factor in the generation of heartburn. Sugar is an artificial product of the food industry, refined sugar I mean, not something like coconut sugar or palm sugar, or honey, stevia, or similar products but the refined white sugar from beet, which is a, it’s a difficult process to produce that kind of sugar, and it acts as a toxin in the body and as a drug as well, it stimulates serotonin and makes it dependent on, we’re experiencing the same pleasure that the sugar – serotonin link is bringing about.

So I would suggest you deal with the root causes first. Keeping the colon clean is very important so that any undigested food lingering in the colon is taken out and there is a proper vacuum effect that is pulling out anything that is above the large intestine allowing it to move down without any serious impediments.

Also making sure that the liver bile ducts are clean so enough bile is available to digest food properly so it doesn’t stand a chance to back up and put pressure on the stomach. I have seen people brought feces up into the mouth, so there is a definite possibility that waste matter from the intestines can make their way all the way up into the mouth area which is not very good because that brings a lot of bacteria that is supposed to dwell only in the intestines and bringing them up into the sensory organs is not a good idea because that can lead to irritation and inflammation.

Then there is a whole different set of reasons why the thyroid can become irritated or dysfunctional and that is an emotional reason. I speak about things like that in my book “Lifting the Veil of Duality” which gives you a better idea of how the physical body responds very quickly to emotional trauma, pain, holding on to undigested mental experiences, emotional experiences, keeping things inside of us, not expressing them.

The thyroid is basically the gland that communicates with all the other glands; it in fact, controls all the other endocrine glands in the body and any emotional stress and not being able to say what you feel to other people can shut down the thyroid and make it prone to diminished thyroid hormone which in turn can lead to more inflammatory responses in that area, because it slows down the thyroid metabolism and that can, in fact, contribute to many other problems in the body like falling out of hair and menstrual problems, obesity, weight gain and so on.

So it’s very important that we keep our thyroid and the communication centre that it represents clean and open, and dare express what we feel, making sure that other people are not intimidating us, that we don’t let them intimidate us, but that we do stand up for ourselves and be who we are, and not try to be anyone else or pretend that we are someone else, but to truly express our feelings, emotions, our thoughts with others. Whether they can hear it or want to hear it is their business, our business is not to keep things inside of us but to express them.

I hope that you find this helpful and have a beautiful day.

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Debunking Vitamin B12

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By Andreas Moritz 

Hi, my name is Andreas Moritz and today I would like to debunk some of the myths surrounding the vitamin, the important vitamin B12.

Many people believe that we are as a society, modern society; we are suffering from severe vitamin B12 deficiencies.  And there is some truth to that but not because we are not eating enough vitamin B12 in our food, but because we are not absorbing enough of that vitamin B12. And this can have a number of reasons and these reasons are responsible for the vitamin B12 deficiency that often ends up causing a form of anemia where the red blood cell count diminishes.

Now, we need B12 for basically every function in the body, every single cell requires B12 and if there is a B12 deficiency, we can experience as I said, anemia, we can have pins and needles in our hands, we can have brain and nervous system disorders, the bone marrow doesn’t function properly, we don’t produce enough red blood cells as mentioned, and we can have severe gastrointestinal problems.

Now one of the main reasons why there is such a strong vitamin B deficiency in our society today is because many people have stomach problems, and the reason for that is because we are eating a diet that is no longer in harmony with our body’s requirement for nutrients and for proper digestion. In fact many of the processed refined factory-produced foods are virtually indigestible. They cannot be properly broken down and they interfere with the secretions of digestive juices such as hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

There is a particular organic substance in the stomach, it’s called intrinsic factor, and in order to absorb, to digest and assimilate B12, the vitamin B12, then we need to have that intrinsic factor in larger quantities. If we have a diminished amount of that intrinsic factor, the B12 that we may eat, doesn’t matter through whatever source, including ingested supplements, then we are not going to absorb it, and its going to be useless.

So, the most important thing is to make sure our intrinsic factor in our stomach is produced in the right amounts and that is regulated by what we eat, how well we chew or masticate our food and also a second factor, whether we digest the food in our small intestine.

And that is a very, very important point because when we eat, for example, a very high concentrated protein meal such as lot of eggs or meat or fish and chicken, because we have only the capacity to digest up to 20 % of these foods, the majority of them will become putrefied in our intestines. So when we have undigested protein lingering in our intestinal tract for longer than even a couple of hours, then that disturbs the probiotic bacteria population in our gut, and probiotic bacteria are the principle source of B12 that is typically absorbed at the end of the small intestine in the terminal ileum, and in that part that’s where the B12 gets absorbed into the blood stream and carried to the liver, and the liver is in charge of keeping B12 there, and when required by the cells in the body it will put that into the circulation, into the blood stream, the cells will take it up and it’s going to be recycled in most cases. So most of the B12 is recycled and used for up to 6 or 7 years.

The amount of B12 that we need in our entire lifetime is just as much as a tip of the pinkie, this nail, it’s a very, very small amount, and its quite difficult to get B12 deficiency unless of course we have trouble in utilizing it, and once again that has a lot to do with what’s happening in our digestive system and not necessarily to do with the food that we eat, whether it contains enough B12 or not.

Since the principal source of B12 bacteria, and these are probiotic bacteria, when they die, they release the B12 and it’s been absorbed and utilized, which again is used by the brain and nervous system, the digestive system and the bone marrow, for most of all in order to keep our body healthy, vital and strong.

Now when a person eats a lot of junk food, uses medication, most medication particularly antibiotics destroy the probiotic bacteria population, and eating foods like meat, lot of meat which contains B12 but it cannot really be absorbed properly when the digestion is not working very well, particularly the intrinsic factor in the stomach has been diminished, which does happen when you eat too much protein foods. So there is a lot of to be said about meat being a source of B12, or eggs being a source of B12, or dairy products being a source of B12, that it doesn’t mean that you are going to absorb that.

Many, many vegetables are actually capable of releasing B12 as well and so there are smaller amounts of B12 in these foods such as bananas, green, leafy vegetables, sunflower seeds or leeks, dates, dates are rich in B12, they grown on palm trees, there are beans, there are green beans, oats, carrots, peas and so on.

These are small amounts, but that’s all we need, we don’t need large amounts of B12 that is prevalent in more meat products, but if we don’t digest these meat products up to more than 10 – 15 % then there is just no advantage eating meat products over eating vegetarian foods.

If you are, if you do want to have a higher source of B12, then butter is a good source of that, and I do recommend butter for most people, so that would be an alternative if you are non-vegetarian.

However, once again, the misunderstanding about B12 deficiency comes because we don’t understand how the body produces its own B12, just like cows for example, they don’t have to eat meat or drink other species’ milk in order to produce B12, they derive it from the plant foods, and they are, they don’t have a deficiency. Humans, as long as they eat natural foods, we will also not develop a B12 deficiency.

I personally had severe anemia when I grew up, when I was a child, and my B12 deficiencies stemmed from eating too many dairy products and animal proteins that eventually lead to severe gastrointestinal distress, and rheumatoid arthritis, and arrhythmia, and when I stopped eating these foods, my anemia disappeared, so my face started becoming colorful again, whereas before I was as white as snow in my face and I never had any color in my face. So that shows that the anemia is not necessarily removed by eating animal products. On the contrary, animal products can contribute greatly to a B12 deficiency.

Another misunderstanding surrounding B12 is that when you take a supplement, you think that you are going to absorb it and utilize it, but that is not necessarily so. B12 never comes alone, it always in nature combined with other B vitamins. So when a person just takes a B12 vitamin supplement, it is very, very, very difficult to absorb and utilize because nature didn’t built B12 on its own, or by itself, it always combines it with other B vitamins and other vitamins and minerals and other substances that allow the B12 to be utilized.

So once again, B12 deficiency has nothing really too with vegetarianism. Many, most people who are B12 deficient actually are meat eaters, and not vegetarians. However vegetarians can also suffer from B12 deficiency, it depends on what else they do, if they take medication or if they have used antibiotics in the past, the probiotic bacteria population can be disturbed for many years, and according to new study, actually can cause disruption for an entire lifetime.

One of the best things to do to improve the digestive process is to clean out the liver bile ducts so any accumulation of stones, intra-hepatic gallstones in the bile ducts of the liver inhibit the ability to digest food properly, it interferes with the probiotic bacterial population. Undigested food, putrefying, fermenting food doesn’t matter whether its vegetables or meat products, will lead to diminished absorption of B12 because of the lack of probiotic bacteria which is the major source of B12 in the body.

So I hope that this clarifies the issue, and I can only suggest eat naturally, live in a natural way, expose your body to the sun, B12 absorption also depends on how much vitamin D you have available to keep the digestive system strong and vital, and so when you expose your whole body to the sun on a regular basis, you will also have a higher level of healthy bacteria populations in the gut and have a stronger digestive absorption of nutrients available to you and therefore it is very difficult to actually develop B12 deficiency.

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Severe Lymph Congestion Leads To Weight Gain

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By Andreas Moritz 

More than two-thirds of the body’s immune system is located in the intestines. And since it takes care of both physical and mental toxins, it acts as our physical and mental healing system. Obesity, including lumpy cellulite, is one of the many conditions that results from a congested lymphatic system,which forms a large part of the body’s natural immunological defenses. Other diseases include multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and cancer, the ultimate defense against toxins.

The lymphatic system and how it works

But what exactly is the lymphatic system? Imagine a network of drains flowing through your internal organs, taking away toxins from your tissues, blood and cells. The drainage system is filled with fluid containing cells that transport, attack and destroy poisons such as metabolic waste, undigested food particles, animal proteins, chemicals from drugs and processed food, cellular debris, and excess fluid from the extracellular spaces or the spaces between cells.

Parts of this drainage network are located in different parts of the body including the bone marrow, thymus gland, spleen, appendix, tonsils and adenoids. The lymph tissue in different parts of the body is connected by a network of vessels called lymph vessels. These vessels pass through purifying centers called lymph nodes that are located in the underarms, neck, chest and abdomen.

The lymph – 6 to 10 liters of lymph vis-à-vis 3.5 to 5 liters of blood – moves through the lymph nodes, which act as active purification centers. However, when the lymph fluid and immune systemare overwhelmed by poisons and decomposing material from the small intestine and liver, the body loses its ability to purify itself.

Intestinal problems due to eating harmful foods

Most intestinal problems occur because of eating harmful foods. The following foods or cooking processes have strongly irritating effects on the protective mucus lining present throughout the alimentary canal, from the mouth to the anus: devitalized, processed, radiated, refined, deep-fried, microwave-cooked and canned foods.

Highly acid-forming foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, refined sugar, table salt, chocolate, candy, commercial fruit juices, coffee, alcohol, carbonated beverages and oral hallucinogenic and pharmaceutical drugs also irritate the intestinal lining.

Since the body cannot digest and utilize anything that is potentially harmful, these products undergo biochemical transformations, known as fermentation and putrefaction.

Studies have indicated that processed and refined foods along with alcohol and red and processed meats are a lethal combination. Not only does a diet rich in these foods promote lymph congestion and obesity over a period of time, it is also associated with an increased risk for many types of cancer- including breast, colon and pancreatic cancer.

These foods are highly acidic and have an excess of ‘fire energy’. Conventional Western nutritionists call these foods ‘heaty’, while Chinese and other forms of natural medicine, believe they produce an excess of ‘fire’ energy.

Think for a moment about the metabolism of an overweight individual. Excess weight raises the body’s temperature, not because the extra fat traps heat but because body’s organs needs to work harder to adjust to the weight. Even at rest, an overweight individual generates more heat than a body of normal weight. If you have a tendency towards being overweight, eating foods that are high in ‘fire energy’ could be a recipe for obesity and digestive problems.

Even in individuals who are not overweight, regular exposure of the intestinal lining or our ‘internal skin’ to acidifying and irritating components as the phosphoric acid and other chemical additives contained in colas, for example, can lead to suppurating wounds and the perforation of the intestinal walls.

What happens to undigested food?

Did you know that waste products from undigested food can linger in the intestinal tract for weeks, months and even years? Food that is eaten either too quickly, in between meals, late at night, or wrongly combined, lowers Agni, the digestive fire. Anger and fear also lower Agni. In an unhealthy intestinal tract, mucus, toxins and fecal matter combine to create what Ayurveda calls Ama or mucoid fecal matter. The intestines begin to lose their natural shape as they try to accommodate the extra waste. Left with no other choice, they create protrusions that are filled with layers of obstructive Ama which is a breeding ground for parasites and microbes, as well as for cancer cells. Eventually, the intestinal immune system succumbs to the overload of toxins.

Deadly microbes or harmful bacteria that are normally kept in check by the probiotic or ‘good’ bacteria begin to take over the digestive tract. These microbes quite literally turn everything they find into poison.

Not surprisingly, a badly congested lymphatic system leads to swelling of the abdomen and congestion in other parts of the body. In a desperate attempt to prevent the blood from being poisoned, the body begins to harden the afflicted tissue. This is the first stage of ulcerative processes. Later, layers of hardened mucus are added, forming a thick crust around the afflicted areas. This creates further rigidity of the intestinal tract, which in turn begins to obstruct blood circulation in the intestinal wall slows down intestinal motion.

Eventually, when the immune system is completely overwhelmed, the body suffers from a toxicity crisis. Obesity is nothing but a toxicity crisis. Any attempt to reverse these destructive processes that have virtually taken over requires the body to undergo a process of detoxification.

The obesity-cancer link

Obesity and cancer are both linked to severe lymph congestion,and over the years, more and more studies have been cropping up strengthening the correlation between the two diseases.

One such study, by scientists of the University of Geneva, found a connection between obesity and tumors in the breast. The sample consisted of women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in Geneva between 2003 and 2005. The scientists found that the women who were obese were more likely to suffer from Stage III and Stage IV tumors with an odds ratio of 1.8. In other words, they were 180 percent more likely to develop serious breast cancer than the women who were not overweight.

Also, the obese women in the sample were 510 percent more likely to have cancerous lymph nodes, suggesting that the cancer may have spread to other parts of their bodies.

Other researchers suspect that the hormone leptin could be a ‘missing link’ between obesity and cancer. Leptin, produced in fat cells in adipose tissue, is also known as the satiety hormone, which tells an individual when to stop eating. But this is not all that leptin does. This hormone is also involved in many other biological processes in the breast, from reproduction and lactation to cell differentiation and cell proliferation. When leptin or its receptors malfunction, they are likely to promote the development of breast tumors, some scientists say.

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This is an excerpt from my book FEEL GREAT, LOSE WEIGHT

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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page

Digestion: The Very Centre of Our Existence

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By Andreas Moritz 

The digestive process actually begins in your mouth. Here, food is pre-digested by saliva, which also signals to your pancreas and small intestine that a meal is on the way. These organs then release the appropriate types and amounts of digestive enzymes and minerals needed to break down the food into the smallest nutrient components.

Not only is it necessary to chew every morsel thoroughly so that it is pre-digested properly, but research suggests that chewing also reduces the release of stress hormones. Eating a meal – which means you’re ingesting calories – is usually a stressful event for individuals who are overweight. This in turn leads to anxiety, fear and insecurity, which tends to make one chew even faster.

Once the food enters your stomach, your salivary enzymes continue to digest it in this organ for as much as an hour. Only then does your stomach begin to secrete its gastric juices- hydrochloric acid, enzymes, mineral salts, mucus and water. The acid kills harmful microbes and parasites that are naturally present in the food as well as harmful substances such as food additives and chemicals. Also, special enzymes are released to act on proteins.

Once saturated with sufficient acid, the food is pumped into the small intestine which is approximately 6 meters or 18 feet long. This coiled tube-like organ is responsible for most of the chemical digestion and absorption of nutrients, salt and water.

Simultaneously, the liver pours in bile and the pancreas contributes digestive enzymes, minerals and water to further break down starches. Bile, on the other hand, metabolizes fats and proteins. Metabolized nutrients are absorbed through the walls of the small intestine and pass into the blood, which carries them to the liver for detoxification. The rest are detoxified by the lymphatic system.

The body’s complex metabolic processes are powered by Agni, or the ‘digestive fire’ that ‘cooks’ the food and its nutrients as they are being processed. Agni is fuelled by bile, without which none of the other digestive juices would be sufficiently effective to break down food into its nutrient components.

There is no underestimating the role of bile, which in a congested environment leads to the formation of gallstones that contribute to sickness and weight gain. Bile, which is alkaline, dilutes the hydrochloric acid. This makes it possible for the intestine to secrete the necessary digestive enzymes for metabolism.

An intestinal pH-value of high acidity would block enzyme secretion and become a major stumbling block for the proper digestion of food. As long as bile secretion from the liver’s bile ducts and the gallbladder remain unimpeded by gallstones, good digestion is almost guaranteed, provided that you eat food that is fresh and wholesome.

Refined carbohydrates, refined sugars and chemical additives in processed foods and beverages significantly lower Agni. None of these substances were intended by nature to be ingested and anything that is unnatural, and worse still, consumed regularly and in vast quantities, blocks the digestive fire.

This is where the toxicity crisis, and roots of obesity, begins. When Agni is low, undigested food cannot pass through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream. It becomes a target for destructive bacteria and starts fermenting and putrefying in the intestine. A chain reaction is set off involving destructive bacteria, toxins and poisonous gases that further impair digestive functions. Over time, the intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients is greatly diminished. More and more toxins and waste is generated, and this increasingly congests the gastrointestinal tract, not to mention the damage it also causes to the liver on rebound. At this stage, food turns into poison.

Here is an astonishing fact: one-third of the Western world’s population has been diagnosed with intestinal problems. Take a look at the average American’s diet and lifestyle, and that should tell you why.

The mind-body connection is clearly demonstrated by the small intestine. The cerebral cortex of the brain, which controls thought, is intimately connected with the digestive process. Hence, not only foods, but also thoughts need to be properly ‘digested’ or processed so that they don’t cause us any harm.

Undigested thoughts have a poisonous effect on the body as a whole and on the digestive system in particular. Fear, anger, shock, trauma, anxiety and other negative emotions may be locked up in the cellular memory of the intestines for a long time and without any obvious indication of their presence. Once they have reached a certain degree of concentration, they may suddenly erupt and alter one’s personality in a negative way. This can be damaging to the body as well.

In other words, if you feel frequently upset, angry, worried or simply unhappy, you are prone not only to suffer from ‘mental indigestion’ but also from physical indigestion. Imbalances of the small intestines are characterized by holding on to things in our insides, regardless of whether these are undigested food or unresolved emotional conflicts.

It is interesting to note that the ‘happiness hormone’ is produced in the digestive system. In fact, 95 percent of serotonin is made in the digestive system and regulates digestive functions; only 5 percent is produced in the brain. Lack of happiness diminishes serotonin secretions and thereby weakens the digestive process.

The reverse is also true. If you are suffering from chronic indigestion or you habitually consume highly processed, refined and denatured foods, you begin to accumulate toxic waste in your intestines. This waste may give rise to nervousness, hyperactivity or any other emotionally volatile condition.

Let me put it this way. We can broadly say that toxins in the intestines are the physical counterparts of negative thoughts. And through the mind-body connection, negative thoughts and feelings translate into poisons and vice versa.

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This is an excerpt from my book FEEL GREAT, LOSE WEIGHT

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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page

Disorders Of The Nervous System Are Caused By Gallstones In The Liver And Gallbladder

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By Andreas Moritz

Our whole lives are dictated by the way we feel. Our persona, the way we carry ourselves, our interactions with other people, our moods, cravings, patience, tolerance level, and more are strongly affected by the state of health of our nervous system. In today’s fast paced world we are exposed to a variety of conditions that wreak havoc on our bodies. The brain is the control center of the entire body and unless it receives proper nourishment, your life can be a physical and emotional mess.

Brain cells are very capable of manufacturing the quantity of chemicals they need if they are supplied with the nutrients needed to produce those chemicals. Although modern intensive agriculture has depleted most of the soil of nutrients, most nutrient deficiencies occur due to poor performance of the digestive system and, particularly, the liver. Lack of such nutrients can hinder the ability of our brain to manufacture the chemicals it needs to function optimally.

The brain can function for quite some time with substandard amounts of nutrients, but the price paid includes poor health, fatigue, lack of energy, mood swings, sickness, aches and pains, and general discomfort. Some deficiencies manifest in mental disease.

The nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, pairs of spinal and cranial nerves and autonomic functions, is largely dependent on the quality of the blood. Blood is composed of plasma, a straw-colored transparent fluid, and cells. The constituents of plasma are water, plasma proteins, mineral salts, hormones, vitamins, nutrient materials, organic waste products, antibodies and gases. There are three varieties of blood cells: white cells (leukocytes), red cells (erythrocytes) and platelets (thrombocytes). Any abnormal changes in the blood affect the nervous system.

All three blood cell types are formed in the red bone marrow, which is nourished and maintained by the nutrients supplied through the digestive system. Gallstones in the liver interfere with digestion and assimilation of food, which fills the plasma with excessive waste material and cuts down nutrient supplies to the red bone marrow. This, in turn, upsets the balance of blood cell constituents, disrupts hormonal pathways and causes abnormal responses in the nervous system. Most diseases afflicting the nervous system are rooted in improperly formed blood, brought about by a dysfunctional liver.

Each of the numerous functions of the liver has a direct influence on the nervous system, and particularly the brain. The liver cells convert glycogen (complex sugar) into glucose which, besides oxygen and water, is the major nutrient for the nervous system. Glucose provides most of its energy requirements. The brain, although it constitutes only 1/50 of the body weight, contains about 1/5 of the total blood volume in the body. It uses up vast amounts of glucose. Gallstones in the liver drastically cut down glucose supply to the brain and the rest of the nervous system, which can affect the performance of the organs, senses and mind. At the early stages of imbalance, a person may develop food cravings, particularly for sweet or starchy foods, and experience frequent mood swings or emotional stress.

The liver also forms the plasma proteins and most of the blood clotting factors from the available amino acids. This function becomes increasingly subdued by the presence of gallstones. If the production of clotting factors drops, platelet count will fall and there may be spontaneous capillary bleeding or hemorrhagic disease. If a hemorrhage occurs in the brain, it may cause destruction of brain tissue, paralysis or death. The severity of the bleeding may be determined by such triggers as hypertension and alcohol abuse. Platelet counts also drop when production of new cells does not keep pace with destruction of damaged or worn-out cells, which happens in the liver when gallstones cut off blood supply to liver cells.

Vitamin Kis also essential for synthesis of major clotting factors. It is a fat-soluble vitamin stored in the liver, and bile salts are required in the colon for absorption. Vitamin K becomes deficient when gallstones in the liver and gallbladder obstruct bile flow, which leads to inadequate fat absorption.

Gallstones in the liver can lead to disorders of the vascular system as well. When the blood changes and becomes thick, blood vessels begin to harden and become damaged. If a blood clot forms in an injured artery, a piece of blood clot (embolus) may lodge in a small artery distant to the injury and obstruct the blood flow, causing ischaemia and infarction. If the infarction occurs in a brain artery, it is called a stroke.

All circulatory disturbances affect the brain and the rest of the nervous system. The disruption of liver functions particularly affects astrocytes – cells that form the main supporting tissue of the central nervous system. This condition is characterized by apathy, disorientation, delirium, muscular rigidity and coma. Nitrogenous bacterial waste absorbed from the colon, normally detoxified by the liver, reaches the brain cells via the blood. Other metabolic waste products, such as ammonia, may reach toxic concentrations and change the permeability of the blood vessels in the brain and reduce the effectiveness of the blood-brain barrier. This may permit different noxious substances to enter the brain as well, causing further damage.

If the neurons of the brain no longer receive enough nourishment, there is atrophy of neural tissue, which leads to dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. In case the neurons, which are responsible for producing the brain hormone and neurotransmitter dopamine, suffer malnutrition, Parkinson’s disease results. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) occurs when the cells that produce myelin, a sheath of fatty material that surrounds most axons of nerve cells, suffer malnutrition. The myelin sheath diminishes and axons become injured.

The liver controls the digestion, absorption and metabolism of fatty substances throughout the body. Gallstones interfere with fat metabolism and affect cholesterol levels in the blood. Cholesterol is an essential building block of all our body cells and is needed for every metabolic process. Our brain consists of more than 10% pure cholesterol (all water removed). Cholesterol is important for brain development and brain function. It protects the nerves against damage or injury. An imbalance of blood fats can profoundly affect the nervous system and, thereby, cause almost any type of illness in the body.

Removing gallstones from the liver and gallbladder increases nutrient supplies to all the cells, thereby rejuvenating the nervous system and improving all functions in the body.

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This is an excerpt from my book THE AMAZING LIVER AND GALLBLADDER FLUSH

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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page

Keeping The Liver And Gallbladder Free of Gallstones Helps Normalize Digestion And Elimination

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By Andreas Moritz

The small intestine is continuous with the stomach at the pyloric sphincter and has a length of 16-19 feet (5-6 meters). It leads into the large intestine, which is about 3.5-5 feet (1-1.5 meters) long. The small intestine secretes intestinal juice to complete digestion of carbohydrates, protein and fats. It also absorbs nutrient materials necessary for nourishing and maintaining the body, and protects it against infection by microbes that have survived the anti-microbial action of hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

When acid food (chyme) from the stomach enters the duodenum, it is first mixed with bile and pancreatic juice, and then with intestinal juice. Gallstones in the liver and gallbladder drastically reduce secretion of bile, which weakens the ability of pancreatic enzymes to digest carbohydrates, protein and fat. This, in turn, restrains the small intestine from properly absorbing the nutrient components of these foods (e.g. monosaccharides from carbohydrates, amino acids from protein, and fatty acids and glycerol from fats).

Since the presence of bile in the intestines is essential for the absorption of fats, calcium and Vitamin K, gallstones can lead to life-threatening diseases, such as heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer. The liver uses the fat-soluble Vitamin K to produce the compounds responsible for the clotting of blood. In case of poor Vitamin K absorption, hemorrhagic disease may result. This vitamin cannot be adequately absorbed if there is any problem with fat digestion, due to lack of bile, pancreatic lipase and a certain amount of pancreatic fat. For the latter reason, following a low-fat diet can endanger one’s life.

Calcium is essential for the hardening of bone and teeth, the coagulation of blood and the mechanism of muscle contraction. What applies to Vitamin K also applies to all other fat-soluble vitamins, including Vitamin A, E and D. Vitamin A and carotene are also only absorbed sufficiently from the small intestine if fat absorption is normal. If Vitamin A absorption is inefficient, the epithelial cells become damaged. These cells form an essential part of all the organs, blood vessels, lymph vessels, etc. in the body. Vitamin A is also necessary to maintain healthy eyes and protect against or reduce microbial infection. Vitamin D is essential for calcification of bones and teeth. It may be noted at this point that supplementing these vitamins does not resolve the problem of deficiency.

To sum up, without normal bile secretions, these vitamins are not digested and absorbed properly and, therefore, can cause considerable damage to the lymphatic and urinary systems.

Inadequately digested foods tend to ferment and putrefy in the small and large intestines. They attract a vast number of bacteria to help speed up the process of decomposition. The breakdown products are often very toxic and so are the chemicals produced by the bacteria. All of this strongly irritates the mucous lining, which is one of the body’s foremost defense lines against disease-causing agents. Regular exposure to these toxins impairs the body’s immune system, 60% of which is located in the intestines. Overburdened by a constant influx of toxins, the small and large intestines may be afflicted with a number of disorders, including diarrhea, constipation, abdominal gas, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease, hernias, polyps, dysentery, appendicitis, volvulus, intussusceptions, as well as benign and malignant tumors.

Ample bile flow maintains good digestion and absorption of food, and has a strong cleansing action throughout the intestinal tract. Every part of the body depends on the basic nutrients made available through the digestive system, as well as the efficient removal of waste products from the digestive system. Gallstones in the liver and gallbladder considerably disrupt both of these vital processes. Therefore, they can be held accountable for most, if not all, of the different kinds of ailments that can afflict the body. Removal of gallstones helps to normalize the digestive and eliminative functions, improve cell metabolism and maintain balance throughout the body.

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This is an excerpt from my book THE AMAZING LIVER AND GALLBLADDER FLUSH

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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page

Symptoms of Disease Are Like Sand in the Hand – Fleeting And Inconsistent

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By Andreas Moritz

Symptoms of disease are highly changeable, if not unpredictable. The causes of disease remain obscure to most medical practitioners and their patients. A stomach catarrh, or inflammation of the mucous membrane, for example, may initially show up as an irritation and then become an ulcer. Next it may be perceived as a hardening of tissue and, eventually, be diagnosed as cancer. The course and intensification of pathological symptoms (signs of disease) may vary from person to person, and relatively few people develop the cancer stage. However, the previous stages can be equally life threatening. As a matter of fact, many more people die from acute digestive problems than from cancer and coronary heart disease.

A stomach catarrh may be accompanied by various kinds of complaints, including stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, gastritis, and cramping of the stomach. In truth, two people suffering from gastritis never have exactly the same symptoms. One of them may be a very nervous person and his symptoms of gastritis may include headaches and insomnia. The other may suffer an epileptic attack. As the stages of the disease become more pronounced, some, but not all afflicted patients, develop anemia as a result of ulceration and putrefaction of cell proteins. A number of people form hemorrhoids when stomach ulcers begin to occur. Others suffer from stomach congestion, where the food is practically stuck and vomited every second or third day.

Modern medicine views each set of symptoms as different types of disease, each of which requires a separate approach or treatment by a specialist. This makes medical diagnosis and treatment so complex that even doctors are confused as to what measures to take to help their patients. Each new variation of disease produces different symptoms in different people, and the specialists are unable to identify the common cause of the various complaints. Since doctors aren’t trained to search for the cause of the complaints, they tend to treat the various symptoms as if they were separate diseases. To them, the initial stomach pain seems to have no connection with the inflammation of the catarrh; the thickening of the stomach lining is dissimilar to a stomach ulcer; an ulcer is certainly not a malignant tumor; and the tumor just appears out of the blue.

A physician may be able to stop initial pain in the stomach with an antacid or a painkiller, and when the catarrh occurs, he may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. As the growing ulcer becomes unbearable, a surgeon may decide to cut it out. When the cancer appears, an oncologist may prescribe chemotherapy, radiation, or surgical removal of the tumor and parts of the stomach. Yet none of these symptoms are diseases in themselves; all of them are caused by something else, and without dealing with that something else, the disease will continue to appear in other, seemingly unrelated forms and variations. Symptoms are like sand in the hand. They are fleeting and inconsistent. Only those trained to connect symptoms with their causes can reveal the true nature of disease. Clearly then, it is not in the best interest of the patient merely to receive treatment for the symptoms of his chronic ailments. Addressing the underlying cause is crucial for genuine healing to occur.

Searching for the Cause

Not many people try to find out why their stomach becomes irritated or in what ways they may have contributed to their own illnesses. Instead, they feel they are doing all they can to become well by simply treating the symptoms of their illness as they manifest one by one. Unfortunately, even by removing the final stage of the symptom of disease, which in the above case is a cancerous tumor, the physician has done nothing to address the cause of the very first symptom of disease, stomach pain. Eating irritating foods and bottled salad dressings or having too much refined salt or hot chili may have caused the pain. Others causes may include feeling emotionally upset, smoking, drinking too much alcohol, regular intake of coffee, soft drinks, or artificial sweeteners, overeating, liver congestion, or not drinking enough water.

The latter is probably the most common, yet the least known cause of stomach problems and many other illnesses. I am using the example of stomach disorders to describe the basic mechanisms leading to disease. Most stomach pains are signals of advanced dehydration of the mucus lining. Consisting of 98 percent water and 2 percent water-holding scaffolding, the mucus layer serves as a natural buffer of protection against stomach acids. The cells below the mucus layer secrete sodium bicarbonate, which is kept there to neutralize any of the hydrochloric acid that may pass through the mucus lining. The resulting chemical reaction between the two chemicals produces salt from the sodium bicarbonate and chlorine from the hydrochloric acid. Consumption of foods that require the secretion of large amounts of hydrochloric acid, such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and other high protein foods, thus causes high salt production inside the stomach. This alters considerably the water-holding properties of the scaffolding material of the mucus lining. Regular consumption of such foods in large amounts leads to an intensified acid neutralization, and subsequently, to an accumulation of salt deposits in this layer. This causes ‘erosion’ which will allow the acid to reach the stomach wall, and the result is the well-known pain of dyspepsia.

As long as the mucus barrier is properly hydrated through regular water intake, and protein and fat consumption is moderate, any salt deposits are washed away. In addition, sodium bicarbonate is retained, and the hydrochloric acid is neutralized before it even has the chance to penetrate the mucus layer. Thus, there can be no better acid barrier to the stomach wall than water. Yet the stomach pain, which in most cases is rather a thirst pain, is usually combated with antacids and other medications. These drugs, however, do not offer efficient protection against the natural action of the hydrochloric acid. Most people with stomach ulcers and severe abdominal or dyspeptic pain, experience almost instant and total relief of their discomfort after drinking 1-2 glasses of water. Caffeine-containing beverages such as most soft drinks, tea or coffee, on the other hand, have a diuretic effect, and draw water from the protective stomach lining. One cup of coffee or an alcoholic drink can easily bring on a painful attack.

The stomach pain is the first signal to tell a person that something is off balance with regard to his eating habits or the hydrating of his body. The suppression of this pain through drugs usually prevents the patient from finding out what is causing it. Thus, the ignorance about the mechanism of water metabolism – mistaking the thirst pain for a disease, which is a gross misdiagnosis – can be held responsible for the suppression of the initial symptoms of discomfort that could eventually end up as cancer. Most cancers are the result of repeatedly suppressing mild symptoms of illness such as a cold, pain, infection, or headache and treating them as if they were real diseases.

The purely clinical approach to treatment focuses on the progressive stages of pathological symptoms and keeps producing new findings that promise a cure for each of these problems.

The saying that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing certainly applies to the symptom-oriented approach of conventional medicine.

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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION

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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page

AGNI, The Digestive Fire, The ‘General’ Of Digestion

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By Andreas Moritz

Whenever food enters your mouth and touches the taste buds located on the surface of your tongue, your salivary glands begin secreting saliva. Saliva is needed to lubricate the food and to predigest cooked starches. At the same time, your pancreas and small intestine receive instructions to prepare for the release of the appropriate kinds and amounts of digestive enzymes and minerals necessary to help break down the food into the smallest nutrient components.

The first and most common cause of digestive trouble is swallowing food too quickly. This eating habit indicates anxiety, impatience and nervousness. Eating too quickly reduces saliva production in the mouth cavity, which is a major cause of tooth decay. One of the functions of saliva is to keep the mouth and teeth protected against harmful substances and irritating microbes.

There are other reasons why masticating food properly is so essential for our wellbeing. According to fascinating research conducted at the Gifu University in Japan, chewing actually improves memory by reducing the release of stress hormones. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has demonstrated that the hippocampus, which helps control blood levels of stress hormones, is stimulated by the act of chewing. As a result, the simple act of chewing properly lowers both stress and stress hormones. So chewing your food well can actually reduce anxiety levels.

The Japanese researchers also found that when teeth were missing or in a state of disrepair, people tended to chew less. Subsequently, this led to increased stress hormone levels. The conclusion from this study is that good dental health and the ability to chew properly appear to be important factors in preserving our memory as we age and in protecting ourselves against the harmful effects of stress.

After passing through the esophagus, the food enters the stomach. If the food contains carbohydrates (complex sugars and starches as found in vegetables and grains), the salivary enzymes continue to digest these foods for about an hour before the stomach begins to secrete its gastric juices. If the food is swallowed too quickly, these foods remain mostly undigested and begin to ferment.

Gastric juice is composed of hydrochloric acid, enzymes, mineral salts, mucus and water. The action of the acid kills many of the harmful microbes and parasites that are naturally present in fresh produce, meat, fish, dairy products and other foods. The hydrochloric acid also breaks down some of the harmful substances that may accompany the food, such as certain food additives or chemicals. Special enzymes begin to act upon proteins that may be present in the food. Once saturated with enough acid, the food is forced in small jets into the duodenum.

The duodenum is a hollow jointed tube connecting the stomach to the jejunum, which is the central of the three divisions of the small intestine. It represents the first and shortest part of the small intestine, and it is where most chemical digestion takes place. It is called the cap because on an x-ray it looks a bit like a cap. Thereafter, the duodenum makes a C-turn going from the right to the left side of the abdomen. Bile from the liver and secretions from the pancreas come through the ampulla of Vater to mix with food in the duodenum. The pancreatic juices contain digestive enzymes, minerals and water to help break down starches further. The bile, which is forced into the duodenum via the common bile duct, aids in the digestion of fats and proteins. The duodenum participates in this very important part of the digestive process by releasing specific hormones and digestive juices.

Ayurveda calls the entire activity in this section of the digestive system AGNI, or ‘digestive fire’. AGNI ‘cooks’ the food further in order to make its nutrients available for the cells and tissues at a later stage.

The small intestine has a total length of approximately 6 meters (18 feet). It is responsible for the absorption of nutrients, salt and water. On the average, approximately 9 liters (9.5 quarts) of fluid enter the jejunum (upper part of the small intestine) each day, a major portion of which is composed of digestive juices. The small intestine absorbs approximately 7 liters (7.4 quarts), leaving only 1.5 to 2 liters to move on to the large intestine. The absorptive function of the small intestine is brought about by an intricate array of cells within its lining (intestinal folds and villi) that absorb and secrete salts and nutrients as well as water in order to maintain normal salt and water balance within the body. In a healthy person, the absorptive function is so efficient that with a natural, balanced diet, over 95 percent of ingested carbohydrates and proteins are absorbed.

Specific sections of the small intestine perform specific functions. For example, the duodenum plays an important role in coordinating how the stomach empties and at what rate bile needs to be secreted into the intestine to optimize the digestive process. The duodenum is also a major site for the absorption of iron. The jejunum is a major site for the absorption of the vitamin, folic acid, while the end of the ileum (lower part of the intestine) is the most important site for the absorption of vitamin B12 and bile salts. The blood takes up all the nutrients and moves them to the liver for further processing.

The ingested food can be broken down into its basic nutrient components and made available for the complex metabolic processes in the body only when AGNI, the digestive fire, is strong. AGNI is fueled by bile, without which none of the other digestive juices would be sufficiently effective to break down food into its nutrient components.

Bile is alkaline. When food that is saturated with hydrochloric acid enters the small intestine, it first needs to be mixed with bile before digestive enzymes can act on the food. An intestinal pH-value of high acidity would block enzyme secretion and become a major stumbling block for the proper digestion of food. Furthermore, in order for them to become activated, pancreatic enzymes must combine with bile before passing through the ampulla of Vater. To make this possible, the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct combine to form one short duct before joining the duodenum. As long as bile secretion from the liver’s bile ducts and the gallbladder remain unimpeded by gallstones, good digestion is almost guaranteed, provided that the ingested food is fresh and wholesome.

The combination of nutritious food and strong AGNI forms the ideal partnership to help the body make sufficient amounts of amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, glucose, fructose, trace elements and other vital substances available to all its parts. This, in turn, produces healthy blood, vital tissues and a youthful body. The quality of the blood and the tissues of the body, including those that make up the skin, mostly reflect the condition of the liver and the small intestine.

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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION

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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyper link back to the web page

The Symptom Of A Disease Isn’t The Disease

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By Andreas Moritz

Although you may think you have found the best medicine for your particular health condition, you will not truly be healed unless you stop creating or maintaining its causes. The law of cause and effect applies to everything in life. You may succeed in stopping the symptoms of an illness, but this will only force your body to push the toxic substances into its ‘deeper’ structures, including the tissues of the organs, joints and bones. Since suppressing toxins makes them ‘disappear’ from the network of general circulation, the body’s ability to tolerate them seems to improve temporarily.

This, of course, gives you the leeway to hold on to even more toxins without developing any obvious signs of ill health. If the first lines of the body’s defense system were still intact, the body would readily deal with this buildup of toxins by manifesting a cold, a fever or an infection. You would actually feel quite ill. If none of these occur, however, you may believe that you are doing quite well, health-wise, and you are able to get on with your life in the usual manner. Then suddenly, without much warning, an even larger wave of toxicity is unleashed. A typical example of such a crisis is the sudden heart attack or stroke. Many victims of such an attack claim that they have always been “perfectly healthy”.

Most serious and life-threatening diseases usually begin with minor problems, such as a simple irritation of the mucus lining in the stomach. This can be caused by overeating, abrasive foods and beverages, or emotional stress. If one’s food is too heavy or difficult to digest, the stomach passes some of its hydrochloric acid upward into the esophagus, which gives rise to the sensation of ‘heartburn’. A whooping 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month. Over 16 million are plagued by it daily.

Contrary to common belief, heartburn or acid reflux is not caused by too much stomach acid, but by too little of it. Because of an insufficient supply of hydrochloric acid, food remains undigested in the stomach for too long, causing stomach upset. As the acid makes its way into the esophagus, it starts to digest the lining of this delicate structure – hence, the burning sensation.

You can easily test whether your digestive problems are related to too little stomach acid. Eat some fresh ginger with a pinch of salt or cayenne pepper before your meal. This will stimulate acid production. If that doesn’t help, a common acid supplement called betaine hydrochloride (HCI) may work. (Avoid HCI, however, if you have an ulcer) If either of these methods alleviates your symptoms, you will know that your heartburn problem is due to too little stomach acid. To improve digestive functions on a permanent basis, and to solve the problem of low stomach acid, cleanse your liver and intestines and avoid foods that are difficult to digest, such as meat and fried or processed foods. When food is not digested properly, vitamins and nutrients are not absorbed, leaving you susceptible to a host of degenerative diseases.

If the irritation of the stomach lining occurs more frequently because of regular consumption of coffee, soft drinks, sports drinks, sugar, chocolate, meat, nicotine, alcohol, drugs, and other unhealthful items, it may lead to a fully developed inflammation. Unless the person’s lifestyle and diet are altered to eliminate these irritating substances, an ulcer will form. Incapable of removing the daily generated metabolic waste, cellular debris and toxic food particles from the area of the ulcer lesions, the stomach cells can no longer perform their normal activities. While suffocating in such an unnatural and toxic environment, the body must take recourse to unusual survival mechanisms. The most affected stomach cells may be forced to alter their genes through what is known as ‘cell mutation’. It may seem that these mutating, ‘out-of-control’ cells have lost their awareness of being an integral part of the body. However, just like everything the body does, the alteration of the genetic programs of these cells serves a useful purpose, that of removing and absorbing some of the acidic metabolic waste products and other harmful material. This symptom of disease is called cancer, which is just another name for the body’s herculean effort to deal with the constant irritation and poisoning of its cells. Thus, stomach cancer is a natural response to a continuous irritation of stomach cells.

Most currently used medical treatments target only the symptoms of disease, as if they were the disease itself. The prevailing concept is to remove the symptoms in the hope that the disease will disappear as well. In many cases, the use of sophisticated diagnostic tools can precisely identify the symptoms of a disease, which could be a stomach ulcer, cataract of the eyes, stones in the gallbladder, or a tumor in the uterus. The ‘treatment’ may consist of cutting out the ‘culprit’, along with the affected organ in far too many cases. The patient is sent home under the impression that he has been cured. Not being aware of what has caused his problems in the first place, his body may turn into a living time bomb. To date, the purely clinical approach of diagnosis has not been able to identify the causal factors for over 80 percent of all diseases. This is perhaps the biggest drawback of today’s medical system.

Searching for the root causes of illness is not a focus in medical training. Hence, we cannot blame medical professionals for the current crisis in medical care. In addition, doctors are often pressured by their patients to act as ‘legalized drug pushers’ or ‘symptom hunters’. Many patients practically demand that their doctor remove their symptoms of ill health quickly and by any available means, so they can get on with their lives. They don’t realize that this behavior drives them ever closer to another, more intensified toxicity crisis. Added to this dilemma, the side effects that accompany most existing treatments are often so severe that it is questionable whether they are justified at all. This is particularly true when they are used for relatively minor problems.

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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION

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The Link Between Processed Foods And Weight Gain Is The Liver

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By Andreas Moritz 

Enemy Number One of the overweight or obese individual is processed foods including fast food, ironically billed as saviors of the 21st century. Breakfast cereals, energy bars, TV dinners, hamburgers, chili dogs, pasta, puddings and baked chicken. You pick them off the shelves, peel off the wrapper, eat most of them on the move or put them in the microwave.

They are time-savers, they are delicious and, why, they are even ‘nutritionally enriched’. At least, that’s what the label says.

If you can get ‘all you need for a healthy start to your day’ in a bowl of breakfast cereal, you couldn’t ask for more, right? Not so fast. Falling prey to smart advertising spiel and convincing product packaging are more than 75 percent of Americans, whose breakfast consists of bright and colorful cereals.

Hiding behind labels such as ‘whole grain’, ‘high-fiber’ and ‘nutritionally enriched’ are a bag of chemicals – present in all processed foods – dumping chemical toxins into your body.

Starting with your liver, kidneys, small intestine, large intestine or colon and connective tissue, these chemicals – artificial coloring agents, preservatives, food flavoring agents, refined sugars, refined grains, trans fatty acids and even fiber from bran – breakfast cereal could be escalating weight gain and taking your body to a toxicity crisis.

This is easily understood when we take a look at how the body deals with any type of toxin that enters the digestive system. The link between processed foods and weight gain is the liver.

This organ is tasked with more than 500 different functions, two of which are detoxification and burning fat. Apart from neutralizing and rendering toxins harmless, the liver passes on some of the toxins to the colon for elimination. It stores the rest to prevent them from entering the bloodstream.

So the more unnatural chemicals you consume in processed foods, fast food and junk food, the greater the need for detoxification. Your liver is now burdened with this role and is left with little time or energy to burn fat or carry out its other responsibilities.

According to some estimates, three quarters of the average individual’s liver is used to store toxins that the liver was unable to render harmless.

When the liver can store no more poison, these chemicals begin to back up into the bloodstream, which sets off another series of harmful reactions in other organs and tissues including the brain.

Apart from promoting weight gain, these additives and preservatives then lead to diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, asthma and neurological disorders.

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This is an excerpt from my book FEEL GREAT, LOSE WEIGHT

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Ignoring The Natural Messages Of The Body Lies At The Basis Of Most Illnesses Today

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By Andreas Moritz 

The Body’s Many Messages

You don’t really need to understand the exact mechanisms behind the hunger signal that the body gives you when it needs food. All you need to do is to eat and experience how the hunger subsides. By habitually ignoring the natural urge to eat, your stomach, pancreas and small intestines may become ‘upset’ and start adjusting to your new rule of living by keeping their production of digestive juices low, so as not to waste the body’s precious energy and resources. As a result, when you suddenly eat a substantial, normal meal, you are likely to suffer indigestion.

On the other hand, if your stomach tells you that you are not hungry, that you don’t require any food at the moment, but you still eat out of politeness, curiosity, boredom or temptation, the digestive system’s vote for abstinence is overruled. Because the body is not prepared to digest food at this time, it cannot do so. This is another cause of indigestion.

If you feel the natural urge to have a bowel movement, the body sends you in the direction of a toilet. But by disregarding this signal because it comes at an inconvenient time, your body has no other choice but to hold on to the waste. Eventually, the urge to defecate subsides, and more and more water is withdrawn from the feces until it is too dry and hard to prompt a bowel movement. This condition is known as constipation. Destructive bacteria begin to break down some of the waste, leading to toxic gases and other noxious substances. This may cause blood poisoning and other disturbances in the digestive system.

When your body feels tired and sleepy you have the natural urge to lie down and sleep. However, a cup of coffee or a cigarette will provide you with enough adrenaline to keep you awake. If you ignore the body’s sleep signals as a matter of routine, the oversecretion of adrenaline and other stress hormones may end up making you hyperactive and unable to relax or sleep properly.

Ignoring the natural messages of the body lies at the basis of most illnesses today. To add to the already existing confusion about health matters, books, radio, television and especially magazines bombard you with an overwhelming amount of advice and information on the latest slimming diets, routines and lifestyle programs that are supposed to be ‘so good for you.’ For example, not so long ago we were told that potatoes and pasta were among the most fattening foods. Shortly thereafter, nutritionists considered them good for slimming, and the latest low carb craze dismisses them as junk food. Torn between various health doctrines, we look for perfect answers to our problems. In the end, when your body is exhausted because of trying to adjust to one diet after another, you may begin to realize that your body’s requirements are totally unique and that they undergo constant changes, often from one day to the next.

If you are a sensitive person, you must have noticed that on certain days of the month or at different times of the day, you are able to digest a particular food item more easily. The same food can make you feel vital and energetic on one day and cause you an upset stomach, bloating or cramping on another day. You may find that the same pasta dish may leave your stomach quickly after one meal, whereas two weeks later, the same dish will sit there like a rock, make you feel congested and even add weight to your body. Apart from the daily and seasonal cycles of change, the answer to this mysterious behavior of the body lies, among other reasons, in the continuous movement of the planets and their various positions.

Good Health Requires Natural Instinct

In 1984, Nobel laureate Carlo Rubbia proved that the human body is composed mostly of energy and of very little matter. To be exact, for each particle of matter, there are 974,600,000 units of energy (photons). In other words, only one billionth of your body consists of matter and the rest is vibrational energy. All matter that comprises your physical body, the chair you are sitting on and the planet you are living on, behaves essentially in a quantum-mechanical way. Since all external influences, such as solar storms, climate changes and the moon’s passage through a particular zodiac, represent different energy states, they can instantly trigger corresponding activities, responses and transformations within your body. As a result of receiving these outer stimulation’s, your body sends subtle signals or intuitive messages to tell you that its requirements for such necessities as food, water, rest, exercise, warmth and coolness have changed. However, this requires sensitivity and wakefulness on your part. These will be absent if you habitually suppress your body’s natural urges (hunger, thirst, defecation, urination, sleep, etc.), overload your digestive system with food and waste, and even make yourself emotionally dependent on other people’s advice, however useful it may appear to be.

Any good system of health care can be recognized by one attribute: It teaches you how to listen to your body and how to become self-dependent in knowing what is useful for you at every moment in time. In any case, let experience guide you in finding out what works for you and what doesn’t. A theory alone does not make you healthy. As you begin to listen to your body’s subtle messages, you will find that its behavior, activities, natural urges and symptoms of disease are far from being random or coincidental.

Health trouble begins when we doubt our body’s ability to make the right choices, and this is exactly what we have learned to do, almost right from the beginning of life.Many of our natural instincts were discouraged or subdued by man-made rules, beliefs, manipulation and advertising. They dictate to us our lifestyle, eating habits and times of eating, sleeping and elimination of wastes.

If we keep ignoring the body’s basic instincts, the mind begins to look for substitutes, which causes (legitimate) cravings for or addictions to foods, beverages, stimulants, sex, etc. By giving a little extra attention to your body, it will soon tell you the difference between a balanced and an unbalanced influence or message. If, for example, your stomach is still full and yet you want to eat something, you will find that it is not your stomach that wants more food. Food cravings tell you that your body is no longer able to digest and assimilate foods properly and is actually malnourished. This cellular famine is responsible for the food cravings. If your stomach is empty and you feel hungry, ask your stomach what it really would like to eat. The body’s nutritional and emotional requirements shift from day to day in direct response to changes occurring in the near and far environment. A set dietary plan would, therefore, fail to meet the body’s specific daily needs, while also blocking and distorting the messages it is trying to convey to you.

The body’s natural instincts follow certain principal forces that are common to every part of physical creation. The unique representation of these forces in your body ultimately determines your natural inclinations and instincts. It is responsible for the specific characteristics of your body type. To restore your body’s natural instincts, which is essential for regaining lasting health and vitality, you may first need to discover your personal body type.

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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION

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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyperlink back to the web page

Learning About Your Body – Why We Have an Appendix

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By Andreas Moritz 

The ‘Useless’ Appendix and Its Amazing Role

In a general sense, those parts of the immune system and the lymphatic system that are located in the intestinal tract help to detoxify anything harmful that may come along with the food you eat. Through highly sophisticated processes, these systems are able to separate useful nutrients from unusable waste matter. Some potentially harmful waste products or natural food toxins such as plant-antibodies enter the lymphatic ducts for detoxification and elimination. Most of the nutrient elements are passed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream, which carries them to the liver for further processing, distribution and cell metabolism. Other more specific nutrients, though, can only be absorbed through the walls of the large intestine. These nutrients are meant for nourishing and maintaining the nervous system. Any nutrients, minerals, water and waste products that are not removed by the small intestines now enter the ascending colon, just above the appendix.

In traditional Indian and Chinese medicine, the appendix is known to play a vitally important role. It breeds large quantities of friendly, probiotic bacteria and supplies them to the colon and other parts of the gut in order to neutralize any harmful substances. The strategic location of the appendix allows these useful microorganisms to blend with the fluid fecal matter as it begins its passage through the large intestine. More than 400 strands of beneficial bacteria live in the human gastrointestinal tract. By attaching themselves to the lining of the gut, they can elbow out potentially troublesome bacteria, such as Candida Albicans. Balanced populations of the friendly, probiotic bacteria in the gut effectively prevent vaginal and urinary tract infections. They also discourage tumors, particularly cancerous growths in the colon, either by emitting protective chemicals or by inhibiting the production of compounds that nurture cancers. A diminished population of probiotic bacteria, as caused for example by antibiotics, alcohol or junk foods exposes the gastrointestinal lining numerous toxins. This leads to an overstimulated immune system and, thereby, causes asthma, allergies and eczema.

Until very recently, doctors believed that the appendix has no real use or function. In 2005, 321,000 Americans were hospitalized with appendicitis. Removal of the appendix is one of the most commonly performed surgeries. Now, researchers comprised of surgeons and immunologists at Duke University Medical School say the appendix is there to protect the gut, which is not a small job by any means. This worm-shaped organ outgrowth acts like a bacteria factory, cultivating good germs, according to their study, published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology, October 2007.

Apparently, according to the ‘new’ discovery (which Ayurveda has known for 6,000 years), the function of the appendix seems related to the massive amount of bacteria populating the human digestive system. Most of the trillions of bacteria in the human body are beneficial and help digest food. But sometimes the flora of bacteria in the intestines die or are purged or are overtaken by destructive bacteria. Given the high number of congested colons and inflamed appendixes, this is a common phenomenon today. The appendix “acts as a good safe house for bacteria,” said Duke surgery professor Bill Parker, a study co-author. Also, the worm-shaped organ outgrowth acts like a bacteria factory, cultivating the good germs, Parker said. The appendix’s job is to reboot the digestive system.

For all practical purposes, and supported by the cleansing action of the bile from the liver, the appendix’s job is to keep the colon neat and clean. If large quantities of undigested and decomposed foods reach this part of the intestines, congestion occurs. The intestinal congestion is followed by microbial infestation (through destructive bacteria), which can lead to thickening of the protective mucus membrane and ulceration of the intestinal wall. If microbial growth increases further, the appendix may become inflamed and even burst, undermining proper performance of the colon in the future. Removing the appendix can have long-term consequences for colon health and, as explained below, the health of the entire body. In most cases of an inflamed appendix, fasting for a few days and cleaning out the colon (colema, colosan, or colonic irrigation) can save it.

As opposed to the more continuous peristalsis of the small intestines, fecal contents are propelled into the large intestine (now commonly referred to as the ‘colon’) by periodic mass movements. These mass movements occur one to three times per day in this final section of the gastrointestinal tract. Once they have reached the rectum, the fecal matter stretches the nerve endings in the rectal walls and causes a reflex urge for a bowel movement.

The large intestine no longer breaks down food in this stage of digestion. It simply absorbs vitamins that are created by the bacteria inhabiting the colon. The large intestine is essential for absorbing water and compacting the feces.

The whole digestive and eliminative process – from the ingestion of food to the bowel movement – should ideally take approximately 20-24 hours, depending on the types of food eaten and also on the time of day when the food was consumed. However, in the majority of the population, the passage of food through the large intestine alone takes 25 hours or more. This condition is called constipation. I have had numerous patients who reported having a bowel movement only once every 2-5 days. In extreme cases, there was only 1 movement per week or 10 days. On the other hand, many people have bowel movements 3-4 times per day, and in some extreme cases, there may be up to 16 loose evacuations; these individuals cannot keep food in the body longer than 3 to 12 hours. Since most of the ingested food is not digested properly, it decomposes through the help of destructive bacteria. This is so irritating to the intestinal wall, that the body discharges it as fast and as often as possible. Consequently, waste eliminations are far too excessive and frequent.

Having regular bowel movements once or twice a day by itself does not necessarily indicate good digestion either. It’s the quality of the eliminated waste that counts, and the seemingly unimportant appendix makes certain the waste is non-toxic and does not contaminate and harm the intestine.

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This is an excerpt from my book TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH & REJUVENATION

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You may share or republish this article provided you clearly mention the name of Andreas Moritz and paste a hyperlink back to the web page

Doing a Colon Cleanse and Liver Flush to Heal Diverticula

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Doing a colon cleanse and liver flush to heal diverticula

Hi, this is a question from Victoria in the Ukraine, and she is wondering if her husband can do liver flushes according to my book “THE AMAZING LIVER AND GALLBLADDER FLUSH” because he has diverticulitis or diverticula in his intestines.

These are pockets that form when there is gas and toxins that are trapped in the intestines and they cause a bulging out of a section of the intestines and store those toxins and waste matter, often fecal matter that is done remaining trapped there which can lead to diverticulitis or inflammation of that particular section of the intestine. So, absolutely he can do liver flushes, however only under the condition that the colon is properly cleaned out beforehand and the best method to do so is using colon hydrotherapy because it washes out the entire colon, you can also empty out these pockets of waste that have formed and it can itself, already, help reverse this condition. However the areas of diverticula is weakened because of the distention, so it will take some time before the intestinal wall is strong all over and it is no longer prone to forming new pockets of diverticula, so, it is a definite yes to do liver flushes provided he can also do colon hydrotherapy or at least colema.

Colema is a system where he can do home colonics basically, wash out the entire colon by lying on a board and having a high enema where water is flowing through up to the part of the ascending colon where the entire colon can be filled out and washed out. If you are obviously in Europe, you can find a colema board at the website ‘colema-net.com’. it is a French website so you may need to contact the owner who speaks English and German so you should have no problem obtaining that board and make sure, and this is very important, to finish off with a colon hydrotherapy or with a colema within three days after the liver flush because, if he has diverticula, then stones might go into these diverticula and if they are not washed out regularly after liver the flush then, that can cause more complications.

So, obviously the reason why he has diverticula is due to poor liver function, poor digestion and probably also foods that are not suitable for him. He has to be very careful with eating dairy products like cheese and milk and with animal foods like meat, chicken, fish and eggs because they are notorious for causing diverticula, meat especially. Meat also is the leading cause, recognized cause of colon cancer, so it is important to avoid that because diverticula show that there is stagnation, and, wherever there is stagnation there is a chance for cancer cells to evolve.

Thank you.

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One Can Avoid Taking Digestive Enzymes

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 One can avoid taking digestive enzymes

Hi, this is a very common question and it relates to digestive enzymes. The question is, shall I take digestive enzymes because my naturopathic doctor is recommending I do.

Now I have a different perspective on taking digestive enzymes. Ideally it is best to set the preconditions for your digestive system to function without the help of additional digestive enzymes before you take recourse to such measures, and I definitely will recommend that you improve the digestive function through cleaning out the liver bile ducts which will allow more bile to come through into the small intestine that will help you digest your food much more effectively than if you just took digestive enzymes.

The digestive system is a very, very complex system and it is linked up not just to the organ the small intestine, which is the primary place where the digestion is completed and where stimulation of nutrients occur but, the stomach obviously which produces hydrochloric acid and other secretions in order to digest the food or pre digest it, but the digestion begins in the mouth. We literally produce digestive enzymes when we masticate the food just by keeping it in the mouth and  chewing on it, the salivary glands will produce digestive enzymes.

Now many people do not do that very well and they swallow the food after chewing on it like two three four times and it goes down into the stomach. And what that does is that it prevents the actual digestion of the food in the stomach and this can lead to digestive problems later on in the small intestine and create fermentation or putrefaction in the large intestine. So by neglecting this sometimes, most people do not consider it to be a very important part of the digestive function which is the mastication, the chewing, swishing the food around the mouth so that it is saturated with digestive enzymes because that takes care of about eighty percent of the enzyme needs to prepare the digestive process in the stomach.

Eighty percent of all carbohydrates require the digestive enzymes contained in the saliva. So if you bypass this function, you will have a lot of undigested carbohydrates that linger in your small intestine and will start to decompose where they will attract a lot of Candida bacteria which will complete the digestive process, which is in this case called fermentation, and however, the fermenting bacteria, the yeast bacteria will produce toxins which can create a great deal of irritation, and as these toxins get absorbed in the blood stream it can cause brain fog, it can cause skin problems, it can cause hair problems, it can cause all kinds of inflammatory responses in the body because of not chewing the food properly.

So before you take recourse to digestive enzymes, that in my opinion is like learning how to walk on crutches when you could really rely on your own feet and the legs to do a better job, even then you are basically making yourself weaker in the long term. Taking digestive enzymes can also make the body produce less of its own enzymes, it is almost like you tell the body I have enough enzymes here coming through, I do not have to produce more of any on my own,  and so this can weaken the digestive processes in the long term.

The other thing is that you never quite know how much of digestive enzymes are needed to digest a particular type of food. Sometimes you eat more of other foods that do not require them and then you have a surplus of them which again can be wasted, on one hand, you are wasting enzymes that are not used or you are confusing the body.

So it is better to set the pre-conditions, cleaning out the liver, taking care of the diet, eating foods that are actually… that contain a lot of enzymes themselves, not dead foods or processed foods that have a very little life force in them, where the body is not eager to secrete precious enzymes to digest them because it knows that that food is useless, anyway. So eating foods that are really natural, will stimulate the body’s digestive enzymes whereas, foods that are dead and already decomposed, like meat, even though it may look good, it is not, it is already dead, so it is a cadaver food, the body recognizes that and it will be very, very cautious in secreting digestive juices in order to digest those types of foods.

So again, work with nature, work with the food first. Cleaning out the liver and eating foods when you can actually digest them,  if you eat a heavy meal in the evening time, it is not going to get digested properly because naturally during that time of the evening the digestive secretions are very small, often only ten to fifteen percent of what they would be at lunch time, so, eat your main meal at lunch time, you will have plenty of enzymes to play with, and have less food in the morning when enzyme production is less, and in the evening when it is less as well.

So I hope that this helps answer your question.

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Poor Circulation, Enlargement of the Heart & Spleen, Varicose Veins, Lymph Congestion and Hormonal Imbalance

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By Andreas Moritz 

Gallstones in the liver may lead to poor circulation, enlargement of the heart and spleen, varicose veins, congested lymph vessels and hormone imbalance. When gallstones have grown large enough to seriously distort the structural framework of the lobules (units) of the liver, blood flow through the liver becomes increasingly difficult. This not only raises the venous blood pressure in the liver, but also in all of the organs and areas of the body that drain used blood through their respective veins into the portal vein of the liver. Restricted blood flow in the portal vein of the liver causes congestion, particularly in the spleen, stomach, distal end of the esophagus, pancreas, gallbladder, and small and large intestines. This can lead to enlargement of these organs, reduce their ability to remove cellular waste products and clog their respective veins.

A varicose vein is one that is so dilated that the valves do not sufficiently close to prevent blood from flowing backward. Sustained pressure on the veins at the junction of the rectum and anus in the large intestine leads to the development of hemorrhoids. Other common sites of varicose veins are the legs, the esophagus and the scrotum. Dilation of veins and venules (small veins) can occur anywhere in the body. It always indicates an obstruction of blood flow. (See Note 1 at the end of this article.)

Poor blood flow through the liver also affects the heart. When the organs of the digestive system become weakened by an increase in venous pressure, they become congested and begin to accumulate toxic waste, including debris from cells that have been broken down. The spleen becomes enlarged while it is dealing with the extra workload associated with removing damaged or worn-out blood cells. This further slows blood circulation to and from the organs of the digestive system, which stresses the heart, raises blood pressure and injures blood vessels. The right half of the heart, which receives venous blood via the inferior vena cava from the liver and all other parts below the lungs, becomes overloaded with toxic, sometimes infectious material. This eventually causes enlargement of the right part of the heart.

Almost all types of heart disease have one thing in common: there is an obstruction of blood flow. However, blood circulation does not become disrupted easily. It must be preceded by a major congestion of the bile ducts in the liver. Gallstones obstructing the bile ducts dramatically reduce or cut off the blood supply to the liver cells. Reduced blood flow through the liver affects the blood flow in the entire body which, in turn, has a detrimental effect on the lymphatic system.

The lymphatic system, which is closely linked with the immune system, helps to clear the body of harmful metabolic waste products, foreign material and cell debris. All cells release metabolic waste products into, and take up nutrients from, a surrounding solution, called extracellular fluid or connective tissue. The degree of nourishment and efficiency of the cells depends on how swiftly and completely waste material is removed from the extracellular fluid. Since most waste products cannot pass directly into the blood for excretion, they accumulate in the extracellular fluid until they are removed and detoxified by the lymphatic system. The potentially harmful material is filtered and neutralized by lymph nodes that are strategically located throughout the body. One of the key functions of the lymphatic system is keeping the extracellular fluid clear of toxic substances, which makes this a system of utmost importance.

Poor circulation of blood in the body causes an overload of foreign, harmful waste matter in the extracellular tissues and, consequently, in the lymph vessels and lymph nodes. When lymph drainage slows down or becomes obstructed, the thymus gland, tonsils and spleen start to deteriorate quickly. These organs form an important part of the body’s system of purification and immunity. In addition, microbes harbored in gallstones can be a constant source of recurring infection in the body, which may render the lymphatic and immune systems ineffective against more serious infections, such as infectious mononucleosis, measles, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, syphilis, etc.

Due to restricted bile flow in the liver and gallbladder, the small intestine is restricted in its capacity to digest food properly. This permits substantial amounts of waste matter and poisonous substances, such as cadaverines and putrescines (break-down products of fermented and putrefied food), to seep into the lymph channels. These toxins, along with fats and proteins, enter the body’s largest lymph vessel, called thoracic duct, at the cysterna chyli. The cysterna chyli is a lymph-dilation (in the shape of sacks), situated in front of the first two lumbar vertebrae (see Figure 1).

Toxins, antigens and undigested proteins from animal sources, including fish, meat, eggs and dairy food, cause these lymph sacks to swell and become inflamed. When cells of an animal become damaged or die, which happens seconds after it is killed, their protein structures are broken down by cellular enzymes. These so-called ‘degenerate’ proteins are useless for the body, and they become harmful unless they are promptly removed by the lymphatic system. Their presence usually invites enhanced microbial activity. Viruses, fungi and bacteria feed on the pooled wastes. In some cases, allergic reactions occur.

When there is lymph sac congestion, the body’s own degenerate cell proteins can no longer be removed properly. The result is lymph edema. While lying on the back, existing lymph edemas can be felt as hard knots, sometimes as large as a fist, in the area of the navel. These ‘rocks’ are a major cause of middle and low back pain and abdominal swelling, and, in fact, of most symptoms of ill health. Many people who have grown a ‘tummy’ consider this abdominal extension to be just a harmless nuisance or a natural part of aging. They don’t realize that they are breeding a living ‘time bomb’ that may go off some day and injure vital parts of the body.

Eighty percent of the lymphatic system is associated with the intestines, making this area of the body the largest center of immune activity. This is no coincidence. The part of the body where most disease-causing agents are combated or generated is, in fact, the intestinal tract. Any lymph edemas, or other kind of obstruction in this important part of the lymphatic system, can lead to potentially serious complications elsewhere in the body.

Figure 1: Cysterna chyli and thoracic duct
 

Wherever a lymph duct is obstructed, there is also an accumulation of lymph at a distance to the obstruction. Consequently, the lymph nodes located in such an area can no longer adequately neutralize or detoxify the following things: dead and live phagocytes and their ingested microbes, worn-out tissue cells, cells damaged by disease, products of fermentation, pesticides in food, inhaled or congested toxic particles, cells from malignant tumors, and the millions of cancer cells every healthy person generates each day. Incomplete destruction of these things can cause these lymph nodes to become inflamed, enlarged and congested with blood. Infected material may enter the blood stream, causing septic poisoning and acute illnesses. In most cases, though, the lymph blockage occurs slowly, without any symptoms other than swelling of the abdomen, hands, arms, feet, or ankles, or puffiness in the face and eyes. This is often referred to as ‘water retention,’ a precursor of chronic illness.

Continuous lymphatic obstruction usually leads to chronic conditions. Almost every chronic illness results from congestion in the cysterna chyli. Eventually, the thoracic duct, which drains the cysterna chyli, gets overburdened by the constant influx of toxic material and becomes clogged up, too. The thoracic duct is linked up with numerous other lymph ducts (see Figures 1 and 2) that empty their waste into the thoracic ‘sewage canal.’ Since the thoracic duct has to remove 85% of the body’s daily generated cellular waste and other toxic material, a blockage there causes back-flushing of waste into other, more distant parts of the body.

When the daily-generated metabolic waste and cellular debris are not removed from an area in the body for a certain period of time, symptoms of disease start manifesting. The following are but a few typical examples of illness indicators that result directly from chronic, localized lymph congestion:

Obesity, cysts in the uterus or ovaries, enlargement of the prostate gland, rheumatism in the joints, enlargement of the left half of the heart, congestive heart failure, congested bronchi and lungs, enlargement of the neck area, stiffness in the neck and shoulders, backaches, headaches, migraines, dizziness, vertigo, ringing in the ears, earaches, deafness, dandruff, frequent colds, sinusitis, hay fever, certain types of asthma, thyroid enlargement, eye diseases, poor vision, swelling in the breasts, breast cancer, kidney problems, lower back pains, swelling of the legs and ankles, scoliosis, brain disorders, memory loss, stomach trouble, enlarged spleen, irritable bowel syndrome, hernia, polyps in the colon, etc., etc.

The thoracic duct empties its contents into the left subclavian vein at the root of the neck. This vein enters the superior vena cava, which leads straight into the left side of the heart. In addition to blocking proper lymph drainage from these various organs or parts of the body, congestion in the cysterna chyli and thoracic duct permits toxic materials to be passed into the heart and heart arteries. This unduly stresses the heart. It also allows these toxins and disease-causing agents to enter the general circulation and spread to other parts of the body. There rarely is a disease that is not caused by lymphatic obstruction. Lymph blockage, in most cases, has its origin in a congested liver (the causes of gallstones in the liver are discussed in detail in The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush). In the extreme eventuality, lymphoma or cancer of the lymph may result, of which Hodgkin’s disease is the most common type.

When the circulatory system begins to malfunction as a result of gallstones in the liver, the endocrine system also becomes affected. The endocrine glands produce hormones that pass directly from the glandular cells into the blood stream, where they influence bodily activity, growth and nutrition. The glands most often affected by congestion are the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal cortex, ovaries, and testes. A more severely disrupted circulatory function leads to imbalanced hormone secretions by the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, and the pineal and pituitary glands.

Figure 2: Lymphatic system and lymph node
 

Blood congestion, which is characterized by thickening of the blood, prevents hormones from reaching their target places in the body in sufficient amounts and on time. Consequently, the glands go into hyper-secretion (overproduction) of hormones. When lymph drainage from the glands is inefficient, the glands, themselves, become congested. This brings about hypo-secretion (lack) of hormones. Diseases related to imbalances of the thyroid glands include toxic goiter, graves disease, cretinism, myxoedema, tumors of the thyroid, hypo-parathyroidism, which reduces calcium absorption and causes cataracts, as well as behavioral disorders and dementia. Poor calcium absorption, alone, is responsible for numerous diseases, including osteoporosis (loss of bone density). If circulatory problems disrupt secretion of balanced amounts of insulin in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans, diabetes results.

Gallstones in the liver can force the liver cells to cut down protein synthesis. Reduced protein synthesis, in turn, prompts the adrenal glands to overproduce cortisol, a hormone that stimulates protein synthesis. Too much cortisol in the blood gives rise to atrophy of lymphoid tissue and a depressed immune response, which is considered to be the leading cause of cancer and many other major illnesses. An imbalance in the secretion of adrenal hormones can cause a wide variety of disorders as it leads to weakened febrile response and diminished protein synthesis. Proteins are the major building blocks for tissue cells, hormones, etc. The liver is capable of producing many different hormones. Hormones determine how well the body grows and heals.

The liver also inhibits certain hormones, including insulin, glucagon, cortisol, aldosterone, thyroid and sex hormones. Gallstones in the liver impair this vital function, which may increase hormone concentrations in the blood. Hormone imbalance is a very serious condition and can easily occur when gallstones in the liver have disrupted major circulatory pathways that are also hormonal pathways.

Disease is naturally absent when blood and lymph flow is unhindered and normal. Both types of problems, circulatory and lymphatic, can be successfully eliminated through a series of liver cleanses and prevented by following a balanced diet and lifestyle.

Note 1:
Prescribed by doctors in Germany as a highly successful alternative to surgery for varicose veins, the herbal remedy horse chestnut seed, or conkers, is very effective in the treatment of heavy legs, hemorrhoids and cramps. In combination with cleansing of the liver, colon, and kidneys, conkers can lead to complete recovery.

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Disorders of the Digestive System

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By Andreas Moritz 

There are four main activities in the alimentary tract of our digestive system: Ingestion, Digestion, Absorption and Elimination.

The alimentary canal begins at the mouth, passes through the thorax, abdomen and pelvis region, and ends at the anus (see Figure 1). When food is ingested, a series of digestive processes begin to take place. These can be divided into the mechanical breakdown of food through mastication (chewing) and chemical breakdown of food through enzymes. These enzymes are present in the secretions produced by glands of the digestive system.

Figure 1: The digestive system
 

Enzymes are minute chemical substances that cause or speed up chemical changes in other substances without themselves being changed. Digestive enzymes are contained in the saliva of the salivary glands of the mouth, the gastric juice in the stomach, the intestinal juice in the small intestine, the pancreatic juice in the pancreas, and the bile in the liver.

Absorption is the process by which tiny nutrient particles of digested food pass through the intestinal walls into the blood and lymph vessels for distribution to the cells of the body. The bowels eliminate as feces whatever food substances cannot be digested or absorbed. Fecal matter also contains bile, which carries the waste products resulting from the breakdown (catabolism) of red blood cells. In addition, one third of the excreted waste is made up of intestinal bacteria. The body can only function smoothly and efficiently if the bowel removes the daily accumulating waste every day.

Health is the natural result of balanced functioning of each of these major activities in the digestive system. On the other hand, disease arises when one or more of these functions are impaired. The presence of gallstones in the liver and gallbladder has a strong disruptive influence on digestion and absorption of food, as well as on elimination of waste.

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Cleansing of the Small and Large Intestines Using Magnesium Oxide

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Cleansing of the Small and Large Intestines using Magnesium Oxide

This is a question with regards to colon cleansing and the question is, how long does it take for a complete cleanse of the small and large intestine using magnesium oxide? We are starting the liver and gall bladder cleanses as soon as we finish with the intestines.

Now, I have repeatedly stated that there are various methods of colon cleansing that I promote and the foremost method would be colon hydrotherapy or colema using a colema board, followed by two to three back to back water enemas using about a liter or two liters, quart to two quarts of water at a time, and the reason for that is because water has been shown to soften up thicker matter, crusted matter, when you put it in through the anus, up the rectum, all the way up to the transverse colon and then into the ascending colon so if the water reaches the entire colon, then it can clean it out very quickly in a matter of forty-five minutes to an hour. And this is certainly the preferred method in relation to doing liver and gall bladder flushes and this is the fastest way too. Any other method can take a  long, long time.

Using magnesium oxides like colosan and oxy-powder that is an oral cleanser, it particularly works on the small intestine but also on the large intestine and, it breaks down thicker matter gradually, over a period of time, but it is very difficult to predict how long that will be because, it depends on how much has been accumulated in terms of undigested food, fecal matter, crusted bits and pieces, a film of mucus that may have been there for a long-long time, so, for magnesium oxides to act on these fecal deposits it is pretty much unpredictable.

So for, a person who is doing a liver flush, I would suggest, do either a colon hydrotherapy, a colema, or two to three back to back water enemas rather than doing several weeks of using colosan or oxy powder which are magnesium oxides. So, sometimes one notices when your colon is clean, you feel very flat and empty there, that is typically a sign that you are ready for doing the liver flush. But, once again, you can achieve that within a matter of forty-five minutes, much more quickly, it is more easy going and  it is not very unpleasant either. Having to take colosan or oxy-powder for a long, long time you will develop liquid stools, diarrhea-like releases that are not as pleasant as doing like one colonic or one colema. Before  a liver flush, ideally on the day of the liver flush, and once again two to three days after the liver flush, to get rid of any stones that may have accumulated in the colon during the time of the flushing which tends to happen, so when you do colosan or oxy-powder that does not remove any stones that remain in the colon following a liver flush. So, I strongly recommend that you do not use magnesium oxides for that purpose, but to use the wash out as available through a colon hydrotherapy or colema, or if that is not available, a couple of enemas.

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Knowing Your Body Type + Why Garlic and Onion are Bad for You

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Knowing your body type and why garlic and onion are bad 

This is a question from Matt Leslie and, he is reading through my book “TIMELESS SECRETS OF HEALTH AND REJUVENATION” and he was hoping I would help him to answer a couple of questions. The first one is: How do you know your body type? I find it that I posses qualities from each of the types. None seems to fit better than the others? And this is a question that I personally probably would not be able to answer directly, to tell you what body type you are, without getting a good image of you and knowing a couple of more details about you personally . A good ayurvedic physician would be able to determine which, what, body type you are.

The thing is that oftentimes we get confused over what kind of body type we are ‘Vata’, ‘Pitta’ or ‘Kapha’ or, what combination thereof, because, we do not quite understand the symptoms that we are concerned with. For example, a person with a vata-pitta body type, that means there is more vata in him than the pitta, the person may have diarrhea for some reason, loose stools, and he thinks that he is a pitta type. In reality he is  a vata type with a pitta imbalance.

So the imbalance is stronger than the actual body type characteristics. So in that case he will have to deal with the pitta imbalance first and once that has been corrected then you will, the person will, recognize himself as a vatha body type. That means vatha is dominating and pitha is secondary. likewise a person who has a, for example a vatha- kapha person, where vata and kapha are seem to be pronounced very strongly that the person suffers from constipation on the one hand, and also from sinus congestion and mucus aggravation in the throat and the chest. So the person being a vata-kapha type, has a kapha imbalance perhaps and by dealing with the kapha imbalance, simply by reducing certain kapha increasing foods or mucus aggravating foods like ice-cream and sugar and dairy products, then, the person would have a more clearer idea of what body type he really is.

So once the symptom of imbalance has been removed, then the person will know what body type he is. And this applies to you as well. So I would suggest you deal with the underlying issues or conditions that you are having, and then when you will do the test again you will find that it becomes much more clear what body type you actually are.

The second question deals with raw garlic and raw onion.

In the book I mentioned that they are not very good for human consumption. You are saying that you squeeze raw garlic on every salad that you eat. Garlic is actually a poison, that is why the Italians soldiers who were not very good shooters during World War II, they were not very good at aiming at the enemy, they were putting, smearing garlic on the bullets that they put in their guns and then, they shot at the enemy and hopefully they hit the enemy somewhere, maybe at the leg, and the enemy soldiers died simply by the garlic entering the blood stream and killing the person. So garlic is a very-very strong toxin and that’s why it can kill a lot germs, bacteria and fungi. So this is something that gives rise to some benefits for the time being.

I am not a great fan of killing germs because you leaving behind a huge number, billions of, corpses of dead bacteria that you then need to dispose of, which can then attract other bacteria into the body that were not designed to come in. So it a double edged sword. I personally do not want to expose my body to a strong toxin like raw onion and raw garlic. If you cook them, then the toxicity is reduced by a great deal.

So I would recommend that if you do want them then, do not eat it raw, but cook them. Otherwise there are studies now to show that garlic, in fact, can destroy brain cells and it can also burn little holes into the intestinal wall. So it can burn. You eat raw garlic and it burns your throat. It has an inflammation inducing effect if there is too much close contact with some of the delicate lining of the intestine. So I personally recommend, particularly, for people who have digestive problems who may suffer from a condition called  leaky blood where these kind of toxins can enter the blood stream and can cause problems elsewhere in the body.

The third question that you raised is related to Candida, why would fermented cabbage be bad for you?

This is in relation to, again, people who suffer, who are of a particular body type, who suffer from a pitta imbalance. Pitta people, or people suffering from a pitta imbalance, do not benefit from fermented foods which are very sour and, the sour taste can impact the immune system and reduce their ability to digest food. So for them taking fermented foods including vinegar, can have a detrimental effect.

So once again it depends on who you are. If you are a vata type who in addition suffers from constipation then yes, I do not have a problem recommending fermented cabbage because it will help to open up the bowel and help to increase the population of probiotic bacteria. So if you have had any benefit from eating fermented cabbage, by all means go for it; as long as you feel good, it will do you good. But if a person is a pitta type, it is unlikely that you would feel good and you would start getting loose stools and feel that there is something that is not quite right, you might feel bloated, gassy and, in fact, this is the case then I would certainly recommend not taking fermented food.

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