In	the	state	of	California,	actuarial	calculations	show	that	average	life
expectancy	for	females	would	be	100	if	only	one	certain	disease	were	eliminated
—heart	disease,	which	is	entirely	preventable	through	diet	and	lifestyle. Consider	how	much	longer	we	might	live	by	eliminating	two	or	more	diseases. Perhaps	we	have	forgotten	that	health	is	our	natural	state. We	blindly	accept	our
average	life	span	of	seventy-six	years;	we	accept	that	we	will	succumb	to
chronic	and	degenerative	diseases.Imagining	entire	populations	who	have	lived	far	longer	and	healthier	lives
than	we	do	seems	inconceivable. People	who	rarely,	if	ever,	suffered	from	any
disease,	including	colds,	allergies,	flu	or	even	fatigue. How	were	these	people
able	to	do	that? Their	nutrition	was	of	high	quality,	their	toxic	exposure	was
minimal,	they	enjoyed	psychological	well-being	and	they	were	quite	physically
active. Their	everyday	lifestyles,	to	a	large	degree,	met	all	the	factors	necessary
to	support	the	six	pathways	toward	health. Let	us	learn	from	these	people. The	Remarkable	Hunzas
In	a	remote	valley	of	the	Himalayas,	in	what	is	now	northeastern	Pakistan,
live	the	people	of	Hunza,	who	were	renowned	for	their	near-perfect	health,
robust	energy	and	extraordinary	longevity. Though	they	lived	under	what	we
would	consider	primitive	conditions,	they	regularly	lived	into	their	hundreds,
and	often	lived	to	be	120	to	140	years	old. Their	culture	was	not	plagued	with
cancer,	heart	disease,	ulcers,	diabetes,	allergies,	kidney	and	liver	disease,
arthritis,	asthma,	hypoglycemia,	mental	disorders,	colds,	flu,	tooth	decay	or	any
of	the	other	diseases	so	common	in	our	society. Nor	did	they	suffer	from
depression;	several	researchers	described	them	as,	“the	happiest	people	in	the
world.”	The	Hunzas	had	clear	minds,	high	intelligence,	excellent	memories,	and
enormous	physical	strength	and	stamina. Many	researchers	went	to	Hunza	in	the	early	twentieth	century—long	before
many	of	the	advances	of	modern	medicine—	to	study	and	write	about	these
phenomenally	healthy	people. Sir	Robert	McCarrison,	M.D.,	a	prominent	British
physician,	spent	seven	years	living	and	doing	research	among	the	Hunzas,	and
he	first	brought	the	health	of	the	Hunza	people	to	world	attention. In	November
1921,	Dr.	McCarrison	presented	the	results	of	his	research	at	a	meeting	of	the
Society	for	Biological	Research	held	at	the	University	of	Pittsburgh. He
described	the	Hunzas	as,	“a	race	unsurpassed	in	perfection	of	physique	and	in
freedom	from	diseases	in	general	. . .”	He	found	that	chronic	diseases,	including
cancer,	were	totally	unknown. (Cancer	was	unknown	among	these
extraordinarily	long-lived	people,	yet	we	are	told	that	cancer	is	a	disease	of
aging.) Another	researcher,	J.	I.	Rodale,	in	his	book,	
The	Healthy	Hunzas,	
reported
that,	“Colds	are	non-existent	in	Hunza.”	He	said	it	was	not	unusual	to	see	men
walking	through	snowdrifts	in	the	coldest	weather,	barechested	and	barefoot. He
observed	one	Hunza	man	travel	sixty	miles	in	a	single	day,	by	foot	inmountainous	terrain,	arriving	back	as	if	he	had	returned	from	a	casual	walk. Hunza	women	did	not	suffer	menstrual	pain	or	any	of	the	other	female
complaints	of	our	society. In	Hunza,	people	typically	died	of	old	age	in	their
sleep,	without	experiencing	the	chronic	suffering	that	usually	precedes	death	in
our	own	society. The	story	of	the	Hunzas	shows	the	potential	for	human	health
—how	healthy	human	beings	can	perform. As	part	of	their	leisure	activities,	the	men	of	Hunza	(from	teenage	to	120	years
old)	performed	vigorous,	physically	demanding	folk	dances. In	his	book	
Hunza,
Hoffman	described	men	in	their	seventies	and	eighties	gliding	through	the	air
with	the	same	grace	and	ease	as	those	in	their	teens	and	twenties. Hoffman
wrote:	“The	stamina	of	the	people	is	beyond	words. In	fact	men	over	a	hundred
years	of	age	were	observed	going	up	these	mountainsides	just	as	though	they
were	men	of	fifty. It	is	my	belief	that	many	American	men	of	fifty	years	of	age
could	not	keep	up	with	these	Hunza	men.”
What	was	it	that	allowed	the	Hunzas	to	achieve	this	amazing	level	of	health? You	probably	already	know	the	answer:	a	combination	of	a	nutritious	diet,	toxin-
free	environment,	exercise,	sleep,	sunshine,	fresh	air	and	low-stress	lifestyle. Given	only	two	causes	of	disease—deficiency	and	toxicity—let	us	examine	how
the	Hunzas	kept	their	cells	adequately	supplied	with	nutrients	and	free	of	toxins,
thus	realizing	optimal	health	and	longevity. While	we	cannot	replicate	their
lifestyle,	we	can	see	how	far	our	own	lifestyles	fall	short	of	these	goals,	and	we
can	begin	to	understand	how	to	make	the	kinds	of	changes	that	will	bring	us
closer	to	our	potential. An	Optimal	Diet	and	Lifestyle
The	Hunza	diet	was	highly	nutritious,	consisting	mainly	of	vegetarian	foods
grown	in	nutrient-rich	soil. They	irrigated	their	fields	with	mineral-rich	water
and	composted	all	of	their	organic	matter	(leaves,	straw,	manure,	etc. ),	to
produce	soils	of	the	highest	quality. Contrast	their	mineral-rich	soils	to	U.S.	soils
which	are	depleted	due	to	modern	chemical	farming. It	doesn’t	take	a	degree	in
agricultural	science	to	know	that	if	minerals	are	not	in	the	soil,	they	do	not	get
into	the	plant,	and	then	they	don’t	get	into	you. In	addition	to	fresh	vegetables
and	fruits,	the	Hunzas	ate	whole	grains	that	were	exceptionally	high	in	nutrients
as	opposed	to	the	refined	sugars	and	nutrient-depleted	white	flour	that’s	so
prevalent	in	our	diet. Only	about	10	percent	of	the	Hunza’s	calories	came	from
fat,	as	opposed	to	about	37	percent	in	the	American	diet. Eighty	percent	of	their
foods	were	eaten	fresh	and	raw. In	addition	to	being	high	in	nutrition,	their	diet
was	low	in	toxins,	meaning	that	their	foods	didn’t	contain	any	cancer-causingcompounds	that	come	from	exposures	to	pesticides,	herbicides,	fungicides	and
other	agricultural	chemicals. Along	with	getting	plenty	of	exercise	by	working
the	land	and	walking	everywhere,	the	Hunzas	also	got	adequate	sleep. Since
there	was	no	artificial	lighting	in	their	village,	they	went	to	bed	when	it	got	dark
and	they	woke	up	at	daybreak,	regardless	of	the	time	of	the	year. So	what	are	we	to	take	from	the	Hunza’s	habits? Should	we	quit	our	sedentary
jobs	and	take	up	organic	farming? Should	we	shun	all	supermarket	foods	and
hide	our	head	under	the	covers	at	sunset? While	these	options	are	surely	not
realistic,	you	can	make	some	practical	and	positive	changes	in	your	lifestyle	and
this	book	will	show	you	how. While	you	don’t	have	to	avoid	supermarkets
altogether,	you	can	learn	how	to	avoid	filling	your	cart	with	the	most	toxic	foods
in	the	grocery	aisles	(some	of	which	you	might	wrongly	assume	are	“healthy”
for	you!) and	paying	good	money	for	food	that	is	actually	killing	you. You	can
learn	how	to	prepare	your	foods	in	ways	that	don’t	rob	them	of	their	nutrients
and	how	to	avoid	cooking	your	foods	by	methods	that	compromise	your	health. You	can	become	aware	of	what	toxic	chemicals	are	lurking	in	your	environment
in	everyday	products	and	choose	healthy	alternatives	instead. You	can	see	how
making	a	few	simple	changes	in	your	sleeping	habits	will	restore	your	body’s
natural	rhythms	and	allow	your	body	ample	time	to	rejuvenate. You	can	make
informed	decisions	about	which	medical	treatments	you	need,	and	which	are
actually	hurting	your	health. So,	you	see,	you	don’t	have	to	move	to	the	Andes
Mountains	to	find	health;	you	can	live	a	long	and	healthy	life	in	your	own	town. And	what,	you	may	wonder,	would	happen	to	these	mighty	Hunzas	if	they
lived	in	your	town—with	a	fast	food	restaurant	on	every	corner? The	results
shouldn’t	surprise	you. The	Hunzas	were	geographically	isolated	from	the
outside	world. The	one	treacherous	road	into	the	Hunza	Valley	was	closed	nine
months	of	the	year	because	of	the	weather,	and	the	road	was	not	all	that	inviting
during	the	remaining	three	months. This	isolation	allowed	the	Hunzas	to	live	in
their	traditional,	customary,	and	close-knit	familial	and	social	groups,	almost	up
until	the	present	day. Had	the	Hunza	Valley	been	more	accessible,	modern
culture	would	have	intruded	and	damaged	the	health	of	this	population	sooner
than	it	did,	and	we	would	have	lost	our	opportunity	to	learn	from	them. Eventually,	modern	foods	were	introduced	into	the	Hunzas’	lives	when	the	first
all-weather	road	was	built	through	the	mountain	passes	and	into	their	valley	in
the	1970s,	making	this	area	more	accessible	to	“civilization.”	“Civilized	foods,”
such	as	white	sugar,	white	flour,	white	rice,	cola	drinks,	coffee,	processed	oils
and	alcohol	were	introduced. Fresh,	homegrown,	whole	foods	were	replaced
with	the	processed	and	toxic	foods	that	make	up	much	of	the	diet	we	eat	today.This	exposure	to	modern	culture	had	tremendously	detrimental	health	effects	on
the	Hunza	population. What	is	especially	notable	is	how	rapidly	a	modern	diet	will	cause	health	to
decline. Researchers	have	noted	that	health	begins	to	deteriorate	within	six
months	of	introducing	modern	diets	into	populations	previously	eating	only	their
traditional	foods. The	Hunzas	were	an	incredibly	healthy	population	just	a	few
decades	ago. Today,	they	face	increasing	levels	of	chronic	disease—just	like	the
rest	of	the	“civilized”	world. However,	because	of	their	prior	isolation,	the
Hunzas	provided	a	perfect	control	group—an	ideal	people	for	the	study	and
measurement	of	the	potential	for	human	health. If	the	Hunzas	had	been	the	only	extraordinarily	healthy	people	in	the	world,
we	might	dismiss	their	health	as	an	aberration. However,	numerous	other
examples	of	long-lived	and	healthy	populations	are	available,	including	people
living	in	mountainous	areas	of	Bulgaria	and	Hungary,	the	island	of	Crete,	the
lake	district	of	Titicaca	in	Peru,	the	Vilcabamba	Valley	in	Ecuador,	and	the
Caucasus	region	of	Russia. They	all	have	a	similar	story. They	eat	high-quality,
nutritious	foods. They	get	a	lot	of	exercise	and	plenty	of	fresh	air,	sleep	and
sunshine. They	live	a	life	of	low	stress	in	communities	that	emphasize	family
and	human	relationships. As	a	result,	they	enjoy	a	level	of	health	and	quality	of
life	that	we	can	barely	imagine. Unsanitary	Conditions,	but	Healthy	People
In	another	region	of	Ecuador,	we	find	another	story	of	superior	resiliency	and
longevity:	the	Indians	of	the	mountainous	region	of	Cuenca. In	his	book,	
How	to
Survive	Modern	Technology,	
Charles	McGee,	M.D.,	reports	experiences	he	had
as	a	Project	Hope	physician	in	this	region,	starting	in	1965. McGee	had
awesome	tales	to	tell	about	the	resilience	of	these	people,	who	ate	excellent	diets
and	lived	low-stress	lifestyles. Otherwise,	however,	their	living	conditions	were
what	we	would	consider	primitive. These	Indians	usually	walked	around
barefoot	and	lived	in	one-room,	dirt-floored	houses	that	had	no	glass	in	the
windows. They	had	extremely	poor	sanitary	conditions,	no	running	water,	no
toilet	facilities,	and	their	animals	wandered	haphazardly	in	and	out	of	their	living
spaces. As	a	result	of	these	filthy	conditions	and	a	contaminated	water	supply,
infant	mortality	was	very	high	from	bacterial	and	parasitic	infections. (Infants
are	more	susceptible	to	infections	because	their	immune	systems	are	not	yet	fully
developed.) Examinations	of	the	local	children	showed	that	95	percent	had
intestinal	parasites. Given	the	above,	one	would	certainly	expect	these	Indians	to	be	sickly	andweak. To	the	contrary,	McGee	found	them	to	have	perfect	teeth,	extremely	high
resistance	to	infections	and	amazing	resistance	to	physical	trauma	resulting	from
accidents. He	described	incidents	where	he	treated	a	man	with	a	ruptured	bladder
(from	a	bus	accident)	and	a	woman	with	a	ruptured	uterus	(from	childbirth). McGee	said	that,	considering	the	severity	of	the	damage	and	the	quality	of	the
medical	facilities,	neither	of	these	people	“should	have”	survived. These	people
not	only	survived,	they	walked	home	to	their	mountain	villages	after	treatment	at
McGee’s	hospital. Yes,	by	our	standards,	they	should	not	have	survived;
however,	our	standards	are	substandard. Our	assumptions	about	the	capabilities	of	the	human	body	are	significantly
underestimated. The	good	nutrition	of	these	people	contributed	to	their	cellular
health,	which	allowed	them	to	recover	from	severe	injuries	that	would	have
probably	killed	the	typical	American. Likewise,	absent	in	these	Indians	were	the
typical	American	diseases,	such	as	heart	disease,	cancer,	diabetes,	allergies,
asthma,	senility	and	mental	illness. Also	compelling	is	that	in	one	year	of	doing
surgery,	under	very	basic	and	unsanitary	conditions,	McGee	observed	only	one
postoperative	infection;	in	modern,	technologically	advanced	hospitals,
infections	are	bewilderingly	rampant. In	fact,	many	people	in	our	society	are
afraid	of	hospitals	for	this	exact	reason. The	resistance	to	disease	of	these
Indians,	under	exceptionally	challenging	conditions,	was	truly	amazing. Germs	and	parasites	are	everywhere,	and	we	have	been	living	with	them	for
millennia. Despite	the	presence	of	intestinal	parasites	in	most	of	the	Cuenca,	few
of	them	ever	became	sick	from	them. Only	since	the	germ	theory,	and	the
discovery	of	microscopic	organisms,	has	medicine	focused	so	obsessively	on
isolating	and	killing	germs. Medicine	has	developed	few	or	no	protocols	for
promoting	basic	human	health	and	immunity,	yet	promoting	health	is	the	only
thing	that	consistently	works,	as	we	can	see	from	these	healthy	populations. The
Cuenca	had	virtually	none	of	the	diseases	that	are	so	common	among	us. Why? Because	they	were	fundamentally	healthy—that	is,	they	had	healthy	cells. McGee	contrasted	their	superior	health	to	the	poor	health	of	the	population	of
a	nearby	city,	where	toxic	junk	foods	like	sugar,	white	flour,	soda	pop	and	white
rice	had	been	available	for	several	years. In	this	city,	not	surprisingly,	heart
attacks,	diabetes	and	other	chronic	diseases	had	begun	to	appear. Modern	“Progress”—
Toward	DeteriorationHaving	seen	how	healthy	people	are	capable	of	performing,	living	long	lives
free	of	disease	and	enjoying	boundless	energy,	why,	with	all	of	our	technology,
are	we	doing	so	poorly	by	comparison? The	many	changes	we	have	made	in
modern	society	have	taken	us	away	from	the	factors	that	enhance	health	and
created	new	conditions	that	damage	health. Never	before,	in	all	of	human
history,	have	so	many	health-related	factors	changed	so	rapidly	and	so
completely. The	basic	nutritional,	environmental	and	behavioral	dimensions	of
our	society	have	been	severely	and	rapidly	altered. Since	the	Industrial
Revolution,	and	especially	during	the	past	century,	humanity	has:
•	Completely	changed	its	diet. •	Created	a	new	environment. •	Developed	new	patterns	of	behavior	and	lifestyle. Granted,	in	this	millennium,	most	of	us	simply	cannot	grow	our	own	food	and
harvest	it	when	ripe,	walk	to	our	destinations,	or	totally	avoid	the	stresses	of
modern	industrial	society. However,	in	recognizing	what	contributed	to	the
health	of	traditionally	healthy	people,	combined	with	an	understanding	of	the
significant	changes	we	have	made	to	our	own	environments	and	lifestyles,	we
can	begin	to	see	how	we	must	compensate. We	need	to	learn	how	to	create
healthy	habits	for	living	within	our	modern	ways	of	life. Our	way	of	life	is	completely	different	from	the	lives	of	even	a	century	ago. From	a	personal	standpoint,	these	changes	have	been	made	too	slowly	for	us	to
notice,	but	from	an	evolutionary	standpoint,	they	have	come	rapidly—	much	too
rapidly	for	healthy	adaptation	by	our	bodies	and	minds. The	Web	of	Life
Choosing	health	would	be	easy	if	only	one	factor	were	involved. However,	no
one	factor	determines	our	health. Rather,	our	state	of	health	is	the	end	result	of
countless	biological	and	behavioral	interrelationships	called	the	“web	of	life.”
Unwittingly,	we	have	been	busy	pulling	this	web	apart,	through	the	fundamental
changes	we	have	made	in	our	diet,	our	environment	and	our	behavior. Everything	relates	to	everything	else;	making	a	change	in	one	part	of	the	web
affects	the	rest	of	it. We	are	learning	that	life	support	systems	are	more	interdependent	and
delicately	balanced	than	we	ever	realized. No	one	fully	understands	how	it	all
works. The	web	is	as	big	and	complex	as	the	planet	itself,	and	as	some	scientists
suggest,	as	big	as	the	universe. But	the	fact	that	we	do	not	understand	it
thoroughly	certainly	should	not	prevent	us	from	using	what	we	do	know	forprotecting	and	supporting	our	health	right	now. Acting	on	our	knowledge	of	the	factors	described	in	the	chapters	about	the	six
pathways	can	take	us	beyond	“health”	as	we	have	come	to	accept	it. We	have
seen	traditionally	healthy	people	such	as	the	Hunzas	achieve	a	potential	for
human	health	that	is	truly	awesome,	but	to	achieve	a	high	level	of	health	in	our
society	requires	knowledge,	commitment	and	a	willingness	to	try	new	things. It
can	be	done. While	none	of	us	can	or	probably	want	to	revert	to	living	a
primitive	lifestyle,	we	can,	with	a	few	changes	in	diet	and	lifestyle,	improve	our
health	and	quality	of	life.3
T
HE
	N
EW	
T
HEROY	
OF
	H
EALTH	AND	
D
ISEASE
“The	most	basic	weapons	in	the	fight	against	disease	are
the	most	ignored	by	modern	medicine:	
the	numerous
nutrients	the	cells	of	our	bodies	need. If	our	body	cells	are
ailing—as	they	must	be	in	disease—the	chances	are
excellent	that	it	is	because	they	are	being	inadequately
provisioned.”
Roger	J.	Williams,	Ph.D. Nutrition	Against	Disease
M
odern	medicine	believes	that	thousands	of	diseases	exist,	each	with	different
causes	and	treatments. This	belief	has	led	to	a	system	of	medicine	so	complex
and	baffling	that	physicians	resort	to	protocols	that	merely	suppress	symptoms. By	suppressing	symptoms	rather	than	addressing	causes,	diseases	remain
chronic. In	this	chapter,	you	will	learn	a	new	approach. This	new	theory	of
health	and	disease	is	a	model	that	recognizes	not	thousands	of	diseases	but	only
one	disease,	along	with	only	two	causes	of	disease. This	simple	model	of	disease
is	so	powerful	that	it	can	enable	you	to	go	beyond	health	as	you	have
experienced	it	and	never	be	sick	again. One	Disease—Two	Causes—	
Six	Pathways
A	real	understanding	of	the	relationship	between	health	and	disease	cannot	be
achieved	through	knowledge	of	germs,	inherited	genes,	medicines,	surgery,	or
any	of	the	many	“diseases”	that	make	people	sick. Keeping	up	with	these
subjects	is	complex	and	doesn’t	really	help	people	to	take	care	of	themselves. What	we	need	right	now	are	solutions	for	good	health. The	time	is	ripe	to
simplify:	Understand	what	your	cells	need,	how	they	work	and	what	causes	them
to	malfunction. Your	cells	are	what	make	your	life	possible. There	is	only	one	disease:	
malfunctioning	cells. When	cells	malfunction,	the	body	is	no	longer	able	to	maintain	homeostasis
(balance)	by	regulating	and	repairing	itself. This	is	the	essence	of	disease,	no
matter	what	you	call	it	or	how	it	happens. Because	only	one	disease	exists,	allwe	need	to	do	is	prevent	the	causes	of	that	one	disease. There	are	only	two	causes	of	disease:
deficiency	
and	
toxicity. All	you	have	to	do	for	health	is	to	give	your	cells	what	they	need	and	protect
them	from	what	they	don’t	need. Cells	malfunction	only	if	they	suffer	from	a
lack	of	nutrients	(deficiency),	toxic	damage	(toxicity)	or	a	combination	of	both. Preventing	these	two	causes	of	disease	is	made	possible	by	our	ability	to	choose
how	we	live	our	lives. Health	depends	on	the	choices	we	make. These	choices
fall	into	six	categories,	or	pathways. There	are	six	pathways	between	health	and	disease:
nutrition,	toxin,	psychological,	physical,	
genetic	
and	
medical. The	body	knows	how	to	take	care	of	itself,	provided	it	has	what	it	needs	to	do
so. Good	choices	along	the	six	pathways	provide	for	the	needs	of	your	body	just
as	sunshine,	water	and	rich	soil	provide	for	the	needs	of	a	houseplant. These
concepts	are	not	complicated;	in	fact	they	are	incredibly	simple. We	just	become
lost	along	the	way	sometimes	because	we	don’t	have	a	sound	theory	of	health
and	disease. Well,	now	we	do:	one	disease,	two	causes,	six	pathways. Applying
this	theory	can	restore	balance	to	your	cells	and	support	your	cells’	natural
ability	to	self-regulate	and	repair	damage. Along	each	of	the	six	pathways,	I
teach	you	in	this	book	how	to	prevent	the	two	causes	of	disease. Using	this
knowledge,	you	can	restore	health	and	prevent	future	sickness. The	Need	to	Simplify
At	the	time	of	my	illness,	despite	my	scientific	education	and	background,	I
probably	knew	as	much,	or	as	little,	about	disease	as	most	people. I	thought	that
disease	was	something	that	came	from	germs	and	from	genetic	predisposition. I
thought	disease	was	something	that	happened	to	the	unlucky,	the	starving,	or	to
those	who	really	abused	themselves,	such	as	alcoholics	and	drug	addicts. My
physician	said	that	my	problems	were	the	result	of	aging,	as	opposed	to
something	that	I	had	unknowingly	chosen	and	could	choose	to	reverse. During	my	recovery	process,	I	realized	that	I	would	have	been	able	to	prevent
my	illness	if	I	had	understood	the	causes	of	disease. I	realized	that	as	long	as
disease	remained	something	mysterious,	complicated	and	difficult	to	understand,then	only	the	high	priests	of	medicine—the	educated	experts	we	call	doctors—
would	be	able	to	deal	with	it. What	if	we	could	all	understand	what	causes
disease? Wouldn’t	we	be	empowered	to	prevent	disease? Can	we	actually	do
that? Can	we	distill	simple	truth	from	this	complex	mystery? Throughout	man’s
history,	great	advancements	in	science	have	often	come	from	people	who	were
able	to	take	extraordinarily	complex	subjects	and	simplify	them. In	this	chapter
we	are	trying	to	simplify	the	concepts	of	health	and	disease. Simplifying	Disease
Consider	this:	Rather	than	thousands	of	diseases,	there	is	only	one	disease. Does	this	sound	ridiculous? Probably,	but	that	is	because	we	are	conditioned	to
think	of	many	different	diseases,	rather	than	recognizing	what	is	common	to	all
disease. The	most	difficult	aspect	of	this	theory	is	that	it	requires	you	to	look	at
health	and	disease	in	a	completely	different	way. Using	the	concept	of	one
disease	dramatically	simplifies	how	we	perceive	disease	in	general. To	simplify	disease,	we	must	first	have	an	understanding	of	what	disease	is. In
order	to	do	that,	we	need	a	basic	understanding	of	
cells. Every	plant	and	animal
on	earth	is	made	of	cells—the	smallest	unit	of	life. Fossil	records	show	that	the
earliest	forms	of	life	were	single-celled	organisms. Likewise,	each	human	being
started	as	one	cell—a	single	cell	encoded	with	all	of	the	information	needed	to
develop	into	the	vastly	complex,	multitrillion-celled	organisms	that	we	are
today. Each	of	us	is	made	of	about	seventy-five	trillion	cells. Not	all	of	these	cells
are	the	same. Humans	have	over	200	different	types	of	cells	(nerve	cells,	blood
cells,	muscle	cells,	bone	cells,	etc. ),	forming	many	different	types	of	tissues	that
enable	us	to	eat,	breathe,	feel,	move,	think	and	reproduce. Together,	cells
combine	to	form	the	building	blocks	of	biological	structure	and	function. All	of
these	cells	communicate	with	each	other	and	rely	on	these	communications	in
order	to	keep	us	alive	and	well. Healthy	cells	make	healthy	tissues,	which	are
highly	resistant	to	disease	and	physical	injury. Unhealthy	cells	create	unhealthy
tissues,	which	are	quite	susceptible	to	both	disease	and	injury. What	Is	Disease? Each	cell	must	perform	specific	tasks	in	order	to	collaborate	effectively	with
other	cells	in	the	body. If	all	of	your	cells	are	healthy,	these	tasks	are	well
executed	and	the	body	functions	at	optimal	levels. If	all	of	your	cells	are	healthy,
you	cannot	be	sick. If,	for	any	reason,	a	cell	starts	to	malfunction,	it	is	less	ableto	perform	its	assigned	tasks,	which	is	where	problems	can	begin. When	such
malfunction	occurs	in	a	large	enough	number	of	cells	to	impair	the	body’s	ability
to	self-repair	and	self-regulate,	disease	occurs. The	scientific	term	for	a	cell	that	is	malfunctioning	is	
cytopathy	
(
cyto	
referring
to	cell,	and	
pathy	
to	sickness	or	disease). As	fantastically	complex	as	we	humans
are,	the	fundamental	concept	of	disease	is	simple. Disease	is	the	result	of	a	large
number	of	malfunctioning	cells	(widespread	cytopathy). This	definition	is	not
fancy	or	eloquent;	it	may	even	seem	absurdly	simple. However,	it	is	a	profound,
precise	and	irrefutable	definition	of	disease. This	definition	is	so	simple	that	no
one—scientist,	physician	or	layperson—can	deny	it. This	definition	provides	the
unifying	theory	of	health	and	disease	that	the	modern	medical	establishment
lacks,	which	is	the	reason	that	modern	medicine	is	unable	to	address	the	current
epidemic	of	chronic	disease. Perhaps	you	are	thinking,	“But	wait! Disease	is	much	more	complex	than	that! What	about	genetic	predisposition? What	about	bacterial	and	viral	infection? What	about	cancer? What	about	AIDS? What	about	. . . ?”	True,	many	factors
may	conspire	in	contributing	to	the	malfunction	of	our	cells	and	the	many
different	ways	in	which	they	can	malfunction. In	the	end,	though,	cellular
malfunction	creates	the	measurable	abnormalities	that	we	call	disease. Therefore,
no	matter	which	cells	malfunction,	or	why	they	malfunction,	
the	malfunction	is
the	one	disease. A	person	cannot	be	sick	unless	a	large	number	of	cells	are	malfunctioning. The	first	steps	on	the	path	to	disease	are	taken	when,	for	whatever	reason,	a
single	cell	begins	to	malfunction,	and	then	another	cell	and	another. When	the
number	grows	large	enough,	we	may	begin	to	notice. We	may	“feel	sick”	along
the	way,	perhaps	experiencing	a	pain	here,	a	discomfort	there	or	a	lack	of
energy. By	the	time	your	health	has	deteriorated	into	a	diagnosable	chronic
disease,	no	cell	may	be	left	in	your	body	that	is	still	functioning	optimally. I	am
astounded	when	people	describe	their	health	problems	and	then	claim	that,
“other	than	this,”	they	are	in	excellent	health! Unfortunately,	modern	medicine	finds	itself	mired	in	complexity,	confronted
with	numerous	diseases,	diagnoses	and	treatments. Lost	in	the	midst	of
thousands	of	different	diseases	(each	supposedly	with	its	own	unique	causes),
physicians	are	unable	to	effectively	diminish	disease	in	our	society. A	simpler
and	more	effective	solution	is	to	focus	on	the	process—the	one	disease—and	to
ask	what	causes	it. When	you	understand	disease	as	a	process,	rather	than	a
“thing”	to	be	cut	out	or	suppressed,	then	you	see	why	surgery	and	drugs,
virtually	the	only	tools	of	the	physician,	are	limited	in	what	they	can	do.The	Two	Causes	of	Disease
Cellular	malfunction	is	the	essence	of	disease. But	why	does	it	happen? Cells
can	malfunction	in	a	multitude	of	ways,	and	the	biochemistry	of	these
malfunctions	can	be	exceedingly	complex. All	malfunctions	can	be	reduced	to
two	causes:	
deficiency	
and	
toxicity. Deficiency	
means	that	cells	are	lacking
something	that	they	need	in	order	to	function	the	way	they	are	designed	to
function. Toxicity	
means	that	cells	are	poisoned	by	something	that	inhibits
proper	function. Either	one	of	these	factors—and	usually	a	combination	of	both
—can	and	will	cause	disease. One	of	the	great	scientific	minds	of	the	twentieth	century,	biochemist	Dr.
Roger	Williams,	wrote,	“Body	cells	in	general	die	for	two	reasons:	First,	because
they	do	not	get	everything	they	need;	second,	because	they	get	poisoned	by
something	they	decidedly	do	not	need.”	Humans	can	live	long	and	healthy	lives
if	we	do	two	things	right:	provide	our	cells	with	all	of	the	nutrients	they	need	and
protect	our	cells	from	toxins. To	the	extent	that	we	can	accomplish	these	tasks
well,	we	can	significantly	extend	the	length	and	the	quality	of	our	lives. In	the
real	world,	these	two	tasks	are	never	accomplished	perfectly. As	a	result,	cells
suffer,	we	age,	the	quality	of	life	is	diminished	and	we	die. The	variable	in	this
sequence	is	how	fast	we	allow	this	to	happen. What	about	other	causes	of	disease,	such	as	genetic	inheritance	and	infections
by	microorganisms? Yes,	genes	and	germs	trigger	cellular	malfunction,	but	they
do	so	by	causing	deficiencies	or	toxicities,	which	are	always	the	common
denominators	of	disease. Eliminate	these	factors	and	you	eliminate	disease. For
example,	consider	diseases	with	a	genetic	basis,	such	as	ALD
(adrenoleukodystrophy),	the	genetic	disease	featured	in	the	movie	
Lorenzo’s	Oil. People	with	ALD	develop	abnormally	high	levels	of	very	long-chain	fatty	acids,
which	are	molecules	that	are	natural	to	the	body. These	fatty	acids	can	build	up
to	levels	that	are	toxic	to	cells. This	
toxicity	
is	the	result	of	a	genetically	caused
deficiency	
of	special	protein	molecules	that	keep	these	fatty	acid	levels	within
normal	limits. Lorenzo’s	parents	compensated	for	the	genetic	deficiency	by
supplementing	their	son’s	diet	with	a	combination	of	oils	that	helped	to	lower
the	level	of	the	offending	fatty	acids,	thereby	reducing	the	toxic	effect	on	his
body. What	caused	Lorenzo’s	disease? Was	it	genetics? Yes,	but	for	his	disease
to	manifest,	his	cells	had	to	be	deficient	and	toxic. Deficiency	and	toxicity	are
always	the	common	denominators	of	all	disease. The	same	is	true	of	infections
from	microorganisms. Anthrax,	for	example,	makes	us	sick	and	kills	by
producing	toxins. Without	deficiency	and	toxicity	causing	cells	to	malfunction,
there	is	no	disease.What	about	stress? Hasn’t	that	been	proven	to	cause	disease? True,	stress	is	a
major	factor	that	contributes	to	disease. Chronic	stress	results	in	an	excessive
buildup	of	natural	chemicals	in	the	body,	which	at	higher	levels	become	toxic. In
addition,	stress	depletes	the	body	of	certain	nutrients,	resulting	in	deficiency. Stress	is	a	contributor	to	disease,	but	only	by	expressing	itself	through	the
common	denominators	of	all	disease:	deficiency	and	toxicity. Deficiency	and	toxicity,	regardless	of	their	cause,	increasingly	compromise
the	functioning	of	cells,	making	a	person	steadily	more	vulnerable	to	developing
a	diagnosable	disease. By	the	time	you	contract	a	diagnosable	disease	(whether
we’re	talking	about	the	common	cold,	allergies,	cancer	or	heart	disease),	you
have	probably	been	“sick”	for	a	long	time. You	have	suffered	enough	cellular
damage	from	deficiency	and	toxicity	that	cells	throughout	your	body	are
malfunctioning. You	
are	
sick	long	before	you	
get	
sick. By	the	time	symptoms
are	produced,	cellular	malfunction	has	become	widespread,	cell-to-cell
communications	have	been	disrupted	and	the	systemic	manifestations	are	the
symptoms. Remember	that	disease	does	not	just	randomly	happen,	like	a
meteorite	falling	out	of	the	sky. Health,	not	disease,	is	the	natural	state	of	human
existence,	but	forgetting	this	point	is	easy	when	we	see	all	the	disease	around	us. Symptoms	Versus	the	One	Disease
Our	society’s	current	understanding	of	disease	is	based	on	the	concept	of
symptomology. Symptomology	
is	about	focusing	on,	identifying	and	categorizing
symptoms—in	other	words,	the	effects	produced	by	disease. In	this	manner,
doctors	supposedly	can	differentiate	one	disease	from	another. Because	the
entirety	of	modern	medicine	and	everything	we	have	ever	learned	about	disease
is	based	on	symptomology,	the	concept	of	only	one	disease	may	seem
unacceptably	simplistic. Actually	the	symptomology	concept	is	the	flawed	one. Symptomology	is	based	on	a	fundamental	misconception,	one	held	by
virtually	all	medical	establishments	in	Western	society. The	misconception	is
that	thousands	of	different	diseases	exist,	each	with	different	symptoms,	causes
and	treatments. This	misconception	stems	from	the	many	different	ways	that
cells	can	malfunction,	and	therefore	the	thousands	of	different	symptoms	that
can	be	produced. The	modern	medical	treatment	of	almost	all	disease	focuses	on
the	management	of	these	symptoms	(the	effects	of	disease),	rather	than
eliminating	the	causes,	which	are	deficiency	and	toxicity. People	are	told	to	take
insulin	to	manage	their	blood	sugar	rather	than	eliminating	their	diabetes,	or	to
take	diuretics	to	treat	their	hypertension	rather	than	normalizing	their	blood
pressure. They	are	told	to	have	a	bypass	operation	rather	than	reversing	theirheart	disease	or	to	undergo	chemotherapy	rather	than	healing	their	cancer. Diagnosis	by	symptoms	is	the	process	by	which	modern	medicine	gives	each
collection	of	symptoms	a	particular	name. Medicine	views	symptoms	as
enemies,	and	physicians	are	trained	to	eliminate	them,	even	if	that	means
aggressively	assaulting	the	body	with	dangerous	toxins,	radiation	or	invasive
surgery. Symptomology	leads	the	medical	profession	to	look	at	symptoms
individually,	organize	them	into	thousands	of	categories,	label	them	as	different
diseases	and	then	prescribe	a	currently	accepted	protocol	to	suppress	those
symptoms. This	approach	adds	needless	complexity,	creates	massive	confusion
and	results	in	an	inability	to	deal	with	disease	in	a	meaningful	way. In	truth,	each	collection	of	symptoms—each	specific	“disease”—is	just	a
different	expression	of	malfunctioning	cells. However,	with	all	of	our	different
types	of	cells,	and	all	of	the	different	ways	in	which	each	cell	can	malfunction,
the	number	of	possible	combinations	of	symptoms	becomes	vast. In	other	words,
when	cells	malfunction,	we	may	feel	sick	in	many	different	ways. Cells	that	are	malfunctioning	because	of	a	vitamin	C	deficiency	exhibit
different	symptoms	than	those	malfunctioning	because	of	a	zinc	deficiency. Cells	malfunctioning	because	of	lead	toxicity	exhibit	different	symptoms	from
those	malfunctioning	because	of	mercury	toxicity. Various	combinations	of
deficiencies	and	toxicities	produce	a	myriad	of	complex	symptoms	(thousands	of
“diseases”),	but	the	symptoms	are	not	relevant. To	solve	any	problem,	you	have
to	address	the	causes,	not	the	symptoms. Modern	medicine,	by	placing	the	focus	on	symptoms,	has	yet	to	develop	any
theory	regarding	the	relationship	between	health	and	disease. Medicine	looks	at
these	as	if	they	are	two	different	states,	while	health	and	disease	are	really
different	sides	of	the	same	coin	in	a	constantly	shifting	continuum. Lacking	a
practical	theory,	physicians	have	no	framework	in	which	to	understand	health	or
how	to	help	patients	achieve	it,	like	being	lost	in	a	vast	jungle	without	a	map	or
compass. Narrowly	trained,	our	physicians	are	taught	the	art	of	surgery	and	the
administration	of	drugs	as	tools	to	manage	symptoms. If	the	only	tool	you	have
is	a	hammer,	so	the	saying	goes,	then	every	problem	looks	like	a	nail. If	you	go
to	a	conventionally	trained	physician,	then	medicine’s	“hammers”—surgery	and
drugs—are	what	you	receive. Unfortunately,	these	tools	are	designed	to	manage
and	suppress	symptoms,	not	to	cure	disease. For	a	more	meaningful	understanding	of	disease	(cellular	malfunction),	we
must	consider	the	health	of	our	cells. Remember	that	noticeable	health	problems
begin	when	a	large	number	of	cells	malfunction. As	this	happens,	important
cellular	chemicals	are	not	produced,	cell-to-cell	communications	becomegarbled	and	the	body	ceases	to	regulate	itself	properly. Our	tissues	suffer	and
noticeable	symptoms	appear,	e.g.,	allergies,	fatigue,	aches	and	pains,	colds,	flu,
depression,	anxiety,	cancer	or	any	of	thousands	of	other	complaints. Categorizing	and	suppressing	the	symptoms	of	malfunctioning	cells	does	not
fix	the	problem. This	approach	cannot	explain	why	the	problem	occurred	in	the
first	place,	cannot	prevent	the	problem	from	happening	again	and	cannot	prevent
it	from	appearing	elsewhere	in	the	body. The	only	“cure”	is	to	restore	our	cells
and	tissues	to	health. What	Is	Health? Everybody	thinks	they	know	what	health	is,	but	people	asked	to	define	it	give
you	many	different	answers. In	order	to	define	health,	perhaps	we	first	should
provide	the	definition	of	health	used	in	modern	medicine:	“Health	is	the	absence
of	disease.”	This	medical	school	lesson	is	not	a	very	good	definition. For
medicine	to	recognize	disease,	it	must	be	diagnosable. You	are	not	sick	until	the
day	the	physician	can	diagnose	something. The	absence	of	diagnosable	disease	is
not	a	good	working	definition	of	health. Modern	medicine	has	no	way	of
recognizing	or	diagnosing	disease	when	your	health	is	in	its	initial	decline. When	I	was	sick	and	already	experiencing	disturbing	symptoms,	my	physician
pronounced	me	in	excellent	health. He	had	never	been	taught	how	to	notice	and
measure	my	already	extensive	decline	in	health. We	are	considered	sick	only
after	the	problem	has	become	serious	enough	to	produce	symptoms	that	fit
neatly	into	one	of	medicine’s	disease	categories. This	way	of	looking	at	health	is
not	helpful,	productive	or	self-empowering. Health	is	much	more	than	the
absence	of	a	diagnosable	disease. When	your	cells	are	functioning	as	they	should,	you	have	ample	adaptive
capacity	to	thrive	in	our	constantly	changing	environment	without	ill	effects. With	properly	functioning	cells,	you	have	strong	resilience	to	various	kinds	of
stress—	physical,	chemical,	biological	and	emotional. You	have	the	ability	to
make	daily	repairs	to	your	cells,	the	ability	to	build	healthy	new	ones,	and	the
ability	to	efficiently	remove	pathogenic	microorganisms	and	toxins	from	your
body. You	become	an	optimally	balanced	organism,	with	integrated	mental	and
physical	equilibrium. Perhaps	most	important	is	that	achieving	good	cellular
health	gives	our	society	the	ability	to	produce	healthy	offspring. While	the	above	descriptions	explain	the	practical	effects	of	health,	they	still
do	not	offer	a	single,	concrete	definition	of	health. In	order	to	clearly	define
health,	as	a	concept	concrete	enough	to	be	understood	and	discussed,	let	us	work
with	the	following	definition:Health	is	the	state	wherein	all	cells	
are	functioning	optimally. Never	are	all	of	our	cells	functioning	perfectly,	so	the	challenge	is	to	keep
cellular	malfunction	to	a	minimum. Even	in	healthy	people,	cells	are	constantly
being	damaged,	dying	and	being	replaced. Our	bodies	produce	more	than	10
million	new	cells	every	second,	as	we	constantly	rebuild	our	tissues. How
healthy	are	each	of	these	new	cells? If	we	replace	sick	cells	with	sick	cells,	we
will	never	recover. As	cells	die	off	are	we	replacing	them	with	healthy	cells	or
sick	cells? Who	Succumbs	to	Disease? Only	sick	people	become	sick. Once	you	start	to	compromise	health,	a
cascade	of	events	follow. Once	a	critical	number	of	cells	begin	to	malfunction,
internal	communications	and	self-regulation	systems	become	debilitated	and
destabilized. As	the	number	of	compromised	cells	increases,	the	effects	are
compounded. Before	anyone	can	exhibit	noticeable	signs	of	disease,	normal	cell
function	has	to	be	compromised	significantly	throughout	the	body. Vulnerability
to	infections,	for	example,	is	created	by	widespread	cellular	malfunction. An
infection	indicates	that	cellular	malfunction	already	has	weakened	the	immune
system. Having	a	cold	or	the	flu	is	an	alarm	screaming	at	you	that	all	is	not	well,
because	healthy	people	resist	infections	in	the	first	place. Few	of	us	pay	attention
to	these	alarms. We	think	that	having	a	cold	or	the	flu	is	normal,	and	that	once
the	symptoms	are	gone	we	are	well	again. Not	so. The	level	of	your	health	and	immunity	determines	whether	or	not	the	presence
of	a	microorganism	results	in	an	infection. You	are	already	sick	before	you	come
down	with	an	infection. Otherwise	everybody	who	is	exposed	to	a	given	“bug”
would	become	sick,	which	is	not	the	case. Contrary	to	the	common	notion	that
we	“catch”	diseases,	people	become	sick	only	after	their	cellular	health	is
already	compromised. Disease	(cellular	malfunction)	comes	first;	active
infections	and	chronic	problems	follow. The	skeptic	says,	“But	he	was	born	with	asthma	and	suffered	from	it	as	an
infant.”	“She	was	in	the	best	of	health,	took	great	care	of	herself,	and	then
suddenly	got	breast	cancer.”	Although	we	hear	these	kinds	of	statements
frequently,	the	notion	is	flawed	that	a	person	is	a	powerless	victim	of	disease. This	way	of	looking	at	events	comes	from	living	in	a	society	that	does	not	have
an	accurate	understanding	of	disease,	or	of	what	is	required	to	create	and
maintain	health.Think	of	the	historically	healthy	societies,	such	as	the	Hunzas. These	people
implicitly	understood	what	they	needed	to	maintain	their	health. They	lived	far
longer	than	we	do,	without	the	chronic	degenerative	diseases	from	which	we
suffer. The	principles	of	good	health	were	built	into	their	beliefs	and	lifestyles. The	key	lesson	to	be	learned	from	these	people	is	this:
Healthy	people	do	not	get	sick. Most	of	us	have	not	learned	to	think	this	way. We	grow	up	in	a	society	where
almost	everyone	has	a	chronic	disease. We	have	been	taught,	through
experience,	that	disease	is	a	“normal”	part	of	the	aging	process. Diseased	people
are	typically	seen	as	the	helpless	victims	of	an	inevitable	and	“natural”	process. Especially	when	the	symptoms	of	disease	develop	suddenly,	people	feel
surprised	and	victimized. Yet,	the	two	causes	were	there	all	the	time,	gradually
wearing	down	cellular	competence	and	creating	an	opportunity	for	disease	to
“strike.”
As	part	of	the	body’s	normal	maintenance	and	repair	process,	old	cells	are
constantly	being	replaced	with	new	ones. If	new	cells	are	not	built	with	proper
raw	materials,	they	will	be	unhealthy	and	weak. Such	cells	are	unable	to	perform
their	normal	tasks,	including	routine	repairs,	and	will	be	vulnerable	to	sickness
and	injury. Ultimately,	the	body’s	self-regulation	systems	will	break	down. Because	of	the	poor	diets	and	the	toxic	environment	in	our	society,	cells	are
often	deficient	and	toxic	when	first	created,	becoming	progressively	more	so
over	time. This	situation	is	precarious,	with	a	large	number	of	cells	either
malfunctioning	or	functioning	at	a	borderline	level. Similar	to	walking	a
tightrope,	falling	off	is	easy. Any	number	of	stressful	factors	can	affect	a	person
adversely	who	is	already	deficient	and	toxic,	be	it	a	stressful	event,	a	pathogenic
organism,	a	night	out	on	the	town,	a	physical	injury	or	even	a	lengthy	airplane
flight. Almost	any	challenge	to	a	compromised	system	can	be	the	straw	that
breaks	the	overburdened	camel’s	back. Though	painful	to	acknowledge,	disease	sufferers	invariably	(if	unknowingly)
have	made	poor	choices	leading	to	illness. In	the	case	of	sick	children,	the
parents	have	made	the	poor	choices. We	are	not	taught	that	we	have	the	ability	to	and,	in	fact,	need	to	consistently
make	meaningful	choices	about	our	health. Instead,	when	we	become	sick	we
look	to	something	outside	of	ourselves	to	explain	our	“misfortune.”	We	look	for
some	obvious	circumstance	that	can	explain	why	we	are	sick. Do	these	excuses
sound	familiar? “I	walked	outside	in	the	cold	air	and	. . .”	or	“So	and	so	was
coughing	and	sneezing	near	me	at	work	and	. . .”	or	“Everybody	at	little	Ricky’sschool	is	sick,	it’s	no	wonder	that	. . .”	or	“Obesity	runs	in	my	family	. . .”	We
are	accustomed	to	ill	health	as	something	that	mysteriously	lands	on	us. We	fail
to	see	our	own	role	regarding	its	development. When	invited	to	consider	illness
as	the	result	of	our	poor	choices,	usually	we	reject	such	a	notion. By	placing	the
blame	for	sickness	on	excuses,	we	relieve	ourselves	of	responsibility. However,	accepting	responsibility	for	our	health	can	be	enormously
empowering. The	overall	competence	of	cells—	determined	by	relative	levels	of
deficiency	and	toxicity—are	the	sole	determinants	of	health. Learn	how	to
embrace	health	and	avoid	illness	by	educating	yourself	in	how	to	make	healthful
choices	that	lower	your	levels	of	deficiency	and	toxicity	and	promote	your
cellular	health. In	Which	Direction	Is	Your	Health	Moving? Some	of	the	time	we	are	sick,	and	most	of	the	time	we	are	well. This
variability	in	our	individual	health	is	almost	exclusively	the	result	of	the	choices
we	make. In	this	fluctuation,	sickness	is	not	the	absolute	opposite	of	health. Health	and	sickness	are	not	fixed	concepts	and	they	cannot	be	defined	in	black-
and-white	terms. Instead,	consider	your	health	as	a	constantly	changing
continuum. Consider	the	balance	between	sickness	and	health	as	a	scale,	with
optimal	health	at	one	end,	and	death	at	the	other. Somewhere	in	between	is	a
diagnosable	disease. As	life	progresses,	your	position	on	the	scale	shifts,	moving
back	and	forth	all	the	time. At	any	time,	it	is	worthwhile	to	ask:	Where	am	I	on
this	scale? In	which	direction	on	this	scale	am	I	moving? The	Health	and	Performance	Scale	shown	on	the	next	page	is	simple	but
effective,	serving	to	illustrate	the	relationship	between	sickness	and	health. In
considering	this	diagram,	remember	our	definitions	of	health	and	disease. Optimal	health	(on	the	far	right)	is	that	theoretical	state	in	which	every	cell	is
functioning	optimally	and	you	are	absolutely	as	healthy	as	your	genetic	capacity
allows. This	condition	is	called	
homeostasis
—when	the	body	is	perfectly	in
balance	and	continually	is	fine-tuning	itself	to	maintain	that	balance. Very	few
Americans	are	at	this	end	of	the	scale,	but	we	should	strive	toward	this	goal. Between	optimal	health	and	death	is	diagnosable	disease. In	this	state,	cellular
malfunction	is	occurring	on	such	a	large	scale	that	the	symptoms	of	a	medically
defined	disease	are	produced. On	the	far	left	of	the	scale	is	death—where	all
cells	have	ceased	to	function. The	Health	and	Performance	Scale©2002	
Beyond	Health
Tragically,	more	than	three	out	of	four	Americans	have	medically	significant
cellular	malfunction—a	diagnosable	disease	of	some	kind. The	overwhelming
majority	of	us	are	somewhere	between	diagnosable	disease	and	death! Think	about	your	personal	health	equation,	your	position	on	this	Health	and
Performance	Scale. Do	you	have	a	diagnosable	disease? If	so,	you	are	located
between	disease	and	death. Even	without	having	a	diagnosable	disease,	your
health	may	be	far	from	optimal. Fortunately,	your	position	on	this	continuum	is
not	static;	it	can	change	depending	on	your	choices. No	matter	your	age	or	your	current	state	of	health,	you	have	the	power	to
change	the	direction	in	which	you	are	going	and	how	rapidly	you	move	on	the
Health	and	Performance	Scale. I	learned	this	firsthand,	in	making	powerful	life-
saving	choices,	after	it	was	declared	a	medical	certainty	that	I	would	die. I
learned	it	again	years	later,	after	witnessing	the	illness	and	extraordinary
recovery	of	an	elderly	woman. A	family	called	me	to	ask	for	help	with	their	bedridden	and	senile	mother. This	woman	was	ninety-four	years	old	and	unable	to	get	out	of	bed;	sometimes
she	recognized	her	family	and	knew	where	she	was,	at	other	times	she	did	not. Her	children	loved	her	very	much	and	did	not	want	to	place	her	in	a	nursing
home,	yet	the	burden	of	her	care	had	become	too	much	for	them. With	nowhere
else	to	turn,	they	asked	if	there	was	anything	I	could	recommend. My	reply	was,
“Probably	not.”	Given	the	woman’s	debilitated	condition,	I	assumed	that	her
health	had	deteriorated	beyond	repair. At	a	certain	point,	enough	cellular
machinery	has	been	damaged	that	sufficient	repairs	can	no	longer	be	made. Though	I	was	pessimistic	about	the	likelihood	of	any	improvement,	the	family
asked	for	my	advice	anyway. In	retrospect,	I	found	out	that	I	still	had	a	lot	to
learn	about	the	capacity	of	the	human	body	to	heal	itself. I	started	out	by	recommending	some	specific	vitamin	supplements	to	help
supply	certain	key	nutrients	to	her	cells. When	I	asked	what	she	was	eating,	the
first	item	they	mentioned	was	milk. After	years	of	study,	I	had	come	to	realize
that	cow’s	milk	is	not	an	appropriate	food	for	any	human	being. For	someone	in
her	condition,	cow’s	milk	was	almost	certainly	putting	a	toxic	load	on	her
already	struggling	body. I	recommended	that	they	stop	feeding	her	milk. As	Ihung	up	the	phone,	I	doubted	that	these	suggestions	would	have	much	of	an
impact	or	that	I	would	ever	hear	from	them	again. Two	weeks	later	the	phone
rang	with	gleeful	reports	of	her	“miraculous”	improvement. She	was	getting	out
of	bed,	going	to	the	bathroom	and	getting	dressed—all	by	herself. She	was
walking	around	the	house	and	having	rational	conversations	with	her	family. A
miracle? No,	just	a	movement	of	her	health	equation	in	the	right	direction. By
addressing	her	cellular	deficiency	and	toxicity,	this	woman’s	body	began	once
again	to	repair	and	regulate	itself. Indeed,	I	have	learned	that	almost	anyone	can
alter	his	or	her	health	equation	in	a	positive	direction. Sickness	never	happens	without	a	cause. The	cause	is	usually	our	own
ignorance	of	or	disregard	for	our	personal	health	equations. So	how	can	you
avoid	getting	sick? Simple. Make	the	kind	of	health-conscious	life	choices	that
optimize	your	personal	health	equation. We	live	in	a	fast-paced	society	that	has
created	an	environment	and	adopted	diets,	lifestyles	and	behaviors	that	do	not
support	human	health. If	we	want	to	be	healthy,	we	have	to	make	choices	that
significantly	deviate	from	the	diet	and	lifestyle	of	the	average	American. Eating
a	“normal”	diet	and	living	a	“normal”	life	are	virtually	guaranteed	to	make	you
sick. To	prevent	this	from	happening,	you	must	be	proactive. As	Joseph	D.
Beasley,	M.D.,	said	in	
The	Kellogg	Report,	
“In	the	long	run,	individuals	cannot
be	better	than	their	biology—as	affected	by	their	nutrition,	ecology,	and
lifestyle.”
The	key	to	never	having	to	be	sick	again	is	the	ability	to	choose	between	the
things	that	are	healthy	and	the	things	that	are	not. This	sounds	simple,	but
accurate	information	about	what	is	healthy	is	hard	to	come	by. Next,	let’s	look	at
a	definition	and	an	overview	of	each	of	the	six	pathways	between	health	and
disease	and	explain	how	knowledge	of	them	can	lead	to	better	decisions	about
health. The	Six	Pathways	Between	
Health	and	Disease
Having	read	this	far,	has	your	perspective	on	health	and	disease	changed? Are
you	becoming	accustomed	to	the	theory	of	one	disease	and	two	causes? You
have	learned	that	if	your	cells	malfunction	to	the	degree	that	they	interfere	with
your	body’s	ability	to	balance	and	regulate	itself,	you	are	diseased. Whether	you	are	suffering	from	the	flu,	cancer,	diabetes,	depression	or
something	else,	cellular	malfunction	is	always	the	essence	of	the	problem.The	tool	that	I	developed	to	help	myself	make	better	choices	is	the	six
pathways. As	demonstrated,	your	personal	health	equation	is	always	in	flux;
depending	on	the	choices	you	make,	you	will	move	either	in	the	direction	of
optimal	health	or	in	the	direction	of	disease	and	death. This	movement	occurs
along	the	six	pathways. These	six	pathways	are	like	six	different	roads;	each
spans	the	distance	between	health	and	disease. Depending	on	the	choices	made
along	each	pathway,	you	are	moving	toward	one	or	the	other. The	six	pathways
concept	provides	a	framework	through	which	informed,	logical,	health-
enhancing	choices	can	be	made. The	pathways	are:
•	Nutrition
•	Toxin
•	Psychological
•	Physical
•	Genetic
•	Medical
A	holistic	approach	to	health	requires	attention	to	all	of	these	pathways. Consistent	movement	in	the	wrong	direction	along	any	of	them	can	lead	to
cellular	malfunction,	breakdown	of	self-regulation	and	diagnosable	disease. Continuous	movement	in	the	right	direction	leads	to	optimal	health	and
performance. By	learning	about	the	six	pathways,	you	can	have	a	clear	understanding	of	the
different	ways	that	health	can	be	influenced. You	will	be	empowered	to	mitigate
the	negative	effects	of	modern	living,	thus	taking	charge	of	your	personal	health. Pathway	Number	One:	Nutrition
What	is	America’s	leading	cause	of	disease? Malnutrition. We	think	of
ourselves	as	so	well	fed	that	the	idea	that	we	are	suffering	from	malnutrition	is
difficult	for	most	Americans	to	grasp. When	we	hear	the	word	“malnourished,”
we	recall	television	images	of	starving	children. Although	Americans	are	rarely
undernourished	to	this	extent,	we	are	malnourished,	and	in	fact	it	is	our	leading
cause	of	disease. The	typical	diet,	what	most	Americans	eat,	simply	does	not
supply	sufficient	nutrients. No	wonder	that	we	suffer	from	the	one	disease	in	its
various	forms. The	nutrition	pathway	is	about	the	relationship	between	the	nutritional	content
of	your	diet	and	your	health. Obtaining	proper	nutritional	intake	on	a	daily	basis
is	important	because	nutrients	act	as	a	team. A	shortage	of	even	one	nutrient	willdecrease	the	effectiveness	of	all	the	others. Nutritional	status	affects	our	entire
being,	including	moods	and	emotions,	the	ability	to	learn	and	remember,
physical	performance	and	resistance	to	disease. Cells	and	tissues	thrive	when
provided	with	an	environment	rich	in	nutrients	such	as	water,	oxygen,	vitamins,
minerals,	proteins,	carbohydrates	and	essential	fatty	acids,	while	deficiency
causes	disease	and	shortens	life. To	some	degree,	almost	all	Americans	are	overfed	but	undernourished. Virtually	everything	that	we	eat	today,	unless	we	make	special	choices,	is
nutritionally	inferior	to	the	foods	that	our	ancestors	were	eating	as	recently	as	a
few	generations	ago. Not	only	have	we	fundamentally	changed	what	we	eat;	we
have	changed	how	our	food	is	grown,	processed,	transported,	stored,	treated	and
prepared. These	changes	cause	our	foods	to	be	nutritionally	deficient—the
primary	cause	of	our	modern	epidemic	of	chronic	disease. In	addition,	our	crops
usually	retain	toxic	residues	from	pesticides	and	other	agricultural	chemicals,
and	some	are	even	ripened	with	artificial	chemicals. Both	nutritionally	deficient
and	chemically	toxic,	our	modern	food	supply	promotes	disease. Pathway	Number	Two:	Toxin
Toxins	interfere	with	normal	cell	function,	thereby	causing	malfunctions. Most	people	know	that	toxins	are	dangerous,	but	what	are	toxins,	and	how	do
toxins	damage	our	cells? We	are	exposed	to	toxins	in	various	ways:	in	the	air	we	breathe,	the	water	we
drink,	the	clothes	we	wear	and	the	food	we	eat. In	our	modern	world,	we	are
exposed	to	these	environmental	toxins	all	day,	every	day. Toxins	in	our
environment	can	impose	an	undue	external	burden	on	us,	while	poor	digestion,
lack	of	exercise,	and	negative	thoughts	and	emotions	can	increase	our	toxic
loads	internally. Our	bodies	do	have	the	ability	to	detoxify,	but	our	detoxification	mechanisms
require	essential	nutrients	to	function	properly. Inadequate	nutrition	deprives	the
body	of	the	raw	materials	necessary	to	detoxify,	so	toxic	levels	build	and
negatively	affect	cellular	health. In	our	society,	toxic	overload	is	having	a	bigger
effect	than	it	should,	because	our	deficient	diets	do	not	supply	the	nutrients
necessary	to	operate	and	maintain	our	detoxification	mechanisms. Not	only	is
our	toxic	load	the	highest	in	history,	but	our	ability	to	process	and	eliminate
these	toxins	is	impaired. Because	we	know	that	excessive	toxic	exposure	causes	disease,	learning	about
the	toxin	pathway	can	teach	us	which	substances	are	toxic,	how	toxic	they	are,
where	they	are,	how	they	get	there	and	how	we	can	minimize	our	exposures	tothem. The	toxin	pathway	provides	insight	into	the	toxic	aspects	of	our	daily	lives
—in	our	food	supply,	water	supply,	homes	and	personal	products	(including
many	soaps,	shampoos	and	toothpastes). Fortunately,	healthful	alternatives	are
available. Toxic	exposure	is	a	fact	of	life,	and	the	body	is	designed	to	deal	with
it. Our	problem	is	toxic	overload,	i.e.,	when	the	toxic	input	exceeds	our	ability	to
process	it. Understanding	this	pathway	can	help	us	to	reduce	toxic	exposure	to
manageable	levels	by	teaching	us	to	recognize	and	avoid	toxins	in	our	daily
lives. Pathway	Number	Three:	Psychological
The	psychological	pathway	may	turn	out	to	be	the	most	important	pathway	of
all. Through	study	of	the	psychological	pathway,	we	learn	about	the	significance
of	thoughts,	emotions	and	behavior,	and	how	these	affect	our	health. Many	people	believe	that	the	mind	has	an	enormous	effect	on	the	body. This
idea,	however,	is	based	on	the	supposition	that	the	mind	somehow	is	separated
from	the	body. In	truth,	the	entire	body,	including	the	brain,	is	the	mind. When
we	understand	that	the	mind	and	body	are	one,	reports	of	placebo	effects	and
miraculous	healings	should	not	be	surprising. In	fact,	they	are	part	of	everyday
life. Our	thoughts	and	emotions	trigger	a	cascade	of	biochemical	reactions	that
either	enhance	or	damage	health. How	we	react	to	various	life	events	and	how
we	respond	to	our	thoughts	and	emotions	are	choices	that	can	damage	or
enhance	cellular	health. What	we	allow	to	enter	our	minds	on	a	daily	basis	is
critical. What	we	think	and	feel	over	a	lifetime	plays	a	major	role	in	our	health
or	illness. The	significance	and	impact	of	the	factors	associated	with	this
pathway	may	indeed	be	more	important	than	all	the	nutrients	and	toxins	we	put
into	our	bodies,	perhaps	even	more	important	than	all	the	other	pathways	put
together. The	psychological	pathway	explores	the	subjects	relevant	to	behavioral
and	psychological	factors	in	health	and	disease,	including	meditation,	stress,
thoughts,	emotions	and	the	placebo	effect. Pathway	Number	Four:	Physical
The	physical	pathway	contains	recommendations	on	how	to	recognize	and
provide	for	the	body’s	physical	needs. This	pathway	can	be	used	to	enhance
physical	potential	and	to	minimize	physical	damage. Just	as	nutrition	and	toxic
avoidance	are	important	to	health,	physical	maintenance	and	care	are	also
essential	to	the	health	equation. Most	Americans	do	not	get	adequate	exercise,	sleep	or	sunlight. An	indoor,sedentary	lifestyle	means	little	or	no	exercise	nor	exposure	to	natural	light. Our
mental	lifestyle,	meanwhile,	is	excessively	fast	paced,	and	this,	together	with	a
high	incidence	of	sleep	deprivation,	means	that	often	we	are	chronically	and
seriously	stressed. Also	we	are	exposed	to	subtle	physical	influences,	such	as
electromagnetic	fields	caused	by	the	wiring	in	our	homes,	hairdryers,	heaters,
electric	razors,	cell	phones	and	the	X	rays	we	receive	as	part	of	medical	and
dental	evaluations. Pathway	Number	Five:	Genetic
Limit	genetic	damage. Optimize	genetic	potential. These	are	the	goals	we
strive	toward	on	the	genetic	pathway. The	genetic	pathway	focuses	on	optimizing	the	expression	of	our	genes	to
promote	health	and	limit	any	damage	to	the	genes. Each	human	being	is
genetically	unique;	inherent	strengths	and	weaknesses	are	a	part	of	our	basic
genetic	makeup. Genes	are	the	blueprint	of	life. Our	genes,	however,	rarely	have
the	final	say	and	they	are	certainly	not	the	primary	cause	of	disease	that	modern
medicine	would	have	us	believe. Genes	are	a	potential	for	expression,	and	they
express	themselves	in	ways	commensurate	with	life’s	circumstances. The	genetic	pathway	explores	topics	such	as	the	genetic	causes	for	disease	and
the	effects	of	genetically	engineered	foods. Further,	this	pathway	identifies
specific	hazards	that	can	potentially	cause	genetic	damage,	such	as
environmental	chemicals,	prescription	drugs	and	radiation. Most	important	is	the
personal	resolve	of	individuals	to	commit	themselves	seriously	to	optimizing
health,	rather	than	accepting	their	so-called	genetic	predisposition	as	a	fore-
doomed	fate. Pathway	Number	Six:	Medical
The	medical	pathway	is	perhaps	the	most	surprising	and	most	misunderstood
of	all	the	pathways. As	we	have	noted,	many	people	rave	about	and	swear	by	the
near-miraculous	feats	accomplished	by	modern	medicine. The	technology	that
contemporary	medicine	has	to	offer	is	best	used	in	crisis	intervention	and	trauma
care. However,	such	applications	are	limited. No	doubt	that	physicians	are	well-
meaning,	but	a	blind	trust	in	them	and	in	the	treatments	they	offer	(surgery	and
drugs)	to	the	exclusion	of	other	considerations	can	lead	to	destructive	and	even
lethal	consequences. The	medical	pathway	helps	to	explain	how	modern	medicine	can	cause
disease. Widespread	ignorance	and	failure	to	comprehend	this	fact	are	reasons
that	modern	medicine	harms	the	health	of	our	population. By	studying	thispathway	we	can	identify	and	avoid	potentially	harmful	aspects	of	medicine,
while	still	reaping	the	benefits	of	modern	medical	technology. The	medical	pathway	is	unique,	expressing	itself	through	all	of	the	other
pathways	and	thus,	compromising	health	at	many	levels. In	working	to	optimize
your	personal	health	equation,	you	need	to	be	aware	of	the	ways	in	which
modern	medical	“care”	actually	can	damage	your	health	along	any	of	the	other
pathways. Chapter	10	about	the	medical	pathway	describes	more	specifically
medicine’s	capabilities	and	its	limitations. A	New	Theory	for	a	New	Millennium
During	the	last	century,	modern	industrial	society	has	brought	fundamental
changes	to	human	existence;	we	are	developing	and	changing	the	world	much
faster	than	our	biology	can	adapt. Today,	nutritional	intake,	toxic	exposures	and
stress	levels	bear	little	resemblance	to	those	of	even	our	most	recent	biological
ancestors. Every	cell	in	our	bodies	is	adversely	affected	by	these	profound
changes,	which	is	why	our	society	has	suffered	more	and	more	chronic	disease. Disease	is	the	catastrophic	result	of	decades	of	inadequate	nutrition,	toxic
exposures,	sedentary	lifestyles,	familial	and	social	disruptions	and	a	dependence
on	drugs	(prescription,	over-the-counter	and	recreational). In	this	chapter,	I	have	attempted	to	outline	the	complexity	and	confusion	that
surround	disease	in	our	society. I	offer	a	new	theory	of	health	and	disease,	a	new
way	to	look	at	these	concepts:	There	is	only	one	disease,	cellular	malfunction,
and	only	two	causes	of	disease,	deficiency	and	toxicity. Six	pathways	can	lead	to
health	or	disease. Our	confusion	arises	because	cells	malfunction	in	many
different	ways. Modern	medicine	categorizes	the	symptoms	created	by	these
various	malfunctions	as	different	diseases,	even	though	they	have	common
causes. Achieving	victory	over	disease	requires	removing	the	causes. Eliminate
deficiency	and	toxicity,	allow	the	body	to	self-repair	and	self-regulate,	and
disease	will	go	away.4
C
HOOSING	
H
EWALTHY	
C
HELLS
“Cells—in	the	skin,	the	muscles,	the	lungs,	the	liver,	the
intestines,	the	kidneys,	the	blood	vessels,	the	glands,	the
heart	and,	crucially,	the	nerves	and	brain—must	be	well
nourished	if	we	are	to	lead	long	and	healthy	lives. Contrarily,	if	these	cells	are	undernourished,	disabilities	and
diseases	of	every	description	will	ensue.”
Roger	J.	Williams,	Ph.D. Nutrition	Against	Disease
L
et	us	take	a	trip	together	to	the	front	lines	of	the	daily	battle	between	health
and	disease:	your	cells. Cells	are	the	building	blocks	of	your	body. They	build
your	tissues,	and	these	tissues	make	up	your	systems. Because	malfunctioning
cells	are	the	one	disease,	learning	to	care	for	cells	is	fundamental	to	healthy
living. Come	with	me	on	a	tour	of	the	systems	that	keep	your	body	healthy	or
that	make	you	sick. The	struggle	for	life	itself	occurs	within	every	cell. The
vitality	of	a	person	can	only	be	as	strong	as	the	cells	of	which	they	are	made. The	basics	of	caring	for	your	cells	are	as	follows:
•	Supply	cells	with	all	the	raw	materials	they	need. •	Avoid	the	damaging	effects	of	toxic	chemicals. •	Build	healthy	cell	membranes,	the	cell’s	first	line	of	defense	against
disease. •	Learn	how	to	prevent	and	reverse	disease	by	understanding	how	cells
work	and	how	they	malfunction. •	Choices,	rather	than	genetic	inheritance,	are	key. Lost	Along	the	Way
Before	we	leave	our	homes	to	travel—particularly	if	our	destination	is
unfamiliar—we	usually	spend	time	reading	brochures,	studying	maps,	or
researching	local	customs,	currency,	and,	perhaps,	health	precautions. We	rarely
give	that	kind	of	attention	to	our	own	bodies	and	to	our	health,	yet	what	could	be
more	important? Most	people	expect	that	their	bodies	generally	take	care	of	themselves,provided	they	don’t	smoke,	drink	to	excess,	or	fall	prey	to	some	unstoppable
virus	or	some	predetermined	genetic	disease. Most	people	believe	that	as	long	as
they	avoid	“fattening”	foods,	they	are	eating	a	healthful	diet. On	all	counts,	these
people	are	wrong. One	of	the	most	important	things	you	need	in	order	to	fight	disease	and	to
encourage	your	own	health	is	knowledge. This	chapter	teaches	you	how	to
prepare	and	what	to	pack	for	a	healthy	journey	through	the	rest	of	your	life. The
small	amount	of	time	you	will	spend	reading	this	chapter	will	be	an	investment
worth	making:	It	may	save	your	life. Knowledge	is	power,	and	you	are	about	to
plug	into	a	tremendous	energy	source. A	cabinet	stocked	with	medicines,	a	list	of	doctors	to	call,	and	a	head	filled
with	commercial	endorsements,	medical	studies	and	drug	warning	labels	does
nothing	to	give	you	what	you	really	need:	a	true	understanding	of	what	makes
you	sick	or	how	to	get	well. Without	that	understanding,	you	can	be	caught	up	in
a	whirlwind	of	medical	procedures	and	pharmaceuticals	that	suppress	or
surgically	remove	the	symptoms	of	what	are	labeled	as	thousands	of	different
diseases. In	reality,	these	drugs	and	surgeries	do	not	cure	disease,	and	they	may
actually	kill	you. Despite	the	confusion	out	there	about	how	disease	occurs	and
the	different	health	plans	that	seek	to	promote	health,	real	success	can	only	come
if	you	keep	your	cells	working	right. This	chapter	teaches	you,	simply	and
clearly,	how	your	body	works	at	its	most	basic	level:	your	cells. The	Cell
A	cell	is	much	more	than	a	combination	of	molecules	and	atoms. A	cell	is	a
miraculous	reality—life	itself. A	single	cell	may	be	a	life	form,	such	as	a
bacterium. A	human	being,	on	the	other	hand,	is	made	of	about	75	trillion	cells,
including	about	two	hundred	different	kinds	of	specialized	cells	with	specific
functions	throughout	the	body,	such	as	in	the	brain,	the	blood,	the	muscles,	the
liver	and	the	eyes.
Never_be_sick_again_.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        In	the	state	of	California,	actuarial	calculations	show	that	average	life
expectancy	for	females	would	be	100	if	only	one	certain	disease	were	eliminated
—heart	disease,	which	is	entirely	preventable	through	diet	and	lifestyle. Consider	how	much	longer	we	might	live	by	eliminating	two	or	more	diseases. Perhaps	we	have	forgotten	that	health	is	our	natural	state. We	blindly	accept	our
average	life	span	of	seventy-six	years;	we	accept	that	we	will	succumb	to
chronic	and	degenerative	diseases. Imagining	entire	populations	who	have	lived	far	longer	and	healthier	lives
than	we	do	seems	inconceivable. People	who	rarely,	if	ever,	suffered	from	any
disease,	including	colds,	allergies,	flu	or	even	fatigue. How	were	these	people
able	to	do	that. Their	nutrition	was	of	high	quality,	their	toxic	exposure	was
minimal,	they	enjoyed	psychological	well-being	and	they	were	quite	physically
active. Their	everyday	lifestyles,	to	a	large	degree,	met	all	the	factors	necessary
to	support	the	six	pathways	toward	health. Let	us	learn	from	these	people. The	Remarkable	Hunzas
In	a	remote	valley	of	the	Himalayas,	in	what	is	now	northeastern	Pakistan,
live	the	people	of	Hunza,	who	were	renowned	for	their	near-perfect	health,
robust	energy	and	extraordinary	longevity. Though	they	lived	under	what	we
would	consider	primitive	conditions,	they	regularly	lived	into	their	hundreds,
and	often	lived	to	be	120	to	140	years	old. Their	culture	was	not	plagued	with
cancer,	heart	disease,	ulcers,	diabetes,	allergies,	kidney	and	liver	disease,
arthritis,	asthma,	hypoglycemia,	mental	disorders,	colds,	flu,	tooth	decay	or	any
of	the	other	diseases	so	common	in	our	society. Nor	did	they	suffer	from
depression;	several	researchers	described	them	as,	“the	happiest	people	in	the
world. ”	The	Hunzas	had	clear	minds,	high	intelligence,	excellent	memories,	and
enormous	physical	strength	and	stamina. Many	researchers	went	to	Hunza	in	the	early	twentieth	century—long	before
many	of	the	advances	of	modern	medicine—	to	study	and	write	about	these
phenomenally	healthy	people. Sir	Robert	McCarrison,	M. D. ,	a	prominent	British
physician,	spent	seven	years	living	and	doing	research	among	the	Hunzas,	and
he	first	brought	the	health	of	the	Hunza	people	to	world	attention. In	November
1921,	Dr. McCarrison	presented	the	results	of	his	research	at	a	meeting	of	the
Society	for	Biological	Research	held	at	the	University	of	Pittsburgh. He
described	the	Hunzas	as,	“a	race	unsurpassed	in	perfection	of	physique	and	in
freedom	from	diseases	in	general. ”	He	found	that	chronic	diseases,	including
cancer,	were	totally	unknown. (Cancer	was	unknown	among	these
extraordinarily	long-lived	people,	yet	we	are	told	that	cancer	is	a	disease	of
aging. ) Another	researcher,	J. I. Rodale,	in	his	book,	
The	Healthy	Hunzas,	
reported
that,	“Colds	are	non-existent	in	Hunza. ”	He	said	it	was	not	unusual	to	see	men
walking	through	snowdrifts	in	the	coldest	weather,	barechested	and	barefoot. He
observed	one	Hunza	man	travel	sixty	miles	in	a	single	day,	by	foot	inmountainous	terrain,	arriving	back	as	if	he	had	returned	from	a	casual	walk. Hunza	women	did	not	suffer	menstrual	pain	or	any	of	the	other	female
complaints	of	our	society. In	Hunza,	people	typically	died	of	old	age	in	their
sleep,	without	experiencing	the	chronic	suffering	that	usually	precedes	death	in
our	own	society. The	story	of	the	Hunzas	shows	the	potential	for	human	health
—how	healthy	human	beings	can	perform. As	part	of	their	leisure	activities,	the	men	of	Hunza	(from	teenage	to	120	years
old)	performed	vigorous,	physically	demanding	folk	dances. In	his	book	
Hunza,
Hoffman	described	men	in	their	seventies	and	eighties	gliding	through	the	air
with	the	same	grace	and	ease	as	those	in	their	teens	and	twenties. Hoffman
wrote:	“The	stamina	of	the	people	is	beyond	words. In	fact	men	over	a	hundred
years	of	age	were	observed	going	up	these	mountainsides	just	as	though	they
were	men	of	fifty. It	is	my	belief	that	many	American	men	of	fifty	years	of	age
could	not	keep	up	with	these	Hunza	men. ”
What	was	it	that	allowed	the	Hunzas	to	achieve	this	amazing	level	of	health. You	probably	already	know	the	answer:	a	combination	of	a	nutritious	diet,	toxin-
free	environment,	exercise,	sleep,	sunshine,	fresh	air	and	low-stress	lifestyle. Given	only	two	causes	of	disease—deficiency	and	toxicity—let	us	examine	how
the	Hunzas	kept	their	cells	adequately	supplied	with	nutrients	and	free	of	toxins,
thus	realizing	optimal	health	and	longevity. While	we	cannot	replicate	their
lifestyle,	we	can	see	how	far	our	own	lifestyles	fall	short	of	these	goals,	and	we
can	begin	to	understand	how	to	make	the	kinds	of	changes	that	will	bring	us
closer	to	our	potential. An	Optimal	Diet	and	Lifestyle
The	Hunza	diet	was	highly	nutritious,	consisting	mainly	of	vegetarian	foods
grown	in	nutrient-rich	soil. They	irrigated	their	fields	with	mineral-rich	water
and	composted	all	of	their	organic	matter	(leaves,	straw,	manure,	etc. ),	to
produce	soils	of	the	highest	quality. Contrast	their	mineral-rich	soils	to	U. S. soils
which	are	depleted	due	to	modern	chemical	farming. It	doesn’t	take	a	degree	in
agricultural	science	to	know	that	if	minerals	are	not	in	the	soil,	they	do	not	get
into	the	plant,	and	then	they	don’t	get	into	you. In	addition	to	fresh	vegetables
and	fruits,	the	Hunzas	ate	whole	grains	that	were	exceptionally	high	in	nutrients
as	opposed	to	the	refined	sugars	and	nutrient-depleted	white	flour	that’s	so
prevalent	in	our	diet. Only	about	10	percent	of	the	Hunza’s	calories	came	from
fat,	as	opposed	to	about	37	percent	in	the	American	diet. Eighty	percent	of	their
foods	were	eaten	fresh	and	raw. In	addition	to	being	high	in	nutrition,	their	diet
was	low	in	toxins,	meaning	that	their	foods	didn’t	contain	any	cancer-causingcompounds	that	come	from	exposures	to	pesticides,	herbicides,	fungicides	and
other	agricultural	chemicals. Along	with	getting	plenty	of	exercise	by	working
the	land	and	walking	everywhere,	the	Hunzas	also	got	adequate	sleep. Since
there	was	no	artificial	lighting	in	their	village,	they	went	to	bed	when	it	got	dark
and	they	woke	up	at	daybreak,	regardless	of	the	time	of	the	year. So	what	are	we	to	take	from	the	Hunza’s	habits. Should	we	quit	our	sedentary
jobs	and	take	up	organic	farming. Should	we	shun	all	supermarket	foods	and
hide	our	head	under	the	covers	at	sunset. While	these	options	are	surely	not
realistic,	you	can	make	some	practical	and	positive	changes	in	your	lifestyle	and
this	book	will	show	you	how. While	you	don’t	have	to	avoid	supermarkets
altogether,	you	can	learn	how	to	avoid	filling	your	cart	with	the	most	toxic	foods
in	the	grocery	aisles	(some	of	which	you	might	wrongly	assume	are	“healthy”
for	you. ) and	paying	good	money	for	food	that	is	actually	killing	you. You	can
learn	how	to	prepare	your	foods	in	ways	that	don’t	rob	them	of	their	nutrients
and	how	to	avoid	cooking	your	foods	by	methods	that	compromise	your	health. You	can	become	aware	of	what	toxic	chemicals	are	lurking	in	your	environment
in	everyday	products	and	choose	healthy	alternatives	instead. You	can	see	how
making	a	few	simple	changes	in	your	sleeping	habits	will	restore	your	body’s
natural	rhythms	and	allow	your	body	ample	time	to	rejuvenate. You	can	make
informed	decisions	about	which	medical	treatments	you	need,	and	which	are
actually	hurting	your	health. So,	you	see,	you	don’t	have	to	move	to	the	Andes
Mountains	to	find	health;	you	can	live	a	long	and	healthy	life	in	your	own	town. And	what,	you	may	wonder,	would	happen	to	these	mighty	Hunzas	if	they
lived	in	your	town—with	a	fast	food	restaurant	on	every	corner. The	results
shouldn’t	surprise	you. The	Hunzas	were	geographically	isolated	from	the
outside	world. The	one	treacherous	road	into	the	Hunza	Valley	was	closed	nine
months	of	the	year	because	of	the	weather,	and	the	road	was	not	all	that	inviting
during	the	remaining	three	months. This	isolation	allowed	the	Hunzas	to	live	in
their	traditional,	customary,	and	close-knit	familial	and	social	groups,	almost	up
until	the	present	day. Had	the	Hunza	Valley	been	more	accessible,	modern
culture	would	have	intruded	and	damaged	the	health	of	this	population	sooner
than	it	did,	and	we	would	have	lost	our	opportunity	to	learn	from	them. Eventually,	modern	foods	were	introduced	into	the	Hunzas’	lives	when	the	first
all-weather	road	was	built	through	the	mountain	passes	and	into	their	valley	in
the	1970s,	making	this	area	more	accessible	to	“civilization. ”	“Civilized	foods,”
such	as	white	sugar,	white	flour,	white	rice,	cola	drinks,	coffee,	processed	oils
and	alcohol	were	introduced. Fresh,	homegrown,	whole	foods	were	replaced
with	the	processed	and	toxic	foods	that	make	up	much	of	the	diet	we	eat	today. This	exposure	to	modern	culture	had	tremendously	detrimental	health	effects	on
the	Hunza	population. What	is	especially	notable	is	how	rapidly	a	modern	diet	will	cause	health	to
decline. Researchers	have	noted	that	health	begins	to	deteriorate	within	six
months	of	introducing	modern	diets	into	populations	previously	eating	only	their
traditional	foods. The	Hunzas	were	an	incredibly	healthy	population	just	a	few
decades	ago. Today,	they	face	increasing	levels	of	chronic	disease—just	like	the
rest	of	the	“civilized”	world. However,	because	of	their	prior	isolation,	the
Hunzas	provided	a	perfect	control	group—an	ideal	people	for	the	study	and
measurement	of	the	potential	for	human	health. If	the	Hunzas	had	been	the	only	extraordinarily	healthy	people	in	the	world,
we	might	dismiss	their	health	as	an	aberration. However,	numerous	other
examples	of	long-lived	and	healthy	populations	are	available,	including	people
living	in	mountainous	areas	of	Bulgaria	and	Hungary,	the	island	of	Crete,	the
lake	district	of	Titicaca	in	Peru,	the	Vilcabamba	Valley	in	Ecuador,	and	the
Caucasus	region	of	Russia. They	all	have	a	similar	story. They	eat	high-quality,
nutritious	foods. They	get	a	lot	of	exercise	and	plenty	of	fresh	air,	sleep	and
sunshine. They	live	a	life	of	low	stress	in	communities	that	emphasize	family
and	human	relationships. As	a	result,	they	enjoy	a	level	of	health	and	quality	of
life	that	we	can	barely	imagine. Unsanitary	Conditions,	but	Healthy	People
In	another	region	of	Ecuador,	we	find	another	story	of	superior	resiliency	and
longevity:	the	Indians	of	the	mountainous	region	of	Cuenca. In	his	book,	
How	to
Survive	Modern	Technology,	
Charles	McGee,	M.
Heart disease is entirely preventable through diet and lifestyle.
What is the main cause of heart disease, according to the Hunza people?
Deficiency and toxicity.
What are the two main causes of disease, according to the author?
Recognizing that disease is not a random event, but rather a result of our choices and actions.
What is the key to understanding disease, according to the author?
Health is the state where all cells are functioning optimally.
What is the author's definition of health?
The book provides a new approach to health and disease, emphasizing the importance of addressing the two causes of disease, deficiency and toxicity, and the six pathways to achieve optimal health.
What is the main focus of the book?