Fundamentals for Healing and Recovery from Health Issues

Healing and recovery from almost any health issues share certain things in common.  When looking for specific solutions for a health condition — like MS, Lupus, cancer, headaches or Fibromyalgia — it's of vital importance to address the overall health of the body.  Although essential oils and dietary supplements have powerful therapeutic effects, they are not, by themselves, a total solution.  And, there is no silver bullet: a one-step procedure for correcting your condition.  Any approach you take, if you're serious about restoring and/or maintaining optimal health, must be accompanied by a program of internal cleansing, proper diet and supplementation.  This may also include lifestyle changes, such as exercise, inner renewal and resolving stressful situations.

Here is a basic description of the fundamentals of healing.

A three-step approach to renewing the health of the body.

Step 1. Cleanse: Cleansing the colon and liver is the first — and most important — step to take when dealing with any disease.  Many imbalances can be corrected by cleansing alone.  Products that cleanse the body include: Cleansing Trio (which included EssentialZyme, ComforTone and ICP), Chelex, ParaFree, JuvaTone and JuvaFlex.  (See Cleansing programs in Chapter 25 of the Essential Oils Desk Reference; see also the 5-Day Nutritive Cleanse program, which includes the new products Digest + Cleanse and Balance Complete — both available from Young Living.)

Step 2. Balance & Build: Once the body has been cleansed, the various systems of the body must be balanced and nourished.  This includes rebuilding and nourishing beneficial intestinal flora, and remineralizing the blood and tissues.  Products that build the body include: Mineral Essence, probiotics (like Primal Defense and Royaldophilus), Stevia Select, Living Multi Optimal Formula, WheyFit and/or Pure Protein Complete (available from Young Living), VitaGreen, PowerMeal and Super Cal or MegaCal.

Step 3. Support: Supporting the endocrine and immune systems comprises the third phase.  Products include: ImmuPro, ImmuneTune, Exodus, Be-Fit, Super C, Omega Blue (available from Young Living), Super B, Estro Tincture and Ultra Young.  Glandular supplements can also be of tremendous support to these vital body systems, as well as homeopathics and the supplement RM-10, from Garden of Life.

This, of course, is not a complete listing of supplements that you might find useful, but it provides you with a starting-point for rebuilding your health.

Note: Infants, or children under 8, should not undergo a colon and liver cleanse.  Instead, use 3 drops of Di-Gize oil blend in a teaspoon of V-6 Mixing Oil or massage oil base, rub around the navel and place warm hot packs over the stomach.  Also apply Di-Gize or fennel on bottom of the feet.

Eliminating things that tear down your health

However, cleansing, balancing and building and supporting your body systems, in many cases, might not be enough.  Our world and life-styles are over-loaded with things that destroy our health.  To those who are particularly susceptible (like me), the effects can be devastating.  So, unless these things are dealt with, there will never be any substantial recovery of health.  The best you can hope for is treading water.

The following are things that I've found to be especially important in regaining my health.  These are not the whole answer, to be sure; but, it's hard to make any significant progress toward health if you ignore these key factors.

1) Pure Water for all drinking, cooking and, if possible, all bathing:

One of the most fundamental things that must be addressed is your water.  Most water in the USA is very harmful to your health.  Not only is it filled with pharmaceutical drugs, the chemicals used to purify it and the fluoride added for dental "health" are incredibly toxic.  They can damage the immune system on a massive scale and create any number of other health problems. 

• Chlorine compounds will, among many other things, kill off the friendly bacteria in the gut.  This can result in allergies, asthma, poor digestion and assimilation of foods, leaky gut and liver overload.  They may very well play a critical role in the proliferation of inflammatory diseases that are plaguing us today. 
• Fluoride can, among many other things, lead to hip fractures and dysfunctional immune response. 

Both of these toxic chemicals can produce all the symptoms of Fibromyalgia.

And, it's not just a matter of the water you drink.  Water — and the chemicals in it — is absorbed through the skin in bathing/showering, swimming, etc.  Also, these chemicals are converted by contact with water into other really nasty chemicals that will rise in the steam.  It's like free-basing them whenever you take a shower.  I know that, for me, whenever I take a shower, I feel as if I've been beaten up.  Every fiber of my body hurts — bad — for about two days.  I'm reaching the conclusion that the cause of this is neurological, the result of the neuro-toxic effect of the chemicals in the steam.

The chemicals in your water can also cause serious inflammation; and since inflammation is at the root of many of the most chronic and the most deadly diseases we face today — like diabetes, heart disease and cancers — eliminating these chemicals can be a giant step toward health.

So, if you want to restore your health, you must use purified water (distilled is best, as long as you have your own distiller) for cooking and drinking.  You must also avoid swimming in pools and, if at all possible, bathe/shower in filtered water.

2) Removing all dental metals from your mouth:

One of the next primary issues to deal with for health is dental metals — mercury amalgam fillings and other reconstructive procedures.  I've written elsewhere about some of the effects of dental metals, but the mercury released from amalgam fillings (as well as the pink in dentures and other dental devices) can produce profoundly negative effects on your health.

Besides the battery effect these metals can create — an effect that can cause profound neuromuscular or musculoskeletal pain and disrupt normal brain waves — vapors released from amalgam fillings (which are really quite volatile) go right to the brain.  Since mercury is extremely neuro-toxic, this can have terribly debilitating effects on those who are particularly susceptible to it.  Mercury is also released from fillings when you chew, mingling with your food and going into the gut, poisoning the system.  It disrupts the intestinal flora, causing an overgrowth of harmful bacteria and fungus, as well as causing a host of other nasty effects.

The only real solution to this problem is to have the dental metals removed by a qualified dentist and replaced with bio-compatible materials.  I had this done in 1994 with very positive results.  (See also Health Hazards of Heavy Metal Toxicity: The ubiquitous poisons in our environment and their effect on you.)

3) Prepare your foods only with hygienic cookware:

One thing that many people don't realize is that most cookware on the market today leaches metals into the foods cooked in them.  Since most of these metals are neuro-toxic, this can have profound effects on your health.

So, it's of vital importance to use only cookware that will not leach these metals.  I use Le Creuset, but Young Living has a line of titanium cookware that would be as good or better.  Other really high-end stainless steel cookware might also be okay; but, anything aluminum or non-stick — especially Teflon — should be avoided like the plague, as well as brands like FarberWare of RevereWare.  They will do you serious harm.

4) Proper cooking and storage of your foods:

Most of us realize that quality foods are important, and one study has found that you can purchase organic foods for less than most processed foods that have almost no food value.  But, just as important, is how you cook and store that food.

One of the worst things you could do to food is microwave it.  This will turn your food into toxic waste. 

First of all, microwaving food will kill off all of the enzymes in the food, restructure its proteins into toxic, carcinogenic substances and break down the protein bonds to minerals so that the minerals can't be properly absorbed (they become toxic waste, and can form a crust over cell membranes, limiting the ability of bio-available minerals to enter the cells, as well as impeding the removal of wastes). 

But, food also has energy in it.  The ancient Chinese called it xi (pronounced chee).  Foods also have a kind of light energy, called biophotons.  These biophotons contain important information that controls complex, vital processes in your body.  They have the power to order and regulate and, in so doing, to elevate the organism to a higher oscillation or order.  This is manifested as a feeling of vitality and well-being.  Microwaving foods destroys this energy.  (See Why You Should Avoid Frozen Foods for more details.)

Foods should generally be eaten fresh (not frozen or packaged) and, if at all possible, raw.  If your food must be cooked, do so as lightly as possible, at as low a temperature as possible.

Ideally, foods should be eaten fresh and leftovers should be disposed of.  But, that's not always practical.  In that case, you need to make sure that your storage is not rendering your foods toxic.  One of the best things you can do in this regard is to avoid plastic storage containers.  If a food comes in plastic packaging, take it out as soon as possible.  And, never use Tupperware of Rubbermaid containers to store leftovers.  Metals can leach into foods, so they should be avoided, as well.  Glass containers are the best.

And, if you use a plastic wrap to cover stored foods, make sure the plastic never touches the food.  Plastics contain chemicals that are highly carcinogenic — breast cancer is especially a risk — and placing them in contact with food is dangerous.  Plastic wraps pose a greater danger for this in that, when stretched, they release more of these chemicals into the air — and into your food.  (If you have to use plastic wraps, it is a good practice to do direct inhalation of an essential oil like peppermint or Clarity afterwards.  This will help to remove the toxic vapors from your system.  (When I do this, my urine smells like diesel exhaust, an indication that the oils are dissolving all these petrochemicals, which are then coming out of my body.)

5) Balancing the body's pH:

One thing that helped me the most, when I first started using essential oils, was to balance my body's pH.  Like most Americans, the diet I ate left my system too acidic, which reduced the effectiveness of the oils, as well as creating a favorable environment for parasites, fungi, yeasts and molds.  An acidic system will also contribute to conditions like arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.  Some natural health experts claim that acidity is at the root of most health problems.  I know it was a strong contributor to my symptoms of Fibromyalgia.

For this reason, it's imperative that you balance your body's pH.  Making the right dietary choices, and eating a balance of foods that will not throw your pH off in one direction or the other, is one key (see Appendix B in the Essential Oils Desk Reference).  Eliminating sugar and grains from your diet — and some would say meat and eggs, as well (although I wouldn't go that far, assuming the meat is organic and the eggs are from free-range chickens) — is a very good first step in this.  Another is to drink the right water.  I've found that drinking a structured water works best for me.  Tap water should be avoided like the plague that it is, and most bottled water is nothing but filtered (if that) tap water.  For the best results, you should get your own distiller (I use one from Water Wise), add the structured water concentrate and, possibly, add a few grains of Himalayan Crystal Salt.

Beyond this, two of the most effective things you can do to balance your body's pH levels is to supplement your diet with good systemic and digestive enzymes and good probiotics.  This will help with the proper digestion and assimilation of foods, so that you don't leave undigested food in the digestive tract, where it can putrefy, giving off acids during this metabolic process.

When choosing your systemic and digestive enzymes and probiotics, however, it's important to remember that most of these types of products on the market today are not bio-active, and will not give you very good results — if they give any results at all.  Young Living has an excellent line of enzymes, as does Garden of Life and Generation+.  For a good, all-round enzyme complex, I would recommend either EssentialZyme, Ω-Zyme or Digesticol.  For a probiotic, I would strongly recommend either Primal Defense or Rebalanced Health Probiotics, although Culturelle^® Lactobacillus and RoyalDophilus are also excellent products.

Besides this, the use of essential oils is generally alkalizing, and there are specific supplements that can help a great deal.  One of the best supplements for this would be JuvaPower.  While designed as a liver and colon cleansing supplement, it's made of vegetables that have a powerful alkalizing effect on the system.  Another very good option is Acid Defense, by Garden of Life. 

If you need more help in balancing your pH levels, AlkaLime would be of great option.  It makes a great antacid, for immediate relief of digestive discomfort, but has ingredients (including essential oils) that provide lasting pH support to your whole system.

6) Internal cleansing:

With the daily exposure we have to a wide variety of toxic chemicals — in the air we breath, the water we drink, the food that we eat — our lifestyles should incorporate cleansing at all times.  Our good health requires an on-going program of cleansing.  The intensity of the cleansing depends on the individual.

Eating wholesome foods, drinking pure water, cooking in hygienic cookware, taking the right supplements — from a good foundational vitamin/mineral supplement to probiotics and digestive enzymes — wearing natural fiber clothing and sleeping in natural fiber bedding, using chemical-free personal care products and getting adequate exercise and rest are a great way to start.  However, given the fact that we're exposed to more toxic substances every day of our lives than our grandparents were exposed to in their whole life-time, these healthy choices are unlikely to be sufficient for us to maintain optimal health.  We need to pursue a regular cleansing program.  It's not enough to simply detox and forget it; we must detox, and continue a cleansing process on an on-going basis.

For a basic cleansing program, the Cleansing Trio is a great way to start.  It contains ComforTone, EssentialZyme and ICP.  Taken at the same time, these provide a powerful, synergistic cleansing force.  Here is the basic program:

• ComforTone: 3-5 capsules, morning and evening.
• Essentialzyme: 3 tablets, 3 times daily, to continue the digestion of toxic waste in your body from everyday metabolism.
• ICP: 1 tbsp in a glass of water, morning and evening.
• JuvaPower: 1 tbsp, 2 times daily.

The following are a few of the other cleansing options you might consider.

a) Heavy Metal Cleanse using Chelex Tincture:

Heavy metals, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, even in microscopic amounts, can cause severe damage to our bodies.  They disrupt normal functions and can cause allergic reactions, fatigue, headache, muscle pains, digestive disturbance, dizziness, depression and mental confusion.

Of even graver concern is their tendency to accumulate in the brain, kidneys, nerves, immune system and fatty tissues.  Some highly poisonous heavy metals, such as cadmium, can remain in the body for up to 30 years.  As a result, they can lead to degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and even cancer.

Herbs, such as astragalus, garlic, sarsaparilla and red clover, have the ability to bind with heavy metals, so they can be expelled from the body.  Essential oils also have a natural ability to dissolve insoluble heavy metal salts, so that they can be eliminated.  Chelex contains all of these, making it an excellent part of your cleansing regimen.

Cleansing Program: Put 3-4 droppers of Chelex Tincture in distilled water and drink 3-4 times daily, for up to 120 days.  Depending on the type of mineral or chemical toxicity, it may be necessary to follow this regimen for as long as 18 months.

Maintenance: 1-2 droppers, 2 times daily, 5 days a week.

The duration of this program depends on one's own knowledge of exposure and contamination.  Hair analysis may help in determining the proper duration of this program.

b) Liver Cleanse with JuvaTone, JuvaFlex, JuvaCleanse and LipoZyme:

Heavy metals are some of the most toxic poisons on earth.  The problem is that fats and bile within the liver can easily become saturated with toxic chemicals and heavy metals, and, as these heavy metals — such as mercury and lead — form insoluble metallic salts, they become trapped in the fat and in the kidneys, and cannot be readily excreted by the liver.  As these toxins accumulate, the liver becomes taxed and is unable to properly detoxify the blood.  As a result, these heavy metals can slowly accumulate in human tissues, causing neurological diseases, cardiovascular problems and some types of cancers.

Symptoms of a stressed and poorly functioning liver include skin conditions (i.e., rashes, eczema, dermatitis), fatigue, headaches, pallor, dizziness, irritability and poor digestion.  (See more at Symptoms of Liver Overload.)

The liver is one of the most important organs in the body.  It's pivotal in purifying the blood, and plays a key role in converting carbohydrates to energy, as well as storing energy in the form of glycogen and fats.  A liver that is overburdened with chemicals and heavy metals can affect our energy, digestion, skin and blood.  Because liver plays a major role in trapping and stabilizing mercury, liver cleansing, using essential oils and specific nutritional elements, can be an outstanding treatment in purging the body of heavy metal contamination.

Several nutrients are essential for cleansing the liver.  Choline, inositol, milk thistle, schizandra and dl-methionine have been researched for their ability to protect, de-fat and purge toxins from the liver.  Oregon grape root is a source of berberine, a compound researched for its ability to slow the liver damage and scarring (cirrhosis) associated with alcohol consumption, as well as hepatitis B and C.  All of these can be found in the Young Living supplement JuvaTone. 

Some essential oils can also be valuable in increasing the flow of bile from the liver.  These oils include ledum, German chamomile, carrot seed, helichrysum and geranium.  Carrot seed oil is well-regarded by herbalists for its role in liver cleansing.  These oils can be found in the essential oils blends of JuvaFlex and JuvaCleanse.  A related essential oil blend that I really like is GLF.  It contains the same essential oils as JuvaCleanse, but with the addition of grapefruit, hyssop and spearmint.  For some reason, I find it a more gentle — yet very effective — way to clear toxins from my system.

 

Clinical Studies Using Helichrysum, Ledum and Celery Seed Essential Oils (JuvaCleanse):

Clinical studies show that an essential oil blend of helichrysum, ledum and celery seed (JuvaCleanse) dramatically amplified the elimination of heavy metals from the body, especially mercury, one of the most toxic of all non-radioactive metals.  Mercury is particularly damaging to the brain and nervous system, because it can pass through blood-brain barrier and accumulate indefinitely in motor neurons.

For great-tasting tuna and salmon that is very low in mercury and other harmful toxins, try Oregon's Choice.  It will change your opinion — in a positive direction — of canned tuna and salmon forever.  I highly recommend it.

Mercury Toxicity: Mercury is present in harmful amounts in almost every person in the Unites States, due to consumption of seafood (methyl mercury levels in canned tuna are especially problematic) and amalgam dental fillings (which are about 50-60% mercury).

• It's estimated that, every year, 22 million pounds of mercury are put into peoples mouths, in the form of fillings.
• It's also estimated that a person who consumes a 6 oz can of one of the top 5 brands of tuna fish will (with over 0.64 ppm methyl mercury levels) have consumed over 20 times the mercury considered safe by the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, statistics show that one in eight women of childbearing age in the United States suffers from tissue levels of mercury that can be dangerous to a developing fetus.

Eliminating mercury from the body: Once in your system, mercury can be very difficult to excrete.  But, a 2003 clinical study, involving a group of four patients, tested the effect of three essential oils on the urinary output of mercury.  The results were very encouraging: all four participants more than doubled their urinary elimination of mercury over the four days of evaluation. 

In this study, four healthy individuals (ages 27 to 69) took two capsules per day (approximately 1,500 mg) of a blend of helichrysum, ledum and celery seed (JuvaCleanse).  The first urine collection occurred prior to essential oil therapy, with the second and third urine collections occurring two and four days after essential oil therapy had begun.  The results showed that this blend of therapeutic-grade essential oils significantly boosted the ability of each subject's body to eliminate this toxic metal.

Liver Cleanse Regimen with JuvaTone:

• Week 1: Take 3 JuvaTone tablets, 3 times daily for one week.
• Week 2: Increase to 4 tablets, 3 times daily for one week.
• Week 3: Increase to 5 tablets, 3 times daily for one week.
• Week 4: Increase to 6 tablets, 3 times daily for one week.

You should then decrease this regimen in the reverse order.  Rest for two weeks, after completing the 8 week cycle.  The above regimen can be significantly enhanced with the addition of 10-20 drops daily of JuvaCleanse or (what I like even better) GLF,taken in a capsule, in the morning upon rising, with 12 oz of pure water, and 1-3 tsp daily of JuvaPower, stirred into 4-6 oz of water (adding a pinch of cayenne pepper kicks it up another notch) or added as a seasoning to foods.

JuvaFlex essential oil blend may be massaged over the liver once daily, and may also be applied in a hot compress application (see Compress method in Applications Methods, at beginning of Chapter 30 of the Essential Oils Desk Reference).  A combination compress can be made with JuvaFlex and a castor oil poultice.  Compresses may be applied several times a day.

JuvaFlex may also be applied to the liver points on the bottom of the feet, through the Vita Flex Technique.  It may also be taken as a dietary supplement (4 drops twice daily, mixed in whole, raw cow's milk or rice milk).

Precautions: If you experience nausea or vomiting, it indicates a toxic liver.  Stop this regimen and rest 2-3 days, and then start again with 1-2 tablets of JuvaTone per day.  Gradually increase amount, until you reach the dosages recommended in the Liver Cleanse Regimen.

JuvaTone and ComforTone should not be taken together, as they might cause a release of too many toxins at the same time, creating nausea, vomiting, dizziness or discomfort.  They are best taken an hour apart, to allow them to work individually as the body needs.

For more information on liver cleansing and a detailed daily protocol, consult the Re-JUVA-nate Your Health, a booklet on liver cleansing by D Gary Young, as well as the Chapter 25 (Cleansing and Diets) in the Essential Oils Desk Reference.

Young Living has also released some new products in the 5-Day Nutritive Cleanse.  Featuring NingXia Red, it also contains the new products, Balance Complete™ and Digest + Cleanse™.  At the time of posting this article, I have not yet tried the 5-Day Nutritive Cleanse (as a cleansing program); however, I've tried the products, and am quite excited about their potential.  Of course, I've known for a few years now that NingXia Red is truly amazing; but, when I've used Balance Complete™, my teeth feel like they're wearing a fuzzy coat — even after brushing — which is a good indication of cleansing.  But the process is very gentle.

You can order the 5-Day Nutritive Cleanse from the Young Living website.

7) Supporting body tissue and DNA integrity with antioxidants and stem cell enhancers

Today, most people have heard about antioxidants and oxidative stress (or free radical damage).  Free radicals can circulate in your body as the natural result of cellular metabolism, but also because of the pollutants that are in our environment, water and food.  It is critical to good health to supply your body with an adequate supply of antioxidants to protect your body against oxidative stress and DNA damage caused by these destructive molecules.

All the essential oils are outstanding antioxidants, having higher ORAC ratings than any other substances on earth.  You can see how they compare to some high antioxidant foods at www.therapeutic-grade.com/refs/orac.html.  But, two of your very best antioxidant supplements anywhere are NingXia Red and Longevity Soft Gels. 

However, antioxidants are only half the story in supporting the integrity of your body tissues and DNA.  The yin to antioxidants' yang are stem cell enhancers.  While antioxidants are great at protecting your cells from damage, stem cell enhancers support your body's own innate renewal system, helping your body to repair damage that is already done.  A stem cell enhancer will stimulate the release of adult stem cells from your bone marrow into the blood stream, increasing the number of circulating stem cells by up to 30%.  But, stem cells don't do much good in the blood stream.  They need to migrate into the dysfunctional tissue, where they can replace the damaged tissue with healthy cells.  A stem cell enhancer will do that, as well.  The benefits that are seen with this can be amazing.

8) Supplying your body with essential fats

Fats play many roles in the body, and having a balanced intake of beneficial fats is critical for healing.  Because the cell membranes are largely fat, getting adequate amounts of the right kinds of fats is critical for detoxification and healing.  Hormones are also made from cholesterol, so it's important to get adequate amounts of this fat in your diet.

You should not be afraid of using butter, but for most cooking and eating, a quality coconut oil is the best you can do.  But, not all coconut oils are the same.  Among the best are those from Creer Lab Aromatology, Garden of Life and Generation+.

But, the really critical fats for most Americans are the Omega-3s.  Again, not all Omega-3 supplements are alike.  My recommendation would be either the Omega Blue from Young Living, Cod liver oil from Garden of Life or from Carlson's.  Dr Mercola also strongly recommends krill oil.

9) The importance of bio-active sulfur and proteins to health

Another thing to consider, when trying to overcome any significant health problem, is the need to provide your body with the building blocks it needs for repair.  Two key building blocks are proteins and bio-active sulfur.

All tissues in the body are made up of proteins, and so, it's important to provide your body with a regular supply of this important nutrient.  But, there are different types of proteins.  If you are an expert at food combining, you might get by with a vegetarian diet.  However, for healing, animal protein is a must.  But, if your digestive system is compromised in any way, you might have difficulty using proteins from meats, eggs or milk.

If you are in a recovery mode, it is vital to your health to supplement your diet with pre-digested animal proteins.  Three of the best are Goatein, WheyFit and Pure Protein Complete.  All three are whey-based proteins.  Another really good option — which I use myself — is to mix PowerMeal with Body-Gize and Goatein in a glass of structured water.  It's a great source for usable protein, and is substantial enough to carry you through the day.

Sulfur is a vital mineral for your body.  It's useful in tissue repair, nerve structure and repair, digestion, liver function and a host of other things.  If your health is at all compromised, adding sulfur to your dietary supplementation is a critical step to recovery.

The sulfur your body uses best is called MSM (methylsulfonymethane).  There are a number of MSM supplements on the market today, but not all of them are really worth their cost.  In my opinion, the very best MSM supplement on the market is SulfurZyme, from Young Living Essential Oils.  It's a great source of MSM, but gives you the added benefits of NingXia wolfberry — a powerful superfood with amazing antioxidant capacity.  Another good option is Zymitol.  Although primary formulated to promote the normalization of general pain and inflammation, it is also a good source of MSM.

10) Protecting your body from electro-magnetic fields (EMFs)

Another environmental problem — one that is pretty much universal in the modern world — is electro-magnetic poisoning.  EMFs can have a profound effect on your health.

The simple reason for this is that your body runs on electricity.  The electrical fields in our environment can disrupt brain waves, impede the flow of materials through the cell membranes and many other things.

You can learn more about what to do about this at The Importance of Magnetics and Grounding for your Health: Protecting your body from electro-magnetic fields (EMFs).

There are, or course, many other considerations when looking at healing and recovery from different health issues, but these principles offer you a foundational ideas toward health.  I hope that you will find the beneficial.