Playalsoencompassesthefieldofentertainment.Nearlyeveryculturehasmadeuseofthisaspectofplaytopassonimportantmoral,spiritual,orculturallessonstoupcominggenerations,oftenin
theformsoftraditionalsongs,dances,poetry,orstories.Whileyou
arebeingentertained,youareusuallyinamorerelaxedframeofmind,detachedfromyourworriesandproblems.Atthesetimes,deepemotionscanoftenbestirredupandreleased,causinglaughter
96 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
ortears.Again,thesedeepemotionalresponsestriggerthereleaseofbeneficialhormonesandchemicalsthatserveaspowerfulstimulants
foryourhealingsystem.Liveeventssuchasconcerts,plays,orsport
ingeventscarryanaddedbenefitofcreatingintimacyandafeeling
ofbelongingtoalargercommunityasyoushareacollective,live
energythatoccurswhenpeoplearegatheredtogethertofocusona
commongoaloractivity.Thissenseofcommunitycanhelpcombat
thefeelingsofisolationandlonelinessthatoftenplaguepeoplewho
arestrugglingwithhealthissues,lendingfurthersupporttothe
workofthehealingsystem.Creativityisanotherimportantaspectofplay.Pursuinghobbies,includingthearts,music,singing,dancing,painting,writing,orparticipatinginanyoneofanumberofotheractivitiesinvolvingthe
useofyourhandsandyourmoreartisticsidecanalsobeawayofstrengtheningandforti~ingyourhealingsystem.Manypeoplehave
overcomelife-threateninghealthconditionsbybecominginvolved
increativeprojectsthatweredeeplypersonal,meaningful,andfun
forthem.Infact,havingyourcreativitystifledisnowconsideredamajorriskfactorforcontracting achronicdisease.Cultivatingthecreativeaspectofyourspiritandremembering
todevelopalight-heartedattitudethatfostersaspiritofplayisimportant.Fromahealthperspective,playneedstobeanintegral
partofyourdailylife.Playcanstrengthenyourbasicnaturalenergyandactivateimportantinternalmechanismsofrepairandrecoverythatareanessentialpartofyourhealingsystem. BalancingYourWorkandPlay
Bothworkandplayareequallyimportant,butbalancingtheseimportantactivitiesinyourlifeisessential.Meaningfulworkletsyouprovideforyourfamilyandyourpersonalneeds.Italsoliftsyourself-esteem,helpsdefine
yoursenseofpurpose,andprovidesyouwithanopportunitytogiveback
totheworld.Playkeepsyouinacarefree,lovingframeofmind,connected
toyourheart,andfocusedinthepresent.Playrelaxesyourbody,mind,and
nervoussystem.Maintaining aproperbalancebetweenworkandplay
StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem 97
enablesyoutoexperiencealltheseaspectsoflife,whichhelpstostrengthen
andfortifyyourhealingsystem.Bothworkandplayareimportant,andboth
needtobeweighedandbalancedwitheachother. HealingSystemRx#9:DevelopEffectiveSocialSkills
Sinceantiquity,peoplehavelivedtogetherinfamilies,clans,tribes,
andcommunitiestoorganizethemselves,andtonurtureandcare
foreachother.Likebeesandants,humansarealsosocialcreatures. Wedependoneachothertomakeourlivesmeaningful.Studiesshowthatgoodsocialskillsstrengthenandfortifyourhealingsystems,andthatlivingalonelyandisolatedlifecanbeharmfultothosesystems.Manypeoplewithseriousillnesseshavereportedsignificantimprovementintheirhealthwhentheyimprovetheirsocializingskills.Theseactivitieshaveincludedvisitingwithfriends,orparticipatinginsomekindofvolunteercommunity-supportwork,either
ataday-carecenter,aseniorcenter,ahospital,orsomeotherchari
tableorganization.Well-knowndoctorandauthorDr.BernieSiegeltellsastoryto
helpillustratethispoint.HetellsofaspecialpasshegotfromGod
tovisitbothHeavenandHell.InHell,hesawmanybowlsofhot,steamingsoupbeingservedwithlong-neckedspoons.Thissoupdidn’tlooktoobaduntilherealizedthatthehungrypeopleinHell
wereunabletofeedthemselvesbecausethenecksoftheirspoons
weretoolong,andtheykeptmissingtheirmouthswiththespoonfulsofsoup.WhenhegottoHeaven,hewassurprisedtoseethe
samebowlsofsoupandthesamelong-neckedspoons.However,
uponcloserobservation,hesawthatthepeopleinHeavenhadlearnedtoplacethespoonsineachothers’mouths,sothateveryone
gotfed.Fosteringaspiritofcooperationandsharingbybuildinganddevelopingstrongsocialtieshasbeenscientificallyproventoimprovesurvival.Becauseofthepowerfulbiochemicaleffectthatemotionsexertonyourhealingsystem,manystudiesarenowshow
ingthatpeoplewithinadequatesocialsupportwhoarelonelyandsociallyisolatedareatriskfordevelopingserious,life-threatening
98 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
physicaldiseases.AccordingtotheresearchofheartspecialistDr. DeanOrnish,socialisolationandalackofintimacyareconsidered
topriskfactorsforthedevelopmentofheartdisease,thenumber-
onekillerintheWesternworld.Goodsocialskillsbeginwithfamilyandareusuallylearnedinchildhood.However,asthedivorceratecontinuestosoar,andmanyfamiliesarebrokenapart,itisclearthatmanypeoplewillhavetoreachoutbeyondtheirfamiliestotheirfriends,colleagues,coworkers,
andotherstogetthesupporttheyneedtoremainhealthy.Doingso
canstrengthentheirhealingsystemsandcanhelptopreventphysicalillnessesassociatedwithalackofsocialsupportandintimacy~Animalsarealsocapableofgivingandreceivingunconditional
loveand,aspets,canserveasanimportantformofsocialsupport
tothosewhomayotherwisebeisolatedfromfamilyorfriends.Seniorcitizenslivingalonewhohavepetshavebeenshowntobeatmuchlowerriskfordevelopingheartdiseaseandotherseriousill
nessesthanthosewhodonothavepetsandarelivingwithsimilarhealthconditions.Developingeffectivesocialskillsallowsyoutofeelsupported
andconnectedtoothers.Knowingthatyourlifecounts,thatyouareimportanttoothers,thatyoumakeadifference,andthatyouhave
apurposeforbeingherecreateuplifting,inspiring,life-affirmingemotionsthathelptostrengthenandnourishyourhealingsystem. HealingSystemRx#10:UtilizeNaturalElementsThatSupportYourHealingSystem
Yourbodyis’linkedtotheworldofnatureandisdependentoncertain
keynaturalelements,includingair,sun,water,andthevariousminer
alsandnutrientsoftheearth,foritsverysurvival.Ancientphysicians
andhealersunderstoodthisbasicprincipleofhealthandhealing.Of
course,nowthatourmedicalsciencehasadvancedconsiderably,we
havelearnedagreatdealmoreaboutthesenaturalelementsandthecomplexwaysinwhichweinteractwiththem.Andcontrarytowhat
wemightexpect,withallofthetechnologicaladvancesofmodernmedicine,theimportanceofourrelationshipwiththesenaturalele
mentstoourhealthandhealinghasonlyincreased.Naturalelementsthatarecriticaltothesurvivalofyourbody
canalsoserveaspowerfultherapeuticagentsandmedicinesthataid
StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem 99
andsupportyourhealingsystemwhenyouareill.Andusedpreventively,thesenaturalelementscanhelptokeep,youhealthyformany
yearstocome.Understandingandmakingintelligentuseofthesecommonresourcesfromnaturecansignificantlystrengthenandfor
tifyyourhealingsystem. Air
Asyouprobablyknow,theairyoubreathecontainsthevitalelement
ofoxygen,whichnourishesandenergizeseverycellandtissuein
yourbodyandisanessentialingredienttoyourhealingsystemand
youroverallstateofhealth.OxygenissoimportantthatitisthefirstmedicalagentadministeredtoacriticallyillorInjuredperson,whethertheconditionisaheartattack,agunshotwound,oranyotherseriouslife-threateningemergency.Oxygenisroutinelystored
forthispurposeinambulancesandinallhospitalemergencyrooms,operatingrooms,andintensive-careunits.Good,clean,freshair,characteristicallyfoundinparticularplacesintheworld,canhavelife-enhancingeffectsonaperson’shealth.Thisfactisreflectedinbetterhealthstatisticsforthoseplaces.Generally,youcanfindbetterqualityairwherethereislessindustryandlesspollution,andwheresteadybreezes,amplewater,vegetation,andmountainsorhillyterrainhelptopurify,filter,andincreasethequalityofthe,airyoubreathe.Heavilyforestedareasusuallyhaveexcellentairqualitybecauseofthevblurninousoxygen
somanytreesproduce.Yourbodyandyourhealingsystemdeservethebestairyoucanfind.Ifyoufindyourselfindoorsorinanyenvironmentwithcompromisedairquality,walkoutsideorgotoanotherplacewherethere
isgoodair.Ifyouarecurrentlybattlinganqlnessorareseekingtoimprovethequalityofyourhealth,paycloseattentiontothequal
ityoftheairyouregularlybreathe~Fresh,outdoorairisalmostalwayspreferabletoindoorair,whichcanbecomestaleandstagnant,andwhichtendstoattractmold,dust,anddustmites.Indooraircanalsoplayhosttotoxicfumes,vapors,andotherchemicalaerosolirritantswhich,ifventila
tionispoor,canaccumulateandconcentrate.Fortunately,manyindoorfilters,purifiers,andhumidifiersarenowavailabletoimprovethequalityoftheindoorairyoubreathe. 104 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
applicationsofheatandthemechanismsbywhichheatprovidesnaturalsupportforyourbody’shealingsystem:
nHeatingpadcrelaxmusclesandimprovebloodflow,improveoxygenationoftissues,andhelpreduceswelling.Heatingpads
areeffectiveinthetreatmentofbackpain,musclestrainsand
spasms,jointinjuries,arthritis,andmanyotherconditions. cHotwaterbottlesworkasheatingpadsdoandareusedinsimilarconditions,includingabdominalpain,gas,andconstipation. oHotfootbathskeepthefeetwarmandimprovebloodflowtothe
neckandchestarea.Theyalsoareeffectiveandhelpfulinthetreatmentofrespiratorydiseases. oHotcompressesreduceswellingandhelpdrawtoxinsoutofaffectedareas.Theyhelpimprovebloodflowtotheareabeingcompressed,andtheycanbeveryeffectiveinthetreatmentofabscesses,boils,andotherskininfectionsandhealthconditions. cJHotwater,teas,andbrothsrelievecongestionofmucousmembranes.Theseliquidsareofteneffectiveinthetreatmentofthroatinfections,sinusandnasalcongestion,bronchitis,andotherrespiratoryinfections.Theycanalsohelptorelaxandsootheyourcolonandintestines,whichaidsdigestionandelimination. oHotshowersopenandcleanporesoftheskin,helpingtoelimi
natetoxinswhileremovingbacteriafromskinsurfaces. oHotbathsrelaxandimprovebloodflowtosoreorinjuredmus
cles.Theyarehelpfulforbackpain,musclepain,painfuljoints,
andneuromuscularinjuries. oSaunasutilizeheattoinducesweatingandeliminatetoxinsfrom
thebody. oSteambathsbreakupphlegmandmucousintherespiratory
tract.Theyalsorelievecongestionandhelptoeliminatetoxins
fromthebody. oJacuzzisprovideahot-watermassagetoachingjointsandmus
cles. oInfraredheatrelievespainofmuscleinjuries,strains,sprains,bruises,andtendonitis. StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem105
Note:Inusingheatofanykind,itisimportanttoremembernottooverdoitandburnyourbody. Water
Wateristhemostcommonlyfoundsubstanceinallbiosystemsandarguablythemostimportantofallnaturalelements.Waterissoessentialandintegraltolifethatscientistsexploringotherplanets
willfirstlookforsignsofwaterbeforetheydeclarethepossibilitythatlifeexistsormayhaveexistedonthatplanet.Youcanfurtherappreciatetheimportanceofwaterwhenyouconsiderthatitisthedominantelementinyourbody,constitutingabout70percentbyweightandvolume—notsurprisingly,aboutthesamepercentageof
waterthesurfaceoftheearthcontains. Wecanlookuponwater,knownastheuniversalsolvent,not
onlyasanessentialnutrientforourhealingsystems,butalsoasatherapeuticagentandmedicine.Inadditiontokeepingourbodieshealthy,waterisalmostalwaysrequiredinabundantamountsasasupportforourhealingsystemswhenillnessordiseasesetsin.Maintainingadequatewaterintakeisoneofthesimplestand
mostpowerfulwaystoensuregoodhealthandrapidrecoveryfromillnessorinjury.Inadequatewaterintakecanhampertheperform
anceofyourhealingsystemandleadtodehydration,congestion,stagnation,obstruction,infection,anddisease.Youcandeterminewhetheryouaregettingenoughwaterbymonitoringthecolorof
yoururine.Darkyellowurine,whichoccurswhenyourbodyistryingtoconservewater,invariablymeansthatyourbodyislowonfluids.Clearurine,liketapwater,orverylightyellowurine,usuallyindicatesadequatewaterintake.Ifyouaretakingcertainvitamins,suchastheBandCvitamins,yoururinecanbeartificiallydiscol
ored;inthissituation,monitoringwhetherornotyouaregettingenoughwatermaybedifficult.Also,becauseyoururinetendstobe
moreconcentratedwhenyousleep,itisusuallydarkerfirstthingin
themorning.Whenyouareill,increasingyourwaterintakeisimportant,to
helpimprovetheflowoffluidsinandoutofyourbody.Theseextrafluidsassistyourbody’shealingsystemtoeliminatetoxins,which
areincreasedduringperiodsofillness.Manyillnessesresponddramaticallyifyoudrinkonlywaterfor48hoursormore.Ihave
106 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
personallyseencasesofmanydiseases,includingrespiratorycondi
tions,gastroenteritis,gallbladderdisease,gout,Crohn’sdisease,and
manyothersdramaticallyimprovebyfollowingthismethod.Theimportanceofdrinkingplentyofwaterdailycannotbeoverstated. Inadditiontodrinkingwater,youcanalsoemploywaterin
manyotherwaysasanaturalandvaluablesupportforyourhealingsystem.Infact,inChinesemedicineandtheancientmedicalsys
temsofIndia,uniqueandspecificinternalcleansingtechniquesemploytheuseofwatertohelpremoveblockagesandrestorehealth
toparticularareas.IntheWest,waterhasalsobeenusedeffectively
innasaldouches,enemas,nebulizers,hotcompresses,fomentations,
Sitzbaths,andsimplesoaking. MineralsoftheEarthandYourHealingSystem
Thescienceofnutritionexaminesfoodsourcesderivedfromtheearthand
theirbiochemicalimpactonthehealthofthehumanbody.Proteins,carbohydrates,fats,vitamins,minerals,andtraceelementsareallderivativesofthe
naturalelementsaroundyou,withoutwhichyoucouldnotlive.Scientificdiscoveriesarenowrevealingthatnearlyeverysinglemineralelementfoundin
theearth’scrustandcore,fromarsenictomolybdenum,hasbeendiscovered
withinthehumanbodyinminutequantities.Thesemineralsarenotinciden
talcontaminants;rather,controlledstudieshavedeterminedthattheyareessentialtothebody’shealth. Manyofthesevitalmineralelementsplaycriticalroleswithinyourbody’sinternalenvironment,functioningaselectricallychargedchemicals
knownaseIectro~’tes.Someofthemorewellknownoftheseelements
includesodium,potassium,magnesium,calcium,andphosphorous.Electrolytesplayimportantrolesinsupportingyourhealingsystem,and
theyparticipateinsuchdiversefunctionsasthebeatingofyourheart,regulationofthebody’sfluidlevels,kidneyfunction,brainfunctionandthetransmissionofnerveimpulses,boneformation,andmanymore.Anydisturbance
intheintricatebalanceofthesemineralsdisruptstheflowofelectricityand
thetransmissionofelectricalimpulsesinyourbody,whichoftencauses
seriousillness,andpossiblydeath.Thesemineralelectrolytesaresoimpor
tantthattheyareroutinelymeasuredandmonitoredintheblood24hours
inpatientsadmittedtotheintensive-careunftsofallm~orhospitals. StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem107
Salt
Saltisabundantinseawaterandfoundthroughoutnature.There
aremanydifferenttypesofsaltsthroughouttheworldthatconsist
ofvariouscombinationsofminerals.However,commontablesalt,whichconsistsofsodiumandchlorideandisusedincookingandas
aseasoning,isthemostwell-known,mostwidelydistributed,andbiologicallymostimportantsalt.Saltconsistingofsodiumandchlo
rideisanessentialnaturalingredientinalllivingsystems. Inadditiontothenecessityforacertainamountofdietarysaltintake,saltisalsoavaluablenaturalsupportforyourhealingsystem.Sodiumandchloridearearguablythemostimportantelectrolytesin
yourbody,andtheyplayakeyroleinthefunctioningofyourheal
ingsystem.Saltalsohasimportanttherapeuticapplicationsinboth
thepreventionandtreatmentofvariousconditionsandillnesses.Becauseofitsabilitytoabsorbwateranddrawfluidout,itspreservativeeffect,anditsabilitytokillbacteriaandotherharmfulmicroorganisms,humanshavereliedonsaltforcenturiesasavalu
ableaidincuringandpreventinginfections.Learningtoworkwith
saltisasafeandeffective,simpleyetpowerfulwaytoassistthework
ofyourhealingsystem.Thefollowinglistisasmallexampleofhowsaltcanassistyourhealingsystem:
~Saltpacks,saltsoaks,andsaltfomentationsareappliedexternally
tointactskinwithwarmwatertohelpdrawoutunwantedfluids,swelling,andtoxinsfromvariousskinandsoft-tissueinfections,includingcarbuncles,furuncles,cysts,andabscesses. ~Saltwateralsocanbetakeninternallyasanaidinvariousforms
ofintestinalcleansing,topreventandassistinthetreatmentof
foodpoisoning,diarrhea,andnauseaandvomiting.(Note:‘Whentakeninternally,saltwatermustbeusedunderqualifiedmedicalsupervision.) ~Salt-watergarglescanbeveryeffectiveintreatingpharyngitis,
sorethroats,andtonsillitis. *Salt-waternosedrops,ortheuseofsalt-waternasaldouches,can
beextremelyeffectiveinthetreatmentofnasalallergies,hayfever,rhinitis,colds,congestion,andsinusinfections. 108 YourExtraordrnaryHealingSystem
oNebulizedsalineisanotherformofsaltwateremployedasaneffectiveaerosolsprayusedinthetreatmentofasthmaandotherrespiratoryconditions. Clay
Thetherapeuticuseofclayasanaturalsupportforthehealingsystemamongtraditionalindigenousculturesiswelldocumented.Pharmaceutical-gradeclay,anaturallyoccurringsubstancesome
timesreferredtoasbentonite,isreadilyavailableatmostdrugorhealthfoodstores.Appliedtotheskinasapaste,clayworkswellas
anaturaldrawingagent.Inadditiontoitsabilitytodrawofftoxins
andreduceswellingfrominfections,clayworkswithyourhealingsystembysupplyingvaluabletraceelementsandmineralsthatareabsorbedintothebodyinminutebutsignificantquantities.Clayapplicationscanspeedthehealingofinsectbites,boils,abscesses,
andmanyotherskinconditions;itcanbeusedaloneorincombinationwithothersubstances,suchasaloe,saltsoaks,orgingercompresses.Clayisgentle,safe,andeffective,evenindifficultcases. Clayalsocanbetakeninternallyasanintestinalpurifiertohelpabsorbtoxinsfromtheintestines;ithasbeenemployedlikethisinEuropeanfolkmedicineforcenturiesasawaytoimprovecolonhealthandregulatebowelfunction. PlantsandHerbsandYourHealingSystemThroughouttheages,manhasreliedonthehealingpropertiesofvariousplantsandherbs.Andalthoughmostdoctorsinmoderncountrieshavecometorelyonmedicinesderivedfromsyntheticpharmaceuticalcompounds,theuseofplantsandherbshasexperiencedadramaticcomebackinWesternsocietiesinrecentyears.Herbsandplants,whenusedwithintelligenceanddiscretion,can
helpstrengthenandfortif~ryourhealingsystem.Manyofthesenaturalmedicineshaveproventrackrecordsin
othercountries,includingChina,Japan,andIndia.Evenuntil
recenttimesinourownWesternmedicine,botany,whichisthestudyofplants,wasarequiredcourseinmostmedicalschools.In
fact,manymoderndrugsandmedicineshavetheiroriginsinthenaturalworldofplants. StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem109
Hereareafewofthemostcommonplantsandherbsthatareeffectiveinsupportingyourhealingsystem:
r~Aloegrowslikeasucculentcactus.Itsleavescontainaclearliquidgelthathashealingandantisepticqualities.Aloecanbeappliedtopicallytoburns,cuts,scrapes,skininfections,andotherinjuriesinwhichtherawsurfacesofskinhavebeenexposed.Aloehelpsnotoniytofightandpreventinfectionbut
alsotoaidtheactualhealingprocess.Itissafeandgentle,andit
canevenbetakeninternallyinlimitedquantitiestohelphealulcersinthemouth,stomach,andintestines. t~AshwagandaisatraditionalherbalremedyfromIndiathathas
beenusedforthousandsofyearsasatonicandtoenhancenat
uralhostresistancefactors.Ashwagandacanbetakenlongterm
toincreaseone’sstaminaandstrength. r~AstragalusisanancientplantmedicinefromChina.Itisusedtobolsterdefensesandappearstobeespeciallyeffectiveforrespiratoryillnesses. t~Bilberryaidsinwoundhealingandisespeciallyeffectiveinassistingthehealingsystemrepairdamagedonetosmall,fragilebloodvessels,particularlythoseoftheeyesandkidneys.Bilbérry
mayalsobeeffectiveintreatingcertaintypesofmaculardegenerationandothereyediseases,tracebloodintheurine,aswell
asvenousinsufficiencyandvaricoseveins. ~Comfreyisknownas“knitbone”inAmericanandEuropeanfolkmedicineforitsabilitytoexpeditethehealingoffractures.Comfreyalsoaidsinhealingwoundsoftheskin,mucousmembranes,respiratorysystem,andintestines.Itcanbeappliedexternallyasapoulticeortakeninternally.Theleavesorrootsof
thisplantcanbeused,althoughtherootsarenotrecommended
forinternaluse. ~DongQuaiisaChinesemedicineusedtosupportthehealthof
thefemalereproductivesystem,andithasbecomeincreasinglypopularintheWest.Itisoftenusedtohelpalleviatemenstrual
crampsandbalanceestrogenmetabolism. r~Echinaceaisapopularherbcommonlyusedintheearlystages
110 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
ofmildrespiratoryinfections;itmayalsobehelpfulinwoundhealingandotherconditions. oGarlicisusedasabloodpurifier.Manypeopleclaimto
haveloweredtheirbloodpressurewithgarlic.Usedinsoups,
itisofteneffectiveforthetreatmentofacoldorrespiratoryinfection. oGingerisarootthatcanbegratedandusedfresh,ordriedorpowdered.Itcanalsobeusedintheformofatea.Gingerhelps
tocreateheatinthebody.Itisofferedonseavoyagesasstan
dardfaretosoothethestomachandhelppreventmotionsickness.Asatea,gingerisveryeffectiveincasesofpharyngitis
andtonsillitis.Itcanoftencurtailthespreadofstrepthroatif
theillnessiscaughtinitsearlierstages.Gingercanalsobeappliedtotheskinintheformofapoultice;ithelpstodrawouttoxinsincasesofskinandsoft-tissueinfections. oGingkoisderivedfromoneoftheoldestlivingplantsontheearth.GingkohasbeenusedinOrientalmedicineforcenturies,
andevenWesternscientificresearchhasverifiedthatitcanimprovebloodflowtothebrain,increasingmemoryandmentalalertness,andeveneyesight.Thisherbisalsousedinthetreat
mentoftinnitus,migraineheadaches,vertigo,andasapossible
agentinstrokeprevention.ItmayalsoprovehelpfulincasesofAlzheimer’sdisease. oGinsengisatonicherbtraditionallyvaluedintheOrientforitsabilitytoprolonglife,increaseenergyinthebody,andimprovesexualstamina.Somestudiessuggestthatginsengmayimprove
thehealthofthenervoussystem,aswellascardiacfunctionin
theelderly,byincreasingthetoneandcontractilityofheartmuscles. oGuggalcomesfromatreeresinthatgrowsinIndia.Ithasbeen
usedforcenturiestohelpreduceweight.Studieshavealsoshownguggaltobeeffectiveinloweringcholesterol. oKavarootisatraditionalmedicinefromPolynesiathathelpsrelaxthenerves.Itisusedasamusclerelaxantandformildcases
ofinsomniaandanxiety.Kavarootalsocanbeusefulforback
paincausedbymusclespasms.Becauseitcaninducedrowsi
StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem 111
ness,Kavarootshouldnotbeusedwhenyouaredrivingoroperatingmechanicalequipment. ~Milkthistlehelpstosupportthehealthoftheliver.Manypatientswithelevatedliverenzymesresultingfromchronichepatitisandotherliverconditionshavereportedsignificantimprovementintheirsymptomsandlaboratoryreadingsof
theirliverenzymesaftertheyhavetakenmilkthistleforseveralmonths.Themechanismsbywhichmilkthistlesupportsand
healstheliverisstillunknown,yetagrowingnumberofconventionallytrainedliverspecialistsarenowrecommendingitto
someoftheirpatients. ~NeemcomesfromtheleavesoftheNeemtreeinIndia,whichis
thetraditionalfoodeatenbycamels.NeemisusedinAyurvedicmedicinefromIndiaasapowerfulbloodpurifier. St.John’swortiswidelyprescribedinEuropeasanantidepres
sant.Youmightneedtotakethisherbforseveralweekstonoticeitseffects,andyoushouldnottakeitwithanyotherconventionalpsychiatricmedication.Byitself,St.John’swortisgenerallyquitesafeandofteneffective. *Thrmericcomesfromthegingerfamily.Thedried,powdered
rootisthepartoftheplantmostoftenused.Turmericgives
currypowderitscharacteristicyellowcolor.Turmericappliedto
theskinasapasteisofteneffectiveinavarietyofskindisorders.Takeninternally,ithelpstoimprovethehealthoftheliverand
eyes.Italsoisnowbeingusedasanadjunctinthetreatmentandpreventionofcertaincancersandliverdisease. *Valerianhasbeenusedinfolkmedicineasanaidtoanxietyandinsomnia,anditisquiteeffectiveinmildcasesofthesecondi
tions.Valerianisalsosometimesrecommended asagentlemusclerelaxant. Manynaturalmedicinesarequitepotent,soitisimportantto
becarefulthattheydonotconflictwithanyothermedicineyouarecurrentlytaking.Aswithanynewsubstanceyoutakeintoyourbody,ifyouexperienceuntowardeffects,discontinueitsuseand
seektheadviceofaqualifiedhealthprofessionalforfurtherrecommendations. 112 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
ClosingThoughtsonStrengthening
andFortifyingYourHealingSystem
Intime,fallingraindropscarvedeepcanyonsandvalleysoutofmountains.Addedtoothergrainsofsand,atinygrainofsandcanmakealargebeachorvastdesert.Similarly,individualhealthfactors,whichmayseeminsignificantandunworthyofourattentionwhenconsideredalone,formtheveryfoundationforstrengthening,fortifying,andactivatingyourhealingsystemwhentheyareaddedtogether.Incombination,thesefactorsalsocansubstantiallyimprove
youroverallhealthandthequalityofyourlife.Thesefactorsincludelisteningtoyourbody;payingattentiontoyourpersonalhygiene;maintaining ahealthydiet;doingregularexercise,stretching,and
stressmanagement;balancingworkandplay;developinggoodsocialskills;andincorporatinghealthynaturalelementsintoyourdailyroutine,suchasdrinkingplentyofwater,breathingfreshair,gettingadequatesunshine,andusingnaturalherbsandmineralswhenappropriate. Inthenextchapter,wewilllookmorecloselyatthecriticalrole
dietandnutritionplayinstrengtheningandfortifyingyourhealingsystem.Byfollowingafewsimpledietaryandnutritionalguidelines,
youwillnotonlygreatlyimproveyouroverallhealth,butyou’llalso
gainthemaximumbenefitsfromyourextraordinaryhealingsystem. CHAPTER5
FuelingYourHealingSystem
igh-performancemachines,fromracingcarstorocketships,
allrequirespecializedfuelstomakethemgo.Yourbodyisnodifferent.Infact,yourbodyisthegreatestofallhigh-performancemachinesonthisearth,createdtolastupto100yearsormore.Yourbodyisanengineeringmasterpieceofnature,morecomplex,sophisticated,durable,andintelligentthananythingevercraftedbyman. Yourbodyisadaptabletoavarietyofclimates,environments,and
lifesituations,capableofmovinginaninfinitenumberofways,and
ofenduringandsurvivingconditionsofextremehardshipanddeprivation. Asyoualreadyknow,yourbodyhasbeendesignedwithsuch
skill,precision,andexpertisethatitcomesequippedwithitsownhealingsystem.Thisextraordinarysystemisself-contained,self-monitoring,andhighlyintelligent,andiscapableofsupervisingandinitiatingmechanismsofrepair,restoration,andrecoveryfromahugeassortmentofillnesses,injuries,andinsults.Toaccomplishthesetasks,yourhealingsystemmobilizesspecializedcellsandstimulatespowerfulbiochemicalreactionsthatcanrapidlymenddamagedtissueswhenyouareillorinjured.Italsomaintainsabalancedandhighlyorderednaturalstate0fhealthwhenyouarenot
sickorinjured.Noothermachineonthisearthcanboastofsucha
114 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
system.Andjustaswithanyotherhigh-performancemachine,yourhealingsystemperformsbestwhenitreceivesspecial,high-perform
ancefuel.Thefuelyourhealingsystemrequiresiswholesome,nutritiousfood. AWholesomeDietforaStrongHealingSystem
Thebestwaytokeepyourhealingsystemstrongistoeatabalanced,wholesome,simple,naturaldiet.Suchadietconsistsofawell-roundedblendofallessentialnutrients.Thesenutrientsincludeadequateamountsofproteins,fats,carbohydrates,vitamins,miner
als,traceelements,fiber,fluids,andothervitalnutrientssuchasphytochemicals(specialhealth-promotingmoleculesfoundinfruits
andvegetables).Yourdailyrequirementsofthesesubstanceswill
varyaccordingtowhereyoulive,whatyoudo,andyourbasicmetabolicrequirements. TheBestFuelforYourHealingSystem
Fruits,vegetables,grains,legumes,nuts,andseedsprovidethepurestenergy
sourceforyourhealingsystem,andthesefoodsareessentialforstrengthen
ingandfortifyingthismostimportantsysteminyourbody.Inaddition,fruits,vegetables,grains,legumes,nuts,andseeds
0Constitutethenutritionalfoundationformostothermammals,including
thosewithmuchlargermusclemassthanhumans.Ourprimatecousins,includinggorillas,chimpanzees,orangutans,baboons,andmonkeys,also
eatfoodsalmostexclusivelyfromthesecategories. OAregenerallyeasiertodigestthanmostfleshfoods,and,again,represent
thepurestenergysourceforthemetabolicdemandsofyourhealingsys
tem. OAreloweronthefoodchainandcontainfarfewertoxinsandenviron
mentalpollutantsthanmostfoodsthatarederivedfromthefleshof
otheranimals. OTakelesstimetocook,andaregenerallysafeenoughtobeconsumed
raw. FuehngYourHealingSystem 115
*Havelesschanceofspoilingandputrefyingthananimalproductsdo.Asa
result,thepossibilityofcontaminationandfoodpoisoningfromthese
foodsismuchless. IAreusuallylessexpensive,anddon’trequiretheextensiveandcontin
uousrefrigerationfortransportandstoragethatfleshfoodsneed. Thesesimple,wholesome,naturalfoodsarethekeystothehealthof
yourhealingsystem.Allnutrientsareultimatelyderivedfromthesoilandatmosphereoftheearth,andeatingawidevarietyofthesefoodswillensure
thebestchanceofacompletediet. Usethefollowinglistasaguidetothefoodsthatserveasthebestfuel
foryourhealingsystem.Dependingonwhereyouliveandwhatisavailable,
youmayhavemanymorefoodchoiceswithinthesecategoriesoffruits,vegetables,grains,legumes,nuts,andseeds. IWholegrains,includingrice,wheat,oats,rye,corn,andbarley
*Leafygreens,includinglettuce,spinach,andcabbage
IRootsandstems,includingcarrots,turnips,potatoes,andonions
IBeansandlegumes,includingsoybeans,pintobeans,sweetpeas,black-
eyedpeas,chickpeas,mungbeans,lentils,andpeanuts
ISeedsandnuts,includingwalnuts,pecans,cashews,hazelnuts,andalmonds
*Fruits,includingapples,oranges,bananas,pineapples,cherries,berries,
grapes,apricots,peaches,andwatermelon
IOthervegetables,includingbellpeppers,broccoli,cauliflower,cabbage,squash,tomatoes,chilipeppers,okra,andmushrooms
EssentialNutrientsforYourHealingSystem
Beforewegoon,itisimportanttodiscussbrieflytheessentialnutri
entsthatwementionedearlier—protein,carbohydrates,fatsand
oils,vitamins,minerals,traceelements,andphytochemicals—andhowtheyaffectyourhealingsystem.Doingsowillgiveyouagreaterunderstandingoftherationalebehindthepracticalwaystofuelyourhealingsystem. 116 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
ProteinandYourHealingSystem
Proteinprovidesthestructuralelementsforgrowthandrepairof
yourbodilytissues,anditisoneofthemostimportantnutrients
foryourhealingsystem.Proteinisalsotheprimarynutrientbuild
ingblockforyourmuscleswhich,at40percentofnormalbodyweight,arethelargestandmostdynamic,energy-dependentstruc
turesinyourbody.Inadditiontoitspredominanceinmuscletissue,proteinisfoundinnearlyallcellsandtissuesofyourbody,includ
ingyourblood.Adequatedietaryproteinintakeisrequiredforgrowthinchildren;
ifitisnottakeninrequiredamounts,itcanresultinmuscle-wastingdisordersinchildren.Butbecausethedailyrequirementforproteinis
onlyaboutanounceaday,alackofproteintodayinWesterncoun
triesisrare.Inspiteofthis,unfortunately, alingeringfearofnotgettingenoughproteindrivesmuchoftheunhealthydietarypracticescurrentlyinvogueinWesterncountries.Thisfearresultsinovereating,whichcanleadtoobesityandcanbeveryharmfulto
yourhealingsystem.ManypeopleinWesterncountrieshavecometodependon
meatsandanimalproductsasconvenientsourcesofprotein.Unfortunately,thesefoodscontainhighlysaturatedanimalfatswith
nofiber,whichcreatesanunnecessaryburdenonthehealingsystem.Learningtoincorporateproteinfromnon-meatsourcesin
yourdailydietisamuchhealthierandsaferapproachforyourheal
ingsystem.CarbohydratesandYourHealingSystemCarbohydratesarederivedfromplants.Carbohydratesconstitute
themajorfuelsourceforyourhealingsystem.Theold,common
nameforcarbohydrateswasstarch,whichwesometimesattributeto
theheavier,densercarbohydrates,suchaspotatoesandcertaingrainfloursthatmakebread.Starchwaserroneouslythoughttocontain“emptycalories,”buttodayweknowdifferently.Becausecarbohydratesprovidethegreatestoverallreturnofenergyofallfoods,marathonrunnersandtriathietestypically“carbohydrateload”beforeamajorracebyeatinglotsofpastaandbreads.Theyknow
fromexperiencethatthisisthebestlongterm,high-performance
fuelfortheirdynamicbodies. FuelingYourHealingSystem 117
Grainssuchasrice,wheat,oats,corn,barley,andmillet,inaddi
tiontopotatoes,arethelargeststaplefoodcropsintheworld,and
thesehaveservedastraditionalsourcesofcarbohydratenutrient
energyforthemajorityoftheworld’spopulationformanyyears.Thesefoods,whichcontain“complex”carbohydrates,arethelongestlasting,slowestburning,andmostefficientofallfuelsourcesfor
yourhealingsystem.Additionally,theyusuallycontainlotsoffiber,
andsoareextremelybeneficialtothehealthofyourcolonandheart.Foodswithcomplexcarbohydratesalsoarevaluablesourcesofessentialvitamins,minerals,andtraceelements,andothernutrients
suchasphytochemicals.Tostrengthenandforti&yourhealingsystemandkeepitrunningsmoothlyandefficiently,yourdietshouldconsistofabout60percentcomplexcarbohydrates. FatsandOilsandYourHealingSystem
Fatsandoilsareessentialfortheperformanceofyourhealingsystem.Specifically,theypromotehealthyskinandnails,andtheycontributetothestructuralintegrityofcellmembranesinyourbody,whichaidsyourhealingsysteminpreventinginfection.Fats
andoilsalsohelptoprotectandcoatnervesheaths,whichimproves
thehealthofyourbody’scommunications.Asyouknow,yourheal
ingsystemdependsonanefficientandaccuratecommunications
system.Fatsandoilsalsopadandcushioninternalorgansinyourbody,protectingthemfrominjurywhiletheyinsulateandkeepyourbodywarm.Becausefatsarelighterthanwaterandarehigh-energynutrients,theyarealsoaconvenientwaytostorefuelthatyourheal
ingsystemcanusewhenfoodintakeisinadequateorscarce. Forthesereasons,asmallamountoffatsandoilsinyourdaily
dietisnecessaryforyourhealth.Additionally,somefat-solublevita
minsandothernutrientscanbeabsorbedonlywithfatsandoils. Forexample,omega-3fattyacids,foundinflaxseedoilandcertain
fishoils,helpthehealingsystemwithbloodclottingandcanbeabsorbedonlywithfatsandoils.Thereare,nodoubt,otherbeneficialnutrientsincertainfatsand
oilsthathavenotyetbeendiscovered.Butbecausefatsandoilsrepre
sentthedensestandmostconcentratedformsoffoodenergy,theirover-consumptioncancontributetoobesityandotherhealthproblems,includingheartdisease,thenumber-onekillerintheWestern
118 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
hemisphere.Fatintakeshouldberestrictedto10percentto25per
centofyourtotaldailycalories,dependingonyouractivityleveland
currenthealthstatus.Forexample,Dr.Ornish,attheUniversityofCaliforniainSanFrancisco,foundthata10-percentdailyfatintakeworksbesttoaidyourhealingsysteminreversingheartdisease.Cholesterolisanimportanttypeofstructuralfatthatsupports
thehealthandintegrityofyourhealingsystemand,inparticular,
yourcellmembranes.Inadditiontothecholesterolitobtainsfrom
yourdiet,yourbodycanmanufactureitsowncholesterolfromother
fatsandoils.Adietthatexceedsyourbody’sbasicdailycaloricrequirements,however,willcreatemorecholesterolinyourbodythanisneeded,and,ifthisoccurs,theexcesscholesterolcanformblockagesthatclogarteriesandleadtoheartdisease.Reducingtotal
fatintake,orrestrictingtotalcalories,whileincreasingdailyactivitylevelscanhelplowercholesterollevelsandaidyourhealingsystem
todissolveblockages,openupcloggedarteries,andimproveblood
flowtoyourheart. VitaminsandYourHealingSystemVitaminsarenaturallyoccurringcompoundsthatareessentialtothehealthyfunctioningofyourhealingsystem.Theyworkwithyourbody’svariousenzymesystemsandarecriticaltotheperformanceofimportant,life-sustainingprocessesinvolvedinthegrowth,repair,
andregenerationofhealthyaswellasdamagedtissues.Althoughvitaminsareusuallyrequiredinmuchsmallerquantitiesthanother
basicnutritionalelements,suchasproteins,fatsandoils,andcarbohydrates,adietthatdoesn’tincludethematallcanimpairthefunctioningofyourhealingsystemandresultinillness.Vitaminrequirementsoftenchangeovertime,theyvaryslightly
formalesandfemales,andtheyincreaseduringpregnancyandlactation.Athletictrainingandrecoveryfromillnessandinjuriesmayincreasethebody’srequirementsforoneormorevitamins.Because
thebody’sbiochemicalpathwaysandmetabolicprocessesarecom
plex,subtle,andstillremainlargelyunexplored,itiscertainthat
morevitaminsthanwecurrentlyknowaboutwillbediscoveredin
thefutureandrecognizedasessentialtoourhealingsystems.Thebestwaytoensureadequatevitaminintakeforyourheal
ingsystemistoeatawell-rounded,wholesomedietwithplentyof
FuelingYourHealingSystem 119
wholegrains,nuts,seeds,fruits,vegetables,andacertainlimited
amountoffatsandoils(again,specificvitaminsrequirefatforabsorption).Whenaproblemoccursinaspecificareaofyourbody,
youmayneedtosupplementnormaldietarysourceswithaspecificvitamin,orconcentrateoneatingfoodsthatcontainhigherquanti
tiesofaspecificvitamin,tosupporttheworkofyourhealingsystem
inthatarea. Thelistthatfollowsdescribesthevariousvitaminsthatareessentialtothe
healthofyourhealingsystem.Thislistisaguideandisnotall-inclusive;newvitaminsarecurrentlybeingresearched,andmanymorearestilltobediscovered.Therecommendeddietaryallowances(RDAs)listedareper-dayestimates,basedonthefindingsoftheFoodandNutritionBoard,NationalAcademyofSciences,NationalResearchCouncil.TheRDAsareforpeople
14yearsofageandolder.Theyvaryslightlyformalesandfemales,withrequirementschangingduringpregnancyandlactation,athletictraining,and
recoveryfromillnessandinjuries. P~VitaminAaidsyourhealingsysteminprotectingthehealthofyoureyes;
italsopromoteshealthyskingrowth.AlackofvitaminAcancausepoor
nightvisionandblindness,aswellasskinproblems.Recentresearchsug
geststhatvitaminAalsohelpspreventcertaincancers.Goodsourcesof
vitaminAarefoodsthatcontainbetacarotene,includingmostorangeandyellowfruitsandvegetablessuchasmango,papaya,squash,yams,andcar
rots.TherecommendeddietaryallowanceofvitaminAis800micro
grams(mcg)to1,000micrograms(mcg). ~VitaminB;(thiamin)aidsyourhealingsysteminmaintainingthehealthof
yournervoussystem.AlackofvitaminB1cancauseberiberiandotherdisordersofthenervoussystemandbrain.GoodsourcesofvitaminB1includewholegrains,legumes,vegetables,fruits,andmilkTherecommendeddietaryallowanceofvitaminB1is1.1milligrams(mg)to1.5milligrams(mg). ~VitaminB2(riboflavin)supportsyourhealingsystembyprotectingthe
healthofyourskinandnervoussystem.AlackofvitaminB2hasbeen
120 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
linkedtodermatologicalandneurologicalproblems.Goodsourcesof
vitaminB2includemostvegetables,cereals,andgrains.Therecommend
eddietaryallowanceofvitaminB2is1.3mgto1.7mg. OVitaminB3(niacin)supportsyourhealingsystem’sroleinmaintaininghealthyskin,nerves,andgastrointestinalhealth.AlackofvitaminB3,or
niacin,cancausepellagra,aseriousdisease.GoodsourcesofvitaminB3includegrains,nuts,mostvegetables,andlegumes.Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis15mgto19mg. oVitaminB5(pantothenicacid)participatesinavarietyofphysiologicalprocessesthatsupportyourhealingsystem.Theseincludeenergymetab
olism,blood-sugarregulation,andproductionofantibodies,cholesterol,
•hemoglobin,andhormones.Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis4mg
to7mg. OVitaminB6(pyridoxine)isusedbyyourhealingsystemtoprotectthehealth
ofyournervoussystem,blood,andurinarysystem.AlackofvitaminB6
hasbeenlinkedtonervous-systemdisorders,anemia,andbladderstones. GoodsourcesofvitaminB6includewholegrains,cereals,nuts,andmostvegetables.Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis1.6mgto2mg. oVitaminB12(cyanocobalamine)aidsyourhealingsysteminsupportingthe
healthofyourcentralnervoussystem,andintheproductionofredblood
cells.AlackofvitaminB12causesanemiaandnervous-systemdisorders. Goodsourcesincludemilkanddairyproducts,mostanimalproducts,andfermentedsoyproducts.Becausevitamin2isoneofthemostpotentsubstancesknowntomankind,andbecauseyourliverhasatremendouscapacitytostorethisvitaminforuptofiveyears,therecommendeddietaryallowanceisverysmall,atonly2mcg. oFolicacidworksinconjunctionwithvitaminB12tosupportyourhealingsystem’sroleinmaintaininghealthynervesandredbloodcells.Alackof
folicacid,sometimesseenduringpregnancyandalcoholism,canleadto
anemiaandnervoussystemdisorders.Goodsourcesoffolicacidinclude
grains,cereals,darkgreenvegetables,andfruits.TherecommendeddietaryallowanceisI8Omcgto200mcg. 0Biotinaidsyourhealingsysteminmaintaininghealthyskinandnerves.A
lackofbiotinhasbeenimplicatedinskinandnervous-systemproblems
andmayaffectcholesterolmetabolism.Goodsourcesaresoybeansand
FuelingYourHealingSystem 121
grains.Therecommendeddietaryallowanceofbiotinis3Omcgto
IO0mcg. KVitaminC(ascorbicacid)aidsyourhealingsystembyplayinganimportant
roleinwoundhealing,collagenformation,immunedefense,inflammation,
andcancerprevention.VitaminCdeficiencycancausescurvy,adiseasecharacterizedbyfragilebloodvesselsandimpairedwoundhealing.The
bestnaturalsourceofvitaminCismostfruits,includingcitrus.Certainvegetables,includingredchilipeppers,arealsogoodsourcesofvitaminC. Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis60mg. KVitamin0aidsyourhealingsystembyplayingakeyroleincalciummetab
olismandboneformation~AlackofvitaminDcausesricketsandcancontributetoosteoporosisandotherdisorders.Naturalsunlightisthebest
sourceofvitaminD.NaturallyoccurringsubstancesintheskinabsorbsunlightandareconvertedintotheactiveformofvitaminD.VitaminD
isnowaddedtomilk,cheese,andbutter.Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis5mcg. KVitaminE(d-alpha-tocopherol)supportsyourhealingsystembyplayinga
keyroleinwoundhealing.Whenappliedtopically,vitaminEaidsinscarformationandhelpskeepskinhealthyandstrong.Whentakeninternally,
italsoactsasanantioxidant,importantinthepreventionofheartdisease
andcancer.GoodsourcesofvitaminEincludetheoilofmanyseedsand
nuts,vegetableoils,andwheatgrains.Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis8mgto10mg. KVitaminKsupportsyourhealingsystemasanessentialcomponentofyourbody’sblood-clottingmechanisms.VitaminKisnaturallyproducedbyaspecificstrainofbacteriathatlivewithinyourownintestines,wherethe
vitaminisabsorbed.GooddietarysourcesofvitaminKincludegreentea,
•spinach,cabbage,andotherleafygreenvegetables.Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis65mcgto8omcg. Youcanseefromthesedescriptionshowimportantvitaminsaretotheoptimumfunctioningofyourhealingsystem.Besureyouincludevitaminsin
yourdailydiet,andthatyougetatleasttheminimumdailyrequirementsfor
eachone. 122 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
Minerals,TraceElements,andYourHealingSystem
Inadditiontovitamins,mineralsarealsopowerfulessentialnutri
entsthataidandsupportyourhealingsystem.Theyarerequiredforgrowth,repair,andregenerationoftissues,tokeepyourbodyhealthyandfreefromdisease.Mineralsarederiveddirectlyfromtheearth’score,andtheyhaveuniqueproperties.Theyareintegralto
thestructureandfunctionofimportantenzymes,hormones,and
theytransportmolecules,suchashemoglobin,withinthebody.Asnotedearlier,almosteverymineralelementthatexistsinthecoreof
theearthhasbeenfoundtoexistinminutequantitiesinthehuman
body.Evenarsenic,generallyconsideredtobeapoison,isrequired
intraceamountsbyyourbody.Traceelementsarechemicallyrelatedtomineralsandusuallyclassifiedinthesamenutritionalcategory~Thedifferencebetween
traceelementsandmineralsisthatmineralsarerequiredinslightlygreateramountsthantraceelements,andtheirfunctionsarealittlebetterunderstood.Weknowthattraceelementsarerequiredfor
goodnutritionandhealth,butwedon’tknowexactlyhowmuchof
eachoneisneededandexactlywhateachonedoes.Wedoknow,however,thatadeficiencyoftraceelementsinyourbodyresultsin
afailuretothrive,increasedsusceptibilitytodisease,andevendeath. Soalthoughtheyarerequiredinverysmallamounts,traceelements
areabsolutelycriticaltotheoptimumfunctioningofyourhealingsystem. T~~ThMineralsandTraceElementsThatSupportYourHealingSystem
Followingarethemostimportantmineralsandtraceelementsforthehealth
andfunctioningofyourhealingsystem.ImportantKeyMinerals
oCalciumplaysakeyroleinhelpingyourhealingsystemwithboneforma
tion,bloodclotting,nerveconduction,andmusclecontraction,including
themusclesofyourheart.Sourcesofcalciumincludedairyproducts,broccoli,leafygreenvegetables,andsomefruits.Osteoporosiscanresult
fromalackofcalciumandincreasedparathyroidhormonesecretion.The
FuelingYourHearingSystem 123
RDAformostmenis800mg/day.Forpremenopausalwomen,theRDA
is1000mg/day,andforpostmenopausalwomenandelderlymenitis1500mg/day. ECopperisimportantforyourhealingsystemtoregulatecellmetabolism,collagenformation,andtissuerepair.Sourcesofcopperincludefruits,grains,seeds,andnuts.TheRDAhasnotyetbeenestablished. *fluoridesupportsyourhealingsystemandisimportantintoothandboneformation.Sourcesincludemineralwater,plants,andfruits.Manydentists
andpediatriciansrecommendsupplementingwithfluorideforchildrenif
youarelivinginanareawherethewatersupplymaynotbefluoridated. TheRDAforfluoridehasnotyetbeenestablished. *Iodineisakeyelementofthyroidhormonesandplaysacriticalrolefor
yourhealingsysteminenergymetabolism,includingtheregulationof
bodytemperature.Iodinedeficiencyresultsinthewell-knowncondition
ofgoiter,whichproducesalargeswellingintheneckthatistheresultof
anenlargedthyroidgland.Goodsourcesofiodineincludeseawater,sea
salt,algae,andseafoods.TheRDAisIS0mcg. *Ironisacentralpartofthehemoglobinmoleculeandfunctionsinoxygentransport,whichisessentialforyourhealingsystemtorepairandrestore
thehealthoforgantissues.Inadditiontoredmeats,sourcesofironare
allredfruitsandvegetables,includingbeets,watermelon,raspberries,cherries,strawberries;driedfruits,includingraisins,dates,andfigs;beans;
andcertainleafyvegetables,includingspinach.VitaminCenhancestheabsorptionofironinyourbody.TheRDAforironis10mg. *Magnesiumisimportantforyourhealingsystemtoregulateenergymetabolismandbloodpressure.Sourcesofmagnesiumincludeleafy
greenvegetablesandfruits.TheRDAformagnesiumis280mgto350mg. *Phosphorousisimportantforhelpingyourhealingsystemsupportbonemetabolism.Goodsourcesofphosphorusincludefruits,vegetables,and
wholegrains.TheRDAis800mgto1200mg. *Potassiumisimportantforyourhealingsystemtosupportthefunctioning
ofyourheartwhilehelpingtoconductnerveimpulsesinyourbody.Potassium,alongwithsodium,alsohelpsyourhealingsystembyfacilitat
ingwatermovementinandoutofyourcells,andbydirectingwaterflow
inandoutofyourbody.Goodsourcesofpotassiumaremostfruitsand
124 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
vegetables,includinggreenleavesaswellasrootsandtubers.TheRDA
forpotassiumhasnotbeenestablished. LISodiumisanimportantelectricalioninyourbodythataidsyourhealing
systembyplayingakeyroleinnerveconductionwhileregulatingthemovementofwateracrosscellmembranesandtissues.Themostcom
monsourceofsodiumistablesalt.Keepinmindthattoomuchsodium
forcertainpeoplehasbeenlinkedtoexcesswaterretention,whichcan
beaproblemifyouhavecongestiveheartfailure,hypertension,andkid
neydisorders.TheRDAforsodiumhasnotyetbeenestablished. LISulfurisimportantforhelpingyourhealingsystemaidandsupporttheformationandstructuralintegrityofproteinsandothercompoundsin
yourbody.Goodsourcesofsulfurincludebothplantandanimalproteins. TheRDAhasnotyetbeenestablished. ImportantKeyTraceElements
Otherimportantminerals,calledtraceelements,areessentialtothehealth
ofyourbodyandyourhealingsystem,buttheyarerequiredinminute
amounts.Thesemineralsinclude:arsenic,bromine,boron,chromium,cobalt,manganese,molybdenum,selenium,silicon,tellurium,vanadium,zinc,and
quitepossiblymanyothers,includingcadmium,lithium,silver,andgold.Goodsourcesoftraceelementsincluderichandvariedplantlifegrowninnatural,volcanic-derived,organicsoil,whichisthemostfertilesourceofallmineralsonthisearth.Eventhoughtheyarecriticaltothehealthofyour
bodyandhealingsystem,ingeneral,traceelementsarepresentinthebody
insuchsmallamountsthatdeterminingexactlyhowmuchyouneedevery
dayisdifficult. VitaminandMineralSupplementsResearchshowsthatyouarebetteroffgettingyourvitamins,miner
als,andtraceelementsintheirmostnaturalform,thefoodsthatyou
eat,ratherthanfromsupplements.Thisisbecausevitamins,miner
als,andtraceelementsarebetterabsorbedwhentheyareboundtoothernaturalnutritionalelementsdigestedandassimilatedbyyourbody.Forinstance,ironisbetterabsorbedinyourintestinesinthe
presenceofvitaminC.Forthisreason,Igenerallydon’trecommend
FuelingYourHealingSystem 125
vitaminormineralsupplementationunlessyouaresufferingfrom
aspecificvitamindeficiencyorahealthconditionthatcouldbesignificantlyimprovedthroughvitamintherapy,oryourdietisincompleteinonewayoranother. Ifyouchoosetosupplementyourdiet,dosowithdiscretion
andcare.Supplementalvitaminsandmineralsareconcentratedand
notintheirnaturalstate,andifyoutaketheminexcess,theycan
causeserioushealthproblems.Vitaminsandothersupplementsshouldneverreplaceagood,wholesomediet.Ifrequentlyencounterpeoplewhodonotfocusenoughtimeandthoughtontheirdiets
butinsteadrelyontheirsupplementalvitaminsandmineralstomakeupforanydeficitintheirdiets.‘Whenitcomestoselectinghealthy,nourishingfoodsforyourhealingsystem,itisofparamountimportancethatyoutaketimetolistentoandworkwithyourbody.Whenyouarejuststartingout,itisalsoagoodideatoworkwith
yourdoctorandpreferablyareliablenutritionisttohelpyoudeter
minethebestnutritionalprogramforyourindividualhealthneeds.Phytochemicals:Nature’sMedicinesPhytochemicalsarenaturallyoccurringchemicalsinplantsthathave
bothnutritionalandhealth-enhancingeffects,andtheysupport
yourhealingsysteminmanyways.Phytochemicalsfacilitatetheprocessesofgrowth,repair,andtissueregeneration.Theyalsohelppreventcertainchronic,degenerativediseases,includingcancerand
heartdisease.Amongthebetter-knownphytochemicalsarethecarotenoids,includingbetacarotene,aparentcompoundtovitamin
A,foundinyellow-andorange-coloredfruitsandvegetables.Carotenoidspreventheartdiseaseandarebeneficialinthepreventionofcertaincancers.Lycopenes,foundintomatoes,arealsohelpful
inthepreventionofcertaincancers,heartdisease,andotherchronicconditions.ManyhealthexpertsfeelthatItalianshavesuchlowrates
ofheartdiseaseandcancerbecauseoftheirsteadydietoftomatoes,whichcontainlycopenes.Otherphytochemicalsplayasignificantroleinsupportingyourhealingsystemandcanhelpovercomeawidevarietyofdiseases,particularlythepreventionandhealingofcertaincancers,heartdis
ease,andevenmaculardegeneration,theleadingcauseofblindness
intheelderly.Becausetheseimportantphytochemicalscomefroma
126 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
widevarietyofplantsources,itisimportanttoeatawidevarietyofcolorfulfruitsandvegetablestomakesureyour.healingsystemisgettingenoughofthesenaturalchemicals. ProbioticsandYourHealingSystem
Probioticsrepresentanotherclassofcompoundsimportantinthenutritionandhealthofyourhealingsystem.Probioticsareproduced
bycertainstrainsofbacteriathatnaturallyliveinyourintestinaltract,
andtheyalsooccurinnature.Thesestrainsofbacteriacanaidyourhealingsystemincombatingillness,restoringhealth,andmaintainingproperbiochemicalbalanceinyourbody.Morethan500differentstrainsofbacteriahavebeendiscoveredtoliveinyourintestines,help
ingtobreakdowningestedfoodswhileproducingvaluablemetabolicbyproductsthatarethenabsorbedandcarriedtothevariouscellsand
tissuesinyourbody.OneoftheseproductsisvitaminK,whichyourhealingsystemutilizesasanessentialingredientinbloodclotting.Scientistshavediscovered,forexample,thatingestinglactobacillusbacteria,commonlycalledacidophilus,whichoccursnaturallyinyogurtandisnowavailableinsupplementedcommer
cialmilkpreparationsandotherproducts,reduceschildhooddiarrhea,decreasesthelikelihoodofintestinalside-effectswhilepeoplearetakingantibiotics,andpreventsyeastinfectionsin
women.Probioticsoftencansuccessfullycombatinfections,especiallythoseoftheintestinaltract,andpossiblythoseoftherespiratorysystem.Theymayalsoreducetherequireddosagesandpossibletoxicityofchildhoodimmunizations.Probioticsappearnaturallyinmanytraditionallyfermentedfoods,suchasvinegar,wine,cheese,yogurt,tempeh,andsoysauce. TwelveEssentialTipsforFuelingYourHealingSystem
Tohelpstrengthenandfortifyyourhealingsystemwiththerightfuel,youneedtofollowafewsimplenutritionalguidelines.Keepinmind,however,thatweallareuniqueindividualswithdifferentnutritionalneedsthatcanchangeandevolveaswegrow,age,ormodifyouractivitiesorenvironment.Itisimportant,therefore,that
FuelingYourHealingSystem 127
younotclingblindlytoanyonesetofstringentnutritionalordietaryformulasthatmaynotbeappropriateforyou.Asageneralrule,listentoyourbody,trustinitsinherentwisdomandnatural
stateofhealth,andrespondintelligentlytoitsever-changingnutritionalneedsanddemands. Tip#1:EataSimpleDietRichinFruits,Vegetables,WholeGrains,Seeds,Nuts,Beans,andLegumes
Forthesakeofhigh_performancenutrition,mostexpertsarenowrecommending asimpledietpredominantlybasedonfoodsobtainedfromfruits,vegetables,wholegrains,beans,legumes,nuts,
andseeds.Thesefoodsaremorebalancedandcontainamuchhigherconcentrationofvitamins,minerals,traceelements,andothervaluablenutrientsthanflesh-andmeat-basedfoods.Plant-basedfoodsalsocontainmorebeneficialcomplexcarbohydrates,
moreunsaturatedfatsandoils,and,contrarytopopularopinion,theyarealsoexcellentsourcesofprotein.Numerousstudieshaveclearlyestablishedalinkbetweenagreaterintakeoffruitsandvegetablesandgreaterhealthandlongevity.Undermostconditions,thesearethebestfuelsforyourhealingsystem.Thesefoodsarealso
anexcellentsourceoffiber,whichisessentialforoptimalintestinalhealth.Fiberhasbeenshowntopreventcoloncanceraswellasheartdisease.Wealsoobtainvaluablefatsandoilsfromthesefoods.Plant-basedfoodscontainlesssaturatedfat,andtheyalsocontainfewertoxinsandlesspesticideresiduesthanotherfoods.Plant-derivedproteins,whichareplentifulinbeans,legumes,nuts,seeds,
andgrains,aregenerallymorebeneficialthanproteinfrommeats
andanimalflesh.Whenyouconsumemeatsoranimalproducts,try
toeatless,andtrytoeatthesefoodsonlyascondimentsorflavor
ings,astheChineseandJapanesedo.Andifyoufeelsoinclined,
eatthemduringspecialoccasions,suchasholidaysorbirthdays,as
aformofcelebration,astheearlyhunting-gatheringsocietiesdid. Thetrendtowardahealthierdiet•consistingofsimpler,morewholesome,naturalfoodsandfewerfleshfoodsissupportedbythehealthdatafromthecountrieswiththelargestpopulationsintheworld,includingChinaandIndia,inadditiontoothercountrieswherepeoplederivethemajorityoftheirnutritionalrequirementsfromfruits,vegetables,grainsandlegumes.Inthesecountries,there
128 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
isfarlessheartdisease,hypertensionandstroke,cancer,diabetes,arthritis,andotherchronicdegenerativediseases—theso-called“diseasesofcivilization”—thanincountriesthatderivemoreoftheirnutritionalrequirementsfromfleshfoodsandanimalproducts.Meatandflesh-basedfoodsareconvenientsourcesofprotein,whichhelpsmaintainthegrowthandhealthofmuscles,butmoststudiesnowrevealthatthesedietshavegreaterdisadvantagesthanadvantages.Mostmeat-baseddietscontainharmfulsubstances,such
assaturatedfatsthatcanclogthearteriesinyourheartandbrain,
andenvironmentaltoxins,includingheavymetalsandpesticideresidues,whicharestoredandconcentratedinanimaltissues.‘When
wecomparethemtoothersimple,wholesome,naturalfoods,meats
alsolacksufficientfiberandotheressentialnutrients,suchasvita
mins,minerals,andtraceelements.Althoughmanypeopleerroneouslyassumethatplant-baseddietsarelackinginprotein,theirfearofnotgettingenoughproteinfromplantsourcesisnotscientificallyvalid.Studieshaveproventhatitiseasytogetabundantproteinfromadietthatcombinesgrainsandlegumeswithotherfruitsandvegetables.Otherstudies
haveshownthattraditionalculturesaroundtheworldthathavesurvivedforcenturiesonthesesimple,wholesome,naturalfoodsshow
littletonoevidenceofheartdiseaseandcancer.Manyexcellentmeatsubstitutesarenowavailablethatarederivedfromsoy,legumes,andothervegetable-proteinsources.In
themoreprogressivecitiesinAmericaandEurope,manyrestaurants
nowoffertheseproductsontheirmenus,asdomostsupermarkets
andgrocerystores. Theaveragedailyproteinrequirementformostadultsislessthan
40grams,whichisalittlemorethananounce.‘Wheneverthereisaquestionofadequateproteinintake,dailyproteinrequirementscanbe
metbycombiningbeans(legumes)orseedswithgrains.Anexamplewouldbeeatingbeansandtortillas,aswecommonlydowhenweeatMexicanfood.Anevensimplerexamplewouldbeapeanut-buttersandwichonwhole-wheatbread.Tofuisalsoanexcellentcompleteprotein,anditcanbepreparedinmanyways.Dairyproducts,includingmilk,cheese,butter,andyogurt,arealsoexcellentsourcesofprotein.Manyexcellentnutritionplansandcookbooksforhealthyeatingbased
onadietthatincorporatesmorefruitsandvegetablesareavailable. FuelingYourHealingSystem 129
Tip#2:ConsumeMoreFluids,IncludingSoups,Juices,HerbalTeas,andWater
Yourhealingsystemrequiresadequatefluidintaketofunctionoptimally.Becauseyourbodyis70percentfluid,allmetabolicprocesses
inyourbodyoccurpredominantlyinaliquidinternalenvironment. Forthisreason,itisimportanttodrinklotsofwaterthroughoutthe
day.Themoreliquidsyouconsume,themoreeffectivelyfluidscancirculateinyourbody,andthemorerapidlyyourbodycanelimi
natetoxins.Fluidsalsoaidinthehealingofinfectionsandmanyothercongestiveanddegenerativeconditions.Manyillnessescanbetracedtochronicdehydrationresultingfromalackoffluidorwaterintake.Freshfruitsandvegetables,manyofwhicharemorethan95
percentwater,areexcellentsourcesoffluid. Tip#3:ConsumeMoreFiberinYourDiet
Fiberisanessentialfueladditiveforthehealthofyourcolon,heart,
andhealingsystem.Adequatefiberintakeensuresyourabilitytoeliminateunwantedwasteandtoxinsfromyourintestines,andit
canhelppreventcanceranddegenerativediseases.Becausemeatdoesn’thavefiber,andbecausemostAmericanseatmoremeatthan
anyotherfood,theyusuallydon’tgetenoughfiberintheirdiets. Thislackoffibercausesproblemswithelimination,whichresultsin
thesteadybuildupoftoxicwasteinthebody.Wastebuildupputsan
extraburdenandstrainonthehealingsystemandcansetthestage
forillness.Thebestsourcesoffiberarepredominantlyfruits,wholegrains,andotherplant-derivedvegetables,includingbeansandlegumes,nutsandseeds. Tip#4:EatFoodThatIsPreparedFreshConsumefoodthatispreparedfresheachday.Don’teatfoodthatisstoredinfreezersforlongperiodsoftime,hasbeensittingonshelves
foralongtime,orwaspreparedmonthstoyearsinadvanceandthenprepackaged.Thisfoodoftenhaslostitsvitalityandnourishment,
anditalsomaybeharmfultoyourbody.Alsoavoidrefinedfoods,includingrefinedflours,whicharedevoidoffiberandoftencontainharmfuladditivesandpreservatives.Ifyoueatbreadsandpasta,try
toeatthosemadewithwhole-grainflours.Eatlessartificialand
130 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
refinedsugars.Instead,whenyoucravesweets,eatmorefreshfruits
andnaturalsweeteners,suchashoneyandfruit-derivedsweets,includingjuicesanddriedfruits.Processed,refined,andpackagedfoodslackthevitality,freshness,andfiberthatyourhealingsystemrequirestofunctionoptimally,andtheymaycauseittoworkover
timebycreatingunhealthyconditionsinyourbody. Tip#5:IncludeRawFoodsinYourDailyDiet
Eatatleastoneportionadayofrawfoods,includingfreshvegeta
blesandfruits.Thisrawfoodcouldbeintheformofasaladwith
freshsprouts,orfreshfruitsandvegetables,suchascarrotsticksor
freshapplepieces.Rawfruitsandvegetablesareloadedwithvita
mins,minerals,andtraceelements,andtheycontainahighfiber
andfluidcontent.Makesure,however,thatyouchewrawfoods
wellbecausetheycanbedifficulttodigestifthey’renotchewedadequately.Rawfruitsandvegetables,withtheirhighfluidandfiber
content,assureefficientcirculationandeliminationinthebody,whiletheyprovideessentialvitamins,minerals,traceelements,andnaturalsugarsforyourhealingsystem. Tip#6:EatRegularMeals,atRegularTimes
Yourbody’sdigestivesystemissetuptohandleregularmeals.Going
alldaywithouteating,andthenovereatingfordinner,isacommon
habitthatcancontributetodigestiveproblems,overburdeningyourbodyandmakingyourhealingsystemsluggish.Asteadyflowofnutrientsworksbestforyourhealingsystem,notstarvingitalldaylongandthenoverloading.Grazeonhealthysnacksifyougethungry,orifyourbloodsugargetslow.However,makesurenotto
spoilyourappetiteforyourmeals.Eatmoretowardtheearlierpart
ofthedayandlessintheevenings. Tip#7:TaketheTimetoPlanandCookYourMeals
Propernutritionisessentialforyourhealth.Althoughpreparinghealthy,wholesomefoodmighttakealittleextrathoughtandtime,
justrememberthatyourhealingsystemdeservesandrequiresthebest
fuelyoucangiveit.Likeanythingthat’sworthwhile,propernutrition
takesplanningandpreparation.Ifyouwaituntilyouarehungrytodecidewhatyouaregoingtoeat,youwillmostlikelygrabthenearest
FuelingYourHealingSystem 131
foodavailable,whichcouldbefastfoodorconvenientjunkfood.Take
thetimetoshopforandcookhealthy,wholesomefoods. Tip#8:CreateaPleasantAmbianceWhenYouEat
Eatingyourfoodunderpleasantcircumstances,inacalm,quietenvironment,enhancesthesmellandtasteofthefoodandimprovesdigestion.‘Whileeating,usepleasantsettings,includingqualityplates,silverware,andservingutensils.Lightacandleorusesoftlightsatthetable.AvoidwatchingTVwhileyoueat,oreatingwiththestereoorradioblasting,whichcaninterferewithproperdigestionandtheassimilationofvitalnutrients.Avoidarguingorgettingupsetforanyreasonwhileyoueat.Ifyouareupset,itisbesttowaituntilyouarecalmto
eatbecauseemotionalupheavalcanadverselyaffectbodychemistry
andhaveanegativeimpactondigestionandyourhealth.Cultivateaspiritofgratitudeforthefoodthatyouconsume.Manyculturesaroundtheworldconsidertheambiancesurroundingfood,suchas
howitisprepared,andhowitisreceived,tobeequallyimportantto,
ifnotmoreimportantthan,thebiochemicalcompositionofthefood. Tip#9:ChewYourFoodSlowlyandThoroughly
Theprocessofdigestionbeginsinyourmouth,aidedbydigestiveenzymessecretedbyyoursalivaryglands.Sochewingyourfoodslowlyandthoroughlyisimportant.Doingthismakesdigestioneasierandmoreefficientforyourstomachandintestines. Mosthealthy,fresh,wholesomefoodrequiresthoroughchewingbeforeyouswallowit.Properchewingdependsongoodteeth,whichiswhydentalhygieneisalsoanimportantpartofyouroverallphysicalhealthandpersonalhygiene.Notchewingyourfoodslowlyandthoroughlybecauseyouareeatingwhenyouareinahurryorupsetcancauseindigestionandrobyourhealingsystemofnecessaryvitalnutrients. Tip#10:EataWideVarietyofFoods
Doyourbesttosatisfyyourbody’snutritionalrequirementsbyeating
awidevarietyoffoods.Thisvarietywillensuretheopportunityfora
greaterselectionandutilizationofnature’sessentialnutrients.Inthe
past,populationsthatwereconfinedtolimitedchoicesintheirdietsoftencamedownwithseverenutritionaldeficiencies. 132 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
Becausemanyvitamins,minerals,traceelements,andothernutri
tionalsubstancesareassociatedwithnaturalpigmentsanddyesthatcontributetothespecificcolorsofcertainfruitsandvegetables,manynutritionalexpertsrecommendeatingaswideavarietyoffruitsandvegetablesaspossible,includingeverycolorintherainbowinyour
dietatleastweekly.Forallpracticalandscientificpurposes,thisapproachrepresentsthesafestandmostreliablewaytoensurethehighest-octanefuelforyourhigh-performancehealingsystem. Tip#1I:EatFewerRich,HeavyFoods
Rich,heavyfoodstakeninexcesscanclogyourdigestive,lymphatic,
andcirculatorysystems,drainingyourbodyofhealingenergy.Such
foodshavebeenlinkedtoanumberofdiseases,includinggout,
gallbladderdisease,heartdisease,diverticulitis,andmanyothers,includingcancer.Rich,heavyfoods,whichcontainalotoffat,oil,andprotein,representthemostdifficultofallfoodstodigest,oftentakingat
leastfourorfivehours,andsometimesevenlonger.Thetimeand
energyrequiredtobreakdownanddigestthesefoodswillinterfere
withtheperformanceofyourhealingsystem.Theprocessofdiges
tioncanredirectbloodflowandenergyawayfromtheworkyourhealingsystemisdoing.Ifyouarehealing,andyouarenotundernourished,itisimportanttokeepyourdietlight.Avoidorminimize
richandheavyfoods. Tip#12:MinimizetheUseofAlcoholandStimulants
Minimizeorreducealcoholintake.Considereliminatingitaltogetherorsavingitsuseforspecial,festiveoccasions.Alcohol,which
isanervous-systemdepressantandalsohasnegativeeffectsonthe
liver,canmakeyourhealingsystemsluggishandincompetent. Inaddition,minimizeoreliminatetheuseofstimulants,includingcaffeine,whichiscommonlyfoundincoffee,tea,andcaffeinatedsodas.Caffeinestimulatesthenervoussystemandcanincreasementalagitationandcausestress.Stressconstrictsyourbloodvesselsandpromotesthefight-or-flightresponse,whichinter
fereswiththeperformanceofyourhealingsystem. FuelingYourHealingSystem 133
ClosingThoughtsonFuelingYourHealingSystem
Itisimportanttorememberthatyourbodyisahigh-performancemachine,withanextraordinaryhealingsystemthatrequiresthehighest-performancefuelsavailablefromthepurestsources.Repairandrestorationofdamagedtissuesrequireenergy;andtheenergy
youconsumeintheformoffoodwillhaveatremendousinfluence
onyourhealingsystemandyouroverallstateofhealthandwellbeing.Remembertoeatfoodsthatarewholesomeandnutritious,fresh
andbalanced,andthatcontainplentyofvitamins,minerals,traceelements,fluids,andfiber.Thesefoodsincludemostfruitsandvegetables,wholegrains,nuts,seeds,soups,herbalteas,juices,and
water.Makesureyouaregettingadequateprotein,carbohydrates,fats,andoilsinyourdiet.Eatnaturalfoodsthatrepresenteverycolorintherainbowatleastonceinaweek’stimetogetenoughphytochemicals.Taketimetoprepareyourmealsthoughtfully,
eatregularly,avoidunhealthysnacking,andchewyourfoodwell.If
youareattemptingtohealyourselffromachronicillnessorcondi
tion,reducetheamountoffleshfoodinyourdiet,oreliminateitaltogether.Avoidrichandheavyfoodsunlessyouneedtoputonweight.Alsobecarefulwithalcoholandcaffeineintake.Therearemanyexcellentresourcesfornutrition.Whenitcomes
tofuelingyourhealingsystem,respectyourindividuality,remember
tokeepanopenmindabouttryingandlearningnewthings,and
don’tbetoorigidorfanaticalaboutfollowingastringentdietaryregimenthathasworkedforothersbutmaynotberightforyou.Above
all,stayinformed,andlistentoyourbodyasyoufocusonfulfilling
itsever-changingnutritionalneeds. CHAPTER6
ThePowerofYourMind
andYourHealingSystem
ourmindisyourhealingsystem’smostpowerfulally.Workingthroughyourbrainandnervoussystem,yourmindcansendpowerfulmessagestoyourbodythatcan,dramaticallyinfluencetheperformanceofyourhealingsystem.Throughthesemechanisms, asophisticatedcommunicationfeedbacksystemsendsprecise,split-secondinformationfromyourbodybacktoyourbrain.Yourmindremainsinintimatecontactwithyourbody’sever-changinginternalenvironmentwhileitworkssidebysidewithyourhealingsystem. Inthewordsofwell-knownphysicianandauthorDr.AndrewWeil,“Wherevernervesare,activitiesofthemindcantravel.”
Allmentalactivity,whetherconsciousorunconscious,hasapowerfulinfluenceonyourhealingsystemandcanenhanceorinterferewithitsperformance.Forexample,whenyourmindisinapositivestate,immersedinthoughtsofloveandaffection,caringandcompassion,enthusiasm,health,happiness,joy,andpeace,beneficialchemicalsknownasneurotransmittersorneuropeptidesthataresecretedbyyourbraincanactuallyinfuseyourbodywithpositiveenergy,strengtheningyourhealingsystemandimprovingyourhealth.Alternatively,whenyourmindisinanegativestate,withthoughtsofpessimism,cynicism,jealousy,anger,hatred,fear,revenge,self-criticism,blame,shame,guilt,anddespair,youare
136 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
sendingnegativemessagestoyourbodyviaequallypowerfulchemicalsthatcanweakenyourhealingsystemandinterferewithitsabilitytodoitsjobeffectively.InthewordsofRobertEliot,M.D.,“Thebrainwritesprescriptionsforthebody.”Whenyouunderstandthepowerofyourmind,anditsenor
mousabilitytoworkeitherforyouoragainstyou,youwillnolongerwastevaluabletimeorenergyblamingoutsideforces,includ
~,,~ciI ~•I I~IIingrate,macigenes,eviimicrooes, apoiiuteenvironment,orotherpeopleforyourillnesses,diseases,orlackofgoodhealth.Outsideforcescancertainlyplayaroleindiseaseprocesses,but,in
thefinalanalysis,yourhealthisbasedmoreonthepersonalchoices
youmakeforyourself,momentbymoment,eachdayofyourlife,
andyourabilitytooptimizetheincrediblepowerofyourmindto
aidyourhealingsystem.Youaretheonewhoisultimatelyresponsibleforyourhealth,andsoitisimperativethatyouunderstandthisprinciple.Morethananyotherpowerorforceinthisworld,your
ownmindcanserveasyourhealingsystem’smostqualifiedandcapablepartner.
Extraordinary_Healing_-_the_amazing_power_of_your_body_s_secret_healing_system.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Playalsoencompassesthefieldofentertainment. Nearlyeveryculturehasmadeuseofthisaspectofplaytopassonimportantmoral,spiritual,orculturallessonstoupcominggenerations,oftenin
theformsoftraditionalsongs,dances,poetry,orstories. Whileyou
arebeingentertained,youareusuallyinamorerelaxedframeofmind,detachedfromyourworriesandproblems. Atthesetimes,deepemotionscanoftenbestirredupandreleased,causinglaughter
96 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
ortears. Again,thesedeepemotionalresponsestriggerthereleaseofbeneficialhormonesandchemicalsthatserveaspowerfulstimulants
foryourhealingsystem. Liveeventssuchasconcerts,plays,orsport
ingeventscarryanaddedbenefitofcreatingintimacyandafeeling
ofbelongingtoalargercommunityasyoushareacollective,live
energythatoccurswhenpeoplearegatheredtogethertofocusona
commongoaloractivity. Thissenseofcommunitycanhelpcombat
thefeelingsofisolationandlonelinessthatoftenplaguepeoplewho
arestrugglingwithhealthissues,lendingfurthersupporttothe
workofthehealingsystem. Creativityisanotherimportantaspectofplay. Pursuinghobbies,includingthearts,music,singing,dancing,painting,writing,orparticipatinginanyoneofanumberofotheractivitiesinvolvingthe
useofyourhandsandyourmoreartisticsidecanalsobeawayofstrengtheningandforti~ingyourhealingsystem. Manypeoplehave
overcomelife-threateninghealthconditionsbybecominginvolved
increativeprojectsthatweredeeplypersonal,meaningful,andfun
forthem. Infact,havingyourcreativitystifledisnowconsideredamajorriskfactorforcontracting achronicdisease. Cultivatingthecreativeaspectofyourspiritandremembering
todevelopalight-heartedattitudethatfostersaspiritofplayisimportant. Fromahealthperspective,playneedstobeanintegral
partofyourdailylife. Playcanstrengthenyourbasicnaturalenergyandactivateimportantinternalmechanismsofrepairandrecoverythatareanessentialpartofyourhealingsystem. BalancingYourWorkandPlay
Bothworkandplayareequallyimportant,butbalancingtheseimportantactivitiesinyourlifeisessential. Meaningfulworkletsyouprovideforyourfamilyandyourpersonalneeds. Italsoliftsyourself-esteem,helpsdefine
yoursenseofpurpose,andprovidesyouwithanopportunitytogiveback
totheworld. Playkeepsyouinacarefree,lovingframeofmind,connected
toyourheart,andfocusedinthepresent. Playrelaxesyourbody,mind,and
nervoussystem. Maintaining aproperbalancebetweenworkandplay
StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem 97
enablesyoutoexperiencealltheseaspectsoflife,whichhelpstostrengthen
andfortifyyourhealingsystem. Bothworkandplayareimportant,andboth
needtobeweighedandbalancedwitheachother. HealingSystemRx#9:DevelopEffectiveSocialSkills
Sinceantiquity,peoplehavelivedtogetherinfamilies,clans,tribes,
andcommunitiestoorganizethemselves,andtonurtureandcare
foreachother. Likebeesandants,humansarealsosocialcreatures. Wedependoneachothertomakeourlivesmeaningful. Studiesshowthatgoodsocialskillsstrengthenandfortifyourhealingsystems,andthatlivingalonelyandisolatedlifecanbeharmfultothosesystems. Manypeoplewithseriousillnesseshavereportedsignificantimprovementintheirhealthwhentheyimprovetheirsocializingskills. Theseactivitieshaveincludedvisitingwithfriends,orparticipatinginsomekindofvolunteercommunity-supportwork,either
ataday-carecenter,aseniorcenter,ahospital,orsomeotherchari
tableorganization. Well-knowndoctorandauthorDr. BernieSiegeltellsastoryto
helpillustratethispoint. HetellsofaspecialpasshegotfromGod
tovisitbothHeavenandHell. InHell,hesawmanybowlsofhot,steamingsoupbeingservedwithlong-neckedspoons. Thissoupdidn’tlooktoobaduntilherealizedthatthehungrypeopleinHell
wereunabletofeedthemselvesbecausethenecksoftheirspoons
weretoolong,andtheykeptmissingtheirmouthswiththespoonfulsofsoup. WhenhegottoHeaven,hewassurprisedtoseethe
samebowlsofsoupandthesamelong-neckedspoons. However,
uponcloserobservation,hesawthatthepeopleinHeavenhadlearnedtoplacethespoonsineachothers’mouths,sothateveryone
gotfed. Fosteringaspiritofcooperationandsharingbybuildinganddevelopingstrongsocialtieshasbeenscientificallyproventoimprovesurvival. Becauseofthepowerfulbiochemicaleffectthatemotionsexertonyourhealingsystem,manystudiesarenowshow
ingthatpeoplewithinadequatesocialsupportwhoarelonelyandsociallyisolatedareatriskfordevelopingserious,life-threatening
98 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
physicaldiseases. AccordingtotheresearchofheartspecialistDr. DeanOrnish,socialisolationandalackofintimacyareconsidered
topriskfactorsforthedevelopmentofheartdisease,thenumber-
onekillerintheWesternworld. Goodsocialskillsbeginwithfamilyandareusuallylearnedinchildhood. However,asthedivorceratecontinuestosoar,andmanyfamiliesarebrokenapart,itisclearthatmanypeoplewillhavetoreachoutbeyondtheirfamiliestotheirfriends,colleagues,coworkers,
andotherstogetthesupporttheyneedtoremainhealthy. Doingso
canstrengthentheirhealingsystemsandcanhelptopreventphysicalillnessesassociatedwithalackofsocialsupportandintimacy~Animalsarealsocapableofgivingandreceivingunconditional
loveand,aspets,canserveasanimportantformofsocialsupport
tothosewhomayotherwisebeisolatedfromfamilyorfriends. Seniorcitizenslivingalonewhohavepetshavebeenshowntobeatmuchlowerriskfordevelopingheartdiseaseandotherseriousill
nessesthanthosewhodonothavepetsandarelivingwithsimilarhealthconditions. Developingeffectivesocialskillsallowsyoutofeelsupported
andconnectedtoothers. Knowingthatyourlifecounts,thatyouareimportanttoothers,thatyoumakeadifference,andthatyouhave
apurposeforbeingherecreateuplifting,inspiring,life-affirmingemotionsthathelptostrengthenandnourishyourhealingsystem. HealingSystemRx#10:UtilizeNaturalElementsThatSupportYourHealingSystem
Yourbodyis’linkedtotheworldofnatureandisdependentoncertain
keynaturalelements,includingair,sun,water,andthevariousminer
alsandnutrientsoftheearth,foritsverysurvival. Ancientphysicians
andhealersunderstoodthisbasicprincipleofhealthandhealing. Of
course,nowthatourmedicalsciencehasadvancedconsiderably,we
havelearnedagreatdealmoreaboutthesenaturalelementsandthecomplexwaysinwhichweinteractwiththem. Andcontrarytowhat
wemightexpect,withallofthetechnologicaladvancesofmodernmedicine,theimportanceofourrelationshipwiththesenaturalele
mentstoourhealthandhealinghasonlyincreased. Naturalelementsthatarecriticaltothesurvivalofyourbody
canalsoserveaspowerfultherapeuticagentsandmedicinesthataid
StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem 99
andsupportyourhealingsystemwhenyouareill. Andusedpreventively,thesenaturalelementscanhelptokeep,youhealthyformany
yearstocome. Understandingandmakingintelligentuseofthesecommonresourcesfromnaturecansignificantlystrengthenandfor
tifyyourhealingsystem. Air
Asyouprobablyknow,theairyoubreathecontainsthevitalelement
ofoxygen,whichnourishesandenergizeseverycellandtissuein
yourbodyandisanessentialingredienttoyourhealingsystemand
youroverallstateofhealth. OxygenissoimportantthatitisthefirstmedicalagentadministeredtoacriticallyillorInjuredperson,whethertheconditionisaheartattack,agunshotwound,oranyotherseriouslife-threateningemergency. Oxygenisroutinelystored
forthispurposeinambulancesandinallhospitalemergencyrooms,operatingrooms,andintensive-careunits. Good,clean,freshair,characteristicallyfoundinparticularplacesintheworld,canhavelife-enhancingeffectsonaperson’shealth. Thisfactisreflectedinbetterhealthstatisticsforthoseplaces. Generally,youcanfindbetterqualityairwherethereislessindustryandlesspollution,andwheresteadybreezes,amplewater,vegetation,andmountainsorhillyterrainhelptopurify,filter,andincreasethequalityofthe,airyoubreathe. Heavilyforestedareasusuallyhaveexcellentairqualitybecauseofthevblurninousoxygen
somanytreesproduce. Yourbodyandyourhealingsystemdeservethebestairyoucanfind. Ifyoufindyourselfindoorsorinanyenvironmentwithcompromisedairquality,walkoutsideorgotoanotherplacewherethere
isgoodair. Ifyouarecurrentlybattlinganqlnessorareseekingtoimprovethequalityofyourhealth,paycloseattentiontothequal
ityoftheairyouregularlybreathe~Fresh,outdoorairisalmostalwayspreferabletoindoorair,whichcanbecomestaleandstagnant,andwhichtendstoattractmold,dust,anddustmites. Indooraircanalsoplayhosttotoxicfumes,vapors,andotherchemicalaerosolirritantswhich,ifventila
tionispoor,canaccumulateandconcentrate. Fortunately,manyindoorfilters,purifiers,andhumidifiersarenowavailabletoimprovethequalityoftheindoorairyoubreathe. 104 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
applicationsofheatandthemechanismsbywhichheatprovidesnaturalsupportforyourbody’shealingsystem:
nHeatingpadcrelaxmusclesandimprovebloodflow,improveoxygenationoftissues,andhelpreduceswelling. Heatingpads
areeffectiveinthetreatmentofbackpain,musclestrainsand
spasms,jointinjuries,arthritis,andmanyotherconditions. cHotwaterbottlesworkasheatingpadsdoandareusedinsimilarconditions,includingabdominalpain,gas,andconstipation. oHotfootbathskeepthefeetwarmandimprovebloodflowtothe
neckandchestarea. Theyalsoareeffectiveandhelpfulinthetreatmentofrespiratorydiseases. oHotcompressesreduceswellingandhelpdrawtoxinsoutofaffectedareas. Theyhelpimprovebloodflowtotheareabeingcompressed,andtheycanbeveryeffectiveinthetreatmentofabscesses,boils,andotherskininfectionsandhealthconditions. cJHotwater,teas,andbrothsrelievecongestionofmucousmembranes. Theseliquidsareofteneffectiveinthetreatmentofthroatinfections,sinusandnasalcongestion,bronchitis,andotherrespiratoryinfections. Theycanalsohelptorelaxandsootheyourcolonandintestines,whichaidsdigestionandelimination. oHotshowersopenandcleanporesoftheskin,helpingtoelimi
natetoxinswhileremovingbacteriafromskinsurfaces. oHotbathsrelaxandimprovebloodflowtosoreorinjuredmus
cles. Theyarehelpfulforbackpain,musclepain,painfuljoints,
andneuromuscularinjuries. oSaunasutilizeheattoinducesweatingandeliminatetoxinsfrom
thebody. oSteambathsbreakupphlegmandmucousintherespiratory
tract. Theyalsorelievecongestionandhelptoeliminatetoxins
fromthebody. oJacuzzisprovideahot-watermassagetoachingjointsandmus
cles. oInfraredheatrelievespainofmuscleinjuries,strains,sprains,bruises,andtendonitis. StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem105
Note:Inusingheatofanykind,itisimportanttoremembernottooverdoitandburnyourbody. Water
Wateristhemostcommonlyfoundsubstanceinallbiosystemsandarguablythemostimportantofallnaturalelements. Waterissoessentialandintegraltolifethatscientistsexploringotherplanets
willfirstlookforsignsofwaterbeforetheydeclarethepossibilitythatlifeexistsormayhaveexistedonthatplanet. Youcanfurtherappreciatetheimportanceofwaterwhenyouconsiderthatitisthedominantelementinyourbody,constitutingabout70percentbyweightandvolume—notsurprisingly,aboutthesamepercentageof
waterthesurfaceoftheearthcontains. Wecanlookuponwater,knownastheuniversalsolvent,not
onlyasanessentialnutrientforourhealingsystems,butalsoasatherapeuticagentandmedicine. Inadditiontokeepingourbodieshealthy,waterisalmostalwaysrequiredinabundantamountsasasupportforourhealingsystemswhenillnessordiseasesetsin. Maintainingadequatewaterintakeisoneofthesimplestand
mostpowerfulwaystoensuregoodhealthandrapidrecoveryfromillnessorinjury. Inadequatewaterintakecanhampertheperform
anceofyourhealingsystemandleadtodehydration,congestion,stagnation,obstruction,infection,anddisease. Youcandeterminewhetheryouaregettingenoughwaterbymonitoringthecolorof
yoururine. Darkyellowurine,whichoccurswhenyourbodyistryingtoconservewater,invariablymeansthatyourbodyislowonfluids. Clearurine,liketapwater,orverylightyellowurine,usuallyindicatesadequatewaterintake. Ifyouaretakingcertainvitamins,suchastheBandCvitamins,yoururinecanbeartificiallydiscol
ored;inthissituation,monitoringwhetherornotyouaregettingenoughwatermaybedifficult. Also,becauseyoururinetendstobe
moreconcentratedwhenyousleep,itisusuallydarkerfirstthingin
themorning. Whenyouareill,increasingyourwaterintakeisimportant,to
helpimprovetheflowoffluidsinandoutofyourbody. Theseextrafluidsassistyourbody’shealingsystemtoeliminatetoxins,which
areincreasedduringperiodsofillness. Manyillnessesresponddramaticallyifyoudrinkonlywaterfor48hoursormore. Ihave
106 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
personallyseencasesofmanydiseases,includingrespiratorycondi
tions,gastroenteritis,gallbladderdisease,gout,Crohn’sdisease,and
manyothersdramaticallyimprovebyfollowingthismethod. Theimportanceofdrinkingplentyofwaterdailycannotbeoverstated. Inadditiontodrinkingwater,youcanalsoemploywaterin
manyotherwaysasanaturalandvaluablesupportforyourhealingsystem. Infact,inChinesemedicineandtheancientmedicalsys
temsofIndia,uniqueandspecificinternalcleansingtechniquesemploytheuseofwatertohelpremoveblockagesandrestorehealth
toparticularareas. IntheWest,waterhasalsobeenusedeffectively
innasaldouches,enemas,nebulizers,hotcompresses,fomentations,
Sitzbaths,andsimplesoaking. MineralsoftheEarthandYourHealingSystem
Thescienceofnutritionexaminesfoodsourcesderivedfromtheearthand
theirbiochemicalimpactonthehealthofthehumanbody. Proteins,carbohydrates,fats,vitamins,minerals,andtraceelementsareallderivativesofthe
naturalelementsaroundyou,withoutwhichyoucouldnotlive. Scientificdiscoveriesarenowrevealingthatnearlyeverysinglemineralelementfoundin
theearth’scrustandcore,fromarsenictomolybdenum,hasbeendiscovered
withinthehumanbodyinminutequantities. Thesemineralsarenotinciden
talcontaminants;rather,controlledstudieshavedeterminedthattheyareessentialtothebody’shealth. Manyofthesevitalmineralelementsplaycriticalroleswithinyourbody’sinternalenvironment,functioningaselectricallychargedchemicals
knownaseIectro~’tes. Someofthemorewellknownoftheseelements
includesodium,potassium,magnesium,calcium,andphosphorous. Electrolytesplayimportantrolesinsupportingyourhealingsystem,and
theyparticipateinsuchdiversefunctionsasthebeatingofyourheart,regulationofthebody’sfluidlevels,kidneyfunction,brainfunctionandthetransmissionofnerveimpulses,boneformation,andmanymore. Anydisturbance
intheintricatebalanceofthesemineralsdisruptstheflowofelectricityand
thetransmissionofelectricalimpulsesinyourbody,whichoftencauses
seriousillness,andpossiblydeath. Thesemineralelectrolytesaresoimpor
tantthattheyareroutinelymeasuredandmonitoredintheblood24hours
inpatientsadmittedtotheintensive-careunftsofallm~orhospitals. StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem107
Salt
Saltisabundantinseawaterandfoundthroughoutnature. There
aremanydifferenttypesofsaltsthroughouttheworldthatconsist
ofvariouscombinationsofminerals. However,commontablesalt,whichconsistsofsodiumandchlorideandisusedincookingandas
aseasoning,isthemostwell-known,mostwidelydistributed,andbiologicallymostimportantsalt. Saltconsistingofsodiumandchlo
rideisanessentialnaturalingredientinalllivingsystems. Inadditiontothenecessityforacertainamountofdietarysaltintake,saltisalsoavaluablenaturalsupportforyourhealingsystem. Sodiumandchloridearearguablythemostimportantelectrolytesin
yourbody,andtheyplayakeyroleinthefunctioningofyourheal
ingsystem. Saltalsohasimportanttherapeuticapplicationsinboth
thepreventionandtreatmentofvariousconditionsandillnesses. Becauseofitsabilitytoabsorbwateranddrawfluidout,itspreservativeeffect,anditsabilitytokillbacteriaandotherharmfulmicroorganisms,humanshavereliedonsaltforcenturiesasavalu
ableaidincuringandpreventinginfections. Learningtoworkwith
saltisasafeandeffective,simpleyetpowerfulwaytoassistthework
ofyourhealingsystem. Thefollowinglistisasmallexampleofhowsaltcanassistyourhealingsystem:
~Saltpacks,saltsoaks,andsaltfomentationsareappliedexternally
tointactskinwithwarmwatertohelpdrawoutunwantedfluids,swelling,andtoxinsfromvariousskinandsoft-tissueinfections,includingcarbuncles,furuncles,cysts,andabscesses. ~Saltwateralsocanbetakeninternallyasanaidinvariousforms
ofintestinalcleansing,topreventandassistinthetreatmentof
foodpoisoning,diarrhea,andnauseaandvomiting. (Note:‘Whentakeninternally,saltwatermustbeusedunderqualifiedmedicalsupervision. ) ~Salt-watergarglescanbeveryeffectiveintreatingpharyngitis,
sorethroats,andtonsillitis. *Salt-waternosedrops,ortheuseofsalt-waternasaldouches,can
beextremelyeffectiveinthetreatmentofnasalallergies,hayfever,rhinitis,colds,congestion,andsinusinfections. 108 YourExtraordrnaryHealingSystem
oNebulizedsalineisanotherformofsaltwateremployedasaneffectiveaerosolsprayusedinthetreatmentofasthmaandotherrespiratoryconditions. Clay
Thetherapeuticuseofclayasanaturalsupportforthehealingsystemamongtraditionalindigenousculturesiswelldocumented. Pharmaceutical-gradeclay,anaturallyoccurringsubstancesome
timesreferredtoasbentonite,isreadilyavailableatmostdrugorhealthfoodstores. Appliedtotheskinasapaste,clayworkswellas
anaturaldrawingagent. Inadditiontoitsabilitytodrawofftoxins
andreduceswellingfrominfections,clayworkswithyourhealingsystembysupplyingvaluabletraceelementsandmineralsthatareabsorbedintothebodyinminutebutsignificantquantities. Clayapplicationscanspeedthehealingofinsectbites,boils,abscesses,
andmanyotherskinconditions;itcanbeusedaloneorincombinationwithothersubstances,suchasaloe,saltsoaks,orgingercompresses. Clayisgentle,safe,andeffective,evenindifficultcases. Clayalsocanbetakeninternallyasanintestinalpurifiertohelpabsorbtoxinsfromtheintestines;ithasbeenemployedlikethisinEuropeanfolkmedicineforcenturiesasawaytoimprovecolonhealthandregulatebowelfunction. PlantsandHerbsandYourHealingSystemThroughouttheages,manhasreliedonthehealingpropertiesofvariousplantsandherbs. Andalthoughmostdoctorsinmoderncountrieshavecometorelyonmedicinesderivedfromsyntheticpharmaceuticalcompounds,theuseofplantsandherbshasexperiencedadramaticcomebackinWesternsocietiesinrecentyears. Herbsandplants,whenusedwithintelligenceanddiscretion,can
helpstrengthenandfortif~ryourhealingsystem. Manyofthesenaturalmedicineshaveproventrackrecordsin
othercountries,includingChina,Japan,andIndia. Evenuntil
recenttimesinourownWesternmedicine,botany,whichisthestudyofplants,wasarequiredcourseinmostmedicalschools. In
fact,manymoderndrugsandmedicineshavetheiroriginsinthenaturalworldofplants. StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem109
Hereareafewofthemostcommonplantsandherbsthatareeffectiveinsupportingyourhealingsystem:
r~Aloegrowslikeasucculentcactus. Itsleavescontainaclearliquidgelthathashealingandantisepticqualities. Aloecanbeappliedtopicallytoburns,cuts,scrapes,skininfections,andotherinjuriesinwhichtherawsurfacesofskinhavebeenexposed. Aloehelpsnotoniytofightandpreventinfectionbut
alsotoaidtheactualhealingprocess. Itissafeandgentle,andit
canevenbetakeninternallyinlimitedquantitiestohelphealulcersinthemouth,stomach,andintestines. t~AshwagandaisatraditionalherbalremedyfromIndiathathas
beenusedforthousandsofyearsasatonicandtoenhancenat
uralhostresistancefactors. Ashwagandacanbetakenlongterm
toincreaseone’sstaminaandstrength. r~AstragalusisanancientplantmedicinefromChina. Itisusedtobolsterdefensesandappearstobeespeciallyeffectiveforrespiratoryillnesses. t~Bilberryaidsinwoundhealingandisespeciallyeffectiveinassistingthehealingsystemrepairdamagedonetosmall,fragilebloodvessels,particularlythoseoftheeyesandkidneys. Bilbérry
mayalsobeeffectiveintreatingcertaintypesofmaculardegenerationandothereyediseases,tracebloodintheurine,aswell
asvenousinsufficiencyandvaricoseveins. ~Comfreyisknownas“knitbone”inAmericanandEuropeanfolkmedicineforitsabilitytoexpeditethehealingoffractures. Comfreyalsoaidsinhealingwoundsoftheskin,mucousmembranes,respiratorysystem,andintestines. Itcanbeappliedexternallyasapoulticeortakeninternally. Theleavesorrootsof
thisplantcanbeused,althoughtherootsarenotrecommended
forinternaluse. ~DongQuaiisaChinesemedicineusedtosupportthehealthof
thefemalereproductivesystem,andithasbecomeincreasinglypopularintheWest. Itisoftenusedtohelpalleviatemenstrual
crampsandbalanceestrogenmetabolism. r~Echinaceaisapopularherbcommonlyusedintheearlystages
110 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
ofmildrespiratoryinfections;itmayalsobehelpfulinwoundhealingandotherconditions. oGarlicisusedasabloodpurifier. Manypeopleclaimto
haveloweredtheirbloodpressurewithgarlic. Usedinsoups,
itisofteneffectiveforthetreatmentofacoldorrespiratoryinfection. oGingerisarootthatcanbegratedandusedfresh,ordriedorpowdered. Itcanalsobeusedintheformofatea. Gingerhelps
tocreateheatinthebody. Itisofferedonseavoyagesasstan
dardfaretosoothethestomachandhelppreventmotionsickness. Asatea,gingerisveryeffectiveincasesofpharyngitis
andtonsillitis. Itcanoftencurtailthespreadofstrepthroatif
theillnessiscaughtinitsearlierstages. Gingercanalsobeappliedtotheskinintheformofapoultice;ithelpstodrawouttoxinsincasesofskinandsoft-tissueinfections. oGingkoisderivedfromoneoftheoldestlivingplantsontheearth. GingkohasbeenusedinOrientalmedicineforcenturies,
andevenWesternscientificresearchhasverifiedthatitcanimprovebloodflowtothebrain,increasingmemoryandmentalalertness,andeveneyesight. Thisherbisalsousedinthetreat
mentoftinnitus,migraineheadaches,vertigo,andasapossible
agentinstrokeprevention. ItmayalsoprovehelpfulincasesofAlzheimer’sdisease. oGinsengisatonicherbtraditionallyvaluedintheOrientforitsabilitytoprolonglife,increaseenergyinthebody,andimprovesexualstamina. Somestudiessuggestthatginsengmayimprove
thehealthofthenervoussystem,aswellascardiacfunctionin
theelderly,byincreasingthetoneandcontractilityofheartmuscles. oGuggalcomesfromatreeresinthatgrowsinIndia. Ithasbeen
usedforcenturiestohelpreduceweight. Studieshavealsoshownguggaltobeeffectiveinloweringcholesterol. oKavarootisatraditionalmedicinefromPolynesiathathelpsrelaxthenerves. Itisusedasamusclerelaxantandformildcases
ofinsomniaandanxiety. Kavarootalsocanbeusefulforback
paincausedbymusclespasms. Becauseitcaninducedrowsi
StrengtheningandFortifyingYourHealingSystem 111
ness,Kavarootshouldnotbeusedwhenyouaredrivingoroperatingmechanicalequipment. ~Milkthistlehelpstosupportthehealthoftheliver. Manypatientswithelevatedliverenzymesresultingfromchronichepatitisandotherliverconditionshavereportedsignificantimprovementintheirsymptomsandlaboratoryreadingsof
theirliverenzymesaftertheyhavetakenmilkthistleforseveralmonths. Themechanismsbywhichmilkthistlesupportsand
healstheliverisstillunknown,yetagrowingnumberofconventionallytrainedliverspecialistsarenowrecommendingitto
someoftheirpatients. ~NeemcomesfromtheleavesoftheNeemtreeinIndia,whichis
thetraditionalfoodeatenbycamels. NeemisusedinAyurvedicmedicinefromIndiaasapowerfulbloodpurifier. St. John’swortiswidelyprescribedinEuropeasanantidepres
sant. Youmightneedtotakethisherbforseveralweekstonoticeitseffects,andyoushouldnottakeitwithanyotherconventionalpsychiatricmedication. Byitself,St. John’swortisgenerallyquitesafeandofteneffective. *Thrmericcomesfromthegingerfamily. Thedried,powdered
rootisthepartoftheplantmostoftenused. Turmericgives
currypowderitscharacteristicyellowcolor. Turmericappliedto
theskinasapasteisofteneffectiveinavarietyofskindisorders. Takeninternally,ithelpstoimprovethehealthoftheliverand
eyes. Italsoisnowbeingusedasanadjunctinthetreatmentandpreventionofcertaincancersandliverdisease. *Valerianhasbeenusedinfolkmedicineasanaidtoanxietyandinsomnia,anditisquiteeffectiveinmildcasesofthesecondi
tions. Valerianisalsosometimesrecommended asagentlemusclerelaxant. Manynaturalmedicinesarequitepotent,soitisimportantto
becarefulthattheydonotconflictwithanyothermedicineyouarecurrentlytaking. Aswithanynewsubstanceyoutakeintoyourbody,ifyouexperienceuntowardeffects,discontinueitsuseand
seektheadviceofaqualifiedhealthprofessionalforfurtherrecommendations. 112 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
ClosingThoughtsonStrengthening
andFortifyingYourHealingSystem
Intime,fallingraindropscarvedeepcanyonsandvalleysoutofmountains. Addedtoothergrainsofsand,atinygrainofsandcanmakealargebeachorvastdesert. Similarly,individualhealthfactors,whichmayseeminsignificantandunworthyofourattentionwhenconsideredalone,formtheveryfoundationforstrengthening,fortifying,andactivatingyourhealingsystemwhentheyareaddedtogether. Incombination,thesefactorsalsocansubstantiallyimprove
youroverallhealthandthequalityofyourlife. Thesefactorsincludelisteningtoyourbody;payingattentiontoyourpersonalhygiene;maintaining ahealthydiet;doingregularexercise,stretching,and
stressmanagement;balancingworkandplay;developinggoodsocialskills;andincorporatinghealthynaturalelementsintoyourdailyroutine,suchasdrinkingplentyofwater,breathingfreshair,gettingadequatesunshine,andusingnaturalherbsandmineralswhenappropriate. Inthenextchapter,wewilllookmorecloselyatthecriticalrole
dietandnutritionplayinstrengtheningandfortifyingyourhealingsystem. Byfollowingafewsimpledietaryandnutritionalguidelines,
youwillnotonlygreatlyimproveyouroverallhealth,butyou’llalso
gainthemaximumbenefitsfromyourextraordinaryhealingsystem. CHAPTER5
FuelingYourHealingSystem
igh-performancemachines,fromracingcarstorocketships,
allrequirespecializedfuelstomakethemgo. Yourbodyisnodifferent. Infact,yourbodyisthegreatestofallhigh-performancemachinesonthisearth,createdtolastupto100yearsormore. Yourbodyisanengineeringmasterpieceofnature,morecomplex,sophisticated,durable,andintelligentthananythingevercraftedbyman. Yourbodyisadaptabletoavarietyofclimates,environments,and
lifesituations,capableofmovinginaninfinitenumberofways,and
ofenduringandsurvivingconditionsofextremehardshipanddeprivation. Asyoualreadyknow,yourbodyhasbeendesignedwithsuch
skill,precision,andexpertisethatitcomesequippedwithitsownhealingsystem. Thisextraordinarysystemisself-contained,self-monitoring,andhighlyintelligent,andiscapableofsupervisingandinitiatingmechanismsofrepair,restoration,andrecoveryfromahugeassortmentofillnesses,injuries,andinsults. Toaccomplishthesetasks,yourhealingsystemmobilizesspecializedcellsandstimulatespowerfulbiochemicalreactionsthatcanrapidlymenddamagedtissueswhenyouareillorinjured. Italsomaintainsabalancedandhighlyorderednaturalstate0fhealthwhenyouarenot
sickorinjured. Noothermachineonthisearthcanboastofsucha
114 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
system. Andjustaswithanyotherhigh-performancemachine,yourhealingsystemperformsbestwhenitreceivesspecial,high-perform
ancefuel. Thefuelyourhealingsystemrequiresiswholesome,nutritiousfood. AWholesomeDietforaStrongHealingSystem
Thebestwaytokeepyourhealingsystemstrongistoeatabalanced,wholesome,simple,naturaldiet. Suchadietconsistsofawell-roundedblendofallessentialnutrients. Thesenutrientsincludeadequateamountsofproteins,fats,carbohydrates,vitamins,miner
als,traceelements,fiber,fluids,andothervitalnutrientssuchasphytochemicals(specialhealth-promotingmoleculesfoundinfruits
andvegetables). Yourdailyrequirementsofthesesubstanceswill
varyaccordingtowhereyoulive,whatyoudo,andyourbasicmetabolicrequirements. TheBestFuelforYourHealingSystem
Fruits,vegetables,grains,legumes,nuts,andseedsprovidethepurestenergy
sourceforyourhealingsystem,andthesefoodsareessentialforstrengthen
ingandfortifyingthismostimportantsysteminyourbody. Inaddition,fruits,vegetables,grains,legumes,nuts,andseeds
0Constitutethenutritionalfoundationformostothermammals,including
thosewithmuchlargermusclemassthanhumans. Ourprimatecousins,includinggorillas,chimpanzees,orangutans,baboons,andmonkeys,also
eatfoodsalmostexclusivelyfromthesecategories. OAregenerallyeasiertodigestthanmostfleshfoods,and,again,represent
thepurestenergysourceforthemetabolicdemandsofyourhealingsys
tem. OAreloweronthefoodchainandcontainfarfewertoxinsandenviron
mentalpollutantsthanmostfoodsthatarederivedfromthefleshof
otheranimals. OTakelesstimetocook,andaregenerallysafeenoughtobeconsumed
raw. FuehngYourHealingSystem 115
*Havelesschanceofspoilingandputrefyingthananimalproductsdo. Asa
result,thepossibilityofcontaminationandfoodpoisoningfromthese
foodsismuchless. IAreusuallylessexpensive,anddon’trequiretheextensiveandcontin
uousrefrigerationfortransportandstoragethatfleshfoodsneed. Thesesimple,wholesome,naturalfoodsarethekeystothehealthof
yourhealingsystem. Allnutrientsareultimatelyderivedfromthesoilandatmosphereoftheearth,andeatingawidevarietyofthesefoodswillensure
thebestchanceofacompletediet. Usethefollowinglistasaguidetothefoodsthatserveasthebestfuel
foryourhealingsystem. Dependingonwhereyouliveandwhatisavailable,
youmayhavemanymorefoodchoiceswithinthesecategoriesoffruits,vegetables,grains,legumes,nuts,andseeds. IWholegrains,includingrice,wheat,oats,rye,corn,andbarley
*Leafygreens,includinglettuce,spinach,andcabbage
IRootsandstems,includingcarrots,turnips,potatoes,andonions
IBeansandlegumes,includingsoybeans,pintobeans,sweetpeas,black-
eyedpeas,chickpeas,mungbeans,lentils,andpeanuts
ISeedsandnuts,includingwalnuts,pecans,cashews,hazelnuts,andalmonds
*Fruits,includingapples,oranges,bananas,pineapples,cherries,berries,
grapes,apricots,peaches,andwatermelon
IOthervegetables,includingbellpeppers,broccoli,cauliflower,cabbage,squash,tomatoes,chilipeppers,okra,andmushrooms
EssentialNutrientsforYourHealingSystem
Beforewegoon,itisimportanttodiscussbrieflytheessentialnutri
entsthatwementionedearlier—protein,carbohydrates,fatsand
oils,vitamins,minerals,traceelements,andphytochemicals—andhowtheyaffectyourhealingsystem. Doingsowillgiveyouagreaterunderstandingoftherationalebehindthepracticalwaystofuelyourhealingsystem. 116 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
ProteinandYourHealingSystem
Proteinprovidesthestructuralelementsforgrowthandrepairof
yourbodilytissues,anditisoneofthemostimportantnutrients
foryourhealingsystem. Proteinisalsotheprimarynutrientbuild
ingblockforyourmuscleswhich,at40percentofnormalbodyweight,arethelargestandmostdynamic,energy-dependentstruc
turesinyourbody. Inadditiontoitspredominanceinmuscletissue,proteinisfoundinnearlyallcellsandtissuesofyourbody,includ
ingyourblood. Adequatedietaryproteinintakeisrequiredforgrowthinchildren;
ifitisnottakeninrequiredamounts,itcanresultinmuscle-wastingdisordersinchildren. Butbecausethedailyrequirementforproteinis
onlyaboutanounceaday,alackofproteintodayinWesterncoun
triesisrare. Inspiteofthis,unfortunately, alingeringfearofnotgettingenoughproteindrivesmuchoftheunhealthydietarypracticescurrentlyinvogueinWesterncountries. Thisfearresultsinovereating,whichcanleadtoobesityandcanbeveryharmfulto
yourhealingsystem. ManypeopleinWesterncountrieshavecometodependon
meatsandanimalproductsasconvenientsourcesofprotein. Unfortunately,thesefoodscontainhighlysaturatedanimalfatswith
nofiber,whichcreatesanunnecessaryburdenonthehealingsystem. Learningtoincorporateproteinfromnon-meatsourcesin
yourdailydietisamuchhealthierandsaferapproachforyourheal
ingsystem. CarbohydratesandYourHealingSystemCarbohydratesarederivedfromplants. Carbohydratesconstitute
themajorfuelsourceforyourhealingsystem. Theold,common
nameforcarbohydrateswasstarch,whichwesometimesattributeto
theheavier,densercarbohydrates,suchaspotatoesandcertaingrainfloursthatmakebread. Starchwaserroneouslythoughttocontain“emptycalories,”buttodayweknowdifferently. Becausecarbohydratesprovidethegreatestoverallreturnofenergyofallfoods,marathonrunnersandtriathietestypically“carbohydrateload”beforeamajorracebyeatinglotsofpastaandbreads. Theyknow
fromexperiencethatthisisthebestlongterm,high-performance
fuelfortheirdynamicbodies. FuelingYourHealingSystem 117
Grainssuchasrice,wheat,oats,corn,barley,andmillet,inaddi
tiontopotatoes,arethelargeststaplefoodcropsintheworld,and
thesehaveservedastraditionalsourcesofcarbohydratenutrient
energyforthemajorityoftheworld’spopulationformanyyears. Thesefoods,whichcontain“complex”carbohydrates,arethelongestlasting,slowestburning,andmostefficientofallfuelsourcesfor
yourhealingsystem. Additionally,theyusuallycontainlotsoffiber,
andsoareextremelybeneficialtothehealthofyourcolonandheart. Foodswithcomplexcarbohydratesalsoarevaluablesourcesofessentialvitamins,minerals,andtraceelements,andothernutrients
suchasphytochemicals. Tostrengthenandforti&yourhealingsystemandkeepitrunningsmoothlyandefficiently,yourdietshouldconsistofabout60percentcomplexcarbohydrates. FatsandOilsandYourHealingSystem
Fatsandoilsareessentialfortheperformanceofyourhealingsystem. Specifically,theypromotehealthyskinandnails,andtheycontributetothestructuralintegrityofcellmembranesinyourbody,whichaidsyourhealingsysteminpreventinginfection. Fats
andoilsalsohelptoprotectandcoatnervesheaths,whichimproves
thehealthofyourbody’scommunications. Asyouknow,yourheal
ingsystemdependsonanefficientandaccuratecommunications
system. Fatsandoilsalsopadandcushioninternalorgansinyourbody,protectingthemfrominjurywhiletheyinsulateandkeepyourbodywarm. Becausefatsarelighterthanwaterandarehigh-energynutrients,theyarealsoaconvenientwaytostorefuelthatyourheal
ingsystemcanusewhenfoodintakeisinadequateorscarce. Forthesereasons,asmallamountoffatsandoilsinyourdaily
dietisnecessaryforyourhealth. Additionally,somefat-solublevita
minsandothernutrientscanbeabsorbedonlywithfatsandoils. Forexample,omega-3fattyacids,foundinflaxseedoilandcertain
fishoils,helpthehealingsystemwithbloodclottingandcanbeabsorbedonlywithfatsandoils. Thereare,nodoubt,otherbeneficialnutrientsincertainfatsand
oilsthathavenotyetbeendiscovered. Butbecausefatsandoilsrepre
sentthedensestandmostconcentratedformsoffoodenergy,theirover-consumptioncancontributetoobesityandotherhealthproblems,includingheartdisease,thenumber-onekillerintheWestern
118 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
hemisphere. Fatintakeshouldberestrictedto10percentto25per
centofyourtotaldailycalories,dependingonyouractivityleveland
currenthealthstatus. Forexample,Dr. Ornish,attheUniversityofCaliforniainSanFrancisco,foundthata10-percentdailyfatintakeworksbesttoaidyourhealingsysteminreversingheartdisease. Cholesterolisanimportanttypeofstructuralfatthatsupports
thehealthandintegrityofyourhealingsystemand,inparticular,
yourcellmembranes. Inadditiontothecholesterolitobtainsfrom
yourdiet,yourbodycanmanufactureitsowncholesterolfromother
fatsandoils. Adietthatexceedsyourbody’sbasicdailycaloricrequirements,however,willcreatemorecholesterolinyourbodythanisneeded,and,ifthisoccurs,theexcesscholesterolcanformblockagesthatclogarteriesandleadtoheartdisease. Reducingtotal
fatintake,orrestrictingtotalcalories,whileincreasingdailyactivitylevelscanhelplowercholesterollevelsandaidyourhealingsystem
todissolveblockages,openupcloggedarteries,andimproveblood
flowtoyourheart. VitaminsandYourHealingSystemVitaminsarenaturallyoccurringcompoundsthatareessentialtothehealthyfunctioningofyourhealingsystem. Theyworkwithyourbody’svariousenzymesystemsandarecriticaltotheperformanceofimportant,life-sustainingprocessesinvolvedinthegrowth,repair,
andregenerationofhealthyaswellasdamagedtissues. Althoughvitaminsareusuallyrequiredinmuchsmallerquantitiesthanother
basicnutritionalelements,suchasproteins,fatsandoils,andcarbohydrates,adietthatdoesn’tincludethematallcanimpairthefunctioningofyourhealingsystemandresultinillness. Vitaminrequirementsoftenchangeovertime,theyvaryslightly
formalesandfemales,andtheyincreaseduringpregnancyandlactation. Athletictrainingandrecoveryfromillnessandinjuriesmayincreasethebody’srequirementsforoneormorevitamins. Because
thebody’sbiochemicalpathwaysandmetabolicprocessesarecom
plex,subtle,andstillremainlargelyunexplored,itiscertainthat
morevitaminsthanwecurrentlyknowaboutwillbediscoveredin
thefutureandrecognizedasessentialtoourhealingsystems. Thebestwaytoensureadequatevitaminintakeforyourheal
ingsystemistoeatawell-rounded,wholesomedietwithplentyof
FuelingYourHealingSystem 119
wholegrains,nuts,seeds,fruits,vegetables,andacertainlimited
amountoffatsandoils(again,specificvitaminsrequirefatforabsorption). Whenaproblemoccursinaspecificareaofyourbody,
youmayneedtosupplementnormaldietarysourceswithaspecificvitamin,orconcentrateoneatingfoodsthatcontainhigherquanti
tiesofaspecificvitamin,tosupporttheworkofyourhealingsystem
inthatarea. Thelistthatfollowsdescribesthevariousvitaminsthatareessentialtothe
healthofyourhealingsystem. Thislistisaguideandisnotall-inclusive;newvitaminsarecurrentlybeingresearched,andmanymorearestilltobediscovered. Therecommendeddietaryallowances(RDAs)listedareper-dayestimates,basedonthefindingsoftheFoodandNutritionBoard,NationalAcademyofSciences,NationalResearchCouncil. TheRDAsareforpeople
14yearsofageandolder. Theyvaryslightlyformalesandfemales,withrequirementschangingduringpregnancyandlactation,athletictraining,and
recoveryfromillnessandinjuries. P~VitaminAaidsyourhealingsysteminprotectingthehealthofyoureyes;
italsopromoteshealthyskingrowth. AlackofvitaminAcancausepoor
nightvisionandblindness,aswellasskinproblems. Recentresearchsug
geststhatvitaminAalsohelpspreventcertaincancers. Goodsourcesof
vitaminAarefoodsthatcontainbetacarotene,includingmostorangeandyellowfruitsandvegetablessuchasmango,papaya,squash,yams,andcar
rots. TherecommendeddietaryallowanceofvitaminAis800micro
grams(mcg)to1,000micrograms(mcg). ~VitaminB;(thiamin)aidsyourhealingsysteminmaintainingthehealthof
yournervoussystem. AlackofvitaminB1cancauseberiberiandotherdisordersofthenervoussystemandbrain. GoodsourcesofvitaminB1includewholegrains,legumes,vegetables,fruits,andmilkTherecommendeddietaryallowanceofvitaminB1is1. 1milligrams(mg)to1. 5milligrams(mg). ~VitaminB2(riboflavin)supportsyourhealingsystembyprotectingthe
healthofyourskinandnervoussystem. AlackofvitaminB2hasbeen
120 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
linkedtodermatologicalandneurologicalproblems. Goodsourcesof
vitaminB2includemostvegetables,cereals,andgrains. Therecommend
eddietaryallowanceofvitaminB2is1. 3mgto1. 7mg. OVitaminB3(niacin)supportsyourhealingsystem’sroleinmaintaininghealthyskin,nerves,andgastrointestinalhealth. AlackofvitaminB3,or
niacin,cancausepellagra,aseriousdisease. GoodsourcesofvitaminB3includegrains,nuts,mostvegetables,andlegumes. Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis15mgto19mg. oVitaminB5(pantothenicacid)participatesinavarietyofphysiologicalprocessesthatsupportyourhealingsystem. Theseincludeenergymetab
olism,blood-sugarregulation,andproductionofantibodies,cholesterol,
•hemoglobin,andhormones. Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis4mg
to7mg. OVitaminB6(pyridoxine)isusedbyyourhealingsystemtoprotectthehealth
ofyournervoussystem,blood,andurinarysystem. AlackofvitaminB6
hasbeenlinkedtonervous-systemdisorders,anemia,andbladderstones. GoodsourcesofvitaminB6includewholegrains,cereals,nuts,andmostvegetables. Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis1. 6mgto2mg. oVitaminB12(cyanocobalamine)aidsyourhealingsysteminsupportingthe
healthofyourcentralnervoussystem,andintheproductionofredblood
cells. AlackofvitaminB12causesanemiaandnervous-systemdisorders. Goodsourcesincludemilkanddairyproducts,mostanimalproducts,andfermentedsoyproducts. Becausevitamin2isoneofthemostpotentsubstancesknowntomankind,andbecauseyourliverhasatremendouscapacitytostorethisvitaminforuptofiveyears,therecommendeddietaryallowanceisverysmall,atonly2mcg. oFolicacidworksinconjunctionwithvitaminB12tosupportyourhealingsystem’sroleinmaintaininghealthynervesandredbloodcells. Alackof
folicacid,sometimesseenduringpregnancyandalcoholism,canleadto
anemiaandnervoussystemdisorders. Goodsourcesoffolicacidinclude
grains,cereals,darkgreenvegetables,andfruits. TherecommendeddietaryallowanceisI8Omcgto200mcg. 0Biotinaidsyourhealingsysteminmaintaininghealthyskinandnerves. A
lackofbiotinhasbeenimplicatedinskinandnervous-systemproblems
andmayaffectcholesterolmetabolism. Goodsourcesaresoybeansand
FuelingYourHealingSystem 121
grains. Therecommendeddietaryallowanceofbiotinis3Omcgto
IO0mcg. KVitaminC(ascorbicacid)aidsyourhealingsystembyplayinganimportant
roleinwoundhealing,collagenformation,immunedefense,inflammation,
andcancerprevention. VitaminCdeficiencycancausescurvy,adiseasecharacterizedbyfragilebloodvesselsandimpairedwoundhealing. The
bestnaturalsourceofvitaminCismostfruits,includingcitrus. Certainvegetables,includingredchilipeppers,arealsogoodsourcesofvitaminC. Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis60mg. KVitamin0aidsyourhealingsystembyplayingakeyroleincalciummetab
olismandboneformation~AlackofvitaminDcausesricketsandcancontributetoosteoporosisandotherdisorders. Naturalsunlightisthebest
sourceofvitaminD. NaturallyoccurringsubstancesintheskinabsorbsunlightandareconvertedintotheactiveformofvitaminD. VitaminD
isnowaddedtomilk,cheese,andbutter. Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis5mcg. KVitaminE(d-alpha-tocopherol)supportsyourhealingsystembyplayinga
keyroleinwoundhealing. Whenappliedtopically,vitaminEaidsinscarformationandhelpskeepskinhealthyandstrong. Whentakeninternally,
italsoactsasanantioxidant,importantinthepreventionofheartdisease
andcancer. GoodsourcesofvitaminEincludetheoilofmanyseedsand
nuts,vegetableoils,andwheatgrains. Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis8mgto10mg. KVitaminKsupportsyourhealingsystemasanessentialcomponentofyourbody’sblood-clottingmechanisms. VitaminKisnaturallyproducedbyaspecificstrainofbacteriathatlivewithinyourownintestines,wherethe
vitaminisabsorbed. GooddietarysourcesofvitaminKincludegreentea,
•spinach,cabbage,andotherleafygreenvegetables. Therecommendeddietaryallowanceis65mcgto8omcg. Youcanseefromthesedescriptionshowimportantvitaminsaretotheoptimumfunctioningofyourhealingsystem. Besureyouincludevitaminsin
yourdailydiet,andthatyougetatleasttheminimumdailyrequirementsfor
eachone. 122 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
Minerals,TraceElements,andYourHealingSystem
Inadditiontovitamins,mineralsarealsopowerfulessentialnutri
entsthataidandsupportyourhealingsystem. Theyarerequiredforgrowth,repair,andregenerationoftissues,tokeepyourbodyhealthyandfreefromdisease. Mineralsarederiveddirectlyfromtheearth’score,andtheyhaveuniqueproperties. Theyareintegralto
thestructureandfunctionofimportantenzymes,hormones,and
theytransportmolecules,suchashemoglobin,withinthebody. Asnotedearlier,almosteverymineralelementthatexistsinthecoreof
theearthhasbeenfoundtoexistinminutequantitiesinthehuman
body. Evenarsenic,generallyconsideredtobeapoison,isrequired
intraceamountsbyyourbody. Traceelementsarechemicallyrelatedtomineralsandusuallyclassifiedinthesamenutritionalcategory~Thedifferencebetween
traceelementsandmineralsisthatmineralsarerequiredinslightlygreateramountsthantraceelements,andtheirfunctionsarealittlebetterunderstood. Weknowthattraceelementsarerequiredfor
goodnutritionandhealth,butwedon’tknowexactlyhowmuchof
eachoneisneededandexactlywhateachonedoes. Wedoknow,however,thatadeficiencyoftraceelementsinyourbodyresultsin
afailuretothrive,increasedsusceptibilitytodisease,andevendeath. Soalthoughtheyarerequiredinverysmallamounts,traceelements
areabsolutelycriticaltotheoptimumfunctioningofyourhealingsystem. T~~ThMineralsandTraceElementsThatSupportYourHealingSystem
Followingarethemostimportantmineralsandtraceelementsforthehealth
andfunctioningofyourhealingsystem. ImportantKeyMinerals
oCalciumplaysakeyroleinhelpingyourhealingsystemwithboneforma
tion,bloodclotting,nerveconduction,andmusclecontraction,including
themusclesofyourheart. Sourcesofcalciumincludedairyproducts,broccoli,leafygreenvegetables,andsomefruits. Osteoporosiscanresult
fromalackofcalciumandincreasedparathyroidhormonesecretion. The
FuelingYourHearingSystem 123
RDAformostmenis800mg/day. Forpremenopausalwomen,theRDA
is1000mg/day,andforpostmenopausalwomenandelderlymenitis1500mg/day. ECopperisimportantforyourhealingsystemtoregulatecellmetabolism,collagenformation,andtissuerepair. Sourcesofcopperincludefruits,grains,seeds,andnuts. TheRDAhasnotyetbeenestablished. *fluoridesupportsyourhealingsystemandisimportantintoothandboneformation. Sourcesincludemineralwater,plants,andfruits. Manydentists
andpediatriciansrecommendsupplementingwithfluorideforchildrenif
youarelivinginanareawherethewatersupplymaynotbefluoridated. TheRDAforfluoridehasnotyetbeenestablished. *Iodineisakeyelementofthyroidhormonesandplaysacriticalrolefor
yourhealingsysteminenergymetabolism,includingtheregulationof
bodytemperature. Iodinedeficiencyresultsinthewell-knowncondition
ofgoiter,whichproducesalargeswellingintheneckthatistheresultof
anenlargedthyroidgland. Goodsourcesofiodineincludeseawater,sea
salt,algae,andseafoods. TheRDAisIS0mcg. *Ironisacentralpartofthehemoglobinmoleculeandfunctionsinoxygentransport,whichisessentialforyourhealingsystemtorepairandrestore
thehealthoforgantissues. Inadditiontoredmeats,sourcesofironare
allredfruitsandvegetables,includingbeets,watermelon,raspberries,cherries,strawberries;driedfruits,includingraisins,dates,andfigs;beans;
andcertainleafyvegetables,includingspinach. VitaminCenhancestheabsorptionofironinyourbody. TheRDAforironis10mg. *Magnesiumisimportantforyourhealingsystemtoregulateenergymetabolismandbloodpressure. Sourcesofmagnesiumincludeleafy
greenvegetablesandfruits. TheRDAformagnesiumis280mgto350mg. *Phosphorousisimportantforhelpingyourhealingsystemsupportbonemetabolism. Goodsourcesofphosphorusincludefruits,vegetables,and
wholegrains. TheRDAis800mgto1200mg. *Potassiumisimportantforyourhealingsystemtosupportthefunctioning
ofyourheartwhilehelpingtoconductnerveimpulsesinyourbody. Potassium,alongwithsodium,alsohelpsyourhealingsystembyfacilitat
ingwatermovementinandoutofyourcells,andbydirectingwaterflow
inandoutofyourbody. Goodsourcesofpotassiumaremostfruitsand
124 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
vegetables,includinggreenleavesaswellasrootsandtubers. TheRDA
forpotassiumhasnotbeenestablished. LISodiumisanimportantelectricalioninyourbodythataidsyourhealing
systembyplayingakeyroleinnerveconductionwhileregulatingthemovementofwateracrosscellmembranesandtissues. Themostcom
monsourceofsodiumistablesalt. Keepinmindthattoomuchsodium
forcertainpeoplehasbeenlinkedtoexcesswaterretention,whichcan
beaproblemifyouhavecongestiveheartfailure,hypertension,andkid
neydisorders. TheRDAforsodiumhasnotyetbeenestablished. LISulfurisimportantforhelpingyourhealingsystemaidandsupporttheformationandstructuralintegrityofproteinsandothercompoundsin
yourbody. Goodsourcesofsulfurincludebothplantandanimalproteins.
Play is used to release beneficial hormones and chemicals, which can aid the healing process by reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
What is the primary purpose of play in the healing process?
Water is essential for the healing process, as it helps to remove toxins, regulate body functions, and maintain overall health.
What is the importance of water in the healing process?
Minerals are essential for the healing process, as they provide energy, support the immune system, and maintain overall health.
What is the role of minerals in the healing process?
Social support is crucial for the healing process, as it helps to stimulate the release of beneficial hormones and chemicals, and promotes overall health and well-being.
What is the importance of social support in the healing process?
The mind plays a crucial role in the healing process, as it can either aid or hinder the body's ability to heal, depending on the thoughts and emotions you focus on.
What is the role of the mind in the healing process?