QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON FAMILY HEALTH

Jan de Vries was not only interested to learn everything about my experiences of when, where and how to collect herbs, he also insisted on taking part in the actual process of extracting their beneficial ingredients. As he was a trained and qualified pharmacist, he was already familiar with the world of plants and herbs and had considerable knowledge in this field. He accepted an invitation to join our firm, which gave us the chance to establish a working relationship which has lasted for many years. He was one of my best pupils, if not the very best, and he grasped the opportunity to further develop his talents in the field of natural medicine.

I was very happy to share with him my enthusiasm for Nature and the world of plants. He was also prepared to accept my principle that herbal medicine should always have priority in the treatment of illness.

As a result of our experiences we both agreed that, when properly used, natural methods and herbal remedies could improve one’s health and keep illnesses at bay. Nature itself is capable of healing. Jan de Vries shared my conviction that herbal medicine in combination with a natural diet could create positive responses in the body in order to ward off ailments. By creating the right conditions for the body and supplying it with the correct nourishment, we are able to activate the body’s own regeneration system. In this way it is possible to overcome, as well as cure, ailments. Natural practitioners are becoming increasingly aware that we don’t just have an important role to play in the curing of illnesses, but also in the prevention of medical disturbances. This requires us to put greater emphasis on preventive medicine. Prevention is always better than cure. This principle plays a major role in my own approach. In an effort to clarify this to patients and the public at large, I have written several books, such as The Nature Doctor, The Liver as the Regulator of our Health, and Nature, Your Guide to Healthier Living.

Jan de Vries was immediately prepared to share my experiences with his friends and later with his patients and he recommended these books for their information. He is, I am pleased to repeat, my most successful ‘pupil’. His success, from which many patients have benefited is not, however, attributable solely to his talents; it is also thanks to the Creator who has supplied so many plants with healing powers.

I am very pleased that Jan de Vries is able to share his knowledge and experiences with us on paper. His books are written in simple language that can be readily understood by both patients and laymen alike. In these books he deals with natural methods using herbal remedies to overcome ailments and illnesses.

It is important to look beyond merely curing the obvious symptoms, as conventional medicine might teach us. We must look for the cause of the illness in order to continue the treatment and find a cure for the source. Very little benefit is obtained by clearing up an ache or easing a sensitivity if we are not able to eliminate the cause. In order to do this we should study the whole person and attempt to recognise which factors have contributed to the condition. There could be many reasons, for example, a breathing difficulty, a movement disorder, or a shortage of oxygen, rest or sleep. There can be many causes of a biological imbalance.

Jan de Vries has developed an extensive knowledge in this area. With perseverance he builds up an overall picture of total health, never failing to take into account the physical and mental condition of the patient.

I am convinced that in this book he will show many people the right way to recovery in plain and simple language. It is an excellent complement to my own books, as we have both sincerely attempted to serve our fellow men and share with them the knowledge we have acquired from our understanding and experience of the bounty of nature.

It often seems that books on similar subjects contradict each other, and the questions from meetings and lectures are a good indicator of what the public wants to know and learn about. These questions may be so diverse as to cover varicose veins, the use of vitamin E, headaches, verrucas, ME, Candida, or cancer. The health problems and concerns experienced by people today are so numerous that it is impossible to assemble them all into one publication. However, this handbook presents a variety of easily used methods and I have tried to keep the contents as useful and varied as possible.

It is my sincere wish that this book will be of help to a great many people and that its readers will find the answers to some of their own questions in this book.

The reader should bear in mind that any advice, remedy or method mentioned in this book, is suggested as a guideline only. I would always recommend that people consult a qualified practitioner for specific advice.

I would recommend Echinaforce (15 drops in some water before meals, taken twice daily), Petaforce (ten drops in a little water before meals, taken twice daily) and two tablets of Hepar sulph. 4x before going to bed.

Acne rosacea, however, presents a much bigger problem as it is generally more difficult to control. This is a chronic skin condition affecting the fleshy areas of the face, the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead, which affects both sexes, usually in middle age. This condition is thought to be caused by neurovascular instability, endocrine disorders, allergies and various other factors. The first requirement, once again, is a healthy diet.

The following remedies are recommended for both types of acne: Echinaforce, Viola tricolor, Petaforce, vitamin E and Oil of Evening Primrose.

Pernicious anaemia is a specific form of anaemia and, fortunately, less common than the type described above. This condition is characterised by lesions of the spinal cord, weakness, diarrhoea, a sore tongue and numbness in the limbs. It is usually associated with an inadequate absorption of vitamin B’¹². In addition to the recommended medication, diet is very important. Supplement a balanced diet three times a week with a dessert of four dried pears (sulphur-free) soaked in red grape juice or port wine. Eat plenty of fresh green vegetables and a raw egg, beaten with red grape juice about three times a week. Use Alfavena tablets, Ferrum phos. 6x and Kalium phos. 6x.

In the field of alternative medicine, however, more success is being achieved. The application of homoeopathic or herbal therapies is producing some remarkable results. These, along with the serious study of the relationship between diet and these illnesses, have shown that it is possible to bring considerable relief to those who suffer from these depressing symptoms. It is now generally accepted that although some people may inherit tendencies towards certain ailments, faulty diet greatly contributes towards producing illnesses like arthritis and rheumatism. In his book The Nature Doctor Dr Alfred Vogel says that ‘The diet for arthritis and rheumatism should be absolutely natural. It should exclude acid-forming foods, in particular pork and processed meats.’ He continues: ‘It must be our faulty way of eating and living that accounts for the problems that we bring upon ourselves, because these diseases do not exist among the more primitive people.’

Additionally, acupuncture has proved valuable in stimulating the body functions, helping the body to remove the underlying causes of arthritis and rheumatism. It is therefore well worth everyone who suffers from these and related problems to seriously consider ‘alternative’ therapies.

We use the terms arthritis and rheumatism, but pain and limitation are what people actually experience. What are the events in our bodies that lead to such conditions developing? One factor that acts as a trigger is stress, that is anything and everything that threatens or damages us – fear, a heavy workload, the kind of food we eat. Although some stress is avoidable (for example we can stop smoking), we must all learn to cope with it in some form.

We can learn to live with stress. Physically, we must learn to replace the resources that we use. Our nutrition therefore has to be very good. There is a tiny gland at the base of the brain called the pituitary gland. At any sign of stress, this gland releases a hormone which sounds the alarm. The hormone travels in the blood until it reaches two small glands that sit on our kidneys in the middle of the back – the adrenals. When the adrenals pick up this hormone they too release different hormones. The better known of these is called cortisol (we know it as cortisone). Messages will have reached the adrenals from the nervous system too, and the hormone adrenalin is also released. The presence of these adrenal hormones in the blood tells the whole body that it is under threat.

The reaction is dramatic. Sugar reserves pour into the blood to provide immediate fuel. Proteins and fats are broken down to give more energy. Calcium is taken from our bones for use by the nerves and muscles. Pain, stiffness and inflammation seem to miraculously disappear. Blood pressure rises so that oxygen, sugar and calcium travel more quickly to the tissues.

The stress reaction is highly protective. Normally, the threat ends and the above reactions are gradually reversed. Proteins are rebuilt and the cells are repaired. Calcium is replaced in our bones. Blood pressure drops to its normal level and all our familiar aches and pains reappear. The body’s reserves will have been used and even more will be needed for repair. More vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and carbohydrates will be needed than usual. When our nutrition is inadequate, or when the stress situation does not come to an end, our body will come under further threat. By robbing Peter to pay Paul, it will do the best it can for as long as it can. But sooner or later we will find we have no more reserves, we stop manufacturing adrenal hormones, and we have no further resistance. Disease is the result.

The removal of calcium from the bones when under stress is clearly one feature of the arthritic process. Normally, calcium moves continuously between blood and bone to maintain a balance. A hormone from the parathyroid gland in the neck triggers the removal of calcium from the bones when the blood level drops. Calcitonin, a hormone from the thyroid gland, encourages calcium back to the bone. Vitamins are needed for us to absorb calcium from our food and also to help the bone to mineralise. The balance of calcium is very delicate. If the blood levels drop, our muscles may go into spasms and convulsions. If our bones are continuously leached, they may bend or break. If the level of calcium in the blood stays high, as in a stressful condition, then calcium may be deposited in the arteries, tissues, muscles and joints. This depositing tendency appears to be an error resulting from prolonged stress without adequate nutrition, a parathyroid imbalance or vitamin deficiency.

The adrenals produce cortisol from the hormone deoxycortisol (known as DOC for short). This hormone has a remarkable action. It helps the body to fight infection and damage by setting up inflammation around bacteria or toxins and sealing them off, as in boils for example. Swelling, pain and fever may result but the body is being protected nonetheless. Normally, sufficient DOC will be converted to cortisol to remove the pain and swelling once the intruder has been dealt with.

When a diet does not supply the vitamins needed by the enzymes that make and maintain the balance of these hormones, the DOC may fail to be converted to cortisol and the areas of pain and swelling may become permanent and collect calcium. Cortisone treatment is not the easy solution because our own DOC production is inhibiting resistance. Our bones become further demineralised and other mineral reactions may cause water retention (moon face). Moreover, the constant robbing of proteins may eat away our stomach cells and cause ulcers.

The whole vitamin spectrum must be used when the nutrition pattern has broken down so severely. Other aspects of our diets must also be changed. When we eat sugar our blood sugar level rises rapidly and we feel full of energy, which is why we like it. Another gland, the pancreas, is alerted and insulin is released to absorb the sugar and store it. When we eat sugar frequently, our pancreas becomes trigger-happy and takes out too much at a time. We then develop low blood sugar, or hyperglycaemia. The adrenals are alerted and we go into a stress reaction. Calcium is taken from our bones. So, when we eat sugar we can make holes in our bones, not just in our teeth.

Moreover, few of us realise we are addicted to salt. Salt is a stimulant: it hits the adrenals and once again we go into a stress reaction. Most of us eat ten times too much salt in a day because we like the ‘high’ it provides. The blood is naturally 80 per cent alkaline. The alkaline-forming foods are mainly fruit and vegetables, yogurt and seeds. If we eat an all-acid meal such as an egg on toast with coffee, the body’s reserves of calcium and other minerals are drawn upon in order to restore the alkaline balance. As it is difficult to heal arthritis or rheumatism with an acid body, our food intake therefore should be 80 per cent alkaline and 20 per cent acid. Calcium must be added to the diet during the healing programme. The bones will only remineralise when there is sufficient in the diet.

Calcium enters into solution in an acid medium and is precipitated and deposited in an alkaline medium. This simple but profound statement provides the key to unlock the mystery of arthritis. To reverse this process – one of solubility – we must employ a secondary agent. This agent is potassium.

Rich sources of potassium are potatoes, molasses, bananas, cider vinegar, dates, apricots, figs and raisins. The enemies of potassium include alcohol, laxatives, coffee, sugar, salt and stress.

When treating every type of arthritis or rheumatism, the patient’s diet has to be altered from a poor sub-nutritive diet to a rich energy-producing diet that is particularly rich in potassium. Potassium deficiency can produce rapid calcification of the arteries, teeth, muscles and joints. A diet low in potassium causes types of arthritis which are preceded by rheumatic disorders – aching muscles first and fixed joints afterwards. Finally, herbs are traditional cleansers and healers. As well as providing many vitamins and minerals themselves, the herbs used to treat these conditions work on all levels to help bring the body, mind and emotions back into healing alignment.

Can rheumatism and arthritis be successfully treated at home? The answer is Yes and a very good start may be achieved by keeping to the instructions outlined below. The treatment would be better still with the help and guidance of a qualified practitioner.

Certainly homoeopathic and herbal remedies can help, but in view of the severity of your condition please make an appointment with a homoeopathic or alternative practitioner in order to discuss the best course of treatment.