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CHAPTER 6 

AS THE WORM TURNS 

Health and well being are part of the natural birthright of the human being. With all of its organs intact, the right diet, exercise and mental focus, a human body can overcome any disease.  Even so, the effects of living in this artificial “civilization” has become so stressful and toxic, that after many years we experience depression, bi-polar disorder, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, “senility” and more.  Hundreds of millions of dollars of our tax money each year goes to researching “cures” for these primarily man-made diseases.  But is it really in the interest of a profit-oriented medical establishment to solve public health problems?  The sooner various diseases are remedied, the sooner the outrageous profits made by the medical industry will vaporize, and this they know well.  The government is of no help in solving the health dilemma, because it is heavily influenced, (in other words financed) by the pharmaceutical companies, medical insurance agencies and organizations such as the AMA, (American Medical Association).  At the direction of the AMA and FDA, thousands of damaging chemicals are researched and produced, (also at taxpayers’ expense in many cases) and given to the ignorant public year after year.  One of the biggest scandals of the modern age is the “doping up” of the public, so as to alleviate the symptoms of disease rather than to cure it.  Prescription medicines and harmful food additives keep people walking around in a daze, and this state of affairs is encouraged by the government in the form of subsidies and legislation that protects the companies who make them.  The fact that such chemicals are extremely damaging to the vitality of the body and the clarity of the mind is well known, and their harmful influences are treated as “unavoidable side effects.”  The fact is, such “side effects” are avoidable, and there is no question that they should be avoided. What is not so well known is the motive behind the mass production of toxins, which are fed to the people in a way not unlike the introduction of hormones in cattle feed.  Every product from cough medicine, to pain relievers, to a simple loaf of bread, have an incredible array of ingredients which resemble the contents of a junior chemistry set. Propaganda it has been realized, is not the only effective tool that can be used for the suppression of free thought or revolutionary action.  Chemical additives and prescriptions are also used to “calm the savage beast” that lingers in an otherwise outraged public, reminiscent in many ways of the futuristic world portrayed in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradberry.  Thus, people without clarity or control of their own bodies, cannot adequately question the incompetence of the government and the corporate world which owns it.  Most people in fact, not only don’t have the will to act, but have lost the vital energy necessary to effect real change in themselves because of a lifestyle out of touch with their natural needs.  Many of the institutions of our age have a vested interest in keeping them that way.

We can envision an enlightened society where the government and medical establishment would be doing what they could to improve the health of our body, mind and spirit.   This is obviously not the case on our planet today.  As a matter of fact what we witness is just the opposite; deadly toxins are freely available, while those substances such as vitamins and herbs are greeted with utmost scrutiny. Cancerous cigarette sticks are legal and yet known to be thoroughly addictive and destructive. Meanwhile, sacred Cannabis Sativa is illegal even though it has been shown to be a wonder-herb in more ways than one.  Alcohol is still commonly sold even though it is one of the most damaging drugs freely available in the market place, and this is because of the huge profits that are associated with its sale. If there was a real concern for the public welfare, these truly harmful substances would be exclusively banned, and without exception.  We must conclude that the whole so called “drug war” is not about morality or real concern for our youth, but the enhancement of other political agendas, (money and power).  It is being used as an excuse to suppress civil liberties while behind the scenes, no one makes more money off of drugs than does the government and its pharmaceutical backers.  The drug war is really about “eliminating the competition”, or in other words, suppressing those substances such as marijuana which are directly competitive to the profits generated by prescription and legalized drugs.  Like every other issue of our culture, drug legislation is motivated by the Almighty dollar, not a real concern for the public welfare.        

What is most suspect about the modern concept of “drugs” is their definition.  On one hand we constantly hear the slogan, “Just say ‘no’ to drugs”, and on the other hand our kitchen and bathroom cabinets are lined with them.  Prescription and over the counter drug sales compose a multi-billion dollar a year industry, making someone, somewhere, quite wealthy to say the least.  There seems to be a very fine line indeed, between what we are expected to say “no” to,  and what we are expected to toss down the throat by the handful.  Even our foods are laden with drug-like chemicals whose properties are at best of questionable value.  The sheer stress and ill effects created by these substances, have a major impact on the body that is cumulative.  One is forced to wonder if all the drugs in our food serve any real function in terms of nutrition, or if they are there for reasons that reflect dark motives on the part of the food industry, which is itself controlled by government agencies.  Even in a simple can of beans, we see listed on the ingredient label, barely pronounceable chemicals that serve no apparent, practical function.  Why do simple beans need 12-15 letter additives such as “disodium EDTA.”  Why should something as simple as dehydrated potatoes require “sodium bisulfite”, “monoglycerides”, “calcium phosphate” and “BHT?”  Well-known candy bars whose main ingredients are simply milk chocolate and peanuts, have listed in their ingredients such cryptic contents as, ”PGPR” and “TBHQ.” On a popular pre-packaged rice and beans dish is listed, “disodium inosinate”, “disodium guanylate”, “ferric orthophosphate”, “sodium phosphate for color retention” and perhaps even more mysteriously,  “artificial flavor.”  Does anyone really know what BHT, PGPR or polysorbate 80 are?  By virtue of their content, about 90% of the foods in grocery stores are essentially unconsumable and truly quite poisonous. Yet without knowing what it is they are eating, the average person never the less happily consumes their BHT and disodium EDTA without a second thought.  Our society has been so conditioned to consume by television ads, newspapers, magazines, etc., that every day, literally millions of people voluntarily go to grocery stores in search of these poisonous products by name, but without a care in the world for what they contain.  What people do upon finding these products, (believe us it’s true) is actually pay money for poisons to "enjoy.”  It seems monstrous and preposterous, but that is the norm for the everyday citizen.  No one ever questions this because if they do, they’ll be considered an extremist or a “health nut.”  Try making a habit of reading ingredient labels on all foods before buying them, unless of course it makes no difference to you what you put in your body.  Once you begin to realize the extent of the bizarre and unnecessary chemicals that are being added to our foods, you can then avoid being drugged by corporate America.

In this modern age simplicity just doesn’t seem to satisfy, or at least this is the official dogma.  Even in the case of something as basic as ground up grains of wheat, the food industry cannot seem to let well enough alone.  The simple grain of wheat is split up into various parts, with the bran and the inner portions going their separate ways for purposes known only to the junk food manufacturers. As soon as a grain of wheat is destroyed and defiled, it then goes through an “enriching” process whereby “vitamins”, (chemicals) are added.  To “enrich” foods, modern society takes simple substances such as wheat, rice, common fruits and vegetables, and bleaches out their natural vitamin and mineral content through elaborate chemical processes. It then proceeds to fortify them with vitamins and minerals made in a lab, as though these could ever adequately replace the subtle balance and vitality contained in the products of nature.  “What is the purpose of this exercise in futility?” the intelligent person is prompted to ask.  What insanity compels us to remove from the perfectly adequate natural design, the essential properties and contents of food?  Has the public ever actually requested to have its food stripped bare and then “enriched?”  By what official criteria are such crimes against the public welfare said to be justified?  Perhaps the FDA, (Food and Drug Administration) should be re-named the DDA, (Drug and Drug Administration).   

In the grand tradition of Western society, what we hear most about in the media concerning our eating habits, is how they are making us look, not how they are benefiting or harming us.  We hear much talk about calories and weight gain, but very little about eating natural foods that supply more energy and health to the body.  The “fat free” and “low calorie” advertising line is just another scam created by junk food manufacturers and the FDA.  The truly important issues of diet and health are always left basically unaddressed.  The health agencies of our age don’t want us to be healthy, because health is not profitable, whereas disease is a virtual gold mine for this unscrupulous industry. It does not require a great deal of clarity to realize, that health propaganda is designed so that people won’t care about what they eating, just as long as they look presentable.  This is yet another example of the materialist attitude toward life.  Our primary concern is one of appearance alone, not for any reality that may lurk behind it.  What this says about the public view of their own health, is that so long as one can put up a good show to the world, it doesn’t matter that cancer or disease is taking over all the vital organs.  So instead of eating a healthy diet and exercising, we would rather count calories, take pills and undergo surgery.  Our culture readily trades all reality for shallow illusion. Many people go through life eating junk food and still "looking good", at least with the help of a few cosmetics here and there.  But over time the unquestioning citizens’ organs have been removed or replaced, their entire anatomy has become a setting for chemical warfare and their brain reduced to pudding, so that they no longer even remember what real health feels like. If any healthy creature were to eat "junk food" they would get sick.  There’s very little left in these products but artificial, cancerous ingredients and lots of sugar, all of which are designed to stimulate, not feed.   

Above all else, sugar and caffeine are the most used drugs in this country, (and those countries with American influence). The junk food industry is built on how many different forms of sugar and contaminants that they can entice down the throats of never-questioning, ever-trusting citizens.  The excuse “I might as well enjoy life”, or “You only live once”, is given in reply to any criticisms of a materialistic lifestyle. This is especially true of the Western diet and is one of the most absurd rationalizations ever invented.  It does however, support the purposes of the junk food industry quite well.  Never mind the fact that much of the population has induced its own hypoglycemic or diabetic state.  Lets not really examine the fact that the majority of the life savings of families everywhere, goes to medical expenses that are completely unnecessary, and which are caused primarily by our persistent indulgence in self destructive habits.  Don’t think about the fact that the side effects of modern “medicines” are often far worse than the original affliction.  The public does not wish to be bothered by such considerations, and is instead focused on “really enjoying life”, “because you only live once”.  Perhaps it never occurred to most people that a drugged stupor and a diseased body were not all that enjoyable.  When we consider all of society’s moment to moment distractions and indulgences, is it no wonder it has this same attitude toward diet. There is after all, no reason to believe that the rationalizations seen everywhere else in this world should not also extend themselves to eating habits. What is perhaps most bizarre about the public attitude is their willingness to defend the garbage they consume to the point of hostility, even while it is clearly killing them.  But the masses hold on for dear life to their poisons and their lifestyle, much like an amateur thief defends a convincingly drawn, though useless treasure map.  Today the public buys food products because they like the colors or shape of the package, not because of what it contains. Remember that you don’t have to be just another number or statistic on the AMA’s index of modern ills, you can be something much higher.  This doesn’t take a college degree or special training; it requires only the observance of natural law and good old common sense. 

Over a vast period of time our bodies have developed into sophisticated biological structures.  At no point in this planets’ natural history have living creatures been so taxed and burdened, than in the last 100 years.  Our physical systems are simply not designed to assimilate or withstand the toxins of the modern age, particularly given the fact that they are intentionally placed within our food sources. When the body can’t digest or assimilate a substance, it has no choice but to either eliminate that chemical or store it in the body.  The liver and other cleansing systems of the body can only filter out a limited quantity of poisons.  Many substances placed in our food have large molecular structures that are very hard for living cells to deal with. The wisdom of the body, like the wisdom of nature, rejects the products of modern civilization…and so should we.  

The main storage center for toxins in the body is the colon.  If waste products don’t get eliminated from the intestines in a timely manner, they get re-absorbed into other parts of the body, (such as other organs) for storage. The natural process of food assimilation occurs primarily in the small intestine, where  nutrients are drawn into the villi.  The villi lead into the bloodstream where vital nutrients are circulated throughout the body.  If this material is artificial in content, or if it has been fermenting in the intestines for an extended period, then these hazardous materials get recycled throughout the body. This creates a very toxic environment in our cellular systems.  All diseases start in the colon.  When there's a toxic condition in the body that is getting worse day by day, this puts only more stress on all bodily systems.  The organs then become so stressed that they are not able to fulfill their regular functions. This fact creates even more stress on the body, and so on.  Over years of time the organs begin shutting down due to high internal toxicity or “disease” in a vicious cycle.  The average human, (ages 8-80) contains at least 5-30lbs of old food, rotting and fermenting in their intestines.  Yes, that’s right, the old “beer belly” is more often than not, simply the accumulation of undigested materials.  Of course most people will wish to deny this, but logic and hospital studies show otherwise. Most diseases start in the colon, which is something the AMA somehow fails to mention.  Keeping the colon clean, holding nothing in the large or small intestine except your last meal, is well worth the effort.  In about 95% of all cases of ill health, simply cleaning the colon is all one basically needs.  This cleansing ends up costing less money, time and hardship, especially compared to medical bills that are involved with the surgical removal of diseased, (toxic) organs.  Why would the medical establishment simply ignore this obvious, life saving, (and money saving) fact? The reason for this, as with every other facet of society, is the continued worship of the dollar as Almighty God.  Without disease, where would the glorious empire of the corporate world be?  From where would the profits continue to come, were it not for inflated payments, pills, (for every conceivable condition) and the ongoing saga of the "incurable"? It is a fact that just 70 years ago most degenerative conditions affected people as they approached their 60’s, and were called “old age illnesses”.  Now people commonly display those same illnesses 20-30 years sooner, as they approach their 40’s! 

Over 90% of the world’s population have parasites.  It is normal for mammals to encounter them, but it is not normal to be infested to the point of becoming a breeding laboratory, as is the case inside the modern human being.  Parasites such as intestinal worms are extremely easy to pick up, in conditions ranging from public toilet seats, to food you eat.  Even common flies do more than just land on food to eat or lay eggs.  Flies are not only a transporter of bacteria they also carry parasites.  They can deposit full-grown worms upon food within the span of a few seconds.  These are not maggots; they are parasitical worms carried within the body of the insect. Adding parasites to 5-30lbs of undigested food in the body, creates an instant-breeding laboratory for internal pests.  Parasites put a lot of strain and stress upon the body, resulting in many diseases.  Parasites can go throughout any organ, creating communities even in the brain. They can even consume large areas of the body such as the nervous system, vital tissues and various organs.  Most people have a form of biological warfare going on within them and don’t even realize it, or they sadly think, “these things just happen when you get older.” These things do not “just happen” when we get older, they are the result of wrong living, and can be avoided or cured through a natural lifestyle.

Our society is thoroughly committed to curing only the symptom and not the cause.  Does that seem logical or wise?  If you have a splinter in your foot you’re not going to just take an aspirin so the splinter will go away.  You’re going to take the splinter out.  If the AMA maintained this sane, logical and direct approach to health, there would be no enormous health care expenses. Most of these man-made diseases we see today would also not exist.  Instead of paying thousands of dollars to remove diseased organs, our need is to go to the cause of illness first and eliminate that.  The first and foremost area of the body to address and cleanse is the intestine, since most problems start there.  Enemas and colonics are a quick, efficient way to get many pounds of putrefying material out of you.  Enemas, (which you can use yourself) normally can only reach the descending colon.  Colonics can access most of the large intestine, removing toxins in a very effective way.  You will not only be dumbfounded by the results, but will feel much better.

The extreme conditions of unnaturalness we live in today, which support parasites and disease, are fostered by the artificial values of our society.  To realize this truth is the first step toward a significant, personal change of health. After achieving this first step, one must prioritize the expenditure of their life energies in such a way, that reflects a greater understanding of natural, internal processes.  For instance, most people spend more time and money in the care of their outer appearance than in the promotion of their own health.  Rather than applying that extra coat of wax to the car, or having another session at the beauty salon, try going for a jog instead.  Take time to research and buy wholesome foods that your cells require.  The body should be seen as your own holy temple, not a septic tank.  Find out what the real cause of the back pain, headache or heartburn is, and instead of taking pills to relieve symptoms, (which results in taking more pills to relieve the side effects of the first pills) stop doing the activity that is causing these problems to start with.  Such advice may seem more than obvious, but most people evidently need to hear it. Sure, it may take a little effort and energy to change old habits, especially at first, but understanding and aiding the functions of the body should be one of the first priorities in life.  Gaining an understanding and appreciation of ones’ own body is definitely a large part of what it means to live in accord with nature and natural law.  There is so much that can be achieved by the human body.  To really get the most out of life we need to cultivate our good health on a daily basis. The AMA of course, wants you to believe that health isn’t the individual’s responsibility anymore.  All of that is left up to the doctors and pharmaceutical companies. The responsibility of the individual supposedly ends by acting out the role of the busy little worker ant, who never doubts or asks questions.

The body has simple needs which are water, nutrients and rest.  With these basic elements in place the body has a nearly limitless potential.  Drinkable water is fast running out in this wasteful world.  If our ancestors had been told that in the not so distant future people would actually be paying for drinkable water, they would probably regard the idea as sheer nonsense.  Not only do we pay for water, but also the toxic by-products of its processing. Bottled water often contains such chemicals as wood alcohol, which is the result of the cleaning process used to sanitize the machines of distillation or filtration. As for actual nutrients, these are hidden away amongst artificial chemicals in our food products, almost as an afterthought or an inconvenience to mass production.  For the body to gain nutrients from a food that is saturated with chemicals, it has to work extremely hard.  “What then is fit to eat or drink in this modern age?” one might be compelled to ask.  When in doubt of what products to eat, remember this rule; the less refined the substance the better.  Eat the most fresh and live foods whenever possible, which of course implies the need to cook for yourself and grow your own food whenever practical.  Unfortunately this is not always convenient, (because most people are too busy worshipping money) but the body will be forever grateful, as will the mind when it clears. Eat simply when your body needs fuel, (and not just for the sake of taste) and don’t overeat just for the pleasure of eating.  In all cases take into the body that which provides the maximum sense of well being and energy, and reject all cravings for stimulation that is a symptom of addiction.  The third essential need of the body is rest.  Long periods of sleep deprivation can cause results such as insanity, depression, energy loss, premature aging, etc.  Rest is just as essential as water and nutrients.  The body must have time to relax, rejuvenate and cleanse internally.  In this technological age people compare their body’s function to that of a machine, taking the view that, “if it’s broke then patch it together well enough to get it through another day”.  The body will function under such a philosophy only for a short time.  Our bodies are natural and the products of nature, not money-making machines.

Unnatural stresses upon the body warp the senses, especially the sense of taste.  When a body is not healthy and the mind is in a state of confusion, it is little wonder that we crave a stimulating “bag of cheese things” over a fresh apple. In a kind of quiet desperation we seek stimulation at any cost, to avoid the pain and drain of the modern world.  The paradigm of “health food just tastes bad” is based upon ignorance, a toxic body and the habitual choosing of waste material over good food. The body will begin to crave even the worst foods when it is repeatedly conditioned by them.  A healthy being naturally and logically consumes only those foods that bring vitality and strength.  The common idea that “health food tastes bad” is the result of propaganda, whose motivation is greed at the expense of public well being.  Remember that the responsibility for your own health is in your own hands, and not some “professional”.  When you start gaining true health, (which improves brain function), you will also begin to seriously self reflect.  You will begin to ask logical questions about your lifestyle and your role in society.  God forbid you might rebel.  If 90% of the worker ants did wake up out of their stupor the system would collapse, and the inflated, lazy kings on top of their corporate thrones would be forced to change their ways.  However this is exactly what the AMA, USDA, and corporate-elected government officials are directly opposed to.  In their eyes the public is just a reservoir of profit-making potential.  We are viewed as something to be manipulated, even if this means going against natural law itself.  This state of affairs is the result of dollar worship above all other values.

Achieving good health for the mind and body can be a tedious task in this modern age, but it is a cause well worth our invested energy.  Wouldn’t you rather be strong in body and mind, than be crippled and at the mercy of an uncaring, corrupt and ignorant doctor?  To achieve good health amidst an uncaring and diseased world, one must follow a natural regimen.  Such a regimen is not costly but cost effective, endorsed only by Mother Nature herself, requiring no surgical procedures or chemotherapy.  It comes in four parts, with each deserving specific attention in order to retain good health throughout life.  These four parts are; 1) Good Diet, 2) Exercise, 3) Cleansing and 4) Meditation.

    1) Good Diet  A wholesome diet includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and a wide variety of naturally grown products, (preferably ones which are organic).  Simple, unprocessed foods have the greatest value to the body, which our physiology has evolved to assimilate.  Practice reading all ingredient labels, avoiding those ingredients which are unfamiliar or which are known to be either harmful or highly questionable. Take the time to cook for yourself from scratch, using the simplest ingredients possible, such as fresh vegetables, fruits, pasta, natural bread and whole grains, seafood and free-roaming, healthy animal meat, (if you must eat meat). When using canned and packaged foods, eat only those that have simple and natural ingredients.  Exercise a balanced philosophy toward eating that makes use of variety, rather than overindulging in any one particular type of food. There are a limitless variety of meals that can be made through combinations of the above groups.

The land upon which we depend is not as rich with nutrients as it used to be.  Modern farming methods involve chemical fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides, and the results of these are erosion, nutrient depleted soil and polluted foods.  Is it any wonder that our land is not as fertile as it used to be?  Because of these practices it is often not enough to simply eat what would ordinarily be wholesome foods to get all the nutrients your body needs, unless of course you are able to grow your own.  The only possible exception to this is to eat organic foods, but these are almost always overpriced and often not as naturally grown as their producers claim. For most people it is desirable to take vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements.  A multivitamin is a good combination of vital nutrients when it is made as naturally as possible.  When looking for the right vitamins and herbs, seek out those bottles that read simply.

Don’t count fat grams and calories.  Just ask your body what it needs to provide it with the greatest level of health and eat that.  Observe your reactions to any food after a meal, or in other words, listen carefully to what your body is telling you. That’s all. Healthy eating is fairly simple.

2) Exercise  Exercise is needed for the growth and maintenance of the body, especially at the cellular level. You can eat a wholesome diet, but if you’re not exercising regularly you’ve only got one foot in the door of health.  Most people have no energy to work out because they spend all day in toxic environments making money.  This day to day hardship on the body makes it lazy and confused.  Working out enlivens the body, giving it more energy than before.  Instead of the habitual cup of coffee in the morning, go on a quick run and then compare for yourself the overall effects of these two options.  To exercise for the sake of feeling your blood flowing is the right beginning attitude, rather than one of, “how long do I have to keep this up” or, “I wonder how many fat grams/calories I’ve worked off by now”. 

To maintain a youthful and vital body, it must get anaerobic and aerobic exercise on a regular basis.  Anaerobic activities are those which do not involve a greatly accelerated breathing or heart rate, and yet are balancing and strengthening, such as stretching, weight lifting, tai chi and yoga.  Aerobic activities oxygenate the blood and include rapid walking, running, jogging, martial arts (sparring), soccer, etc. Aerobic exercise strengthens all of the internal organs especially the heart and lungs, and helps to cleanse the body of toxins. It shouldn’t be a chore for your body to engage in these activities. If exercise is a great trial for you it means there’s something terribly wrong with your state of health.  In most cases it will feel lethargic simply because of long-term neglect.  The body should automatically be active when it feels the need to.  Healthy animals, without being persuaded, run or play when they feel the natural desire to do so.  That’s how it is with a natural human body also.

    3) Cleansing  Cleaning the body, or cleansing, is an overlooked aspect of health in this pill-popping society.  Cleansing gets to the source of health problems by preventing disease before it starts.  The pollutants of the modern world contained in the air we breathe, the water we drink and in the environments of occupation and home, are compounded further still by artificial additives in food and so-called medicines.  Prevention is by far the best and most rational approach to disease and yet we do not seem to acknowledge this fact.  Such a rational approach is not contained in official AMA doctrines or in public practices.  When most people get a headache, backache or cold, the first thing they do is to reach for some “medicine” which does nothing but suppress symptoms, rather than making an effort to remain healthy to start with. Prevention of illness must be addressed, to maintain ones’ optimum strength and clarity of mind.  The colon must get cleaned out, then the blood and the systems it supplies, (especially the nerves), a well all the organs.  The removal of toxins from the body is particularly necessary to maintain a clear mental state, one that is not so easily swayed by well-crafted, though illogical propaganda/advertising. There are a number of ways to cleanse and among these are;  colonics and enemas, herbs, fasting and juicing, as well as aerobic exercise.  Colonics and enemas are a fast, efficient way to get toxins out of the body, but shouldn’t be done on a regular basis, (once every quarter year or so is best).  Herbs can be taken regularly to help clean and heal the body.  There are many herbs to research and explore, and notable among these are garlic, ginseng, ginger, cayenne, alfalfa, dandelion, ginko biloba, pau d’arco, yellow dock, golden seal, echinacea and cascara sagrada. An excellent herb for the removal of parasites from the body is black walnut.  Another great material for scrubbing the colon, stimulating elimination and removing intestinal parasites is psyllium hulls.  You can buy them as a fine powder in bulk quantities in health stores, or under the name “fiber laxative” in most other locations.  An additional fail-proof method for cleansing is the practice of fasting.  Fasting is the ancient method for the purification of mind and body.  When one fasts and only intakes water or juice, it gives the organs a time to rest, to focus on internal repairs and not be solely preoccupied by digestion.  Of all the physical processes, digestion takes up the most energy in a body.  Fasting produces rapid results though is not recommended for a very toxic body, because the results tend to be extreme, discouraging the participant from more cleansing efforts.  When the body is not involved in the digestive process it has time to heal and rid itself of waste.  In fasting it is common to experience symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, body pains and even fever, which are in this context considered a very good sign.  These “fasting symptoms” indicate that the body is reorienting and healing itself. If the body is very toxic these symptoms might be too severe for most individuals to deal with, and yet they indicate all the more need for the practice.  Fasting should be performed in a relaxing, supportive environment and self-monitored to keep track of how the body feels about the process.  Your own experience should tell you when to continue with the fast and when enough is enough.  Again, avoid extremes.

Fortunately there is another method not as intense as water fasting, but which never the less has great benefits.  This method is juicing.  Buy a juicer, (Champion brand is good) and drink fresh fruits and vegetables for days and even weeks.  Don’t eat anything except this fresh juice for at least a day. When on the road it is a fairly simple thing to get all kinds of local, fresh, cheap fruits and vegetables.  If you do this you’ll cleanse the body efficiently and effectively, lose weight naturally and gain greater energy to do things like jogging or biking. Juicing for even one day makes the mind and body feel much better, while strengthening the practice of living out a beneficial discipline.  Eating a wholesome diet and getting plenty of exercise is the foundation for a healthy body, but cleansing is occasionally necessary for maintaining health, especially in this toxic age. 

    4) Meditation  Meditation can be used on many different levels and for different purposes.  It is a central key for de-stressing ones mind and body.  Numerous studies have shown that during meditation, brainwaves become very coherent, meaning they synchronize with one another in a harmonic fashion.  The body becomes more relaxed and immune responses are boosted. This practice can also be used for efforts aimed at self-healing, as many people can attest. To meditate before and after sleep is very beneficial. Releasing the mind and body of the days’ stressful events, especially on a cellular level which meditation is known to do, is worth more than any symptom-suppressing pill, since the majority of our illnesses are “psychosomatic” or in other words, mind-caused. Stress has become the modern nemesis. Meditation is vital for well being in any lifestyle, because it eliminates stress and increases personal clarity.  When one is meditative this creates silence in the mind.  In this state irrelevant thoughts no longer distract the mind from self-reflection and therefore personal clarity.  When we have greater clarity we tend to do what is most effective in all situations.  The practice is not as difficult as most people assume; it is just unfamiliar to the Western mind.  The meditative state is a natural state. A lifestyle of self- reflection, which is similar in nature to meditation, should ideally include all the happenings of the day, (such as cooking your food, walking the dog, working and having discussions with others).  Only through the artificial focuses of society, has mankind lost this vital state of well being, (see Chapter 7 for specific details on this practice).

For those really stressed and toxic bodies that need some strong redirection, there’s a branch of healing practices known as alternative medicine.  All the methods and medicines which have a natural foundation from around the world, combine under this singular heading.  This system is known as “alternative” because it is not based on the usual Western attitude of addressing the symptom and not the cause.  A natural approach to health is holistic, and goes well beyond the bizarre practice of taking unnecessary and even harmful chemicals, as well as the removal of organs, (as if the organs are the culprits of disorder).  In a rational world, holistic medicine would comprise the mainstream approach to health and the allopathic or “cut ‘em to pieces” approach would be the dreaded alternative.  Alternative medicine is based on the philosophy of curing the cause of disorder by getting to the root of the problem. Homeopathy, acupuncture and acupressure, massage, (including Rolfing) and certain meditational practices are examples of systems that fall under this heading.  Homeopathy deals with the natural principle of like cures like, stimulating the body to initiate its own healing process.  Acupuncture and acupressure deal with the meridian points and the energy that flows throughout your body, (some of these points correspond with specific organs) thereby addressing the whole person, rather than treating them as a mechanism made up of separate parts.  Practices of self-healing, which include meditation and visualization, address the mind as well as the body, and are therefore very useful as preventative measures. Pick the system(s) from which you will gain the most benefit, (to augment your personal practices) and enjoy.

Regardless of the herbs, types of exercise and meditation you may use, always remember that the health of your mind and body are your own responsibility.  The cultivation of physical and mental strength is not the ordeal that this society pictures it to be.  Such practices are instead, a source for joy and personal power for the intelligent person.  Health, like life, is an opportunity to grow in ways that are rarely foreseen.  When good health is achieved, it should be regarded as an irreplaceable treasure.

Matthew Webb visionquest@eoni.com 

The World Mind Society http://www.eoni.com/~visionquest 

CHAPTER 7