All	of	these	products	can	be	replaced	with	safer,	simpler	items
available	in	health	food	stores;	they	will	be	equally	effective	without	harming
your	health. The	laundry	room	is	another	toxic	site. Detergents,	bleach,	spot	removers	and
fabric	softeners	all	contain	chemicals	that	are	toxic	to	you	and	to	the
environment. Manufacturers	have	lulled	us	into	complacency	with	the	term
“biodegradable	detergents.”	This	fact	has	little	to	do	with	the	eventual	health	and
environmental	impact	of	these	synthetic	chemicals. Biodegradable	means	only
that	at	some	point	the	detergent	will	lose	its	foaming	properties. Purchase
unscented	products. Detergents	can	be	replaced	with	soap-based	products,	while
bleach	can	be	replaced	with	safer	sodium	percarbonate	or	hydrogen	peroxide. Furniture	anywhere	in	the	house,	but	especially	in	bedrooms,	can	present
significant	risks. Today,	furniture	often	is	made	with	toxic	synthetic	materials
(polyester,	polyurethane,	polystyrene	and	polyvinyl	chloride),	which	off-gas
toxic	vapors;	likewise,	some	types	of	furniture	are	made	of	particle-board
(which,	as	already	mentioned,	will	off-gas	formaldehyde)	and	then	covered	with
a	wood	or	plastic	veneer. Alarmingly,	most	children’s	furniture	is	made	with
toxic	par-ticleboard! One	study	showed	that	introducing	particleboard	furniture
into	an	empty	house	tripled	the	formaldehyde	levels	in	the	air. This	problem	can
be	particularly	acute	in	mobile	homes,	where	
everything	
may	be	made	from
particleboard. Buy	furniture	made	from	natural	materials,	such	as	solid	wood	or
metal	furniture;	if	this	option	is	too	expensive,	consider	used	furniture	made	of
these	materials.Even	the	clothes	you	wear	can	be	toxic. Have	you	ever	gone	into	a	clothing
store	and	noticed	the	chemical-laden	atmosphere? Most	clothes	today	contain	or
are	made	of	toxic	synthetic	fibers	(such	as	nylon,	polyester,	acrylics	and
spandex),	which	will	affect	you	adversely	as	you	wear	them	and	also	contribute
to	toxic	indoor	air. Clothes	are	often	treated	with	dyes,	formaldehyde	finishes
(permanent	press),	and	mothproofing	pesticides. Dry	cleaning	clothing	brings
toxins	into	your	household	and	close	to	your	body;	clothes	that	have	been	dry-
cleaned	should	always	be	aired	out	before	they	are	put	into	a	closet	or	worn. Laundry	detergents	and	fabric	softeners	can	also	be	problematic;	in	fact,	many
people	are	quite	sensitive	to	detergent	residues. Have	you	ever	walked	down	the
detergent	aisle	at	the	grocery	store	and	had	your	eyes,	nose	or	throat	feel
irritated? Toxins	in	those	boxes	are	off-gassing. When	washing	your	clothes,	use
environmentally	friendly	and	unscented	laundry	products	available	in	health
food	stores. Do	not	use	scented	fabric	softeners. These	products	might	make
your	clothes	smell	“fresh	and	clean,”	but	that	smell	is	toxic. Buy	clothes	made	of
natural	materials,	such	as	wool	and	cotton,	and	use	natural	cleaning	products. After	you	have	taken	steps	to	reduce	or	eliminate	products	that	are	toxic,	
make
sure	to	also	
keep	your	home	or	office	well	ventilated. Modern	homes	and	office
buildings	are	built	a	lot	“tighter”	than	older	construction	to	save	on	energy	costs. While	reducing	energy	waste	is	a	good	thing,	reducing	air	circulation	allows
pollutants	to	accumulate	to	higher	concentrations. For	this	reason,	high-quality
air	filters	(that	will	filter	out	both	particulate	matter	and	gaseous	hydrocarbons)
can	be	helpful. Use	them	in	rooms	where	you	spend	a	great	deal	of	time,	such	as
your	office	or	bedroom. Obvious	as	it	sounds,	the	most	important	thing	you	can	do	to	keep	your	indoor
air	clean	is	to	stop	introducing	pollutants	in	the	first	place. Before	you	purchase
something	new,	consider	if	that	product	might	contribute	to	your	indoor
pollution. As	mentioned	earlier,	after	you	buy	something,	give	it	a	chance	to	off-
gas	before	you	put	it	in	your	living	environment. When	I	purchase	a	new
television	or	computer	monitor,	I	put	it	in	the	garage,	turn	it	on	and	leave	it	there
until	I	can	no	longer	detect	an	odor. Hang	your	dry-cleaning	outdoors	or	in	a
well-ventilated	area	until	you	can	no	longer	detect	an	odor. Do	not	use	products
that	have	powerful	chemical	odors,	such	as	mothballs	or	air	fresheners. Use	heat
or	sunshine	to	help	expedite	the	off-gassing	process,	whenever	possible. Health	and	Beauty	Products	That	Fail
Your	skin	provides	enormous	protection	from	microorganisms,	such	as	germs,but	skin	also	is	designed	to	be	permeable,	allowing	certain	molecules	in	and	out,
which	is	good	news	when	the	skin	allows	antioxidants	in	to	protect	against	the
sun	and	allows	toxins	out	through	the	sweat	and	oil	glands. However,	easy
access	also	allows	environmental	toxins	to	penetrate. Personal	care	products	are	the	largest	source	of	toxic	absorption	through	the
skin	and	mucus	membranes. One	study	found	that	13	percent	of	the	commonly
used	cosmetic	preservative	BHT	(butylated	hydroxytoluene)	is	absorbed	by	your
skin. Chemicals	found	in	everyday	personal	products	such	as	perfume,	cologne,
shaving	cream,	skin	lotions,	aftershave,	toothpaste,	soaps,	shampoos,
deodorants,	nail	polish,	all	types	of	household	cleansers	and	so	forth,	can	be
absorbed	quickly	and	produce	effects	that	are	toxic	or	even	carcinogenic,
especially	when	these	toxic	substances	are	combined. When	I	was	suffering	from	severe	chemical	sensitivities,	I	found,	much	to	my
surprise,	that	the	brands	of	toothpaste,	shampoo,	deodorant	and	skin	lotion	that	I
was	using	were	all	quite	toxic. Products	such	as	lotions,	conditioners	and
makeup,	especially	when	left	on	the	skin	for	long	periods	of	time,	expose	you	to
significant	amounts	of	toxins,	which	can	bioaccumulate,	poison	your	cells	and
cause	disease. Most	common	products	sold	to	preserve	and	protect	the	skin	in
fact	actually	contain	chemicals	capable	of	damaging	the	skin. Virtually	all	commonly	available	cosmetic	and	personal	care	products	contain
ingredients	(such	as	preservatives	and	colors)	that	are	known	to	present
problems. Many	preservatives	contain	or	release	formaldehyde,	a	known	toxin
and	carcinogen. Various	parabens	(a	specific	class	of	preservatives)	have	been
shown	to	damage	deep	layers	of	the	skin	worse	than	severe	sunburn,	which
causes	the	skin	to	age	prematurely	and	even	can	cause	cancer. Artificial	colors
have	been	shown	to	be	carcinogenic,	not	only	when	ingested	but	also	when
applied	to	the	skin. Yet	people	voluntarily	put	these	personal	care	products	on
their	skin	daily,	unaware	that	these	products	contain	toxic	and	potentially
carcinogenic	ingredients. By	using	products	such	as	sunscreen	and	lotion,	people
are	putting	cancer-causing	chemicals	on	their	skin,	then	wondering	why	they
developed	skin	cancer	or	why	their	skin	is	aging	so	fast. Choosing	safe	personal	care	and	cosmetic	products	means	reading	labels
carefully	and	learning	about	the	health	consequences	of	ingredients. Effective
products	are	on	the	market	that	are	high	in	quality	and	safety. The	overwhelming
majority,	however,	contain	a	variety	of	toxins	that	should	be	avoided. Some	of
the	common	toxins	to	look	for	and	avoid	include	artificial	fragrances,	colors	and
flavors,	formaldehyde,	phenol,	trichlorethylene,	BHT/BHA,	EDTA,	cresol,
detergents,	glycols,	parabens,	sodium	lauryl	sulfate	and	nitrates/	nitrosamines.Perfumes	and	other	fragrances	also	cause	problems. Traditionally,	these
products	were	made	from	flowers	and	herbs. But	since	World	War	II,	most
fragrances	and	perfumes	have	been	made	from	synthetic	petrochemicals,	many
of	which	are	officially	designated	as	hazardous	materials. In	fact,	about	95
percent	are	synthetic,	and	more	than	80	percent	of	the	ingredients	used	in
fragrances	have	never	been	tested	for	human	safety. When	they	have	been	tested,
many	are	found	to	be	neuro-toxic	and	even	carcinogenic. (Meanwhile,	because
of	“trade	secrets,”	manufacturers	are	not	required	to	list	any	of	these	toxic
ingredients	on	their	product	labels.) Worse,	these	fragrances	are	not	just	in
perfumes,	but	in	everything	from	kitty	litter	to	shampoos,	soaps,	lotions,	shaving
creams,	household	cleaners,	laundry	detergents	and	numerous	other	products. Fragrances	now	pollute	our	homes,	schools,	workplaces,	stores,	churches	and
other	public	places. People	who	regularly	use	synthetic	perfumes	are	putting	a
heavy	toxic	burden	on	their	bodies. The	solution	is	to	use	essential	oils	made
from	natural	ingredients	such	as	flowers	and	herbs,	if	tolerable,	and	to	avoid
household	and	personal	products	made	with	synthetic	fragrances. I	have	spent	years	researching	the	toxic	effects	of	chemicals	used	to	make
products	that	people	consume	on	a	daily	basis. I	discovered	that	regular
toothpaste,	for	example,	contains	numerous	toxins,	such	as	fluoride,	artificial
colors,	flavors,	sweeteners	and	synthetic	detergents,	all	of	which	can
bioaccumulate	in	the	body	and	lead	to	toxic	overload. Toothpaste	is	especially
important	because	the	mucous	membranes	in	your	mouth	are	very	permeable,	so
if	you	expose	yourself	to	toxic	toothpaste	several	times	a	day,	you	subject
yourself	to	a	lot	of	toxins. I	eventually	selected	a	toothpaste	for	my	personal	use
that	was	both	safe	and	effective	(see	appendix	C),	but	it	took	eighteen	months	of
research	to	find	it. Toxic	chemicals,	used	for	detergent	and	foam-generating	properties,	are
present	in	most	toothpastes,	as	well	as	in	many	other	personal	care	and
household	products. When	these	toxins—	sodium	lauryl	sulfate,	sodium	cetyl
sulfate	and	sodium	laureth	sulfate—are	placed	on	the	surface	of	the	body,	they
can	cause	eye	irritations,	skin	rashes,	hair	loss,	scalp	flaking	similar	to	dandruff
and	allergic	reactions. These	chemicals	are	known	to	be	irritating	to	the	skin	and
are	used	to	irritate	the	skin	in	laboratory	experiments! Think	about	what	happens
when	your	highly	sensitive	gum	tissue	comes	into	contact	with	a	known	irritant,
like	sodium	lauryl	sulfate,	in	your	toothpaste. Could	this	factor	be	contributing	to
our	epidemic	of	gum	disease? These	man-made	detergents	pass	through	the	skin	and	mucous	membranes
and	bioaccumulate	in	fatty	tissue—eye	tissue,	for	example. Is	there	a	possibleconnection	between	the	sodium	lauryl	sulfate	found	in	toothpaste	and	our
epidemic	of	macular	degeneration—a	disease	in	which	cells	in	the	central	part	of
the	retina	degenerate,	and	the	leading	cause	of	blindness	in	people	over	age	fifty-
five? The	focus	of	manufacturers	is	always	on	marketability,	so	they	often	try	to
disguise	these	synthetic	and	toxic	ingredients	by	making	them	seem	“natural.”
Labels	will	often	state	something	like,	“sodium	lauryl	sulfate—derived	from
coconut.”	Regardless	of	derivation	they	are	toxic	and	can	accumulate	easily	in
your	tissues	to	levels	that	cause	cellular	malfunction	and	disease. People	choose	antibacterial	soaps	thinking	they	will	protect	them	from	germs,
but	the	germicide	in	the	soap	goes	right	through	the	skin	and	bioaccumulates	in
tissue. In	fact,	these	toxic	chemicals,	designed	to	kill	cells,	are	now	showing	up
in	alarming	amounts	in	human	breast	milk,	and	infants	are	much	more
susceptible	to	toxins. As	always,	the	solution	is	to	choose	safe,	natural	products,
usually	available	at	health	food	and	specialty	stores. There	are	high-quality,
certified	organic,	hair	and	skin	care	products	available	and	I	recommend	you	use
them. (See	appendix	C	for	my	personal	choices.) Toxic	Cleaning	Products
The	home	can	be	a	toxic	place	already—do	not	make	it	more	so	with	toxic
cleaning	products,	solvents	and	workplace	chemicals. Household	cleaning
products	rank	among	the	most	toxic	everyday	substances	to	which	people	are
exposed. Unfortunately,	the	manufacturer	of	household	products	is	seldom	the
best	source	of	accurate	information	about	safety. As	a	practical	matter,	do	not	let
any	chemical	come	in	contact	with	your	skin	unless	you	know	it	is	safe. Most
commercial	brands	are	not	safe,	although	safe	household	products	are	available
at	health	food	and	specialty	stores. (See	appendix	C	for	my	choices.) Some	especially	toxic	household	cleaners	include	ammonia,	chlorine	bleach,
aerosol	propellants,	detergents,	petroleum	distillates	and	toluene. Many	of	these
substances	not	only	harm	the	skin;	they	also	give	off	toxic	fumes	that	affect	the
person	using	the	product	and	everyone	else	in	the	household. If	you	cannot	avoid
toxic	household	products,	at	least	use	them	sparingly	and	in	well-ventilated
areas. Symptoms	from	“the	flu”	to	headaches	have	been	associated	with	products	we
use	to	clean	our	furniture,	bathrooms	and	clothes,	as	well	as	air	fresheners	to
keep	our	bathrooms	smelling	pleasant. Debra	Lynn	Dadd,	in	
Nontoxic	and
Natural,	
wrote	about	a	fifteen-year	study	of	housewives	in	Oregon. Women	whostayed	home	all	day	had	a	54	percent	higher	death	rate	from	cancer	than	women
who	worked	away	from	home. The	study	concluded	that	the	higher	rate	likely
was	a	consequence	of	exposure	to	the	chemicals	in	household	products. Dadd’s
book,	along	with	many	others,	contains	formulas	for	making	your	own
environmentally	safe	household	products. A	Prescription	for	Toxic	Overload
Often,	toxic	exposure	comes	from	medical	and	dental	offices,	from	the	very
professions	that	you	expect	would	keep	you	healthy. Whether	it	is	antibiotics	in
your	food,	the	drug	in	your	inhaler,	steroids	on	your	skin,	mercury	in	your
mouth,	medicines	in	your	stomach	or	fluoride	in	your	water,	the	medical	and
dental	industries	are	significant	sources	of	toxins. In	fact,	
medical	journals
acknowledge	that	prescription	drugs	are	the	third	leading	cause	of	death	in
America	(after	heart	disease	and	cancer). As	you	recall,	prescription	and	over-the-counter	drugs	“work”	by	interfering
with	normal	chemical	processes	in	cells. They	are	designed	to	suppress
symptoms,	but	do	not	cure	disease. In	fact,	by	interfering	with	normal	cell
function,	prescription	drugs	can	cause	cellular	malfunction,	which	is	the	same	as
causing	disease. Decisions	about	which	procedures	and	medicines	to	choose
should	be	based	on	knowledge	of	the	toxicity	involved. Every	molecule	you	put
into	your	body	is	going	to	have	an	effect,	for	better	or	worse. Almost	always,
prescription	and	over-the-counter	drugs	are	for	the	worse. Furthermore,	physicians	label	many	of	today’s	chronic	diseases	as	being	of
“unknown	etiology,”	a	fancy	way	of	saying	“we	are	clueless	about	the	cause.”
Actually,	many	new	disease	conditions	can	be	traced	back	(either	directly	or
indirectly)	to	environmental	toxins	that	bioaccumulate	in	tissues,	contribute	to
toxic	overload,	disrupt	cell	chemistry	and	cause	disease. The	Toxic	Truths	Inside	Your	Body
Although	we	are	accustomed	to	thinking	about	toxins	in	the	outside	world,
often	we	forget	about	the	powerful	toxins	produced	within	our	bodies. The	body
must	eliminate	internal	toxins	to	stay	healthy. Under	normal,	healthy	conditions,	the	body	is	designed	to	control	those	toxins
and	protect	us	against	harm. Under	other	circumstances,	however,	the	toxins
produced	internally	can	be	a	serious	problem,	worse	than	anything	from	theoutside	world. When	these	internal	toxins	are	produced	excessively	or	cannot	be
properly	detoxified,	they	build	up	in	the	body	and	cause	disease. In	almost	any
chronically	ill	person,	internally	generated	toxins	play	a	major	role. When	toxins	are	generated	in	the	digestive	system	(intestinal	toxemia),	they
enter	our	bloodstream,	and	if	these	toxins	are	present	in	excess	of	the	liver’s
ability	to	detoxify	them,	they	damage	cells	all	over	the	body. Intestinal	toxemia
has	been	associated	with	AIDS,	allergies,	asthma,	cancer,	cardiac	arrhythmias,
arthritis,	eye	problems,	high	blood	pressure,	mental	problems,	headaches,
various	gastrointestinal	conditions,	senility,	skin	problems	and	other	diseases. In
my	own	disease	process,	the	internal	toxins	I	was	producing	were,	indeed,	a
major	contributor	to	my	own	physical	and	mental	debilitation. Intestinal	toxemia	was	the	“mysterious”	ailment	plaguing	Michael,	who	had
just	completed	his	junior	year	at	Harvard	and	had	gone	off	to	Europe	for	the
summer	with	friends. As	he	was	traveling	around,	he	began	to	feel	ill,	dizzy	and
fatigued. He	went	to	see	a	physician	in	London	who	prescribed	a	drug	that	did
not	help. Michael	saw	other	physicians	in	Germany	and	Switzerland,	but	he
finally	returned	home—too	sick	to	remain	abroad. A	strapping	twenty-one-year-old	college	student	should	be	at	the	peak	of
health. Instead,	Michael	was	suffering	from	debilitating	fatigue,	he	was
lightheaded	and	dizzy,	and	he	had	visual	disturbances,	not	to	mention	various
aches	and	pains. After	many	thousands	of	dollars	worth	of	testing	(including	a
brain	scan	to	check	for	a	brain	tumor),	Michael’s	physicians	were	at	a	loss	to
explain	his	condition	and	referred	him	to	a	psychiatrist. Desperately	concerned
for	her	son’s	future	and	furious	with	a	medical	system	that	was	obviously	not
working,	Michael’s	mother	looked	for	other	options;	at	that	point,	she	called	me. As	with	any	sick	person,	I	knew	exactly	what	was	wrong	with	Michael:	his
cells	were	malfunctioning	because	of	a	combination	of	deficiency	and	toxicity. The	question,	as	always:	How	to	restore	his	cells	to	healthy	function? I	used	the
six	pathways	as	a	guide	and	eventually	discovered	that	digestive	toxins—a
critical	aspect	of	the	toxin	pathway—were	the	source	of	Michael’s	problems. Digestive	toxins	are	produced	in	a	couple	of	ways,	notably	by	an	abnormal
growth	of	bacteria	or	yeast	in	the	intestines	and	by	improperly	digested	food,
which	putrefies	in	the	digestive	system. Intestinal	toxemia	creates	highly
poisonous	toxins	as	well	as	nutritional	deficiency. When	bad	bacteria	and	yeasts
overgrow,	they	displace	the	friendly	bacteria	necessary	for	producing	nutrients
such	as	the	B-complex	vitamins,	vitamin	B
12	
and	vitamin	K.	Friendly	bacteria
also	help	to	obtain	the	nutrients	we	need	from	the	food	we	eat. Intestinal	toxemia
causes	deficiency	and	toxicity	in	most	of	us,	to	some	degree,	because	of	damagefrom	antibiotics. Michael	had	acne	as	a	teenager. His	dermatologist	had	prescribed	an	antibiotic
(tetracycline),	and	Michael	had	taken	this	drug	every	day	for	years. Antibiotics
were	developed	to	kill	bacteria. The	problem	is	that	helpful	bacteria	in	your
intestines	(normal	intestinal	flora)	are	needed	for	good	health. Years	of	taking
antibiotics	destroyed	these	helpful	bacteria	in	Michael’s	digestive	system. (Even
one	course	of	antibiotics	can	have	this	effect.) This	situation	allowed	the
overgrowth	of	abnormal	intestinal	flora	and	a	yeast	called	
Candida	albicans. A	yeast	infection	can	produce	toxic	chemicals	that	absorb	into	the
bloodstream;	also,	yeast	can	physically	invade	and	damage	the	intestinal	tissue
in	a	way	that	allows	other	inappropriate	materials	(undigested	food	particles,
toxic	wastes	and	yeast	byproducts)	to	pass	directly	into	the	bloodstream. This
condition	floods	the	body	with	dangerous	toxins	and	allergens,	causing	food
allergies	and	disrupting	the	immune	system. Some	of	these	toxins	are	neurotoxic
(causing	damage	to	the	brain	and	the	nervous	system)	and	may	produce
symptoms	such	as	fatigue,	headaches,	apathy,	depression,	anxiety,	mood	swings
and	memory	lapses. Intestinal	yeast	infections	also	impair	the	absorption	of
nutrients,	which	is	a	separate	but	equally	serious	problem. Disrupting	the	normal
ecology	of	the	gut	also	invites	infection	by	parasites,	which	further	disrupt	gut
tissue. In	Michael’s	case,	I	suspected	problems	with	internally	generated	digestive
toxins,	but	to	know	for	certain	one	must	measure. I	suggested	to	Michael	that	he
ask	his	physician	to	be	tested	for	candida. (Convincing	the	physician	to	do	the
candida	test	was	not	easy. Physicians	do	not	generally	look	for	such	infections,
and	his	mother	had	to	put	considerable	pressure	on	the	doctor.) The	test	did
show	that	Michael	had	a	candida	infection,	which	he	was	able	to	get	rid	of
through	natural	methods	such	as	taking	high-quality	probiotics	and	grapefruit
seed	extract	and	by	reducing	dietary	sugar	(which	was	“feeding”	the	yeast
problem). Michael,	who	had	been	completely	disabled	by	his	disease	throughout
the	summer,	was	able	to	go	back	to	Harvard	in	the	fall,	complete	his	senior	year
and	graduate. Problems	such	as	Michael’s	are	common	in	America	because	of	the	excessive
antibiotics	that	our	physicians	prescribe. While	the	use	of	antibiotics	is	prudent
and	necessary	in	very	select	cases,	for	the	most	part	antibiotics	unnecessarily
damage	the	digestive	system	and	contribute	to	intestinal	toxemia. This	toxemia
often	subjects	us	to	far	more	toxicity	than	the	original	“germ”	that	the	antibiotic
was	supposed	to	kill. Unfortunately,	almost	everybody	in	America	has	taken
antibiotics	at	some	point;	these	drugs	are	a	major	cause	of	health	problems,including	fatigue	and	allergies. Intestinal	toxemia	can	be	provoked	in	other
ways,	by	medical	drugs	such	as	non-steroidal	anti-inflammatory	drugs	(NSAIDs,
including	aspirin,	ibuprofen,	naproxen,	ketoprofin,	etc.) and	oral	steroids
(cortisone	pills,	birth	control	pills,	etc.). Maldigestion	of	food	(exacerbated	by	medical	drugs	or	not)	produces	toxins
inside	your	body. A	mostly	cooked	and	processed	food	diet	lacking	critical
enzymes	is	a	common	contributor,	as	is	poor	chewing	of	food. Low-fiber	diets
are	also	problematic. Whatever	the	cause,	undigested	food	can	rot	and	poison
you	while	still	inside	you. Carbohydrates	ferment,	fats	turn	rancid	and	proteins
putrefy. The	most	common	symptoms	are	bloating,	constipation,	gas,	halitosis,
heartburn,	eye	problems,	neurological	problems	and	headaches. Keep	protein	consumption	moderate;	diets	high	in	protein,	especially	cooked
meat	and	pasteurized	dairy,	overload	our	digestive	systems. We	need	only	35	to
40	grams	of	protein	per	day	(more	for	athletes	or	those	with	large	body	frames),
but	Americans	eat	an	average	of	90	grams	of	gut-putrefying	protein	per	day. A
one-pound	slab	of	roast	beef	contains	more	than	100	grams	of	protein. Large
quantities	of	cooked	and	denatured	proteins,	which	are	harder	to	digest,	can
cause	an	overgrowth	of	a	type	of	putrefactive	bacteria	that	thrive	when	food	is
rotting	in	the	gut. These	bacteria	produce	toxic	chemicals	such	as	indole,	skatole,
phenol	and	hydrogen	sulfide. In	addition,	these	putrefactive	bacteria	displace
friendly	bacteria,	which	are	essential	to	good	digestion	and	health,	and	the	result
is	intestinal	toxemia. To	prevent	or	eliminate	the	problems	associated	with	intestinal	toxemia:
•	Avoid	the	use	of	antibiotics,	anti-inflammatories	and	steroids	(including
birth	control	pills). •	Avoid	excessive	amounts	of	protein. •	Minimize	or	eliminate	processed	foods. Eat	the	right	kinds	of	fats. •	Avoid	sugar,	white	flour,	coffee,	excessive	alcohol	and	fried	foods. These
substances	are	hard	on	the	digestive	system. •	Adhere	to	proper	food	combining	and	chewing;	the	digestion	process	must
begin	in	the	mouth	and	in	the	stomach	for	the	intestines	to	function
properly. Do	you	suffer	from	indigestion,	bloating,	gas,	cramping,	loose	stools,
constipation	or	gastrointestinal	reflux? Any	of	these	can	indicate	intestinal
toxemia	and	should	be	addressed	before	they	lead	to	serious	disease. You	can	also	consider	other	strategies	if	you	are	suffering	from	symptoms	of
poor	digestion:	fasting,	exercising,	drinking	large	amounts	of	water,	and	takinghigh-quality	supplements,	including	probiotics,	digestive	enzymes,	and	vitamins
and	minerals. All	of	these	help	to	detoxify,	repair	and	rebuild	healthy	tissue—in
particular	by	helping	to	create	an	environment	in	the	digestive	system	conducive
to	the	growth	and	maintenance	of	friendly	bacteria. Allergies	Should	Signal	Alarm
Allergies	are	a	common	source	of	internally	generated	toxins. Every	allergic
reaction	produces	metabolic	debris	that	has	a	toxic	effect. We	tend	to	think	of
allergies	as	“normal,”	a	benign	inconvenience,	because	so	many	people	have
them. Not	so. Healthy	people	do	not	have	allergies. Allergies	are	an	abnormal
immune	response	to	foods	and	substances	in	your	environment. Most	food
allergies	are	the	result	of	an	abnormally	functioning	digestive	system,	as	already
mentioned,	whereby	undigested	food	molecules	are	allowed	to	enter	the
bloodstream	though	damaged	gut	tissue. The	immune	system	recognizes	these
food	particles	as	foreign,	and	you	have	an	immune	response	called	an	allergy. The	body	remembers	this	response;	every	time	you	eat	the	offending	food,	an
allergic	reaction—and	the	toxins	created	by	that	reaction—	is	produced. When	an	offending	substance,	called	an	allergen,	reacts	with	an	antibody
produced	by	the	immune	system,	large	amounts	of	allergen/antibody	(immune)
complexes	can	be	formed. If	immune	complexes	are	formed	in	greater	quantities
than	the	body	can	handle,	they	can	be	deposited	in	tissues	(such	as	brain	arteries,
brain	membranes,	small	blood	vessels,	the	liver,	the	uterus,	the	lungs	and	the
kidneys),	where	they	are	capable	of	clogging	blood	vessels	and	joints	and	are
known	to	release	chemicals	that	cause	a	cascade	of	health-damaging	reactions. Through	this	mechanism,	immune	complexes	may	be	responsible	for	up	to	90
percent	of	all	kidney	disease. Allergies	are	an	indication	of	systemic	illness	and	should	be	considered	a
serious	immune	dysfunction	disease. If	you	are	allergic	(and	most	Americans
have	allergies	and	intolerances,	although	they	may	be	unaware	of	it),	determine
the	substances	you	react	to	and	avoid	them. More	importantly,	strengthen	your
immune	system,	through	diet	and	supplements,	so	these	reactions	will	not	occur
in	the	first	place;	optimize	your	body’s	ability	to	detoxify	so	that	you	can
minimize	damage	caused	by	the	allergic	reactions	you	do	suffer. Stress	Poisons	in	Many	Ways
Stress	can	be	loosely	defined	as	any	demand	we	place	upon	the	body;	thebody’s	reaction	to	these	demands	causes	us	to	“feel	stressed.”	Everybody	knows
that	stress	is	hard	on	us,	but	few	people	understand	why,	on	a	physical	level. Chronic	stress	literally	poisons	you. The	body’s	response	to	stress—often	called	the	“fight-or-flight	response”—
refers	to	feelings	of	anger	or	fear	that	generate	the	release	of	chemicals	in	your
body,	designed	to	give	you	more	strength	in	an	emergency. In	an	emergency	situation	that	passes	quickly—for	example,	you	rush	to	catch
someone	who	is	falling—the	body	is	able	to	detoxify	the	stress	chemicals	that
are	produced. However,	when	stress	is	chronic,	and	we	constantly	live	our	lives
in	stressful	ways,	these	chemicals	build	up	and	inflict	damage	to	our	cells. Common	stress	symptoms	include	muscle	wasting,	fatigue,	osteoporosis,	high
blood	pressure,	fragile	blood	vessels,	suppressed	immunity,	impaired	mental
function	and	a	host	of	other	problems. What	stress	is,	how	it	affects	you
(physically	and	psychologically)	and	what	you	can	do	about	it	will	be	explored
more	in	chapter	7,	which	explores	the	psychological	pathway. As	we	have	discussed,	the	cells	in	your	body	naturally	produce	toxic
byproducts	that	a	healthy	body	is	designed	to	handle. If	the	body	becomes
overloaded	with	toxins,	for	whatever	reason,	even	normal	metabolic	toxins	can
add	to	the	total	toxic	load	and	damage	cells. Chronic,	internally	generated	stress
chemicals	can	often	move	us	into	toxic	overload. Illnesses	also	stress	us	with	massive	amounts	of	internally	generated	toxins,
which	is	why	we	must	choose	health	in	the	first	place. When	symptoms	of
illness	do	manifest,	cells	are	malfunctioning	and	the	body	is	struggling
desperately	to	make	itself	well	again. Under	these	extra	stress	loads,	to	minimize
the	damage	done,	taking	steps	to	optimize	cellular	function	becomes	even	more
important. Your	Primary	Toxic	Defense:	The	Liver
Various	organs	in	the	body—kidneys,	bowels,	lungs,	lymph	system	and	the
skin—are	designed	to	eliminate	metabolic	waste. Fiber	helps	“carry	out	the
garbage”	in	the	digestive	system,	and	exercise	helps	us	detoxify	via	sweating
and	movement	of	the	lymphatic	system. Water	promotes	detoxification	through
the	kidneys	and	sweat	glands,	and	saunas	assist	in	removal	of	both	water	and	oil-
soluble	toxins. At	any	given	time,	about	25	percent	of	all	the	blood	in	your	body	is	in	your
liver,	awaiting	detoxification. This	process	begins	with	a	sophisticated	filtering
system	that	captures	and	digests	foreign	debris. Next,	enzymes,	produced	by	theliver,	deactivate	and	eliminate	toxins. If	these	enzymes	are	interfered	with—
either	deactivated	by	environmental	toxins	such	as	lead	and	mercury	or	never
manufactured	in	the	first	place	because	of	nutrient	deficiency—toxic	overload	is
certain	to	result. Liver	enzyme	detoxification	has	two	phases:	In	phase	one,	the
liver	produces	enzymes	that	take	harmful	toxins	such	as	alcohol,	pesticides,
herbicides	and	prescription	drugs,	and	oxidizes	them	(burns	them)	in	preparation
for	removal	from	the	body. This	process	creates	potentially	harmful	free	radicals
that	must	be	neutralized	with	dietary	antioxidant	nutrients. In	phase	two,	more
enzymes	are	used	to	combine	the	oxidized	chemicals	from	phase	one	with	other
molecules,	which	then	can	be	excreted	harmlessly	in	the	bile	or	urine. In	both
phases,	the	food	we	eat	supplies	the	raw	materials	needed	to	produce	all	of	these
enzymes	and	other	chemicals	that	are	required. These	elegant	detoxification
systems	depend	on	a	constant	supply	of	nutrients,	which	we	must	obtain	from
our	diet,	but	we	frequently	do	not. Help	your	liver’s	phase-one	detoxification	process	with	antioxidant	nutrients:
vitamins	C,	E	and	A,	along	with	coenzyme	Q10,	carotenoids,	bioflavonoids,
selenium,	manganese,	copper	and	zinc. Some	of	these	nutrients	neutralize	free
radicals	directly;	others	activate	enzymes	that	neutralize	them. Red,	yellow	and
green	vegetables	are	loaded	with	these	antioxidant	nutrients. Assist	your	liver’s
phase-two	detoxification	with	cruciferous	vegetables,	such	as	cabbage,	broccoli,
cauliflower,	green	onions,	kale	and	brussels	sprouts. These	vegetables	enable	the
liver	to	eliminate	powerful	carcinogens,	helping	to	protect	us	against	cancer. These	dietary	suggestions,	combined	with	high-quality	supplements,	can	keep
your	liver’s	toxic	defenses	at	peak	function. Much	of	our	body	is	made	of	water;	the	kidneys	need	it	to	excrete	water-
soluble	toxins. Water	constantly	moves	throughout	your	body	and	must	be
changed	frequently	to	keep	it	pure. A	minimum	of	eight	glasses	of	pure	water
should	be	consumed	every	day,	and	more	is	better. Your	water	supply	must	be
pure	so	as	not	to	add	to	your	toxic	load. Water	should	be	consumed	as	water,	not
as	beverages	such	as	coffee,	tea	or	alcohol	(these	substances	may	cause	the	body
to	lose	water). Water	is	a	simple	choice,	often	overlooked. Dehydration	is	a
common	problem,	especially	among	our	elderly	population. A	toxic	lifestyle	is	often	created	unwittingly. We	fail	to	appreciate	that	many
small	toxic	exposures	over	time,	to	a	wide	variety	of	toxins,	lead	to	an
accumulation,	causing	our	cells	to	malfunction. Even	small	amounts	of	toxins
can	perform	amazing	feats	of	chemistry	by	inhibiting	hormones,	deactivating
enzymes,	compromising	our	detoxification	systems	and	using	up	precious
nutrients. Toxicity	is	seldom	recognized	as	a	primary	cause	of	our	healthproblems. The	toxic	invaders	in	our	lives—whether	they	are	brought	into	our
homes	or	they	are	created	in	our	own	bodies—are	also	not	easily	detected	by
typical	“radar.”	The	toxins	that	harm	us	seldom	are	labeled	hazardous,	and	they
are	difficult	to	identify. Once	we	understand	the	role	toxins	play	in	cellular	malfunction,	we	can
understand	the	importance	of	minimizing	toxic	exposure	and	maximizing	the
body’s	ability	to	detoxify. In	order	to	protect	yourself	and	your	family,	you	must
learn	how	to	spot	these	silent	and	hidden	dangers,	and	how	to	keep	your
defenses	strong	in	order	to	avoid	toxic	overload. Never	before	has	the	human
body	been	faced	with	such	challenges	of	personal	and	global	pollution. To
respond	to	these	challenges	and	to	move	yourself	in	the	right	direction	on	the
toxin	pathway,	learn	to	make	the	daily	choices	that	will	reduce	your	toxic
exposure	and	support	your	detoxification	systems.7
T	
HE
	P
SYCHOLOGIAC	
P
ATHWAY
“The	simple	truth	is,	happy	people	generally	don’t	get
sick. One’s	attitude	toward	oneself	is	the	single	most
important	factor	in	healing	or	staying	well. Those	who	are	at
peace	with	themselves	and	their	immediate	surroundings
have	far	fewer	serious	illnesses	than	those	who	are	not.”
Bernie	Siegel,	M.D. Love,	Medicine	&	Miracles
E
ven	when	nutrients	are	scarce	and	toxins	abundant,	one’s	potential	for	health
is	nearly	limitless,	and	it	relies	almost	entirely	on	ourselves	and	the	power	of	the
mind. Thoughts	and	emotions	have	a	tremendous	effect	on	our	cells	and
therefore	our	health. What	we	put	into	our	minds	may	be	more	important	than
what	we	put	into	our	bodies. The	power	of	the	mind	is	your	best	ally	in	choosing
to	get	well	and	stay	well. You	are	what	you	think. “How	can	it	be,”	you	might	ask,	“that	the	mind	has	so	much	control	over	the
body?”	This	question	assumes	that	one	is	separate	from	the	other;	in	fact,	they
are	inseparable. All	the	cells	in	our	body	contribute	to	what	we	call	the	mind,
and	what	goes	on	in	our	mind	affects	what	happens	in	all	our	cells. Chemical	reactions	are	produced	throughout	the	body	by	our	thoughts,
emotions	and	interactions	with	others. Fear	makes	us	turn	pale;	embarrassment
makes	us	blush. Modern	science	has	proven	that	these	“thought	chemicals”
either	can	be	beneficial	or	detrimental	to	health. We	can	choose	what	we	put	into
our	minds,	and	in	doing	so,	we	can	choose	between	health	and	disease. This	concept	is	sometimes	difficult	for	people	to	embrace	because	thought
chemicals	are	abstract. Their	effect,	though,	is	reflected	in	Dr.	Bernie	Siegel’s
1986	book,	
Love,	Medicine	&	Miracles
:	“If	I	told	patients	to	raise	their	blood
levels	of	immune	globulins	or	killer	T-cells,	no	one	would	know	how. But	if	I
can	teach	them	to	love	themselves	and	others	fully,	the	same	change	happens
automatically.”
Consider	how	thought	chemicals	can	improve	or	damage	health:
•	A	1991	study	in	the	
New	England	Journal	of	Medicine	
found	that	stressful
life	situations	(such	as	losing	a	job,	breaking	off	an	engagement	or	simply
feeling	overwhelmed	by	life’s	problems)	nearly	doubles	the	risk	of	catching
a	cold.•	A	thirty-five-year	study	(1946–1981)	of	Harvard	graduates	showed	that
people	who	had	a	pessimistic	outlook	on	life	suffered	significantly	more
disease	after	age	forty-five	than	people	with	a	positive	outlook. •	A	2001	study	in	
Psychosomatic	Medicine	
found	that	optimism	protects
against	heart	disease. People	who	are	pessimistic	and	blame	themselves	for
everything	were	much	more	likely	to	die	of	a	heart	attack	than	their
optimistic	counterparts. •	Dr.	O.	Carl	Simonton,	in	his	1978	book,	
Getting	Well	Again,	
talks	about
how	visual	imagery	with	positive	mental	images	had	a	beneficial	effect	on
patients	with	advanced	cancer. Simonton	found	that	people	who	used	their
minds	to	heal	had	double	the	survival	rate	of	those	who	did	not. •	A	study	in	a	2000	issue	of	
Lancet	
concluded	that	women	who	experience
severe	emotional	stress	during	the	first	trimester	of	pregnancy	are	80
percent	more	likely	to	have	a	child	with	birth	defects. Body,	Heal	Thyself
You	must	believe	in	your	health	if	you	are	to	maintain	or	regain	health. You
must	actively	care	for	your	health	when	you	are	well,	and	actively	pursue
wellness	when	you	are	ill. When	my	own	body	was	in	progressive	deterioration	during	the	depths	of	my
illness,	I	began	to	realize	that,	for	survival,	I	needed	to	employ	my	mind	as	well
as	my	body. I	began	to	repeat	a	version	of	an	old	affirmation	to	myself,	again
and	again,	a	mantra	of	sorts:	
Every	day,	in	every	way,	I	get	stronger	and	stronger
and	better	and	better. At	first,	when	I	would	say	this	to	myself,	my	mind	would	fight	back,	saying
something	like,	
Wow,	are	you	a	liar! You	feel	worse	today	than	you	did
yesterday. I	realized	that	my	positive	mental	affirmations	were	being	negated	by
my	own	thinking	about	my	situation. I	began	to	reply	to	my	mind’s	objections
by	saying,	
I	know	I	am	worse	today,	but	I	am	giving	you	an	instruction. Once	I	became	comfortable	giving	my	body	instructions,	my	own	objections
began	to	disappear	and	my	body	began	to	respond. I	would	say	my	affirmation,
sometimes	out	loud,	with	passion	and	expectancy,	many	times	daily,	repeatedly,
until	I	could	feel	strength	coming	into	my	body	as	I	said	the	words. After	a	few
weeks,	my	subconscious	mind	began	to	implement	the	instructions	and	intent	of
my	conscious	mind. One	day,	after	saying	these	affirmations,	I	felt	the	best	that	I
had	felt	since	the	onset	of	my	illness. The	feeling	lasted	only	five	or	ten	minutes,
but	the	fact	that	it	happened	proved	that	I	was	on	the	right	path. Soon,	thefeelings	of	strength	came	more	often	and	lasted	longer. Later	in	my	studies,	I
learned	of	the	close	connection	between	the	mind	and	the	immune	system. My
badly	damaged	immune	system	was	responding! These	affirmations	had	a	profound	effect	on	me. I	began	to	understand	that
health	and	disease	can	be	the	reactions	of	the	subconscious	mind	to	the	thoughts
of	the	conscious	mind;	the	subconscious	takes	orders	from	the	conscious	mind
and	implements	them. Minds	do	what	they	are	programmed	to	do,	even	though
much	of	that	programming	is	unintended. I	began	to	realize	my	power	to
influence	my	health	simply	by	choosing	the	daily	thoughts	I	was	putting	into	my
mind. By	focusing	on	my	illness,	I	had	been	putting	thoughts	of	disease	into	my
mind,	thereby	creating	more	disease. The	mind	is	always	working,	so	why	not
make	it	work	for	rather	than	against	you? Keep	your	images	and	suggestions	as
positive,	simple,	clear	and	concise	as	possible. Then	repeat	them	as	often	as
possible. Allow	the	subconscious	to	accept	them	as	a	command	and	implement
them. Over	the	past	sixteen	years,	of	all	of	the	people	I	have	known	with	“incurable”
and	“fatal”	diseases,	the	thrivers	and	survivors	have	been	those	individuals	who
used	the	power	of	their	minds	to	heal	their	bodies	consciously. Take	the	case	of
Karl,	a	concert	violinist	who	became	paralyzed	by	a	stroke. His	physicians	told
him	the	paralysis	was	permanent. Confined	to	a	wheelchair,	Karl	was	unwilling
to	accept	such	a	fate. He	decided	to	use	the	power	of	his	mind	to	establish	new
connections	in	his	brain. He	started	by	focusing	intensely	on	just	one	finger. He
commanded	it	to	move,	and	eventually	it	did! Now	a	medical	curiosity,	in	2001
Karl	was	invited	to	give	a	concert	at	an	international	medical	conference	where
his	doctor	presented	his	story. Brain	scans	show	that	Karl’s	miraculous	recovery
resulted	from	using	entirely	new	areas	of	his	brain	and	bypassing	the	damaged
areas. Music	critics	claim	he	is	playing	better	than	ever! How’s	that	for	the
power	of	the	mind? Choosing	to	Stay	Sick
In	contrast	to	Karl,	other	people	in	my	experience	have	failed	to	strengthen
their	psychological	pathway	and	lost	the	health	benefits	of	positive	efforts. Lisa
was	one. She	had	suffered	from	extreme	chemical	sensitivity	for	twelve	years
before	coming	to	me	for	help. I	was	confident	I	could	help	her,	based	on	my	own
experiences. I	taught	Lisa	how	to	improve	her	health,	mostly	through	dietary	and
vitamin	supplement	suggestions,	and	she	made	some	striking	initial
improvements. After	a	few	months,	Lisa	was	living	her	life	in	ways	that	she	hadnot	been	able	to	for	many	years;	she	had	started	dating,	going	out	dancing	and
even	going	on	sailing	trips. Lisa’s	friends	commented	about	how	well	she	looked
and	her	good	progress. After	twelve	years	of	sickness,	Lisa	seemed	to	be	on	a
path	to	a	more	meaningful	life. She	learned	what	was	necessary	to	choose	health
and	seemed	to	have	developed	the	psychological	willingness	to	stick	with	it. One	day,	I	received	a	frantic	call	from	Lisa. Her	disability	caseworker	had
contacted	her	and	informed	Lisa	that	it	was	time	for	an	annual	review. Lisa	had
been	receiving	disability	funds	from	social	security	and	state	welfare,	and	she
was	living	in	subsidized	housing. For	many	years,	Lisa	had	been	too	sick	to
work	and	needed	this	financial	support. Now,	her	health	having	taken	a	dramatic
turn	for	the	better,	Lisa	feared	that	her	caseworker	would	notice	the
improvement	and	revoke	financial	assistance. Lisa	panicked. She	had	been	unable	to	work	for	so	many	years	that	she	had	not	a	clue	about
how	she	could	support	herself	without	those	benefits. Perhaps	her	desire	to	get
well	simply	could	not	compete	with	her	fear	of	losing	support. Perhaps	twelve
years	of	“sickness	programming”	deprived	Lisa	of	the	self-confidence	she
needed	to	thrive. Sadly,	the	last	time	I	heard	about	her,	Lisa	had	stopped
applying	what	she	had	learned	about	deficiency	and	toxicity,	and	her	health	had
regressed. The	potential	to	get	well	(that	is,	her	new	diet,	supplements	and
workout	program)	was	lost	because	she	could	not	unlearn	her	programming	to	be
dependent	and	disabled. Will	You	Care	for	Me	If	I	Am	Well? Unhealthy	psychological	programming	derailed	the	health	efforts	of	another
client	named	Ruth,	who	suffered	from	chronic	fatigue	syndrome. Although	she
followed	my	recommendations	regarding	diet	and	nutritional	supplements,	she
made	only	modest	improvement,	and	I	realized	that	Ruth	was	going	to	be	a
tough	case. I	suspected	that	she	needed	a	great	deal	of	assistance	along	her
psychological	pathway. I	learned	that	when	Ruth	was	a	small	child,	the	only	time	her	father	paid
attention	to	her	was	when	she	was	sick. Then,	he	would	buy	her	toys,	sit	by	her
bed	and	read	her	stories. Most	other	times,	he	either	ignored	her	or	related	to	her
superficially. Subconsciously,	Ruth	learned,	“If	I	want	attention,	I	need	to	be
sick.”	No	doubt	she	did	not	intend	this,	but	her	behavior	was	programmed
nevertheless. Years	later,	when	her	marriage	was	falling	apart	and	her	husband
was	giving	his	attention	to	someone	else,	Ruth’s	programmed	response	was	to
get	sick—this	time	in	order	to	regain	the	attention	and	affection	of	her	husband.In	the	long	run,	of	course,	this	kind	of	behavioral	pattern	inevitably	fails;	Ruth’s
husband	eventually	divorced	her,	leaving	her	alone	and	sick. For	Lisa	and	Ruth,	certain	“rewards”	for	being	sick	superseded	their	desires	to
get	well	or	stay	well. This	way	of	life	is	not	uncommon;	people	often	have
psychological	reasons	to	get	sick	or	stay	sick—usually	not	on	a	conscious	level. People	often	learn	hopelessness	instead	of	hopefulness. If	you	are	sick,	be	sure	to	ask	yourself,	
What	is	my	reward	for	being	sick? Am
I	willing	to	give	up	my	reward? Do	I	truly	want	to	be	well? These	questions	can
be	followed	with	affirmations	or	mantras,	such	as	
I	am	well. I	am	getting	better,
healthier	and	stronger	every	day. Reprogramming	your	mind-set	or	approach	is
the	key,	whether	you	are	talking	about	the	thoughts	you	think	or	the	foods	you
eat. Health	is	a	choice,	and	the	best	chance	to	realize	it	comes	from	making	your
top	priority	to	get	well	and	stay	well. The	Placebo	Effect
One	of	the	most	familiar	descriptions	of	the	power	of	the	mind	over	the
body’s	responses	is	the	placebo	effect. This	concept	is	based	on	research	by
Henry	K.	Beecher,	published	in	a	1955	paper,	“The	Powerful	Placebo,”	which
concluded	that	roughly	one-third	of	people	who	receive	medical	treatment	will
show	improvement	simply	because	they	believe	the	treatment	will	work,
regardless	of	how	pharmacologically	effective	the	treatment	is. People’s
thoughts	affect	their	health—not	exactly	a	news	flash,	but	a	scientific	fact
nevertheless. When	the	research	was	published,	Beecher’s	paper	made	a	huge
impact	on	the	scientific	community,	and	since	then,	thousands	of	published
studies	on	the	same	topic	demonstrate	clearly	that	what	you	think	affects	how
your	body	functions. The	term	placebo	refers	to	a	substance,	procedure	or	treatment	that,	when
given	to	a	patient,	produces	a	beneficial	effect	on	the	body	that	is	not	a	direct
result	of	the	placebo’s	chemistry. Now,	medical	scientists	use	placebos	to
measure	the	effectiveness	of	a	certain	treatment—often	a	medication—	versus
“no	treatment”	at	all. In	a	typical	study,	for	instance,	one	group	of	patients	is
given	a	drug	and	another	group	of	patients,	unknown	to	them,	receive	pills	that
contain	essentially	nothing—a	placebo. This	approach	and	the	results	based	on	this	approach,	however,	are	misguided
because	the	placebo—by	virtue	of	positive	thinking—does	have	effects. Doctors
and	scientists	portray	their	disrespect	for	the	patient’s	power	by	thinking	of	the
placebo	as	something	to	be	“factored	out	of	the	equation,”	as	an	unwanted,	or	atbest,	uninteresting	effect. More	medical	support	for	this	power	could	go	a	long
way	toward	helping	all	become	and	stay	well. Scientific	work	with	the	placebo	proves	what	we	already	know	instinctively:
Beliefs,	attitudes	and	patterns	of	behavior	play	a	major	role	in	health	and
disease. Our	state	of	mind	is	as	much	a	part	of	our	lifestyle	as	our	diet,	amount
of	sleep	or	exercise. Let	us	harness	the	principles	of	the	placebo	effect	and	use
that	power. In	a	sincere,	direct	and	informed	manner,	we	can	use	it	more
profoundly. The	Best	Health	Coverage
The	support,	encouragement	and	good	bedside	manner	of	a	health	practitioner
(be	it	a	modern	practitioner	or	an	ancient	witch	doctor)	can	help	a	patient
recover,	even	if	this	“help”	exists	only	through	the	“effect	of	the	mind.”
Down	through	history,	many	or	perhaps	most	of	the	successes	of	health-care
treatments	have	been	and	are	due	to	behavioral	and	psychological	factors. A
1993	study	in	
Cardiology	
raised	the	possibility	that	a	large	share	of	the
presumed	benefits	of	prescription	drugs	actually	results	from	people	believing
they	are	being	helped. New	York	Times	
columnist	Margaret	Talbot	summed	up	this	idea,	noting	that
“the	truth	is	that	the	placebo	effect	is	huge.”	In	studies	of	new	drugs,	she	says,
between	35	and	75	percent	of	patients	benefit	from	taking	a	dummy	pill. This
“placebo	effect,”	she	writes,	“should	probably	be	put	to	conscious	use	in	clinical
practice,	even	if	we	do	not	entirely	understand	how	it	works.”
Talbot	continues:
For	centuries,	Western	medicine	consisted	of	almost	nothing	but	the
placebo	effect. The	patient	who	got	better	after	a	bleeding—or	a	dose	of	fox
lung,	wood	lice,	tartar	emetic	or	any	of	the	other	charming	staples	of	the
19th-century	pharmacopoeia—got	better	either	in	spite	of	them	or	because
of	their	symbolic	value. Such	patients	believed	in	the	cure	and	in	the
authority	of	the	bewigged	gentlemen	administering	it,	and	the	belief	gave
them	hope	and	the	hope	helped	make	them	well. There	were	exceptions—
remedies,	like	quinine	for	malaria,	the	vaccine	for	smallpox	and	morphine
for	pain	relief,	which	actually	worked. But	generally	speaking,	if	all	the
drugs	of	the	day	“could	be	sunk	to	the	bottom	of	the	sea,”	as	Oliver
Wendell	Holmes	observed	in	1860,	“it	would	be	all	the	better	for	mankind
—and	all	the	worse	for	the	fishes.”We	need	to	use	the	principles	of	the	placebo	effect	deliberately—	without
trying	to	deceive	the	patient—to	benefit	health	and	performance. Imagine	the
potential	gains	if	modern	health	care	included	an	educational	and	“coaching”
dimension	as	part	of	a	more	comprehensive	approach	to	healing. This	rarely
happens. Modern	health	care	focuses	almost	exclusively	on	diagnosing	and
treating	the	physical	body,	usually	with	drugs	or	surgery,	and	typically	fails	to
consider	the	behavioral,	emotional,	perceptual,	learning,	cognitive	and	spiritual
factors	that	may	be	playing	a	significant	role	in	becoming	sick	or	well. Believing	that	you	“have”	a	disease	and	playing	the	role	of	a	“sick	person”	is
the	way	to	stay	sick. By	contrast,	being	healthy	means	believing	that	you	are
getting	well	and	staying	well;	it	means	“playing	the	role”	of	health. Every
thought	has	a	physical	effect	on	your	cells. Negative	thoughts,	particularly	about
disease	and	death,	can	literally	kill	you. An	Infection	of	Negative	Thoughts
Although	we	used	to	think	of	mind	and	body	as	entirely	separate,	the	last
twenty-five	years	of	scientific	research	have	taught	us	a	great	deal	about	the
dimensions	of	mind	and	body	and	how,	together,	they	establish	body-wide
communication	networks. Our	bodies	create	chemical	messengers	(neuropep-
tides,	neurotransmitters	and	hormones)	that	allow	the	body	to	communicate	with
itself,	to	self-regulate,	to	adapt. Through	these	chemical	messengers	the	cells
know	when	and	what	to	do. Cells	throughout	the	body	(not	just	in	the	brain)	both
create	and	are	affected	by	these	chemical	messengers. All	cells	are	in	constant
contact	with	one	another,	whether	they	are	brain	cells,	muscle	cells,	nerve	cells
or	any	other	kind. Every	thought	and	emotion	triggers	the	release	of	chemical	messengers
throughout	the	body;	in	other	words,	there	is	no	such	thing	as	“just	a	thought.”
Every	thought	has	a	physical	consequence,	for	better	or	worse. Feelings	of
anger,	apathy,	gloom	and	resentment	weaken	the	immune	system	and	damage
health. Positive	thoughts	of	love,	compassion,	joy,	humor	and	the	like	support
good	physical	health. It	takes	some	effort	and	discipline,	especially	on	the	bad	days,	to	keep	an	open
and	positive	mindset,	but	the	health	benefits	definitely	make	it	worthwhile. The
goal	of	this	chapter	is	to	explain	how	psychology	affects	health	at	the	cellular
level	and	to	identify	some	of	the	most	important	psychological	concepts,	as	well
as	some	of	the	most	common	(and	self-destructive)	mistakes. The	goal	is	to	help
you	improve	your	psychological	pathway—one	of	the	major	avenues	betweenhealth	and	disease. Minds	Need	Reprogramming
Our	minds	are	rather	like	computers:	Whether	intended	or	unintended,	they	do
what	they	have	been	programmed	to	do. A	big	part	of	using	the	psychological
pathway	to	stay	healthy	is	the	ability	to	recognize	your	current	programming	and
to	learn	new	programs—new	thoughts,	attitudes	and	behavior	patterns. As	demonstrated	by	my	clients	Lisa	and	Ruth,	some	people	find	it	hard	to
develop	the	will	to	change	old	patterns. For	these	two	women,	habitual	thinking
and	imagery	created	their	destiny. They	were	in	reach	of	health,	but	let	it	go. Why? Not	because	they	lacked	the	necessary	information,	the	problem	most
people	face,	but	because	their	strategies	for	achieving	short-term	security	had
been	tried	and	proven,	and	were	too	difficult	to	unlearn. Negative	health	programming	can	come	from	a	visit	to	the	doctor. Even	the
sight	of	a	physician	can	cause	blood	pressure	to	rise;	the	effect	is	called	“white-
coat	hypertension.”	The	stress	resulting	from	the	diagnosis	of	a	grave	disease
can	do	serious	damage,	precisely	like	voodoo	or	a	witch’s	hex. A	1991	study	in
the	
Medical	Journal	of	Australia	
concluded	that	negative	suggestions	from
physicians	and	caregivers	were	significant	negative	factors	in	cancer	recovery. Deepak	Chopra,	M.D.,	made	a	similar	observation	in	his	book,	
Creating	Health:
“I	have	frequently	observed	that	a	rapid	progression	of	symptoms	and	then	death
from	cancer	occurred	
after	
the	diagnosis	of	cancer	was	made. It	is	almost	as	if
the	patient	was	dying	from	the	diagnosis	and	not	from	the	disease.”
Physicians	must	exercise	great	care	not	to	create	negative	expectations. We
need	support	and	reassurance	from	our	physicians	and	caregivers. We	need	them
to	believe	in	us	and	to	help	us	through	our	processes	of	healing	and	recovery. Certainly,	we	expect	honesty	from	them,	but	we	do	not	need	discouraging
remarks	and	ominous	statistics	about	our	slim	chances	for	survival	(as	I	was	told
that	nothing	more	could	be	done	for	me,	before	I	saved	my	own	life). Regardless	of	what	your	health	practitioner	says	or	does,	getting	well	and
staying	well	is	your	responsibility. Taking	that	responsibility	actually	helps
make	you	healthier. Unfortunately,	most	patients	relinquish	this	responsibility	to
their	doctor. They	play	a	passive	role	of	bystander	or	victim;	they	think	of	the
health-care	provider	as	their	problem	solver. Patients’	positive	attitudes	toward	their	health	or	disease	help	to	make	them
not	only	informed	but	also	empowered. Approaching	health	care	with	the	belief
that	you,	as	the	patient,	are	in	charge	can	vitalize	your	efforts. You	ask	morequestions. You	feel	more	control	over	the	outcome. As	Bernie	Siegel,	M.D.,
reminds	us	in	
Love,	Medicine	&	Miracles,	
the	patient	must	be	the	primary	source
of	healing. “Exceptional	patients,”	he	wrote,	“refuse	to	be	victims. They	educate
themselves	and	become	specialists	in	their	own	care. They	question	the	doctor
because	they	want	to	understand	their	treatment	and	participate	in	it. They
demand	dignity,	personhood,	and	control,	no	matter	what	the	course	of	disease.”
There	is	nothing	wrong	with	going	to	the	doctor—so	long	as	you	realize	that
your	health	is	your	responsibility,	not	your	doctor’s	or	anyone	else’s. Because
belief	in	your	own	health	makes	a	critical	difference,	you	need	to	work	with
professionals	who	acknowledge	how	essential	this	outlook	is. You	need
caregivers	to	support	you	in	your	efforts	to	participate,	and	who	can	assist	you	in
educating	yourself	productively,	rather	than	hinder	you,	which	is	often	the	case. Often,	psychological	healing	is	thought	to	be	unimportant	to	treatment	in
modern	health	care,	but	the	miracle	is	precisely	the	opposite. Unfortunately,
modern	medicine	overlooks	the	whole	person. “Fixing”	only	the	physical	body,
as	if	it	were	a	separate	entity,	is	to	overlook	the	complex	weave	of	physiological,
psychological	and	spiritual	dimensions	that	define	human	beings—including
you,	your	tissues	and	all	of	your	cells. The	standard	approach	is	not	good
enough. Healthy	Mind,	Healthy	Immune	System
Negative	behaviors,	thoughts,	emotions	and	stress	can	adversely	affect	the
functioning	of	your	immune	system;	they	can	lower	your	resistance	to	infections
and	make	you	more	susceptible	to	bacteria,	fungi,	viruses	and	other
microorganisms. Yet,	you	can	exercise	control. You	can	begin	immediately,
actively	and	consciously	to	improve	your	ability	to	fight	disease	and	maintain
optimal	health. Speaking	about	the	psychological	dimension	of	the	immune	system,	David
Felton,	M.D.,	professor	of	neurobiology	and	anatomy	at	the	University	School	of
Rochester,	said,	“Now	there’s	overwhelming	evidence	that	hormones	and
neurotransmitters	can	influence	the	activities	of	the	immune	system	and	that
products	of	the	immune	system	influence	the	brain.”
In	order	to	protect	you	from	infections,	your	brain	and	your	immune	system
must	be	in	constant	dialogue. The	brain	sends	information	to	the	immune	system
by	producing	certain	types	of	chemical	messengers	(neuropeptides). That
information	is	delivered	to	immune	cells	through	receptor	sites	on	cell
membranes. Rather	like	plugging	an	electrical	appliance	into	a	wall	outlet,chemical	messengers	from	your	brain	“plug	in”	to	the	receptor	sites	on	the
immune	cells. This	messaging	process	happens	on	a	very	large	scale,	allowing
the	brain	to	deliver	information	to	immune	cells	throughout	the	body. Likewise,
the	body’s	immune	cells	respond	by	creating	new	chemical	messengers,	sending
information	back	to	the	brain. This	process	creates	a	constant	link	or	feedback
loop	between	the	brain	and	the	immune	system. The	role	of	the	psychological	pathway	in	immune	system	function	is
illustrated	by	a	study	of	twenty-six	bereaved	spouses. The	study	demonstrated
that	the	pain	and	stress	of	bereavement	significantly	depressed	the	effectiveness
of	the	immune	system. In	other	studies,	depressed	immunity	in	students,
determined	by	the	number	and	activity	of	T-cells,	has	been	shown	to	result	from
the	psychological	stress	of	taking	exams. Psychologically	depressed	immunity
can	even	lead	to	cancer. As	far	back	as	the	second-century	A.D.,	the	physician
and	philosopher	Galen	observed	that	melancholy	dispositions	disposed	women
toward	developing	breast	cancer. A	1998	study	in	the	
Journal	of	the	National
Cancer	Institute	
came	to	the	same	conclusion. In	that	study,	women	who
experienced	long-term	depression	were	almost	90	percent	more	likely	to	develop
cancer	than	their	upbeat	counterparts. The	Jekyll	and	Hyde	of	Stress
Stress	has	an	upside	and	a	downside. Stress	can	induce	positive	emotions—
excitement,	passion	and	positive	arousal. Alternatively,	stress	can	bring	on
negative	emotions	such	as	fear,	anxiety	and	anger. In	both	cases,	the	same	body
systems	are	involved;	both	“good”	excitement	and	“bad”	fear	can	increase	heart
rate	and	blood	pressure. With	different	mental	outlooks,	however,	different
results	occur. In	a	positive	mental	outlook,	health	improves;	with	a	negative
mindset,	cells	are	damaged	and	health	is	impaired. Meeting	the	stressful
challenges	that	appear	in	our	lives—the	chance	for	a	promotion	at	work,	for
instance—can	help	us	to	grow	and	develop. When	chronic	and	negative,
however,	stress	damages	our	cells	and	impairs	our	health. Any	perceived	threat,	such	as	an	attacking	predator,	a	crazy	driver	or	an
urgent	deadline,	causes	your	nervous	system	to	stimulate	both	the	pituitary	and
the	adrenal	glands,	releasing	stress	hormones	such	as	adrenaline. These
hormones	provide	a	“rush”	necessary	to	prepare	the	body	for	sudden	action—by
increasing	heart	rate,	breathing	rate,	blood	flow	to	the	muscles,	blood	pressure
and	other	vital	functions. This	stress	reaction	was	historically	important	for
survival—part	of	the	“fight	or	flight”	response,	which	enables	us	to	enhanceperformance	through	an	increase	in	our	physical	and	mental	capacities	for	an
immediate	shift	into	“emergency	mode.”
Production	of	these	chemicals,	however,	was	meant	to	be	episodic;	an
emergency	would	come,	and	it	would	pass. Unfortunately	for	many	people,
stress	is	now	chronic. People	are	working	more	and	sleeping	less,	and	the	pace
of	daily	living	is	accelerating. When	chronically	mobilized,	stress	chemicals
build	up	in	our	system	and	damage	our	cells	and	tissues. Stress	chemicals	can
lead	to	damaged	immunity,	increased	susceptibility	to	infectious	disease,
damaged	blood	vessels,	maldigestion,	sleep	disturbance,	water	retention,	fat
deposits,	hypoglycemia,	ulcers,	anxiety,	high	blood	pressure,	cardiac
irregularities,	lower	pain	threshold,	lower	sperm	count,	reduced	sexual
performance,	anxiety	and	depression. •	According	to	the	Occupational	Safety	and	Health	Administration	(OSHA),
stress	is	among	the	top-ten	reasons	Americans	miss	work. •	The	American	Medical	Association	(AMA)	has	estimated	that	up	to	70
percent	of	all	patients	seen	by	general-practice	physicians	show	symptoms
directly	related	to	stress. •	Job	stress	can	chronically	raise	blood	pressure,	and	stress	from	lack	of
control	on	the	job	can	even	increase	the	risk	of	heart	disease	(such	as,	for
example,	by	changing	the	parameters	of	blood	clotting	factors). •	On	a	positive	note,	a	1997	study	at	Duke	University	showed	that	heart
attack	victims	who	learned	to	manage	their	stress	levels	could	reduce	the
risk	of	a	repeated	heart	attack	by	74	percent. Unfortunately,	many	of	us	now	spend	much	time	during	the	day	in	emergency
mode	as	a	result	of	all	kinds	of	what	should	be	nonemergency	activities,	such	as
catching	buses,	driving	cars,	attending	meetings	and	doing	daily	work. As	a
result,	we	flood	our	systems	with	stress	chemicals	unnecessarily,	and	we	do	so
on	a	chronic	basis. To	minimize	damage	from	chronic	stress,	we	must	find	healthful	ways	to
adapt. Adaptation	is	what	stress	management	is	all	about. Our	ability	to	adapt	is
part	of	what	has	allowed	humankind	to	survive	so	well	in	diverse	environments. We	must	learn	how	to	choose	and	interpret	today’s	challenges	in	ways	that
convert	potentially	dis-stressful	situations	to	exciting,	challenging	ones,	as	well
as	learn	productive	coping	strategies	when	dis-stress	is	unavoidable. If	you	know	of	a	certain	person,	situation	or	location	that	stresses	you,	choose
to	avoid	putting	that	stress	on	yourself	by	avoiding	that	person,	situation	or
location. Do	not	put	pressure	(stress)	on	yourself	when	doing	so	will	likely	have
no	effect	on	the	outcome	of	a	situation. You	have	the	power	to	choose. If	you	arestuck	in	a	traffic	jam,	you	can	either	stress	out,	or	you	can	seize	the	opportunity
to	breathe	deeply	and	relax. Neither	action	makes	the	traffic	move	faster,	but	one
approach	makes	you	healthier	and	the	other	makes	you	sicker. If	you	become
visibly	irritated	when	standing	in	lines	or	following	slow	drivers,	at	those	times
you	may	want	to	evaluate	the	degree	to	which	you	allow	life’s	little	irritations	to
impact	negatively	on	your	health	and	well-being. Many	dis-stressful	situations	are	impossible	to	avoid. In	fact,	we	would	not
want	to	avoid	all	of	them. As	Robert	Ornstein,	M.D.,	and	David	Sobel,	Ph.D.,
explain	in	their	book	
The	Healing	Brain,	
“If	we	. . . tried	to	avoid	[all]	stressors
no	one	would	ever	marry,	have	children,	take	a	job,	get	divorced,	or	invent
anything	at	all.”	“The	way	we	react	to	stress,”	they	say,	“appears	to	be	more
important	than	the	stress	itself. . . . [T]he	onset	and	course	of	disease	are	strongly
linked	to	a	person’s	ability	and	willingness	to	cope	with	stress. . . . Helplessness
is	worse	than	stress	itself.”
Many	effective	techniques	exist	for	reducing	the	stress	in	our	lives,	including
counseling,	prayer,	meditation,	therapy,	exercise,	yoga,	self-hypnosis,	keeping	a
journal,	social	support	and	other	alternatives. Find	what	works	for	you	and
understand	that	your	health	is	constantly	affected	by	the	way	you	respond	to	and
interpret	the	stressful	situations	in	your	life;	your	levels	of	dis-stress	are
determined	by	your	choices,	not	simply	by	the	random	happenings	in	your	busy
life. Love	Leads	the	Way
The	“good”	emotions—love,	compassion,	spiritual	awareness—	have
extremely	powerful	implications	for	health,	but	they	are	often	difficult	to	define,
explain	or	measure. These	complex	and	nontangible	concepts	remain	perhaps	the
most	“real”	considerations	in	our	lives. Understanding	their	power	over	health
and	disease	is	critical	to	understanding	and	practicing	effective	health	care. Strong	social	support—including	family	relationships,	friendships,
relationships	with	health	practitioners,	romantic	relationships,	and	relationships
with	spiritual	leaders	and	figures—	is	a	critical	component	of	health	care. People
are	typically	healthier	and	recover	from	diseases	more	effectively	when	they
have	strong	social	ties. Why? Perhaps	people	simply	feel	cared	for	and	hopeful
about	their	future. Or	perhaps	the	bonds	that	people	form	transcend	our
traditional	scientific	understanding	of	health—even	into	realms	of	spirit	and
energy. However	it	works,	people	who	relate	with	others	do	help	each	other
through	adversities,	allowing	for	greater	health	and	wellness	than	people	who	areisolated	and	alone. Although	relationships	cannot	be	put	onto	a	slide	and	examined	under	a
microscope,	many	studies	have	cited	the	effects	of	relationships—or	the	lack	of
relationships—on	health	and	disease:
•	People	who	are	single,	separated,	divorced	or	widowed	are	more	than
twice	as	likely	to	die	than	their	married	peers,	and	five	to	ten	times	more
likely	to	be	hospitalized	for	mental	disorders. •	Social	isolation	is	as	big	a	risk	factor	for	disease	as	smoking. •	People	with	minimal	social	connections,	such	as	those	with	few	friends	or
family	and	people	who	tend	not	to	participate	in	their	communities,	are	two
to	five	times	more	likely	to	die	prematurely	than	those	with	more	extensive
social	ties. These	differences	are	independent	of	age,	sex,	and	ethnic	or
cultural	background. •	Studies	of	medical	students	during	stressful	exam	periods	found	that	the
biggest	drop	in	immunity	occurred	in	students	who	reported	being	lonely. •	When	experimental	subjects	were	injected	with	cold	viruses,	individuals
with	fewer	social	ties	were	four	to	six	times	more	likely	to	develop	colds	as
those	who	had	more	social	ties. •	The	death	rate	among	Russian	men	increased	by	nearly	40	percent
following	the	fall	of	communism,	attributed	to	social	instability. Love	is	a	deep	and	vital	part	of	ourselves	and	a	critical	aspect	of	the
psychological	pathway. There	is	love	for	oneself,	for	other	people,	for	pets,	love
in	spiritual	practice	and	much	more. True	love,	of	course,	is	unconditional,
existing	for	its	own	sake	because	you	choose	it	and	want	it	in	your	life. Finding	and	feeling	love,	however,	can	be	a	challenge. Anger,	frustration,
fear,	jealousy,	apathy—all	can	interfere	with	our	ability	to	love	ourselves	and
those	dear	to	us. Part	of	being	able	to	love	is	being	able	to	have	compassion	both
for	yourself	and	for	the	people	around	you. Understanding	the	obstacles	that	you
face	in	your	life	makes	it	possible	and	easier	to	understand	the	obstacles	others
face. Within	this	perspective,	you	can	have	compassion	for	anyone,	even
someone	who	mistreats	you. Likewise,	having	compassion	for	yourself	is	not
only	possible	but	essential! Sometimes	we	succeed	and	sometimes	we	fail;
facing	life’s	obstacles	is	challenging,	as	we	all	know,	but	without	compassion
and	love,	obstacles	may	seem	insurmountable. If	we	do	not	fill	our	lives	with	love	and	compassion,	then	we	make	room	for
their	opposites,	such	as	anger	and	hostility,	which	are	incredibly	harmful	to	our
health	and	happiness. As	Redford	Williams,	M.D.,	author	of	the	book	
AngerKills,	
wrote:	“Getting	angry	is	like	taking	a	small	dose	of	some	slow-acting
poison	every	day	of	your	life.”	At	the	Behavioral	Medicine	Research	Center	at
Duke	University,	Williams	has	researched	the	effects	of	anger,	particularly	how
stress	chemicals	cause	heart	disease. He	found	that	chemicals	released	by	the
body	during	periods	of	anger	and	hostility	damage	the	lining	of	arteries.
Never_be_sick_again_.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        All	of	these	products	can	be	replaced	with	safer,	simpler	items
available	in	health	food	stores;	they	will	be	equally	effective	without	harming
your	health. The	laundry	room	is	another	toxic	site. Detergents,	bleach,	spot	removers	and
fabric	softeners	all	contain	chemicals	that	are	toxic	to	you	and	to	the
environment. Manufacturers	have	lulled	us	into	complacency	with	the	term
“biodegradable	detergents. ”	This	fact	has	little	to	do	with	the	eventual	health	and
environmental	impact	of	these	synthetic	chemicals. Biodegradable	means	only
that	at	some	point	the	detergent	will	lose	its	foaming	properties. Purchase
unscented	products. Detergents	can	be	replaced	with	soap-based	products,	while
bleach	can	be	replaced	with	safer	sodium	percarbonate	or	hydrogen	peroxide. Furniture	anywhere	in	the	house,	but	especially	in	bedrooms,	can	present
significant	risks. Today,	furniture	often	is	made	with	toxic	synthetic	materials
(polyester,	polyurethane,	polystyrene	and	polyvinyl	chloride),	which	off-gas
toxic	vapors;	likewise,	some	types	of	furniture	are	made	of	particle-board
(which,	as	already	mentioned,	will	off-gas	formaldehyde)	and	then	covered	with
a	wood	or	plastic	veneer. Alarmingly,	most	children’s	furniture	is	made	with
toxic	par-ticleboard. One	study	showed	that	introducing	particleboard	furniture
into	an	empty	house	tripled	the	formaldehyde	levels	in	the	air. This	problem	can
be	particularly	acute	in	mobile	homes,	where	
everything	
may	be	made	from
particleboard. Buy	furniture	made	from	natural	materials,	such	as	solid	wood	or
metal	furniture;	if	this	option	is	too	expensive,	consider	used	furniture	made	of
these	materials. Even	the	clothes	you	wear	can	be	toxic. Have	you	ever	gone	into	a	clothing
store	and	noticed	the	chemical-laden	atmosphere. Most	clothes	today	contain	or
are	made	of	toxic	synthetic	fibers	(such	as	nylon,	polyester,	acrylics	and
spandex),	which	will	affect	you	adversely	as	you	wear	them	and	also	contribute
to	toxic	indoor	air. Clothes	are	often	treated	with	dyes,	formaldehyde	finishes
(permanent	press),	and	mothproofing	pesticides. Dry	cleaning	clothing	brings
toxins	into	your	household	and	close	to	your	body;	clothes	that	have	been	dry-
cleaned	should	always	be	aired	out	before	they	are	put	into	a	closet	or	worn. Laundry	detergents	and	fabric	softeners	can	also	be	problematic;	in	fact,	many
people	are	quite	sensitive	to	detergent	residues. Have	you	ever	walked	down	the
detergent	aisle	at	the	grocery	store	and	had	your	eyes,	nose	or	throat	feel
irritated. Toxins	in	those	boxes	are	off-gassing. When	washing	your	clothes,	use
environmentally	friendly	and	unscented	laundry	products	available	in	health
food	stores. Do	not	use	scented	fabric	softeners. These	products	might	make
your	clothes	smell	“fresh	and	clean,”	but	that	smell	is	toxic. Buy	clothes	made	of
natural	materials,	such	as	wool	and	cotton,	and	use	natural	cleaning	products. After	you	have	taken	steps	to	reduce	or	eliminate	products	that	are	toxic,	
make
sure	to	also	
keep	your	home	or	office	well	ventilated. Modern	homes	and	office
buildings	are	built	a	lot	“tighter”	than	older	construction	to	save	on	energy	costs. While	reducing	energy	waste	is	a	good	thing,	reducing	air	circulation	allows
pollutants	to	accumulate	to	higher	concentrations. For	this	reason,	high-quality
air	filters	(that	will	filter	out	both	particulate	matter	and	gaseous	hydrocarbons)
can	be	helpful. Use	them	in	rooms	where	you	spend	a	great	deal	of	time,	such	as
your	office	or	bedroom. Obvious	as	it	sounds,	the	most	important	thing	you	can	do	to	keep	your	indoor
air	clean	is	to	stop	introducing	pollutants	in	the	first	place. Before	you	purchase
something	new,	consider	if	that	product	might	contribute	to	your	indoor
pollution. As	mentioned	earlier,	after	you	buy	something,	give	it	a	chance	to	off-
gas	before	you	put	it	in	your	living	environment. When	I	purchase	a	new
television	or	computer	monitor,	I	put	it	in	the	garage,	turn	it	on	and	leave	it	there
until	I	can	no	longer	detect	an	odor. Hang	your	dry-cleaning	outdoors	or	in	a
well-ventilated	area	until	you	can	no	longer	detect	an	odor. Do	not	use	products
that	have	powerful	chemical	odors,	such	as	mothballs	or	air	fresheners. Use	heat
or	sunshine	to	help	expedite	the	off-gassing	process,	whenever	possible. Health	and	Beauty	Products	That	Fail
Your	skin	provides	enormous	protection	from	microorganisms,	such	as	germs,but	skin	also	is	designed	to	be	permeable,	allowing	certain	molecules	in	and	out,
which	is	good	news	when	the	skin	allows	antioxidants	in	to	protect	against	the
sun	and	allows	toxins	out	through	the	sweat	and	oil	glands. However,	easy
access	also	allows	environmental	toxins	to	penetrate. Personal	care	products	are	the	largest	source	of	toxic	absorption	through	the
skin	and	mucus	membranes. One	study	found	that	13	percent	of	the	commonly
used	cosmetic	preservative	BHT	(butylated	hydroxytoluene)	is	absorbed	by	your
skin. Chemicals	found	in	everyday	personal	products	such	as	perfume,	cologne,
shaving	cream,	skin	lotions,	aftershave,	toothpaste,	soaps,	shampoos,
deodorants,	nail	polish,	all	types	of	household	cleansers	and	so	forth,	can	be
absorbed	quickly	and	produce	effects	that	are	toxic	or	even	carcinogenic,
especially	when	these	toxic	substances	are	combined. When	I	was	suffering	from	severe	chemical	sensitivities,	I	found,	much	to	my
surprise,	that	the	brands	of	toothpaste,	shampoo,	deodorant	and	skin	lotion	that	I
was	using	were	all	quite	toxic. Products	such	as	lotions,	conditioners	and
makeup,	especially	when	left	on	the	skin	for	long	periods	of	time,	expose	you	to
significant	amounts	of	toxins,	which	can	bioaccumulate,	poison	your	cells	and
cause	disease. Most	common	products	sold	to	preserve	and	protect	the	skin	in
fact	actually	contain	chemicals	capable	of	damaging	the	skin. Virtually	all	commonly	available	cosmetic	and	personal	care	products	contain
ingredients	(such	as	preservatives	and	colors)	that	are	known	to	present
problems. Many	preservatives	contain	or	release	formaldehyde,	a	known	toxin
and	carcinogen. Various	parabens	(a	specific	class	of	preservatives)	have	been
shown	to	damage	deep	layers	of	the	skin	worse	than	severe	sunburn,	which
causes	the	skin	to	age	prematurely	and	even	can	cause	cancer. Artificial	colors
have	been	shown	to	be	carcinogenic,	not	only	when	ingested	but	also	when
applied	to	the	skin. Yet	people	voluntarily	put	these	personal	care	products	on
their	skin	daily,	unaware	that	these	products	contain	toxic	and	potentially
carcinogenic	ingredients. By	using	products	such	as	sunscreen	and	lotion,	people
are	putting	cancer-causing	chemicals	on	their	skin,	then	wondering	why	they
developed	skin	cancer	or	why	their	skin	is	aging	so	fast. Choosing	safe	personal	care	and	cosmetic	products	means	reading	labels
carefully	and	learning	about	the	health	consequences	of	ingredients. Effective
products	are	on	the	market	that	are	high	in	quality	and	safety. The	overwhelming
majority,	however,	contain	a	variety	of	toxins	that	should	be	avoided. Some	of
the	common	toxins	to	look	for	and	avoid	include	artificial	fragrances,	colors	and
flavors,	formaldehyde,	phenol,	trichlorethylene,	BHT/BHA,	EDTA,	cresol,
detergents,	glycols,	parabens,	sodium	lauryl	sulfate	and	nitrates/	nitrosamines. Perfumes	and	other	fragrances	also	cause	problems. Traditionally,	these
products	were	made	from	flowers	and	herbs. But	since	World	War	II,	most
fragrances	and	perfumes	have	been	made	from	synthetic	petrochemicals,	many
of	which	are	officially	designated	as	hazardous	materials. In	fact,	about	95
percent	are	synthetic,	and	more	than	80	percent	of	the	ingredients	used	in
fragrances	have	never	been	tested	for	human	safety. When	they	have	been	tested,
many	are	found	to	be	neuro-toxic	and	even	carcinogenic. (Meanwhile,	because
of	“trade	secrets,”	manufacturers	are	not	required	to	list	any	of	these	toxic
ingredients	on	their	product	labels. ) Worse,	these	fragrances	are	not	just	in
perfumes,	but	in	everything	from	kitty	litter	to	shampoos,	soaps,	lotions,	shaving
creams,	household	cleaners,	laundry	detergents	and	numerous	other	products. Fragrances	now	pollute	our	homes,	schools,	workplaces,	stores,	churches	and
other	public	places. People	who	regularly	use	synthetic	perfumes	are	putting	a
heavy	toxic	burden	on	their	bodies. The	solution	is	to	use	essential	oils	made
from	natural	ingredients	such	as	flowers	and	herbs,	if	tolerable,	and	to	avoid
household	and	personal	products	made	with	synthetic	fragrances. I	have	spent	years	researching	the	toxic	effects	of	chemicals	used	to	make
products	that	people	consume	on	a	daily	basis. I	discovered	that	regular
toothpaste,	for	example,	contains	numerous	toxins,	such	as	fluoride,	artificial
colors,	flavors,	sweeteners	and	synthetic	detergents,	all	of	which	can
bioaccumulate	in	the	body	and	lead	to	toxic	overload. Toothpaste	is	especially
important	because	the	mucous	membranes	in	your	mouth	are	very	permeable,	so
if	you	expose	yourself	to	toxic	toothpaste	several	times	a	day,	you	subject
yourself	to	a	lot	of	toxins. I	eventually	selected	a	toothpaste	for	my	personal	use
that	was	both	safe	and	effective	(see	appendix	C),	but	it	took	eighteen	months	of
research	to	find	it. Toxic	chemicals,	used	for	detergent	and	foam-generating	properties,	are
present	in	most	toothpastes,	as	well	as	in	many	other	personal	care	and
household	products. When	these	toxins—	sodium	lauryl	sulfate,	sodium	cetyl
sulfate	and	sodium	laureth	sulfate—are	placed	on	the	surface	of	the	body,	they
can	cause	eye	irritations,	skin	rashes,	hair	loss,	scalp	flaking	similar	to	dandruff
and	allergic	reactions. These	chemicals	are	known	to	be	irritating	to	the	skin	and
are	used	to	irritate	the	skin	in	laboratory	experiments. Think	about	what	happens
when	your	highly	sensitive	gum	tissue	comes	into	contact	with	a	known	irritant,
like	sodium	lauryl	sulfate,	in	your	toothpaste. Could	this	factor	be	contributing	to
our	epidemic	of	gum	disease. These	man-made	detergents	pass	through	the	skin	and	mucous	membranes
and	bioaccumulate	in	fatty	tissue—eye	tissue,	for	example. Is	there	a	possibleconnection	between	the	sodium	lauryl	sulfate	found	in	toothpaste	and	our
epidemic	of	macular	degeneration—a	disease	in	which	cells	in	the	central	part	of
the	retina	degenerate,	and	the	leading	cause	of	blindness	in	people	over	age	fifty-
five. The	focus	of	manufacturers	is	always	on	marketability,	so	they	often	try	to
disguise	these	synthetic	and	toxic	ingredients	by	making	them	seem	“natural. ”
Labels	will	often	state	something	like,	“sodium	lauryl	sulfate—derived	from
coconut. ”	Regardless	of	derivation	they	are	toxic	and	can	accumulate	easily	in
your	tissues	to	levels	that	cause	cellular	malfunction	and	disease. People	choose	antibacterial	soaps	thinking	they	will	protect	them	from	germs,
but	the	germicide	in	the	soap	goes	right	through	the	skin	and	bioaccumulates	in
tissue. In	fact,	these	toxic	chemicals,	designed	to	kill	cells,	are	now	showing	up
in	alarming	amounts	in	human	breast	milk,	and	infants	are	much	more
susceptible	to	toxins. As	always,	the	solution	is	to	choose	safe,	natural	products,
usually	available	at	health	food	and	specialty	stores. There	are	high-quality,
certified	organic,	hair	and	skin	care	products	available	and	I	recommend	you	use
them. (See	appendix	C	for	my	personal	choices. ) Toxic	Cleaning	Products
The	home	can	be	a	toxic	place	already—do	not	make	it	more	so	with	toxic
cleaning	products,	solvents	and	workplace	chemicals. Household	cleaning
products	rank	among	the	most	toxic	everyday	substances	to	which	people	are
exposed. Unfortunately,	the	manufacturer	of	household	products	is	seldom	the
best	source	of	accurate	information	about	safety. As	a	practical	matter,	do	not	let
any	chemical	come	in	contact	with	your	skin	unless	you	know	it	is	safe. Most
commercial	brands	are	not	safe,	although	safe	household	products	are	available
at	health	food	and	specialty	stores. (See	appendix	C	for	my	choices. ) Some	especially	toxic	household	cleaners	include	ammonia,	chlorine	bleach,
aerosol	propellants,	detergents,	petroleum	distillates	and	toluene. Many	of	these
substances	not	only	harm	the	skin;	they	also	give	off	toxic	fumes	that	affect	the
person	using	the	product	and	everyone	else	in	the	household. If	you	cannot	avoid
toxic	household	products,	at	least	use	them	sparingly	and	in	well-ventilated
areas. Symptoms	from	“the	flu”	to	headaches	have	been	associated	with	products	we
use	to	clean	our	furniture,	bathrooms	and	clothes,	as	well	as	air	fresheners	to
keep	our	bathrooms	smelling	pleasant. Debra	Lynn	Dadd,	in	
Nontoxic	and
Natural,	
wrote	about	a	fifteen-year	study	of	housewives	in	Oregon. Women	whostayed	home	all	day	had	a	54	percent	higher	death	rate	from	cancer	than	women
who	worked	away	from	home. The	study	concluded	that	the	higher	rate	likely
was	a	consequence	of	exposure	to	the	chemicals	in	household	products. Dadd’s
book,	along	with	many	others,	contains	formulas	for	making	your	own
environmentally	safe	household	products. A	Prescription	for	Toxic	Overload
Often,	toxic	exposure	comes	from	medical	and	dental	offices,	from	the	very
professions	that	you	expect	would	keep	you	healthy. Whether	it	is	antibiotics	in
your	food,	the	drug	in	your	inhaler,	steroids	on	your	skin,	mercury	in	your
mouth,	medicines	in	your	stomach	or	fluoride	in	your	water,	the	medical	and
dental	industries	are	significant	sources	of	toxins. In	fact,	
medical	journals
acknowledge	that	prescription	drugs	are	the	third	leading	cause	of	death	in
America	(after	heart	disease	and	cancer). As	you	recall,	prescription	and	over-the-counter	drugs	“work”	by	interfering
with	normal	chemical	processes	in	cells. They	are	designed	to	suppress
symptoms,	but	do	not	cure	disease. In	fact,	by	interfering	with	normal	cell
function,	prescription	drugs	can	cause	cellular	malfunction,	which	is	the	same	as
causing	disease. Decisions	about	which	procedures	and	medicines	to	choose
should	be	based	on	knowledge	of	the	toxicity	involved. Every	molecule	you	put
into	your	body	is	going	to	have	an	effect,	for	better	or	worse. Almost	always,
prescription	and	over-the-counter	drugs	are	for	the	worse. Furthermore,	physicians	label	many	of	today’s	chronic	diseases	as	being	of
“unknown	etiology,”	a	fancy	way	of	saying	“we	are	clueless	about	the	cause. ”
Actually,	many	new	disease	conditions	can	be	traced	back	(either	directly	or
indirectly)	to	environmental	toxins	that	bioaccumulate	in	tissues,	contribute	to
toxic	overload,	disrupt	cell	chemistry	and	cause	disease. The	Toxic	Truths	Inside	Your	Body
Although	we	are	accustomed	to	thinking	about	toxins	in	the	outside	world,
often	we	forget	about	the	powerful	toxins	produced	within	our	bodies. The	body
must	eliminate	internal	toxins	to	stay	healthy. Under	normal,	healthy	conditions,	the	body	is	designed	to	control	those	toxins
and	protect	us	against	harm. Under	other	circumstances,	however,	the	toxins
produced	internally	can	be	a	serious	problem,	worse	than	anything	from	theoutside	world. When	these	internal	toxins	are	produced	excessively	or	cannot	be
properly	detoxified,	they	build	up	in	the	body	and	cause	disease. In	almost	any
chronically	ill	person,	internally	generated	toxins	play	a	major	role. When	toxins	are	generated	in	the	digestive	system	(intestinal	toxemia),	they
enter	our	bloodstream,	and	if	these	toxins	are	present	in	excess	of	the	liver’s
ability	to	detoxify	them,	they	damage	cells	all	over	the	body. Intestinal	toxemia
has	been	associated	with	AIDS,	allergies,	asthma,	cancer,	cardiac	arrhythmias,
arthritis,	eye	problems,	high	blood	pressure,	mental	problems,	headaches,
various	gastrointestinal	conditions,	senility,	skin	problems	and	other	diseases. In
my	own	disease	process,	the	internal	toxins	I	was	producing	were,	indeed,	a
major	contributor	to	my	own	physical	and	mental	debilitation. Intestinal	toxemia	was	the	“mysterious”	ailment	plaguing	Michael,	who	had
just	completed	his	junior	year	at	Harvard	and	had	gone	off	to	Europe	for	the
summer	with	friends. As	he	was	traveling	around,	he	began	to	feel	ill,	dizzy	and
fatigued. He	went	to	see	a	physician	in	London	who	prescribed	a	drug	that	did
not	help. Michael	saw	other	physicians	in	Germany	and	Switzerland,	but	he
finally	returned	home—too	sick	to	remain	abroad. A	strapping	twenty-one-year-old	college	student	should	be	at	the	peak	of
health. Instead,	Michael	was	suffering	from	debilitating	fatigue,	he	was
lightheaded	and	dizzy,	and	he	had	visual	disturbances,	not	to	mention	various
aches	and	pains. After	many	thousands	of	dollars	worth	of	testing	(including	a
brain	scan	to	check	for	a	brain	tumor),	Michael’s	physicians	were	at	a	loss	to
explain	his	condition	and	referred	him	to	a	psychiatrist. Desperately	concerned
for	her	son’s	future	and	furious	with	a	medical	system	that	was	obviously	not
working,	Michael’s	mother	looked	for	other	options;	at	that	point,	she	called	me. As	with	any	sick	person,	I	knew	exactly	what	was	wrong	with	Michael:	his
cells	were	malfunctioning	because	of	a	combination	of	deficiency	and	toxicity. The	question,	as	always:	How	to	restore	his	cells	to	healthy	function. I	used	the
six	pathways	as	a	guide	and	eventually	discovered	that	digestive	toxins—a
critical	aspect	of	the	toxin	pathway—were	the	source	of	Michael’s	problems. Digestive	toxins	are	produced	in	a	couple	of	ways,	notably	by	an	abnormal
growth	of	bacteria	or	yeast	in	the	intestines	and	by	improperly	digested	food,
which	putrefies	in	the	digestive	system. Intestinal	toxemia	creates	highly
poisonous	toxins	as	well	as	nutritional	deficiency. When	bad	bacteria	and	yeasts
overgrow,	they	displace	the	friendly	bacteria	necessary	for	producing	nutrients
such	as	the	B-complex	vitamins,	vitamin	B
12	
and	vitamin	K. Friendly	bacteria
also	help	to	obtain	the	nutrients	we	need	from	the	food	we	eat. Intestinal	toxemia
causes	deficiency	and	toxicity	in	most	of	us,	to	some	degree,	because	of	damagefrom	antibiotics. Michael	had	acne	as	a	teenager. His	dermatologist	had	prescribed	an	antibiotic
(tetracycline),	and	Michael	had	taken	this	drug	every	day	for	years. Antibiotics
were	developed	to	kill	bacteria. The	problem	is	that	helpful	bacteria	in	your
intestines	(normal	intestinal	flora)	are	needed	for	good	health. Years	of	taking
antibiotics	destroyed	these	helpful	bacteria	in	Michael’s	digestive	system. (Even
one	course	of	antibiotics	can	have	this	effect. ) This	situation	allowed	the
overgrowth	of	abnormal	intestinal	flora	and	a	yeast	called	
Candida	albicans. A	yeast	infection	can	produce	toxic	chemicals	that	absorb	into	the
bloodstream;	also,	yeast	can	physically	invade	and	damage	the	intestinal	tissue
in	a	way	that	allows	other	inappropriate	materials	(undigested	food	particles,
toxic	wastes	and	yeast	byproducts)	to	pass	directly	into	the	bloodstream. This
condition	floods	the	body	with	dangerous	toxins	and	allergens,	causing	food
allergies	and	disrupting	the	immune	system. Some	of	these	toxins	are	neurotoxic
(causing	damage	to	the	brain	and	the	nervous	system)	and	may	produce
symptoms	such	as	fatigue,	headaches,	apathy,	depression,	anxiety,	mood	swings
and	memory	lapses. Intestinal	yeast	infections	also	impair	the	absorption	of
nutrients,	which	is	a	separate	but	equally	serious	problem. Disrupting	the	normal
ecology	of	the	gut	also	invites	infection	by	parasites,	which	further	disrupt	gut
tissue. In	Michael’s	case,	I	suspected	problems	with	internally	generated	digestive
toxins,	but	to	know	for	certain	one	must	measure. I	suggested	to	Michael	that	he
ask	his	physician	to	be	tested	for	candida. (Convincing	the	physician	to	do	the
candida	test	was	not	easy. Physicians	do	not	generally	look	for	such	infections,
and	his	mother	had	to	put	considerable	pressure	on	the	doctor. ) The	test	did
show	that	Michael	had	a	candida	infection,	which	he	was	able	to	get	rid	of
through	natural	methods	such	as	taking	high-quality	probiotics	and	grapefruit
seed	extract	and	by	reducing	dietary	sugar	(which	was	“feeding”	the	yeast
problem). Michael,	who	had	been	completely	disabled	by	his	disease	throughout
the	summer,	was	able	to	go	back	to	Harvard	in	the	fall,	complete	his	senior	year
and	graduate. Problems	such	as	Michael’s	are	common	in	America	because	of	the	excessive
antibiotics	that	our	physicians	prescribe. While	the	use	of	antibiotics	is	prudent
and	necessary	in	very	select	cases,	for	the	most	part	antibiotics	unnecessarily
damage	the	digestive	system	and	contribute	to	intestinal	toxemia. This	toxemia
often	subjects	us	to	far	more	toxicity	than	the	original	“germ”	that	the	antibiotic
was	supposed	to	kill. Unfortunately,	almost	everybody	in	America	has	taken
antibiotics	at	some	point;	these	drugs	are	a	major	cause	of	health	problems,including	fatigue	and	allergies. Intestinal	toxemia	can	be	provoked	in	other
ways,	by	medical	drugs	such	as	non-steroidal	anti-inflammatory	drugs	(NSAIDs,
including	aspirin,	ibuprofen,	naproxen,	ketoprofin,	etc. ) and	oral	steroids
(cortisone	pills,	birth	control	pills,	etc. ). Maldigestion	of	food	(exacerbated	by	medical	drugs	or	not)	produces	toxins
inside	your	body. A	mostly	cooked	and	processed	food	diet	lacking	critical
enzymes	is	a	common	contributor,	as	is	poor	chewing	of	food. Low-fiber	diets
are	also	problematic. Whatever	the	cause,	undigested	food	can	rot	and	poison
you	while	still	inside	you. Carbohydrates	ferment,	fats	turn	rancid	and	proteins
putrefy. The	most	common	symptoms	are	bloating,	constipation,	gas,	halitosis,
heartburn,	eye	problems,	neurological	problems	and	headaches. Keep	protein	consumption	moderate;	diets	high	in	protein,	especially	cooked
meat	and	pasteurized	dairy,	overload	our	digestive	systems. We	need	only	35	to
40	grams	of	protein	per	day	(more	for	athletes	or	those	with	large	body	frames),
but	Americans	eat	an	average	of	90	grams	of	gut-putrefying	protein	per	day. A
one-pound	slab	of	roast	beef	contains	more	than	100	grams	of	protein. Large
quantities	of	cooked	and	denatured	proteins,	which	are	harder	to	digest,	can
cause	an	overgrowth	of	a	type	of	putrefactive	bacteria	that	thrive	when	food	is
rotting	in	the	gut. These	bacteria	produce	toxic	chemicals	such	as	indole,	skatole,
phenol	and	hydrogen	sulfide. In	addition,	these	putrefactive	bacteria	displace
friendly	bacteria,	which	are	essential	to	good	digestion	and	health,	and	the	result
is	intestinal	toxemia. To	prevent	or	eliminate	the	problems	associated	with	intestinal	toxemia:
•	Avoid	the	use	of	antibiotics,	anti-inflammatories	and	steroids	(including
birth	control	pills). •	Avoid	excessive	amounts	of	protein. •	Minimize	or	eliminate	processed	foods. Eat	the	right	kinds	of	fats. •	Avoid	sugar,	white	flour,	coffee,	excessive	alcohol	and	fried	foods. These
substances	are	hard	on	the	digestive	system. •	Adhere	to	proper	food	combining	and	chewing;	the	digestion	process	must
begin	in	the	mouth	and	in	the	stomach	for	the	intestines	to	function
properly. Do	you	suffer	from	indigestion,	bloating,	gas,	cramping,	loose	stools,
constipation	or	gastrointestinal	reflux. Any	of	these	can	indicate	intestinal
toxemia	and	should	be	addressed	before	they	lead	to	serious	disease. You	can	also	consider	other	strategies	if	you	are	suffering	from	symptoms	of
poor	digestion:	fasting,	exercising,	drinking	large	amounts	of	water,	and	takinghigh-quality	supplements,	including	probiotics,	digestive	enzymes,	and	vitamins
and	minerals. All	of	these	help	to	detoxify,	repair	and	rebuild	healthy	tissue—in
particular	by	helping	to	create	an	environment	in	the	digestive	system	conducive
to	the	growth	and	maintenance	of	friendly	bacteria. Allergies	Should	Signal	Alarm
Allergies	are	a	common	source	of	internally	generated	toxins. Every	allergic
reaction	produces	metabolic	debris	that	has	a	toxic	effect. We	tend	to	think	of
allergies	as	“normal,”	a	benign	inconvenience,	because	so	many	people	have
them. Not	so. Healthy	people	do	not	have	allergies. Allergies	are	an	abnormal
immune	response	to	foods	and	substances	in	your	environment. Most	food
allergies	are	the	result	of	an	abnormally	functioning	digestive	system,	as	already
mentioned,	whereby	undigested	food	molecules	are	allowed	to	enter	the
bloodstream	though	damaged	gut	tissue. The	immune	system	recognizes	these
food	particles	as	foreign,	and	you	have	an	immune	response	called	an	allergy. The	body	remembers	this	response;	every	time	you	eat	the	offending	food,	an
allergic	reaction—and	the	toxins	created	by	that	reaction—	is	produced. When	an	offending	substance,	called	an	allergen,	reacts	with	an	antibody
produced	by	the	immune	system,	large	amounts	of	allergen/antibody	(immune)
complexes	can	be	formed. If	immune	complexes	are	formed	in	greater	quantities
than	the	body	can	handle,	they	can	be	deposited	in	tissues	(such	as	brain	arteries,
brain	membranes,	small	blood	vessels,	the	liver,	the	uterus,	the	lungs	and	the
kidneys),	where	they	are	capable	of	clogging	blood	vessels	and	joints	and	are
known	to	release	chemicals	that	cause	a	cascade	of	health-damaging	reactions. Through	this	mechanism,	immune	complexes	may	be	responsible	for	up	to	90
percent	of	all	kidney	disease. Allergies	are	an	indication	of	systemic	illness	and	should	be	considered	a
serious	immune	dysfunction	disease. If	you	are	allergic	(and	most	Americans
have	allergies	and	intolerances,	although	they	may	be	unaware	of	it),	determine
the	substances	you	react	to	and	avoid	them. More	importantly,	strengthen	your
immune	system,	through	diet	and	supplements,	so	these	reactions	will	not	occur
in	the	first	place;	optimize	your	body’s	ability	to	detoxify	so	that	you	can
minimize	damage	caused	by	the	allergic	reactions	you	do	suffer. Stress	Poisons	in	Many	Ways
Stress	can	be	loosely	defined	as	any	demand	we	place	upon	the	body;	thebody’s	reaction	to	these	demands	causes	us	to	“feel	stressed. ”	Everybody	knows
that	stress	is	hard	on	us,	but	few	people	understand	why,	on	a	physical	level. Chronic	stress	literally	poisons	you. The	body’s	response	to	stress—often	called	the	“fight-or-flight	response”—
refers	to	feelings	of	anger	or	fear	that	generate	the	release	of	chemicals	in	your
body,	designed	to	give	you	more	strength	in	an	emergency. In	an	emergency	situation	that	passes	quickly—for	example,	you	rush	to	catch
someone	who	is	falling—the	body	is	able	to	detoxify	the	stress	chemicals	that
are	produced. However,	when	stress	is	chronic,	and	we	constantly	live	our	lives
in	stressful	ways,	these	chemicals	build	up	and	inflict	damage	to	our	cells. Common	stress	symptoms	include	muscle	wasting,	fatigue,	osteoporosis,	high
blood	pressure,	fragile	blood	vessels,	suppressed	immunity,	impaired	mental
function	and	a	host	of	other	problems. What	stress	is,	how	it	affects	you
(physically	and	psychologically)	and	what	you	can	do	about	it	will	be	explored
more	in	chapter	7,	which	explores	the	psychological	pathway. As	we	have	discussed,	the	cells	in	your	body	naturally	produce	toxic
byproducts	that	a	healthy	body	is	designed	to	handle. If	the	body	becomes
overloaded	with	toxins,	for	whatever	reason,	even	normal	metabolic	toxins	can
add	to	the	total	toxic	load	and	damage	cells. Chronic,	internally	generated	stress
chemicals	can	often	move	us	into	toxic	overload. Illnesses	also	stress	us	with	massive	amounts	of	internally	generated	toxins,
which	is	why	we	must	choose	health	in	the	first	place. When	symptoms	of
illness	do	manifest,	cells	are	malfunctioning	and	the	body	is	struggling
desperately	to	make	itself	well	again. Under	these	extra	stress	loads,	to	minimize
the	damage	done,	taking	steps	to	optimize	cellular	function	becomes	even	more
important. Your	Primary	Toxic	Defense:	The	Liver
Various	organs	in	the	body—kidneys,	bowels,	lungs,	lymph	system	and	the
skin—are	designed	to	eliminate	metabolic	waste. Fiber	helps	“carry	out	the
garbage”	in	the	digestive	system,	and	exercise	helps	us	detoxify	via	sweating
and	movement	of	the	lymphatic	system. Water	promotes	detoxification	through
the	kidneys	and	sweat	glands,	and	saunas	assist	in	removal	of	both	water	and	oil-
soluble	toxins. At	any	given	time,	about	25	percent	of	all	the	blood	in	your	body	is	in	your
liver,	awaiting	detoxification. This	process	begins	with	a	sophisticated	filtering
system	that	captures	and	digests	foreign	debris. Next,	enzymes,	produced	by	theliver,	deactivate	and	eliminate	toxins. If	these	enzymes	are	interfered	with—
either	deactivated	by	environmental	toxins	such	as	lead	and	mercury	or	never
manufactured	in	the	first	place	because	of	nutrient	deficiency—toxic	overload	is
certain	to	result. Liver	enzyme	detoxification	has	two	phases:	In	phase	one,	the
liver	produces	enzymes	that	take	harmful	toxins	such	as	alcohol,	pesticides,
herbicides	and	prescription	drugs,	and	oxidizes	them	(burns	them)	in	preparation
for	removal	from	the	body. This	process	creates	potentially	harmful	free	radicals
that	must	be	neutralized	with	dietary	antioxidant	nutrients. In	phase	two,	more
enzymes	are	used	to	combine	the	oxidized	chemicals	from	phase	one	with	other
molecules,	which	then	can	be	excreted	harmlessly	in	the	bile	or	urine. In	both
phases,	the	food	we	eat	supplies	the	raw	materials	needed	to	produce	all	of	these
enzymes	and	other	chemicals	that	are	required. These	elegant	detoxification
systems	depend	on	a	constant	supply	of	nutrients,	which	we	must	obtain	from
our	diet,	but	we	frequently	do	not. Help	your	liver’s	phase-one	detoxification	process	with	antioxidant	nutrients:
vitamins	C,	E	and	A,	along	with	coenzyme	Q10,	carotenoids,	bioflavonoids,
selenium,	manganese,	copper	and	zinc. Some	of	these	nutrients	neutralize	free
radicals	directly;	others	activate	enzymes	that	neutralize	them. Red,	yellow	and
green	vegetables	are	loaded	with	these	antioxidant	nutrients. Assist	your	liver’s
phase-two	detoxification	with	cruciferous	vegetables,	such	as	cabbage,	broccoli,
cauliflower,	green	onions,	kale	and	brussels	sprouts. These	vegetables	enable	the
liver	to	eliminate	powerful	carcinogens,	helping	to	protect	us	against	cancer. These	dietary	suggestions,	combined	with	high-quality	supplements,	can	keep
your	liver’s	toxic	defenses	at	peak	function. Much	of	our	body	is	made	of	water;	the	kidneys	need	it	to	excrete	water-
soluble	toxins. Water	constantly	moves	throughout	your	body	and	must	be
changed	frequently	to	keep	it	pure. A	minimum	of	eight	glasses	of	pure	water
should	be	consumed	every	day,	and	more	is	better. Your	water	supply	must	be
pure	so	as	not	to	add	to	your	toxic	load. Water	should	be	consumed	as	water,	not
as	beverages	such	as	coffee,	tea	or	alcohol	(these	substances	may	cause	the	body
to	lose	water). Water	is	a	simple	choice,	often	overlooked. Dehydration	is	a
common	problem,	especially	among	our	elderly	population. A	toxic	lifestyle	is	often	created	unwittingly. We	fail	to	appreciate	that	many
small	toxic	exposures	over	time,	to	a	wide	variety	of	toxins,	lead	to	an
accumulation,	causing	our	cells	to	malfunction. Even	small	amounts	of	toxins
can	perform	amazing	feats	of	chemistry	by	inhibiting	hormones,	deactivating
enzymes,	compromising	our	detoxification	systems	and	using	up	precious
nutrients. Toxicity	is	seldom	recognized	as	a	primary	cause	of	our	healthproblems. The	toxic	invaders	in	our	lives—whether	they	are	brought	into	our
homes	or	they	are	created	in	our	own	bodies—are	also	not	easily	detected	by
typical	“radar. ”	The	toxins	that	harm	us	seldom	are	labeled	hazardous,	and	they
are	difficult	to	identify. Once	we	understand	the	role	toxins	play	in	cellular	malfunction,	we	can
understand	the	importance	of	minimizing	toxic	exposure	and	maximizing	the
body’s	ability	to	detoxify. In	order	to	protect	yourself	and	your	family,	you	must
learn	how	to	spot	these	silent	and	hidden	dangers,	and	how	to	keep	your
defenses	strong	in	order	to	avoid	toxic	overload. Never	before	has	the	human
body	been	faced	with	such	challenges	of	personal	and	global	pollution. To
respond	to	these	challenges	and	to	move	yourself	in	the	right	direction	on	the
toxin	pathway,	learn	to	make	the	daily	choices	that	will	reduce	your	toxic
exposure	and	support	your	detoxification	systems. 7
T	
HE
	P
SYCHOLOGIAC	
P
ATHWAY
“The	simple	truth	is,	happy	people	generally	don’t	get
sick. One’s	attitude	toward	oneself	is	the	single	most
important	factor	in	healing	or	staying	well. Those	who	are	at
peace	with	themselves	and	their	immediate	surroundings
have	far	fewer	serious	illnesses	than	those	who	are	not. ”
Bernie	Siegel,	M. D. Love,	Medicine	&	Miracles
E
ven	when	nutrients	are	scarce	and	toxins	abundant,	one’s	potential	for	health
is	nearly	limitless,	and	it	relies	almost	entirely	on	ourselves	and	the	power	of	the
mind. Thoughts	and	emotions	have	a	tremendous	effect	on	our	cells	and
therefore	our	health. What	we	put	into	our	minds	may	be	more	important	than
what	we	put	into	our	bodies. The	power	of	the	mind	is	your	best	ally	in	choosing
to	get	well	and	stay	well. You	are	what	you	think. “How	can	it	be,”	you	might	ask,	“that	the	mind	has	so	much	control	over	the
body. ”	This	question	assumes	that	one	is	separate	from	the	other;	in	fact,	they
are	inseparable. All	the	cells	in	our	body	contribute	to	what	we	call	the	mind,
and	what	goes	on	in	our	mind	affects	what	happens	in	all	our	cells. Chemical	reactions	are	produced	throughout	the	body	by	our	thoughts,
emotions	and	interactions	with	others. Fear	makes	us	turn	pale;	embarrassment
makes	us	blush. Modern	science	has	proven	that	these	“thought	chemicals”
either	can	be	beneficial	or	detrimental	to	health. We	can	choose	what	we	put	into
our	minds,	and	in	doing	so,	we	can	choose	between	health	and	disease. This	concept	is	sometimes	difficult	for	people	to	embrace	because	thought
chemicals	are	abstract. Their	effect,	though,	is	reflected	in	Dr. Bernie	Siegel’s
1986	book,	
Love,	Medicine	&	Miracles
:	“If	I	told	patients	to	raise	their	blood
levels	of	immune	globulins	or	killer	T-cells,	no	one	would	know	how. But	if	I
can	teach	them	to	love	themselves	and	others	fully,	the	same	change	happens
automatically. ”
Consider	how	thought	chemicals	can	improve	or	damage	health:
•	A	1991	study	in	the	
New	England	Journal	of	Medicine	
found	that	stressful
life	situations	(such	as	losing	a	job,	breaking	off	an	engagement	or	simply
feeling	overwhelmed	by	life’s	problems)	nearly	doubles	the	risk	of	catching
a	cold. •	A	thirty-five-year	study	(1946–1981)	of	Harvard	graduates	showed	that
people	who	had	a	pessimistic	outlook	on	life	suffered	significantly	more
disease	after	age	forty-five	than	people	with	a	positive	outlook. •	A	2001	study	in	
Psychosomatic	Medicine	
found	that	optimism	protects
against	heart	disease. People	who	are	pessimistic	and	blame	themselves	for
everything	were	much	more	likely	to	die	of	a	heart	attack	than	their
optimistic	counterparts. •	Dr. O. Carl	Simonton,	in	his	1978	book,	
Getting	Well	Again,	
talks	about
how	visual	imagery	with	positive	mental	images	had	a	beneficial	effect	on
patients	with	advanced	cancer. Simonton	found	that	people	who	used	their
minds	to	heal	had	double	the	survival	rate	of	those	who	did	not. •	A	study	in	a	2000	issue	of	
Lancet	
concluded	that	women	who	experience
severe	emotional	stress	during	the	first	trimester	of	pregnancy	are	80
percent	more	likely	to	have	a	child	with	birth	defects. Body,	Heal	Thyself
You	must	believe	in	your	health	if	you	are	to	maintain	or	regain	health. You
must	actively	care	for	your	health	when	you	are	well,	and	actively	pursue
wellness	when	you	are	ill. When	my	own	body	was	in	progressive	deterioration	during	the	depths	of	my
illness,	I	began	to	realize	that,	for	survival,	I	needed	to	employ	my	mind	as	well
as	my	body. I	began	to	repeat	a	version	of	an	old	affirmation	to	myself,	again
and	again,	a	mantra	of	sorts:	
Every	day,	in	every	way,	I	get	stronger	and	stronger
and	better	and	better. At	first,	when	I	would	say	this	to	myself,	my	mind	would	fight	back,	saying
something	like,	
Wow,	are	you	a	liar. You	feel	worse	today	than	you	did
yesterday. I	realized	that	my	positive	mental	affirmations	were	being	negated	by
my	own	thinking	about	my	situation. I	began	to	reply	to	my	mind’s	objections
by	saying,	
I	know	I	am	worse	today,	but	I	am	giving	you	an	instruction. Once	I	became	comfortable	giving	my	body	instructions,	my	own	objections
began	to	disappear	and	my	body	began	to	respond. I	would	say	my	affirmation,
sometimes	out	loud,	with	passion	and	expectancy,	many	times	daily,	repeatedly,
until	I	could	feel	strength	coming	into	my	body	as	I	said	the	words. After	a	few
weeks,	my	subconscious	mind	began	to	implement	the	instructions	and	intent	of
my	conscious	mind. One	day,	after	saying	these	affirmations,	I	felt	the	best	that	I
had	felt	since	the	onset	of	my	illness. The	feeling	lasted	only	five	or	ten	minutes,
but	the	fact	that	it	happened	proved	that	I	was	on	the	right	path. Soon,	thefeelings	of	strength	came	more	often	and	lasted	longer. Later	in	my	studies,	I
learned	of	the	close	connection	between	the	mind	and	the	immune	system. My
badly	damaged	immune	system	was	responding. These	affirmations	had	a	profound	effect	on	me. I	began	to	understand	that
health	and	disease	can	be	the	reactions	of	the	subconscious	mind	to	the	thoughts
of	the	conscious	mind;	the	subconscious	takes	orders	from	the	conscious	mind
and	implements	them. Minds	do	what	they	are	programmed	to	do,	even	though
much	of	that	programming	is	unintended. I	began	to	realize	my	power	to
influence	my	health	simply	by	choosing	the	daily	thoughts	I	was	putting	into	my
mind. By	focusing	on	my	illness,	I	had	been	putting	thoughts	of	disease	into	my
mind,	thereby	creating	more	disease. The	mind	is	always	working,	so	why	not
make	it	work	for	rather	than	against	you. Keep	your	images	and	suggestions	as
positive,	simple,	clear	and	concise	as	possible. Then	repeat	them	as	often	as
possible. Allow	the	subconscious	to	accept	them	as	a	command	and	implement
them. Over	the	past	sixteen	years,	of	all	of	the	people	I	have	known	with	“incurable”
and	“fatal”	diseases,	the	thrivers	and	survivors	have	been	those	individuals	who
used	the	power	of	their	minds	to	heal	their	bodies	consciously. Take	the	case	of
Karl,	a	concert	violinist	who	became	paralyzed	by	a	stroke. His	physicians	told
him	the	paralysis	was	permanent. Confined	to	a	wheelchair,	Karl	was	unwilling
to	accept	such	a	fate. He	decided	to	use	the	power	of	his	mind	to	establish	new
connections	in	his	brain. He	started	by	focusing	intensely	on	just	one	finger. He
commanded	it	to	move,	and	eventually	it	did. Now	a	medical	curiosity,	in	2001
Karl	was	invited	to	give	a	concert	at	an	international	medical	conference	where
his	doctor	presented	his	story. Brain	scans	show	that	Karl’s	miraculous	recovery
resulted	from	using	entirely	new	areas	of	his	brain	and	bypassing	the	damaged
areas. Music	critics	claim	he	is	playing	better	than	ever. How’s	that	for	the
power	of	the	mind. Choosing	to	Stay	Sick
In	contrast	to	Karl,	other	people	in	my	experience	have	failed	to	strengthen
their	psychological	pathway	and	lost	the	health	benefits	of	positive	efforts. Lisa
was	one. She	had	suffered	from	extreme	chemical	sensitivity	for	twelve	years
before	coming	to	me	for	help. I	was	confident	I	could	help	her,	based	on	my	own
experiences. I	taught	Lisa	how	to	improve	her	health,	mostly	through	dietary	and
vitamin	supplement	suggestions,	and	she	made	some	striking	initial
improvements. After	a	few	months,	Lisa	was	living	her	life	in	ways	that	she	hadnot	been	able	to	for	many	years;	she	had	started	dating,	going	out	dancing	and
even	going	on	sailing	trips. Lisa’s	friends	commented	about	how	well	she	looked
and	her	good	progress. After	twelve	years	of	sickness,	Lisa	seemed	to	be	on	a
path	to	a	more	meaningful	life. She	learned	what	was	necessary	to	choose	health
and	seemed	to	have	developed	the	psychological	willingness	to	stick	with	it. One	day,	I	received	a	frantic	call	from	Lisa. Her	disability	caseworker	had
contacted	her	and	informed	Lisa	that	it	was	time	for	an	annual	review. Lisa	had
been	receiving	disability	funds	from	social	security	and	state	welfare,	and	she
was	living	in	subsidized	housing. For	many	years,	Lisa	had	been	too	sick	to
work	and	needed	this	financial	support. Now,	her	health	having	taken	a	dramatic
turn	for	the	better,	Lisa	feared	that	her	caseworker	would	notice	the
improvement	and	revoke	financial	assistance. Lisa	panicked. She	had	been	unable	to	work	for	so	many	years	that	she	had	not	a	clue	about
how	she	could	support	herself	without	those	benefits. Perhaps	her	desire	to	get
well	simply	could	not	compete	with	her	fear	of	losing	support. Perhaps	twelve
years	of	“sickness	programming”	deprived	Lisa	of	the	self-confidence	she
needed	to	thrive. Sadly,	the	last	time	I	heard	about	her,	Lisa	had	stopped
applying	what	she	had	learned	about	deficiency	and	toxicity,	and	her	health	had
regressed. The	potential	to	get	well	(that	is,	her	new	diet,	supplements	and
workout	program)	was	lost	because	she	could	not	unlearn	her	programming	to	be
dependent	and	disabled. Will	You	Care	for	Me	If	I	Am	Well. Unhealthy	psychological	programming	derailed	the	health	efforts	of	another
client	named	Ruth,	who	suffered	from	chronic	fatigue	syndrome. Although	she
followed	my	recommendations	regarding	diet	and	nutritional	supplements,	she
made	only	modest	improvement,	and	I	realized	that	Ruth	was	going	to	be	a
tough	case. I	suspected	that	she	needed	a	great	deal	of	assistance	along	her
psychological	pathway. I	learned	that	when	Ruth	was	a	small	child,	the	only	time	her	father	paid
attention	to	her	was	when	she	was	sick. Then,	he	would	buy	her	toys,	sit	by	her
bed	and	read	her	stories. Most	other	times,	he	either	ignored	her	or	related	to	her
superficially. Subconsciously,	Ruth	learned,	“If	I	want	attention,	I	need	to	be
sick. ”	No	doubt	she	did	not	intend	this,	but	her	behavior	was	programmed
nevertheless. Years	later,	when	her	marriage	was	falling	apart	and	her	husband
was	giving	his	attention	to	someone	else,	Ruth’s	programmed	response	was	to
get	sick—this	time	in	order	to	regain	the	attention	and	affection	of	her	husband. In	the	long	run,	of	course,	this	kind	of	behavioral	pattern	inevitably	fails;	Ruth’s
husband	eventually	divorced	her,	leaving	her	alone	and	sick. For	Lisa	and	Ruth,	certain	“rewards”	for	being	sick	superseded	their	desires	to
get	well	or	stay	well. This	way	of	life	is	not	uncommon;	people	often	have
psychological	reasons	to	get	sick	or	stay	sick—usually	not	on	a	conscious	level. People	often	learn	hopelessness	instead	of	hopefulness. If	you	are	sick,	be	sure	to	ask	yourself,	
What	is	my	reward	for	being	sick. Am
I	willing	to	give	up	my	reward. Do	I	truly	want	to	be	well. These	questions	can
be	followed	with	affirmations	or	mantras,	such	as	
I	am	well. I	am	getting	better,
healthier	and	stronger	every	day. Reprogramming	your	mind-set	or	approach	is
the	key,	whether	you	are	talking	about	the	thoughts	you	think	or	the	foods	you
eat. Health	is	a	choice,	and	the	best	chance	to	realize	it	comes	from	making	your
top	priority	to	get	well	and	stay	well. The	Placebo	Effect
One	of	the	most	familiar	descriptions	of	the	power	of	the	mind	over	the
body’s	responses	is	the	placebo	effect. This	concept	is	based	on	research	by
Henry	K. Beecher,	published	in	a	1955	paper,	“The	Powerful	Placebo,”	which
concluded	that	roughly	one-third	of	people	who	receive	medical	treatment	will
show	improvement	simply	because	they	believe	the	treatment	will	work,
regardless	of	how	pharmacologically	effective	the	treatment	is. People’s
thoughts	affect	their	health—not	exactly	a	news	flash,	but	a	scientific	fact
nevertheless. When	the	research	was	published,	Beecher’s	paper	made	a	huge
impact	on	the	scientific	community,	and	since	then,	thousands	of	published
studies	on	the	same	topic	demonstrate	clearly	that	what	you	think	affects	how
your	body	functions. The	term	placebo	refers	to	a	substance,	procedure	or	treatment	that,	when
given	to	a	patient,	produces	a	beneficial	effect	on	the	body	that	is	not	a	direct
result	of	the	placebo’s	chemistry. Now,	medical	scientists	use	placebos	to
measure	the	effectiveness	of	a	certain	treatment—often	a	medication—	versus
“no	treatment”	at	all. In	a	typical	study,	for	instance,	one	group	of	patients	is
given	a	drug	and	another	group	of	patients,	unknown	to	them,	receive	pills	that
contain	essentially	nothing—a	placebo. This	approach	and	the	results	based	on	this	approach,	however,	are	misguided
because	the	placebo—by	virtue	of	positive	thinking—does	have	effects. Doctors
and	scientists	portray	their	disrespect	for	the	patient’s	power	by	thinking	of	the
placebo	as	something	to	be	“factored	out	of	the	equation,”	as	an	unwanted,	or	atbest,	uninteresting	effect. More	medical	support	for	this	power	could	go	a	long
way	toward	helping	all	become	and	stay	well. Scientific	work	with	the	placebo	proves	what	we	already	know	instinctively:
Beliefs,	attitudes	and	patterns	of	behavior	play	a	major	role	in	health	and
disease. Our	state	of	mind	is	as	much	a	part	of	our	lifestyle	as	our	diet,	amount
of	sleep	or	exercise. Let	us	harness	the	principles	of	the	placebo	effect	and	use
that	power. In	a	sincere,	direct	and	informed	manner,	we	can	use	it	more
profoundly. The	Best	Health	Coverage
The	support,	encouragement	and	good	bedside	manner	of	a	health	practitioner
(be	it	a	modern	practitioner	or	an	ancient	witch	doctor)	can	help	a	patient
recover,	even	if	this	“help”	exists	only	through	the	“effect	of	the	mind. ”
Down	through	history,	many	or	perhaps	most	of	the	successes	of	health-care
treatments	have	been	and	are	due	to	behavioral	and	psychological	factors. A
1993	study	in	
Cardiology	
raised	the	possibility	that	a	large	share	of	the
presumed	benefits	of	prescription	drugs	actually	results	from	people	believing
they	are	being	helped. New	York	Times	
columnist	Margaret	Talbot	summed	up	this	idea,	noting	that
“the	truth	is	that	the	placebo	effect	is	huge. ”	In	studies	of	new	drugs,	she	says,
between	35	and	75	percent	of	patients	benefit	from	taking	a	dummy	pill. This
“placebo	effect,”	she	writes,	“should	probably	be	put	to	conscious	use	in	clinical
practice,	even	if	we	do	not	entirely	understand	how	it	works. ”
Talbot	continues:
For	centuries,	Western	medicine	consisted	of	almost	nothing	but	the
placebo	effect. The	patient	who	got	better	after	a	bleeding—or	a	dose	of	fox
lung,	wood	lice,	tartar	emetic	or	any	of	the	other	charming	staples	of	the
19th-century	pharmacopoeia—got	better	either	in	spite	of	them	or	because
of	their	symbolic	value. Such	patients	believed	in	the	cure	and	in	the
authority	of	the	bewigged	gentlemen	administering	it,	and	the	belief	gave
them	hope	and	the	hope	helped	make	them	well. There	were	exceptions—
remedies,	like	quinine	for	malaria,	the	vaccine	for	smallpox	and	morphine
for	pain	relief,	which	actually	worked. But	generally	speaking,	if	all	the
drugs	of	the	day	“could	be	sunk	to	the	bottom	of	the	sea,”	as	Oliver
Wendell	Holmes	observed	in	1860,	“it	would	be	all	the	better	for	mankind
—and	all	the	worse	for	the	fishes. ”We	need	to	use	the	principles	of	the	placebo	effect	deliberately—	without
trying	to	deceive	the	patient—to	benefit	health	and	performance. Imagine	the
potential	gains	if	modern	health	care	included	an	educational	and	“coaching”
dimension	as	part	of	a	more	comprehensive	approach	to	healing. This	rarely
happens. Modern	health	care	focuses	almost	exclusively	on	diagnosing	and
treating	the	physical	body,	usually	with	drugs	or	surgery,	and	typically	fails	to
consider	the	behavioral,	emotional,	perceptual,	learning,	cognitive	and	spiritual
factors	that	may	be	playing	a	significant	role	in	becoming	sick	or	well. Believing	that	you	“have”	a	disease	and	playing	the	role	of	a	“sick	person”	is
the	way	to	stay	sick. By	contrast,	being	healthy	means	believing	that	you	are
getting	well	and	staying	well;	it	means	“playing	the	role”	of	health. Every
thought	has	a	physical	effect	on	your	cells. Negative	thoughts,	particularly	about
disease	and	death,	can	literally	kill	you. An	Infection	of	Negative	Thoughts
Although	we	used	to	think	of	mind	and	body	as	entirely	separate,	the	last
twenty-five	years	of	scientific	research	have	taught	us	a	great	deal	about	the
dimensions	of	mind	and	body	and	how,	together,	they	establish	body-wide
communication	networks. Our	bodies	create	chemical	messengers	(neuropep-
tides,	neurotransmitters	and	hormones)	that	allow	the	body	to	communicate	with
itself,	to	self-regulate,	to	adapt. Through	these	chemical	messengers	the	cells
know	when	and	what	to	do. Cells	throughout	the	body	(not	just	in	the	brain)	both
create	and	are	affected	by	these	chemical	messengers. All	cells	are	in	constant
contact	with	one	another,	whether	they	are	brain	cells,	muscle	cells,	nerve	cells
or	any	other	kind. Every	thought	and	emotion	triggers	the	release	of	chemical	messengers
throughout	the	body;	in	other	words,	there	is	no	such	thing	as	“just	a	thought. ”
Every	thought	has	a	physical	consequence,	for	better	or	worse. Feelings	of
anger,	apathy,	gloom	and	resentment	weaken	the	immune	system	and	damage
health. Positive	thoughts	of	love,	compassion,	joy,	humor	and	the	like	support
good	physical	health. It	takes	some	effort	and	discipline,	especially	on	the	bad	days,	to	keep	an	open
and	positive	mindset,	but	the	health	benefits	definitely	make	it	worthwhile. The
goal	of	this	chapter	is	to	explain	how	psychology	affects	health	at	the	cellular
level	and	to	identify	some	of	the	most	important	psychological	concepts,	as	well
as	some	of	the	most	common	(and	self-destructive)	mistakes. The	goal	is	to	help
you	improve	your	psychological	pathway—one	of	the	major	avenues	betweenhealth	and	disease. Minds	Need	Reprogramming
Our	minds	are	rather	like	computers:	Whether	intended	or	unintended,	they	do
what	they	have	been	programmed	to	do. A	big	part	of	using	the	psychological
pathway	to	stay	healthy	is	the	ability	to	recognize	your	current	programming	and
to	learn	new	programs—new	thoughts,	attitudes	and	behavior	patterns. As	demonstrated	by	my	clients	Lisa	and	Ruth,	some	people	find	it	hard	to
develop	the	will	to	change	old	patterns. For	these	two	women,	habitual	thinking
and	imagery	created	their	destiny. They	were	in	reach	of	health,	but	let	it	go. Why. Not	because	they	lacked	the	necessary	information,	the	problem	most
people	face,	but	because	their	strategies	for	achieving	short-term	security	had
been	tried	and	proven,	and	were	too	difficult	to	unlearn. Negative	health	programming	can	come	from	a	visit	to	the	doctor. Even	the
sight	of	a	physician	can	cause	blood	pressure	to	rise;	the	effect	is	called	“white-
coat	hypertension. ”	The	stress	resulting	from	the	diagnosis	of	a	grave	disease
can	do	serious	damage,	precisely	like	voodoo	or	a	witch’s	hex. A	1991	study	in
the	
Medical	Journal	of	Australia	
concluded	that	negative	suggestions	from
physicians	and	caregivers	were	significant	negative	factors	in	cancer	recovery. Deepak	Chopra,	M.
The author suggests replacing them with unscented products available in health food stores.
What is the author's suggestion for replacing toxic laundry detergents and fabric softeners?
The author does not explicitly state a specific source, but mentions that toxins can come from various products, including household cleaners, air fresheners, and personal care products.
What is the primary source of toxins in the home, according to the author?
The author emphasizes the crucial role of the mind in health, stating that every thought and emotion has a physical consequence and that we have the power to choose how we respond to situations.
What is the author's view on the importance of the mind in maintaining health?
The author suggests that people should find ways to adapt to challenging situations, learn to say "no" to things that drain their energy, and prioritize self-care. They also recommend journaling, meditation, and other stress-reducing techniques.
What is the author's advice for managing stress?
The author emphasizes the importance of self-care and personal responsibility in maintaining health, stating that individuals must take control of their own well-being and make conscious choices to prioritize their health and well-being.
What is the author's view on the importance of self-care and personal responsibility in health?