 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
  |
 |
|
The Purification Process Healing for Modern Times by Elson M. Haas, MD This is an article about thinking in a new way as practitioners and patients. Good health comes from taking care of ourselves in a simple commonsense path of cleaning up our habits and letting our bodies lighten and heal. I encourage all of us to think about our health and health care from the philosophy of Integrated Medicine. This to me means looking at any problem from the deeper true causes, which most often have to do with our lifestyle-the way we live. This refers to what we eat, our physical activity to move our energy, our sleep to recharge our energy system, and managing stress to not dissipate or block our energies. Our overall attitude can enhance or undermine this vitality. Clearly, a positive mind has a beneficial influence on our body and heart and allows our spirit to look at life as a series of uplifting, full-of-potential moments. Challenges and health issues are opportunities to grow and change for the better. With this orientation, I come to you with what I'll call "preventive choices." By that I mean making changes before you fall apart and for the purpose of improving health and preventing disease, which for the most part, comes from years of bad habits or poor choices and a lack of understanding of your personal needs within Nature's cycles. The quest for balance of keeping your body clean, yet nourished, is a great lifetime challenge. Nowadays, with our farmer's markets, natural food stores, and the plentiful produce year around, these choices can be much easier. The simplest way to understand symptoms and disease integrates Western linear (commonsense) thinking, Chinese medicine and its philosophy of Yin and Yang, and the naturopathic approach to health and illness. Problems in the body (and mind) often arise from (the duality of) either deficiency, where we are not acquiring sufficient necessary nutrients to meet our needs and body functions, or from congestion, where we are having excessive intake, both from reduced eliminative functions and the over-consumption of foods or non-food substances, such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, refined sugar and food chemicals. And similarly with Yin and Yang imbalances, it is not merely one or the other, but a mixture, meaning that most people have some deficiencies along with their toxicity. Clearly, in these modern times of processed and chemical foods, and the chemicals used in our environment, we all have exposures to these substances. This stresses our body. Along with that, food nutrient levels are lower from lack of soil minerals. With the typically poor choices of eating by most people and the many temptations of modern markets (even sweetened and processed foods in the best natural food stores), we just don't obtain all the necessary nutrients our bodies need to function optimally-vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and essential fatty acids. Naturopathically, many health conditions arise from toxicity or congestion, from acute colds, sinus problems, skin rashes and digestive disturbances, to many chronic diseases that include arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. All of these maladies are believed to result from long-term bad habits, or poor choices in terms of diet. The detoxification process is the "natural" way to heal. People who are deficient may experience such problems as fatigue, coldness, hair loss or dry skin, and they need to be nourished with wholesome foods to aid healing. Congestive problems, however, are more common in Western industrialized civilizations. Many of our acute and chronic medical diseases and dilemmas result from the clogging of our tissues and tubes, and the suffocating of our cells and vital energy. Colds and flu, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and allergies are all examples of congestive disorders. These medical problems may be prevented or treated at least in part and often dramatically by embarking on a process of cleansing and detoxification. The incorporation of dietary changes, including consumption of more fresh fruits, vegetables and water while reducing animal fats and proteins and eliminating any damaging substance abuses is the beginning of the rejuvenation process for the human body. This was discovered long ago and is still true today even though medical science may make light of it in deference to the quick solution to major diseases, with the goals of Western doctors merely to name the disease and then prescribe "the pill," which is often not the true solution. I consider the cleansing/fasting/ detoxification process (they are different degrees of the same process of reduced toxin intake and enhanced toxin elimination) to be the missing link in Western nutrition and a key to the health and vitality of our civilization. In more than 30 years of medical practice, I have extensively utilized various detox and healing/rejuvenation practices for both myself and literally thousands of patients. I can tell you that I truly believe that cleansing and detoxification-the Purification Process-is virtually one of the most powerful healing (real healing of ailments and not just suppression of symptoms) therapies I have seen. It is a way to rebalance the body and prevent many diseases. I have written extensively about detoxification, as can be seen in the last section of my 1,100-page Staying Healthy With Nutrition book and which is the focus of 2004 book, The NEW Detox Diet: The Complete Guide For Lifelong Vitality, wherein I discuss both the medical and health factors of the cleansing process. The basics of The Detox Diet follow here to give you the general ideas of what is involved. There are two levels to the Purification Process that I will discuss here. The first is mentioned above as the clearing from any substance habits or abuses, even addictions for some. This involves taking a break, which may be temporary or lifelong, from such common habits as the daily intake of SNACCs-Sugar (as refined sugar and corn syrups), nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and chemicals in foods (especially regular use of aspartame)-and as able, from over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals. To me, this is very often the first step in health liberation, freeing ourselves from the emotional connection and dependence on certain foods to give us energy or sedate us. All of these substances can alter our moods and vitality, both immediately and over time. Now, not every one consumes the above mentioned substances. Many of us may eat a healthy diet of wholesome foods. However, I see people often who, even though they exercise and eat this natural foods diet, are still not well. The next level to look at is food reactions. This typically occurs from the most common foods we eat and the most common foods typically available in our society: wheat, cow's milk, sugar, eggs, corn, soy and peanuts. My recent book, The False Fat Diet (Ballantine Books, 2000), discusses the many ways we react to foods and the great variety of health conditions caused by these reactions.
THE DETOX DIET Special Guidelines For The Detox Diet 1. Chew your food very well and take enough time when you eat. 2. Relax a few minutes before and after your meal. 3. Eat in a comfortable sitting position. 4. Eat primarily steamed fresh vegetables and some fresh greens. 5. Take only herbal teas after dinner.
THE DETOX DIET MENU PLAN Morning (upon arising): Two glasses of water (filtered, spring, or reverse osmosis), one glass with half a lemon squeezed into it. Breakfast: One piece of fresh fruit (at room temperature), such as apple, pear, banana, grapes, or citrus. Chew well, mixing each bite with saliva. 15-30 minutes later: One bowl of cooked whole grains--specifically millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, raw buckwheat, or buckwheat. Flavoring can be two tablespoons of fruit juice for a sweeter breakfast taste, or use the "better butter" mixture mentioned below with a little salt or tamari for a deeper flavor. Lunch (Noon-1 p.m.) One to two medium bowls of steamed vegetables; use a variety, including roots, stems, and greens--e.g. potatoes & yams, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, asparagus, kale, chard, and cabbage. CHEW WELL ! Dinner ( 5-6 p.m. ) Same as Lunch Seasoning--Butter/oil mixture, cold-pressed and organic preferred. Make this "better butter" by mixing a half cup of the oil (canola, flaxseed, or olive oils) into a soft (room temperature) half-pound of butter; then place in dish and refrigerate. Use about one teaspoon per meal or a maximum of 3 teaspoons daily. 11 a.m. & 3 p.m. One-to-two cups veggie water, saved from steamed vegetables. Add a little seasalt or kelp and drink slowly, mixing each mouthful with saliva. Evening: Herbal teas only--e.g. peppermint, chamomile, pau d'arco, or blends.
NOTE: You may feel a little weak or have a few symptoms the first couple of days. This will pass. Clarity and feeling good should appear by day 3 or 4, if not before. If during this diet, you start to feel weak or hungry, assess your water intake and elimination; if needed, you can eat a small portion of protein food (3-4 ounces) in the mid-afternoon. This could be fish; free-range, organic chicken; or some beans, such as lentils, garbanzo, mung, or black beans.
The Sensitive Seven* Wheat, Sugar, Cow's Milk, Eggs, Corn, Soy, Peanuts *The seven most common food reactions, mainly because they are common in most diets and are the base of most processed foods. Food reactions are quite common and often result from digestive dysfunction. There are many factors that cause the breakdown in optimal function of the gastrointestinal tract. Overeating, too many foods combined at once, incomplete chewing, drinking too much when eating (which dilutes the digestive juices), and chronic stress-all weaken our ability to digest foods thoroughly. Furthermore, many people have an imbalance of intestinal flora, where they have killed off their healthy bacteria from overuse of antibiotics, which is common in modern medicine. Other irritating bacteria may flourish, or fermenting types of yeast organisms or parasites will take up residence within our intestines. These cause an irritation of the membranes, and this affects our proper absorption of nutrients, and abnormal absorption of larger molecules, often referred to as "leaky gut" syndrome. Allowing "toxins" to enter the blood stream can affect our brain function, moods, and energy level, and cause secondary immune and biochemical reactions to these toxins. Our digestive tract has the highest amount of immune activity of any area in the human body. Testing is available from naturally oriented physicians as well as many acupuncturists and chiropractors who have studied about gastrointestinal function and ecology. Most standard medical doctors haven't gone to this level of health knowledge to be able to help their patients in this more subtle and not-yet-diseased state. Healing the gastrointestinal tract is paramount to regaining our overall health. I discuss in Chapter One of The NEW Detox Diet, the 5R program for re-establishing digestive health. (This is adapted from the wonderful teaching of Dr. Jeffrey Bland.) The 5Rs are: 1) Rebalance-your diet and your lifestyle-in other words, you may need to eat differently and live more healthfully, even thinking in a more positive way. Your digestion is sensitive to your stresses and emotions. 2) Remove-any offending organisms. This can be done with herbal medicines or pharmaceuticals. Abnormal yeasts and parasites are quite common in these modern times. 3) Replace-any needed digestive enzymes or hydrochloric acid (low stomach acid leading to improper protein digestion is quite common and undermines health). 4) Reinnoculate-the right bacteria, such as lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, to create the best environment for your digestive tract. 5) Repair-by providing all the right nutrients to help heal damaged membranes and allow optimal function again. The amino acid l-glutamine is helpful, as are the B-vitamins, vitamins C, A, and E, plus many others. Food reactions are generated through multiple systems in our body-digestive, immune, biochemical, and hormonal-causing bloating and swelling in the body and gut, plus many other possible problems. Allowing these reactions to quiet and clear can help those suffering these reactions to feel much better rather quickly. Following an elimination diet whereby we avoid our habit foods or commonly eaten foods as well as the most reactive foods is part of this purification process. After a week or two of this avoidance, we can challenge ourselves by eating only one of these foods at a time, giving us awhile to experience any untoward effects. Usually I have my patients watch three different time periods for these food reactions since many can be "delayed" reactions. First, watch immediately and over the first hour after eating the food. Also pay attention later in the day, up to six hours later. Then, pay attention to how you feel when you wake up the next morning. Do you feel a little foggy or hung-over? If you had any reaction to the food, i.e., if you feel worse or have any of the symptoms you had previously experienced, you are likely reactive to that food. How do you begin this purification process? First comes an honest self-assessment. What are you hooked into? What are your habits/abuses? How ready are you to take a break? In doing this purification process, look for its great benefits-mental clarity, physical well-being, spiritual upliftment, the lessening of many symptoms, and the reduction of blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In summary, there is great value that cleansing and detoxification therapies can have in your natural medicine care, and the knowledge will benefit you and your patients. Overall, what I attempt to do in my writing and practice is to place your health and that of your family back into your hands, because so much of it is up to you. It really matters how you live-what you do and what you eat, and what you think and feel. Take hold and do what you can to be vital and healthy. It is really worth it! Be well.
Come hear Dr. Elson Haas discuss his Detox Diet live during a special Keynote Lecture at Pacific Symposium 2004 entitled "Diet and Detoxification: Preventing and Treating Diabetes, Heart Disease, Arthritis and other Chronic Diseases." The lecture, which is included in the cost of most Pacific Symposium registration packages, will be presented Saturday, November 6 at 7 p.m.
|
|
| prospective studentscurrent studentsalumnicampusesabout our clinicpacific symposiumnews & eventspublications |
Copyright ©2002-05 Pacific College of
Oriental Medicine. All rights reserved.
|
