une/July 2008
My Mother’s Garden
Muktha Jost
Getting A Grip
Frances Moore Lappé
The Documented Health Risk of
Genetically Engineered Foods
Dr. Jeffrey Bland Interviews Jeffrey Smith
The Emerging Significance of Urban Agriculture
Jody Woodruff
Our Food Future
Scott McGuire
We Need A New Generation of Farmers
Zoë Bradbury
Soft Intentions, Hard Results
Peter Moore
Fitness Training For The Brain
Jim Brown and Molly Brown
Improved Health Through Detoxification
Daniel Smith, ND
Awakening and Embodiment
An Interview with Judith Blackstone
Randall Keller
Reclaiming Our Attention
Guy Finley
Cosmic Calendar
Salina Rain
Improved Health Through Detoxification
By Dr. Daniel Smith, ND
We live in a toxic world. It is a testament to the strength, potential, vitality and spirit of the human body that we have endured so well over the past century, given what the residents of planet Earth must contend with. Our bodies are remarkable, vivacious organisms programmed by five billion years of history to survive amongst the harshest of environments, regardless of the circumstances. Every one of our cells has evolved a phenomenal array of metabolic pathways designed to purge itself of toxins. True, our bodies today must deal with more carcinogenic compounds (and nastier compounds) than ever before, but all the same it is critical that we cultivate the mantra that our bodies are capable of thriving amid the chaos. We can thrive. And we will. As a naturopathic physician, I have made a career out of convincing people this is true. Although I may be an optimist, I have no delusions about what we are up against in this world. How can I be so confidently optimistic? Because I have made a career out of proving to people that as individuals and as a species, we can detoxify, we can heal. I see a wide array of patients that range from the very healthy to the morbidly sick, but I believe that every patient who enters my office has the potential to experience dramatic improvements to their health.
At the crux of my philosophy lies my observation that people become sick when their ability to excrete becomes compromised by toxins. Hence, the core of my therapies use several simple, easy, inexpensive home therapies that target the organs of elimination, maximizing the detoxifying capacity of these organs. This program, called the Basic Treatment Guidelines (BTGs), works for everyone suffering from the common cold to autoimmune conditions and cancer. I would like to devote the rest of the article to addressing a few of the foundational components of the BTGs. Just about every single one of these processes can be done in the comfort of your own home.
The object of the BTGs is to open the emunctories, or organs of elimination. There are five primary emunctories: the colon, the lungs, the kidneys, the skin and the liver. The lymph glands are considered an adjunctive organ of elimination. Given the state of affairs today, most of us, even if we are “healthy,” have at least one organ of elimination that is seriously compromised. When an emunctory is functioning at anything less than full capacity, toxins build up in the body. Toxins primarily affect the body’s ability to metabolize. By metabolize, I am referring the physiologic ability to perform any function necessary to survive: digest, excrete, sweat, sleep, exercise, grow, think, break things down, build things up, etc. As the body falters in its ability to metabolize, toxins accrue into the fabric of our cells; the cells become sluggish and inefficient. Symptoms begin to arise, including but not limited to migraines, allergies, PMS, muscle and joint pain, constipation, diarrhea, reflux, eczema and fatigue. Eventually, if the emunctories are not opened, chronic disease may develop.
The Basic Treatment Guidelines, tools which can reverse this imbalance, are efficient and cost virtually nothing at all—the ideal characteristic of any health care system! They do, however, require a commitment to incorporate them into your life. My suggestion is to integrate the BTGs in a manner that does not overwhelm. Change doesn’t happen overnight—if it takes a week to add the BTGs into your life, it takes a week. If it takes a year, it takes a year. But I encourage you to strive toward including more BTGs into your daily schedule, for they will make a remarkable difference in your health. The BTGs are safe for everyone from child through gracefully aged, healthy or ill—regardless of your state of health, the basic treatment guidelines are the foundational step toward optimizing your health.
The first Basic Treatment Guideline focuses on water. Water is the universal cleanser. It is involved in every conceivable cellular process. The more water you drink, the easier it will be for cells to dispose of water soluble toxins. In the presence of adequate water, toxins will easily flow via osmosis into the bloodstream, where they will be taken for elimination to the kidneys. When insufficient water is consumed the blood is too concentrated with substances for this osmotic process to continue and the toxins remain trapped in the cells. I recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces of water. Thus, a 150 pound person should consume daily 75 ounces of filtered or spring water. It is a simple addition to your life that virtually everyone can do, no matter how hectic your schedule.
Of course, food plays a critical role in detoxification. I tell most of my patients to eat as though they were living in the 19th Century. At this time, pesticides and herbicides did not exist, so all fruits and vegetables were organic. Further, megatransportation systems had not been developed and it was not possible to deliver Chilean bananas to Oregon in February, so people were forced to eat predominantly local, seasonal produce. Meats, being less available, were consumed much less frequently, and when they were, it was wild game. (Wild game has a much higher percentage of omega 3 oils in it than even grass fed organic beef). Foods had not been genetically modified and processed fast foods were a thing of the future, hence none of this type of “cuisine” was a part of any daily menu. In short, my patients shift to an organic, seasonal, whole foods, complex grain, home cooked menu high in fiber with loads of fresh fruit and vegetables and only occasional red and white meat. The choice to eat according to such guidelines will reduce the amount of inflammatory substances in the body, and push the metabolism toward detoxifying pathways.
One relatively simple way to start the detoxification process without becoming overwhelmed is to commit to one day—just twenty four hours—of restricting your food choices to only steamed vegetables and complex grains (like brown rice and quinoa). Olive oil and coconut oil may be used, along with any organic spices you desire. Eliminate coffee, sugar, wheat and animal products (meats, eggs, all dairy) entirely, with no exceptions. If you feel strongly about consuming meat during this day, eat no more than 5 oz. of deep sea fish, i.e. wild salmon, halibut, sardines, cod or haddock. In this way you will be consuming a highly anti-inflammatory menu that facilitates cleansing. After this cleanse is over, consider incorporating recipes into your lifestyle that will continue this process. By far, the most supportive cookbook I have found that assists my patients looking for easy, quick recipes is The Anti Inflammatory Cookbook by Dr. Jessica Black. Anyone looking for a tasty breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert that will be enjoyed by family members of all ages should turn to this excellent resource.
One of the most valuable BTGs is the castor oil pack. This is a soothing, highly detoxifying pack placed over the liver each night for about 45 minutes. The castor oil, when absorbed through the skin, improves immune function, greatly assists the liver in metabolizing toxins, improves digestion, helps to process hormones, and improves sleep quality. Never underestimate the ability of the liver to detoxify! A singular organ, life is virtually unsustainable without the assistance of the liver. Many chronic illnesses develop due to suboptimal functioning of this organ—castor oil packs support the ability of the liver to maximize its detoxifying potential, especially for fat soluble toxins. The standard castor oil pack is made from several layers of white wool flannel, folded to about the size of a 10” by 14” rectangle. The wool flannel is then saturated, but never dripping, with cold-pressed castor oil. In many cases, the oil is warmed before use. Usually, the pack is placed on the right side of the abdomen in the area between the lower rib and chest. The pack should cover the lower chest (but below the breast on a woman), the lower rib border, and wrap around part of the right side. In this way it will cover the liver. A castor oil pack should be applied for one hour with a hot water bottle (as warm as possible) placed on top of the castor oil pack. A large bath or beach towel is then wrapped around the body, covering the castor oil pack and heating pad. Be aware that castor oil is viscous stuff and can potentially stain your sheets. Soaking your sheets in baking soda will help to remove any accidental stains.
The skin is by far the largest organ of elimination. When skin problems are on the list of health concerns, it usually infers an accumulation of toxins in the digestive tract. Improperly digested foods will ferment; if the colon and bladder are not functioning optimally, the body in its wisdom will try to eliminate these foods via the skin, which responds to the presence of these products with irritation, itching and swelling. Another BTG, dry skin brushing, will facilitate the skins ability to dispose of these toxins. To do this, briskly brush the skin all over the body with a loofa sponge each night before bed. Always direct your brush strokes toward the heart. It takes all of 45 seconds!
In a certain sense, the body falters in its ability to detoxify because it is “asleep.” That is, the collective toxic burden makes our cells so sluggish they are barely aware that anything is amiss. The ideal BTG would be one that wakes our cells up by saying “Look at this mess! Go to work! You know what you need to do: clean up now!” The next BTG, hydrotherapy serves to wake the body up to its imbalances. Hydrotherapy refers to alternating applications of hot and cold water. It has a wonderful plunging effect on congested tissue. The hot water opens blood vessels up, bringing in fresh, oxygenated blood; the cold water closes blood vessels down, squeezing out blood laden by toxins, inflammatory products and metabolic waste. Hydrotherapy has thousands of years of history supporting its use. Two hundred years ago, many small towns did not have doctors. People required simple, effective treatments that could sustain them until a doctor could arrive. Hydrotherapy was one of those protocols. Although rarely used today, it still offers the same remarkable ability to promote healing.
There are many hydrotherapy treatments, but one that works well for virtually all conditions is a warming sock treatment. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Soak thin cotton socks in the ice water. Take a hot shower. Dry off. Wring out the ice water socks very well. Don the socks and put on wool socks over the wet cotton socks. Go directly to bed. In the morning, the socks should be dry. Although this is a process that sounds uncomfortable, but take it from me (I have prescribed this hundreds of times), it isn’t as distressing as it seems. The warming sock treatment awakens the body’s natural healing response. In order to warm your feet, the body sends blood to the region. In doing so, the blood must travel through all the organs that filter the blood: the lymph glands, liver and spleen. Most importantly, hydrotherapy forces the body to manage its own affairs, rather than relying on a drug to do so. Warming socks, if practiced four to five times a week, will purify the blood and greatly enhance the ability of the body to cleanse itself.
For people who have difficulty keeping weight off or who suffer from an underactive thyroid gland, I usually recommend hydrotherapy in conjunction with saunas. Spend ten minutes in the sauna, then immediately take a cold shower. Aim the cold shower at the regions of the body that contain lymph nodes: the neck, the armpits, the belly, the groin and inner thighs. Repeat this process three times, alternating sauna and cold shower. After your final cold shower, dry off and dress without turning on the warm water. This BTG greatly stimulates the metabolism and clears congestion. It stimulates the immune system and encourages excretion through the lymph and skin. I expect that if you take your weight before doing this process and after, you will notice a loss of between one and three pounds. Be persistent: waking a sleeping metabolism will take time.
I would like to conclude with a simple test you can perform at home to roughly gauge the toxic burden of your metabolism. Take your temperature the instant you open your eyes in the morning, before getting out of bed. If the thermometer reads anything below 98.0◦ Fahrenheit, you would do well to begin incorporation of BTGs into your life! Incidentally, low body temperature is classically attributed to a poorly functioning thyroid gland, but in fact may have nothing at all to do with the thyroid. The blood tests of many people with “hypo” thyroid symptoms—low body temperature, fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, PMS, cramping, constipation and depression—often reveal no abnormalities. Toxic load, due to blocked emunctories, is a much more probable cause of these symptoms, especially low body temperature and fatigue.
Water, sound food choices, castor oil pack, saunas, hydrotherapy and dry skin brushing represent six of the twelve Basic Treatment guidelines, a simple system of cleansing anybody can perform at home (except the saunas). Seriously ill people, of course, require far more powerful intervention through nutrient supplementation and other regimes. The successful treatments of environmentally mediated disease includes specialized diets, far infrared sauna treatment (probably one of the very best detox and healing treatments), specific detoxification protocols for various substances, and chelation (e.g. removal of mercury amalgam) all clearly explained and backed by sound, verifiable science and personal medical experience. It is critical that those of you who suffer from chronic conditions work with a qualified physician rather than rely exclusively on the BTGs to resolve your illnesses. When selecting a physician, please consider finding a doctor—such as a naturopathic physician—who accepts such home therapies as being an integral part of your treatment plan.
Dr. Daniel Smith is a naturopathic physician with family practices in Medford and Klamath Falls, Oregon. He uses diverse therapies including nutrition, detoxification, herbal medicine, constitutional homeopathy intravenous and chelation therapy. He can be reached in Medford at (541) 842-4844 and in Klamath Falls (541) 882-5602.
