My wife, 45 years old in 2010, is the most important person in my life. It is thus my responsibility to assist her in facing various detox responses.
Flu, running nose and cough were the normal responses for my wife. She was relatively impatient when faced with these responses. Between 1996 and 1999, her first reaction was taking flu tablets purchased from pharmacies. She just wanted to get rid of these common responses within the shortest possible time. They were definitely annoying. When self-medication did not work, she would visit the local clinic. Her stand was to stop the responses first and then treat the body with the normal health food diet. For a person who was impatient and wanted a quick fix, this was a temporary measure.
She realized that this was not the best solution to her health problems. Consequently, since 2000 she decided to alter her way of handling flu, running nose and cough. She gave herself a good rest when the responses emerged. When they were too serious, she went to the clinic, obtained medicines and a medical certificate. She left the medicines aside and rested for a day or two. While resting at home, she drank lots of fresh fruit juice. Within two days, she was fully recovered. When she went back to teach in school, she did not suffer any side effect such as physical weakness or dizziness. The two days’ rest was enough for her to recover fully.
Beginning 2002 till 2006, my wife faced a very interesting detox response–hiccup. Normally, the hiccup would occur after dinner. I massaged her back to enable the gas to come out of the body before she went to sleep. Sometimes, while the family members were in deep sleep, she would sit on the chair and allow the hiccup to occur naturally. Since 2006, her hiccup was gradually reduced.
Skin itch was another detox discomfort for my wife. Since birth, she had skin itches on both hands from time to time. Before 1996, she sought medical assistance and has been taking medicine and applying ointment on her hands. After 1996, upon learning that my anus itch had stopped, she decided to stop taking any medicine. However, the skin itch remained. In 2002, I took her to a nearby hot spring so that she could wash her hands with the water. Many claim that hot spring water is an effective cure for those with skin diseases. Sometimes I transported two small containers of hot spring water back home for her use. It helped temporarily. By 2004, she found that the use of hot spring water did not provide the expected impact. She found another natural way of handling it. When the itch started, she would use a luffa sponge to brush the affected part. By 2008, her skin-itch problem was reduced to a great extent. By 2010, she seldom complain of her skin-itch.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Detox 6: My Detox Responses
Changing to a health food life style has helped me overcome an old problem almost immediately–anus itch. Since my varsity days in 1979, I had this problem of anus itch that disturbed my sleep. From 1979 till 1996, I had to depend on modern and traditional medicines to relieve the itch temporarily. When my family changed to health food completely, within three months, the anus itch disappeared amazingly. It was a big surprise.
After my family switched from normal food to health food in mid-1996, I began to experience various responses (Table 6.4). Initially, flu, running nose and cough were common. Mucus was discharged from my nasal passages. I hold to the advice of Diamond & Diamond (1985), i.e. “This is not a cold”. Since I understand the detox responses better as I can read health literature in English and Chinese, my decision was not to visit the doctors unless necessary. Whenever I had flu, more time was allocated for resting. No cough concoction was taken when cough happened. Between 1996 and 1999, these detox responses were handled naturally, without any modern medication. After 1999, I hardly had flu and running nose even though cough did occur occasionally.
In 2000, my main detox response was the occurrence of external piles (i.e. hemorrhoids). Those having piles would know how unbearable it is. You cannot walk, stand, sit and sleep comfortably. I could not work and decided to take annual leave and rest at home. I did not have adequate confidence then to accept piles as a detox response. After visiting the local physician, the recommendation was to undergo an operation to remove the piles. This was to take place in a private hospital if I had wished to do so.
In the meantime, my colleague who earlier had piles informed me that taking yellow tapioca helps. I found some tapioca and started eating it. Since I did not want to undergo any operation, my chance of solving the problem appeared to be tapioca. My colleague advised me to take two tablets of Chinese herbal medicine. Ultimately, the piles burst and the pain gone. People having piles normally have problems over a long time. The piles can cause inconveniences. It was not so in my case. Since my piles matured naturally and probably with assistance from herbal medicine, without any operation, it has not caused me any inconveniences. On 15 January 2007, another piles occurred next to the spot of the first piles. Unlike the first piles, it matured naturally within two days, with only little pain. I did not take any medical leave and later went for my three-day field work in the state of Pahang on 17-19 January 2007.
In September 2003, upon reaching my office, I could not lift my right arm to adjust the temperature of the air-conditioner. The condition did not improve after a few days. Was this a symptom of ageing? From the literature, those reaching 50 years old might have shoulder and arm pain. I read the literature on detox responses again and confirmed that this was another form of detox response. Since I have developed more trust and confidence in health food as the best medicine and accepted detox responses as part of my life, I just ignored the arm pain. After three months, I was able to lift my arm to adjust the temperature of the air-conditioner again. Looking back, if I did not walk the healthy food path and had no confidence in the detox responses, I would have visited the doctors for treatment on many occasions.
The other unforgettable experience was when I had a swollen cheek in 2004. A wart the size of a table tennis ball developed in the right cheek. Ten days had passed and the swelling remained. My family members were getting worried. Colleagues advised me to seek medical treatment. In response to their concern, I went to the clinic but soon returned without seeing the doctor. While waiting at the clinic, I questioned my confidence in accepting the wart as another detox response. I decided to let it to mature naturally. After four days, puss gradually oozed out from the wart and I fully recovered.
Beginning September 2005 till January 2007 was the period of detoxification through the mouth, throat and tongue. Initially, there was cough and sore throat. Later, I found my mouth having heavy smell and some phlegm after waking up in the morning. When I brushed my teeth and gum, white bubbles appeared even though I had not used any tooth paste since 2000. Occasionally the gum also experienced aching. Despite all these, I just faced the detox responses naturally and realize that I would live a healthier life in years to come.
In November 2006, after taking a 10-day liver detox (lemon juice, olive oil, molasses and dashes of cayenne pepper), I felt the occasional right elbow pain. This did not cause any alarm at all, knowing that it was another detox response. The pain went off naturally after five weeks. However, it emerged again in January 2007. What I did was just to ignore the occasional pain.
In November 2009, light pain appeared on my right leg. It did not affect my daily routine work and I just left it alone. After eight days, the pain disappeared naturally.
After my family switched from normal food to health food in mid-1996, I began to experience various responses (Table 6.4). Initially, flu, running nose and cough were common. Mucus was discharged from my nasal passages. I hold to the advice of Diamond & Diamond (1985), i.e. “This is not a cold”. Since I understand the detox responses better as I can read health literature in English and Chinese, my decision was not to visit the doctors unless necessary. Whenever I had flu, more time was allocated for resting. No cough concoction was taken when cough happened. Between 1996 and 1999, these detox responses were handled naturally, without any modern medication. After 1999, I hardly had flu and running nose even though cough did occur occasionally.
In 2000, my main detox response was the occurrence of external piles (i.e. hemorrhoids). Those having piles would know how unbearable it is. You cannot walk, stand, sit and sleep comfortably. I could not work and decided to take annual leave and rest at home. I did not have adequate confidence then to accept piles as a detox response. After visiting the local physician, the recommendation was to undergo an operation to remove the piles. This was to take place in a private hospital if I had wished to do so.
In the meantime, my colleague who earlier had piles informed me that taking yellow tapioca helps. I found some tapioca and started eating it. Since I did not want to undergo any operation, my chance of solving the problem appeared to be tapioca. My colleague advised me to take two tablets of Chinese herbal medicine. Ultimately, the piles burst and the pain gone. People having piles normally have problems over a long time. The piles can cause inconveniences. It was not so in my case. Since my piles matured naturally and probably with assistance from herbal medicine, without any operation, it has not caused me any inconveniences. On 15 January 2007, another piles occurred next to the spot of the first piles. Unlike the first piles, it matured naturally within two days, with only little pain. I did not take any medical leave and later went for my three-day field work in the state of Pahang on 17-19 January 2007.
In September 2003, upon reaching my office, I could not lift my right arm to adjust the temperature of the air-conditioner. The condition did not improve after a few days. Was this a symptom of ageing? From the literature, those reaching 50 years old might have shoulder and arm pain. I read the literature on detox responses again and confirmed that this was another form of detox response. Since I have developed more trust and confidence in health food as the best medicine and accepted detox responses as part of my life, I just ignored the arm pain. After three months, I was able to lift my arm to adjust the temperature of the air-conditioner again. Looking back, if I did not walk the healthy food path and had no confidence in the detox responses, I would have visited the doctors for treatment on many occasions.
The other unforgettable experience was when I had a swollen cheek in 2004. A wart the size of a table tennis ball developed in the right cheek. Ten days had passed and the swelling remained. My family members were getting worried. Colleagues advised me to seek medical treatment. In response to their concern, I went to the clinic but soon returned without seeing the doctor. While waiting at the clinic, I questioned my confidence in accepting the wart as another detox response. I decided to let it to mature naturally. After four days, puss gradually oozed out from the wart and I fully recovered.
Beginning September 2005 till January 2007 was the period of detoxification through the mouth, throat and tongue. Initially, there was cough and sore throat. Later, I found my mouth having heavy smell and some phlegm after waking up in the morning. When I brushed my teeth and gum, white bubbles appeared even though I had not used any tooth paste since 2000. Occasionally the gum also experienced aching. Despite all these, I just faced the detox responses naturally and realize that I would live a healthier life in years to come.
In November 2006, after taking a 10-day liver detox (lemon juice, olive oil, molasses and dashes of cayenne pepper), I felt the occasional right elbow pain. This did not cause any alarm at all, knowing that it was another detox response. The pain went off naturally after five weeks. However, it emerged again in January 2007. What I did was just to ignore the occasional pain.
In November 2009, light pain appeared on my right leg. It did not affect my daily routine work and I just left it alone. After eight days, the pain disappeared naturally.
Detox 5: Detox Responses of My Mother-in-Law
My mother-in-law had bloating and gas problems even before we changed to health food. The problem started in 1981 when she was 44 years old. Sometimes, she tolerated the problem. However, when the problem disturbed a good night sleep, she went for treatment at the local clinics. Since then, she had to take medicine for her gastric problem from time to time. Between 1990 and 1996, the problem worsened, she could not sleep well and had to be sent to the hospital for treatment. After switching to health food in 1996, the detox responses of bloating and gas emerged in a new form.
Initially, when feeling discomfort, she took some Chinese herbal medicine. We did not have much knowledge of detox responses then, and thought that it was a result of food poisoning. Hence, she visited the local physician and was prescribed modern medicine. This provided temporary relief. It was not too long that the same problem recurred. In mid-1996, we had to send her to a private hospital at mid-night when the bloating and gas caused severe and unbearable pain. She was discharged on the second day and it cost RM1,500 for the medical check-up and treatment.
Between 1997 and 2002, due to bloating and gas problems, my mother-in-law was admitted a few times to the government hospitals. The problem was cured temporarily after medical treatment.
She decided to have a medical check-up in the later part of 2002 only to confirm that she had gall stones. She attempted to break down the stones via natural means of taking fresh apple juice for six days, to be followed by Epsom salt and olive oil mixed with lemon juice in the evening of the sixth day. Some stones were discharged naturally. My mother-in-law used this method at the age of 65 and it was probably too late to discharge all stones. The X-ray examination showed that the dark stones remained.
The medical specialist at the private hospital was of the opinion that these gall stones were causing the bloating and gas problem. Since there was no other effective method to remove the gall stones, she was advised by the doctor to remove the gall by operation so that the problem would be solved permanently. She was admitted to the hospital for three days, had the gall removed and paid RM6,000 for the medical bill.
A week after the operation, she had severe stomach-ache. Again, she was admitted to the same hospital for further treatment. The medical specialist felt that the stomach-ache might be related to the earlier operation and hence, admission was necessary. Even at the hospital, the stomach-ache did not stop totally. She just could not even have a good night sleep. The doctor prescribed vomiting medicine. In the evening of the second day, when she wanted to vomit, a 15-cm long (diameter 1 mm) worm crawled out of her mouth. She was shocked. So were we. Her stomach-ache stopped immediately and she was later discharged.
Even though her gall was removed and the worm came out of her body, her bloating and gas problem remained. Between 2002 and 2004, when the problem worsened, she was sent to the hospital four times at mid-nights. Again, modern medication only provided temporary relief. She later decided to seek herbal treatment from traditional Chinese physician. The herbal medicine did bring some temporary relief but the problem remained.
During this period, I reminded her that from the literature it was clearly stated that bloating is a detox response. It is a natural phenomenon and should be allowed to take its natural course. The modern medicine could only relieve the discomfort temporarily. I advised her to accept this reality and to look at the positive side of detoxification. She did not have to suppress it with medicine as the bloating and wind will gradually disappear after some time. The family’s encouragement slowly enhanced her confidence. She intended to give herself a chance of bearing with the bloating and instead, have a total rest the next time it happens.
In March 2004, the challenge came when bloating and gas started to give her trouble again. As she was mentally prepared to accept this as a natural response of detoxification, she decided not to take any medicine. She just rested at home and tolerated with the discomfort for another four days. To her surprise, it worked. With a strong mental state and confidence, the old problem of bloating and gas gradually disappeared.
In the treatment process, she began to realize the importance of taking health food. As she gets older, she has to take care of every meal taken as indigestion may occur. Taking unhealthy food and eating too much is likely to bring about bloating and gas problems. Eating mushroom and drinking cold drinks also causes indigestion, bloating and gas problems. She finds that limiting the amount of food taken each time, eating more fresh fruits and occasional fasting help to reduce and prevent the bloating and gas problems.
She also finds the proper way of cooking and eating. She prepares the food as fresh as possible each day. Consumption of oily and greasy food is avoided. She now eats slowly and chews each mouthful of food for about 50 times or more for easier digestion. This is because when we chew, ptyalin, an enzyme in saliva, alkalinizes the food and thus contributes to better digestion and absorption and strengthening the blood (Kushi & Jack 2003). She is the last to leave the dining table. She discards the habit of eating stale food and leftovers, a common practice in many families. She also avoids eating after dinner as this can cause stagnation in the intestines.
The consumption of unhealthy food in the past had caused her other problems. Since 1994, she had knee arthritis and had to rely on modern medication for temporary relief. In 1997, one year after switching to health food, the knee arthritis appeared to get worse. It was so painful that she just could not squat down. She was suffering mentally and physically. The same year, she sought treatment from a medical specialist at a private hospital. It was confirmed that the pain was associated with rheumatism. To the doctor, rheumatism could not be cured and the patient has to continue taking medicines to control the pain. So, she took modern medicine daily but the impact was rather uncertain. Sometimes, the pain stopped and at other times it remained. In 1999, another problem emerged–her heel started to experience pain and she could hardly walk. She went to the clinic and had an injection which subsequently relieved her pain. In the late 2008, her heel pain relapsed and she received another injection as treatment.
In 2001, my family members and I encouraged her to gradually let go of the dependence on modern drugs for her knee pain. We told her that the health food we are taking is the best medicine for all types of diseases. We encouraged each other to have confidence in the food path taken to maintain and to reclaim health. She agreed and gradually stopped taking modern drugs to relieve the knee pain. By 2003, her knee pain finally disappeared. She has no problem squatting. Smiles reappeared on her face.
Initially, when feeling discomfort, she took some Chinese herbal medicine. We did not have much knowledge of detox responses then, and thought that it was a result of food poisoning. Hence, she visited the local physician and was prescribed modern medicine. This provided temporary relief. It was not too long that the same problem recurred. In mid-1996, we had to send her to a private hospital at mid-night when the bloating and gas caused severe and unbearable pain. She was discharged on the second day and it cost RM1,500 for the medical check-up and treatment.
Between 1997 and 2002, due to bloating and gas problems, my mother-in-law was admitted a few times to the government hospitals. The problem was cured temporarily after medical treatment.
She decided to have a medical check-up in the later part of 2002 only to confirm that she had gall stones. She attempted to break down the stones via natural means of taking fresh apple juice for six days, to be followed by Epsom salt and olive oil mixed with lemon juice in the evening of the sixth day. Some stones were discharged naturally. My mother-in-law used this method at the age of 65 and it was probably too late to discharge all stones. The X-ray examination showed that the dark stones remained.
The medical specialist at the private hospital was of the opinion that these gall stones were causing the bloating and gas problem. Since there was no other effective method to remove the gall stones, she was advised by the doctor to remove the gall by operation so that the problem would be solved permanently. She was admitted to the hospital for three days, had the gall removed and paid RM6,000 for the medical bill.
A week after the operation, she had severe stomach-ache. Again, she was admitted to the same hospital for further treatment. The medical specialist felt that the stomach-ache might be related to the earlier operation and hence, admission was necessary. Even at the hospital, the stomach-ache did not stop totally. She just could not even have a good night sleep. The doctor prescribed vomiting medicine. In the evening of the second day, when she wanted to vomit, a 15-cm long (diameter 1 mm) worm crawled out of her mouth. She was shocked. So were we. Her stomach-ache stopped immediately and she was later discharged.
Even though her gall was removed and the worm came out of her body, her bloating and gas problem remained. Between 2002 and 2004, when the problem worsened, she was sent to the hospital four times at mid-nights. Again, modern medication only provided temporary relief. She later decided to seek herbal treatment from traditional Chinese physician. The herbal medicine did bring some temporary relief but the problem remained.
During this period, I reminded her that from the literature it was clearly stated that bloating is a detox response. It is a natural phenomenon and should be allowed to take its natural course. The modern medicine could only relieve the discomfort temporarily. I advised her to accept this reality and to look at the positive side of detoxification. She did not have to suppress it with medicine as the bloating and wind will gradually disappear after some time. The family’s encouragement slowly enhanced her confidence. She intended to give herself a chance of bearing with the bloating and instead, have a total rest the next time it happens.
In March 2004, the challenge came when bloating and gas started to give her trouble again. As she was mentally prepared to accept this as a natural response of detoxification, she decided not to take any medicine. She just rested at home and tolerated with the discomfort for another four days. To her surprise, it worked. With a strong mental state and confidence, the old problem of bloating and gas gradually disappeared.
In the treatment process, she began to realize the importance of taking health food. As she gets older, she has to take care of every meal taken as indigestion may occur. Taking unhealthy food and eating too much is likely to bring about bloating and gas problems. Eating mushroom and drinking cold drinks also causes indigestion, bloating and gas problems. She finds that limiting the amount of food taken each time, eating more fresh fruits and occasional fasting help to reduce and prevent the bloating and gas problems.
She also finds the proper way of cooking and eating. She prepares the food as fresh as possible each day. Consumption of oily and greasy food is avoided. She now eats slowly and chews each mouthful of food for about 50 times or more for easier digestion. This is because when we chew, ptyalin, an enzyme in saliva, alkalinizes the food and thus contributes to better digestion and absorption and strengthening the blood (Kushi & Jack 2003). She is the last to leave the dining table. She discards the habit of eating stale food and leftovers, a common practice in many families. She also avoids eating after dinner as this can cause stagnation in the intestines.
The consumption of unhealthy food in the past had caused her other problems. Since 1994, she had knee arthritis and had to rely on modern medication for temporary relief. In 1997, one year after switching to health food, the knee arthritis appeared to get worse. It was so painful that she just could not squat down. She was suffering mentally and physically. The same year, she sought treatment from a medical specialist at a private hospital. It was confirmed that the pain was associated with rheumatism. To the doctor, rheumatism could not be cured and the patient has to continue taking medicines to control the pain. So, she took modern medicine daily but the impact was rather uncertain. Sometimes, the pain stopped and at other times it remained. In 1999, another problem emerged–her heel started to experience pain and she could hardly walk. She went to the clinic and had an injection which subsequently relieved her pain. In the late 2008, her heel pain relapsed and she received another injection as treatment.
In 2001, my family members and I encouraged her to gradually let go of the dependence on modern drugs for her knee pain. We told her that the health food we are taking is the best medicine for all types of diseases. We encouraged each other to have confidence in the food path taken to maintain and to reclaim health. She agreed and gradually stopped taking modern drugs to relieve the knee pain. By 2003, her knee pain finally disappeared. She has no problem squatting. Smiles reappeared on her face.
Detox 4: Responses of My Father-in-Law
My father-in-law had prostate cancer in 1996 when he was 62 years old. Since then, my parents-in-law stayed with my family and together we switch to natural and health food. Yes, that switch not only saved and lengthened his life (from three to 13 years), but also improved his health tremendously (before passing away peacefully in early 2009). His medicine was health food.
Flu, running nose and cough have accompanied my father-in-law for a long time. Since young, just like everyone else, he took western medicine when these diseases occurred. Normally, he purchased medicines from Chinese medical halls. When these medicines were not effective, he sought medical assistance from the clinics. Such practice went on even after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Between 1996 and 2003, he took flu tablets and cough concoctions as he wished to recover as soon as possible. He took extra tablets when he felt necessary. He did recover temporarily only to find their recurrences after two or three months. I have constantly reminded him of detox responses but these fell on deaf ears.
In 2003, I told him, “the natural health diet is able to control your cancer cells and enables you to live a normal life, why don’t you give yourself a chance to handle the flu, running nose and cough naturally? You have read a lot on natural healing and understand the detox responses. Why don’t you put it into practice? The best way to face flu, running nose and cough is to rest. You are a retiree who does not need to work. When you have flu, just lie in bed and listen to soothing music or songs. You will recover without any medicine after a day or two.”
After listening to my advice, my father-in-law finally gave himself a chance to handle his flu and running nose naturally. He rested when there was sign of flu and running nose. He finally discarded all medicines used for treating flu and running nose.
Then, the problem of coughing appeared. Again, I encouraged him not to take any western medicine. He said it was difficult as he felt throat irritation. My advice to him was this coughing is a response to detox process. All books on natural healing explain this phenomenon clearly. Some people have cough for a few days, others for weeks. When you take cough concoctions, it seems you are stopping the cough, but actually you are suppressing the removal of toxins from your body. You have managed to overcome running nose and flu, why don’t you give yourself a chance to handle cough naturally?
This advice worked for him. He has more confidence to take health food in handling the cough. In the first place, he takes apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice, which is very effective in treating throat irritation. He also takes miso soup and black bean soup to reduce the cough. All these work well for him and he now has less cough compared with the past. No more cough concoctions.
A cancer patient is normally very sensitive to his or her physical reaction. Even though my father-in-law did not undergo any radiotherapy or chemotherapy, all his cancer patient friends did. They shared experiences of the side effects of such conventional treatments. One such effect is dental problems such as toothaches and tooth loss. In early 2002, when my father-in-law had minor toothache, he suspected it had something to do with cancer. We advised him that his situation was not the same as other cancer patients. Simply, we explained that he walks the health food path while most cancer patients are engrossed with the acidic diet. In short, minor toothaches may just be a detox response. What he needs is a little patience since his dentals are in good condition. He finally postponed his plan to extract the affected tooth and observed its condition. After two months, his minor toothache gradually disappeared.
In February 2005, my father-in-law began to feel some chest pains. The pain continued to be felt even while he was practising Quolin Qi Gong. He was worried and did not know what to do. External application of ointment merely brought about temporary relief. Though the chest pains were not serious but they were sufficient to cause alarm to him. Could it be caused by the spreading of cancer cells to the lungs? He wanted to visit the clinic for advice. Again, I advised him to observe for a few more days as it could be just detox responses. I showed him the literature on detox responses. Two weeks passed and the minor chest pain remained. He wanted to seek a medical specialist’s advice.
To ease his mind, we made an appointment with the medical specialist. I reminded him of detox process and its responses. He was asked to think about conventional medication. Why did he want to see a medical specialist, who will definitely prescribe medicine? Would the medicine benefit him in the long run? Why did he want to turn back to the old way of treatment after walking the health food path for nine years? What he needed was patience. The health food would turn a sick man into a healthy one.
In the meantime, one of his cancer friends informed him of the beneficial result of taking a plant-based herbal drink. He thought it could be a way out. He gave himself a chance and drank a glass of “Dark face general” or lidah jin/pecah biling (Strobilanthes crispus) (leaf) juice a day. The plant was grown by him. After a few days, his chest pain gradually disappeared. Of course, he also cancelled his appointment with the medical specialist.
In October 2006, he had chest pain again and the chest showed signs of swelling. The pain started on the central portion of the chest, moved to the right and then to the left. This caused alarm. He was worried that the tumour was coming back and spreading. I told him to be patient as it was likely to be another detox response again. Since he is on health food since 1996, he has managed to regain health. There is no reason for the tumour to return when potassium-rich foods are taken. He felt relieved and agreed that he needed to bear with the occasional minor chest pain. The chest pain disappeared by the end of December 2006. This chest pain, a challenge indeed, lasted about three months.
In the morning of 7 January 2007, after taking breakfast and performing prayer, my father-in-law got ready for his Quolin Qi Gong exercise. Before leaving the house, he felt dizzy, began to have cold sweat and felt physically weak. Instead of joining his friends in the Qi Gong session, he had to lie in bed and rest the whole day. He felt sleepy, no appetite and vomited even after taking warm water. We advised him to take the opportunity to fast. He was worried. He had heard too many stories from his cancer friends on various illnesses and sufferings. He wondered how and why this suffering happened to him. We advised him that this was a false disease and it was a detox response.
We asked him to think of the possible reasons for his current problems. He soon realized that during the November–December 2006 school holidays, while staying in Taiping, he had not taken good care of his daily diet. Instead of eating home cooked food, he ate from stalls. By eating unhealthy food, his body weight increased about five kg within two months. To detoxify, he had herbal drink daily. He also neglected the weather conditions. It rained on one occasion when he was practising Qi Gong and another when he was gardening.
This detox response did not last long. The next day, after sleeping and fasting for about 24 hours, he lost 2 kg. He gradually regained his appetite and began to take light meal, i.e. wholemeal bread and millet porridge. On the third day, he could eat normal food and was also able to drive to the bank. Smiles appeared again. By the fourth day, he was fully covered and went for his Qi Gong exercise. On the fifth day, 11 January 2007, he participated in a TV program shooting session organised by a private company. The TV programme was intended to share the experience of a cancer patient who did not go for conventional treatment and yet survives since 1996. It was aired over NTV 7 on 27 May 2007.
In February 2007, my father-in-law had pain in his right leg. This time the pain was unbearable and he had to walk slowly. My father-in-law suspected cancer cells had spread to his leg. It could also be related to a twist of leg muscle while gardening a few weeks ago. Respecting his feelings and perception, with our encouragement, we sought medical treatment for him at a local clinic on 12 February 2007. The doctor prescribed ointment to apply. This did not help to reduce the leg pain.
On 16 February 2007, my wife took him to a government hospital for further check-up. The X-ray examination showed that his leg bone is in good condition but a minor damage of leg muscle was observed. He was prescribed pain killer, vitamin B and muscular pain relieving ointment, which he took when very necessary.
The leg pain was not a small matter. Between mid-March and May 2007, he sought medical examinations at the government hospital again. He was informed that his leg pain was due to the lack of cartilage at the ankle and hip as well as bone spur. He was given medicines (Table 6.2) but he took them only when necessary.
In the process of practising health food diet, we do not reject conventional medical facilities and treatment. We believe that medical services and treatment should be sought when necessary.
Flu, running nose and cough have accompanied my father-in-law for a long time. Since young, just like everyone else, he took western medicine when these diseases occurred. Normally, he purchased medicines from Chinese medical halls. When these medicines were not effective, he sought medical assistance from the clinics. Such practice went on even after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Between 1996 and 2003, he took flu tablets and cough concoctions as he wished to recover as soon as possible. He took extra tablets when he felt necessary. He did recover temporarily only to find their recurrences after two or three months. I have constantly reminded him of detox responses but these fell on deaf ears.
In 2003, I told him, “the natural health diet is able to control your cancer cells and enables you to live a normal life, why don’t you give yourself a chance to handle the flu, running nose and cough naturally? You have read a lot on natural healing and understand the detox responses. Why don’t you put it into practice? The best way to face flu, running nose and cough is to rest. You are a retiree who does not need to work. When you have flu, just lie in bed and listen to soothing music or songs. You will recover without any medicine after a day or two.”
After listening to my advice, my father-in-law finally gave himself a chance to handle his flu and running nose naturally. He rested when there was sign of flu and running nose. He finally discarded all medicines used for treating flu and running nose.
Then, the problem of coughing appeared. Again, I encouraged him not to take any western medicine. He said it was difficult as he felt throat irritation. My advice to him was this coughing is a response to detox process. All books on natural healing explain this phenomenon clearly. Some people have cough for a few days, others for weeks. When you take cough concoctions, it seems you are stopping the cough, but actually you are suppressing the removal of toxins from your body. You have managed to overcome running nose and flu, why don’t you give yourself a chance to handle cough naturally?
This advice worked for him. He has more confidence to take health food in handling the cough. In the first place, he takes apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice, which is very effective in treating throat irritation. He also takes miso soup and black bean soup to reduce the cough. All these work well for him and he now has less cough compared with the past. No more cough concoctions.
A cancer patient is normally very sensitive to his or her physical reaction. Even though my father-in-law did not undergo any radiotherapy or chemotherapy, all his cancer patient friends did. They shared experiences of the side effects of such conventional treatments. One such effect is dental problems such as toothaches and tooth loss. In early 2002, when my father-in-law had minor toothache, he suspected it had something to do with cancer. We advised him that his situation was not the same as other cancer patients. Simply, we explained that he walks the health food path while most cancer patients are engrossed with the acidic diet. In short, minor toothaches may just be a detox response. What he needs is a little patience since his dentals are in good condition. He finally postponed his plan to extract the affected tooth and observed its condition. After two months, his minor toothache gradually disappeared.
In February 2005, my father-in-law began to feel some chest pains. The pain continued to be felt even while he was practising Quolin Qi Gong. He was worried and did not know what to do. External application of ointment merely brought about temporary relief. Though the chest pains were not serious but they were sufficient to cause alarm to him. Could it be caused by the spreading of cancer cells to the lungs? He wanted to visit the clinic for advice. Again, I advised him to observe for a few more days as it could be just detox responses. I showed him the literature on detox responses. Two weeks passed and the minor chest pain remained. He wanted to seek a medical specialist’s advice.
To ease his mind, we made an appointment with the medical specialist. I reminded him of detox process and its responses. He was asked to think about conventional medication. Why did he want to see a medical specialist, who will definitely prescribe medicine? Would the medicine benefit him in the long run? Why did he want to turn back to the old way of treatment after walking the health food path for nine years? What he needed was patience. The health food would turn a sick man into a healthy one.
In the meantime, one of his cancer friends informed him of the beneficial result of taking a plant-based herbal drink. He thought it could be a way out. He gave himself a chance and drank a glass of “Dark face general” or lidah jin/pecah biling (Strobilanthes crispus) (leaf) juice a day. The plant was grown by him. After a few days, his chest pain gradually disappeared. Of course, he also cancelled his appointment with the medical specialist.
In October 2006, he had chest pain again and the chest showed signs of swelling. The pain started on the central portion of the chest, moved to the right and then to the left. This caused alarm. He was worried that the tumour was coming back and spreading. I told him to be patient as it was likely to be another detox response again. Since he is on health food since 1996, he has managed to regain health. There is no reason for the tumour to return when potassium-rich foods are taken. He felt relieved and agreed that he needed to bear with the occasional minor chest pain. The chest pain disappeared by the end of December 2006. This chest pain, a challenge indeed, lasted about three months.
In the morning of 7 January 2007, after taking breakfast and performing prayer, my father-in-law got ready for his Quolin Qi Gong exercise. Before leaving the house, he felt dizzy, began to have cold sweat and felt physically weak. Instead of joining his friends in the Qi Gong session, he had to lie in bed and rest the whole day. He felt sleepy, no appetite and vomited even after taking warm water. We advised him to take the opportunity to fast. He was worried. He had heard too many stories from his cancer friends on various illnesses and sufferings. He wondered how and why this suffering happened to him. We advised him that this was a false disease and it was a detox response.
We asked him to think of the possible reasons for his current problems. He soon realized that during the November–December 2006 school holidays, while staying in Taiping, he had not taken good care of his daily diet. Instead of eating home cooked food, he ate from stalls. By eating unhealthy food, his body weight increased about five kg within two months. To detoxify, he had herbal drink daily. He also neglected the weather conditions. It rained on one occasion when he was practising Qi Gong and another when he was gardening.
This detox response did not last long. The next day, after sleeping and fasting for about 24 hours, he lost 2 kg. He gradually regained his appetite and began to take light meal, i.e. wholemeal bread and millet porridge. On the third day, he could eat normal food and was also able to drive to the bank. Smiles appeared again. By the fourth day, he was fully covered and went for his Qi Gong exercise. On the fifth day, 11 January 2007, he participated in a TV program shooting session organised by a private company. The TV programme was intended to share the experience of a cancer patient who did not go for conventional treatment and yet survives since 1996. It was aired over NTV 7 on 27 May 2007.
In February 2007, my father-in-law had pain in his right leg. This time the pain was unbearable and he had to walk slowly. My father-in-law suspected cancer cells had spread to his leg. It could also be related to a twist of leg muscle while gardening a few weeks ago. Respecting his feelings and perception, with our encouragement, we sought medical treatment for him at a local clinic on 12 February 2007. The doctor prescribed ointment to apply. This did not help to reduce the leg pain.
On 16 February 2007, my wife took him to a government hospital for further check-up. The X-ray examination showed that his leg bone is in good condition but a minor damage of leg muscle was observed. He was prescribed pain killer, vitamin B and muscular pain relieving ointment, which he took when very necessary.
The leg pain was not a small matter. Between mid-March and May 2007, he sought medical examinations at the government hospital again. He was informed that his leg pain was due to the lack of cartilage at the ankle and hip as well as bone spur. He was given medicines (Table 6.2) but he took them only when necessary.
In the process of practising health food diet, we do not reject conventional medical facilities and treatment. We believe that medical services and treatment should be sought when necessary.
Detox 3: Detox Responses
More and more literature is now available on the responses of detoxification. Among the responses or discomforts outlined (Diamond &Diamond 1985) are as follows. See Diamond, H. & Diamond, M. (1985). Fit for Life. New York: Warner Books.
1. Bloating of the system
2. Flatulence
3. Headache
4. Body aches
5. Sudden tiredness or anxiety
6. Worries
7. Loose runny stools
8. Discharge of mucus from nasal passages
The detox responses and discomforts are changing your health for the better. They emerge from time to time. Just imagine how many years you have accumulated toxins in your body. It may have taken 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or more years. You cannot expect detox responses to complete within a day, a week, a month or a year. The more toxins you have in your body, the longer the period it takes to detox. Thus, detox is a long process which lasts years. This seems to take a long time. But, you will be healthier both physically and mentally. The diseases you have will gradually go away in the process. You will lose weight naturally and feel more energetic than before.
It is important for you to keep in mind that when you switch to health food, your body will adjust to the changes and discomforts or detox responses will appear. Just view this as temporary discomfort as the cleansing process taking place and restoration of health (Diamond & Diamond 1985).
When you experience these detox responses, do not get worried and give up the new way of healthy eating or return to the old habits. If the discomfort lasts too long, you may like to consult your health adviser or medical practitioner.
1. Bloating of the system
2. Flatulence
3. Headache
4. Body aches
5. Sudden tiredness or anxiety
6. Worries
7. Loose runny stools
8. Discharge of mucus from nasal passages
The detox responses and discomforts are changing your health for the better. They emerge from time to time. Just imagine how many years you have accumulated toxins in your body. It may have taken 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or more years. You cannot expect detox responses to complete within a day, a week, a month or a year. The more toxins you have in your body, the longer the period it takes to detox. Thus, detox is a long process which lasts years. This seems to take a long time. But, you will be healthier both physically and mentally. The diseases you have will gradually go away in the process. You will lose weight naturally and feel more energetic than before.
It is important for you to keep in mind that when you switch to health food, your body will adjust to the changes and discomforts or detox responses will appear. Just view this as temporary discomfort as the cleansing process taking place and restoration of health (Diamond & Diamond 1985).
When you experience these detox responses, do not get worried and give up the new way of healthy eating or return to the old habits. If the discomfort lasts too long, you may like to consult your health adviser or medical practitioner.
Detox 2: Detoxification Process
The detoxification process could be explained in this way: an acidic body is like a glass of polluted water. If you were to continue pouring in clean and healthy water, the polluted water will become clean and healthy after some time. The over-flowed water from the glass contains the toxins from your body. The toxins discharged through various body organs such as sweat, stool and phlegm could have strong smells.
In this process, even the cancer cells have a chance to be cured. The analogy is like getting a naughty child to live with a group of well behaved children (i.e. an alkaline environment). Don’t you think the naughty boy would turn good one day? Yes, the child is most likely to grow up to become good and kind.
On the other hand, if the naughty-child were to continue living with the old group of bad companions (i.e. in an acidic environment), he will not be transformed. In fact, he will have no chance to turn into a new leaf. This means that if you were to continue consuming more acidic food and less alkaline food, how could you be healthy? In reality, you will become medicine-dependent. You will not live a happy life when you are inflicted with sufferings, resulting from one or more kinds of diseases.
When you gradually let go of unhealthy food and switch to natural and/or organic food, the process of detoxification also begins immediately. The natural and health food will enhance your body’s natural functions when you replace high protein, high fat and high sugar food with fresh fruits and vegetables. In the process, you will experience certain acute symptoms of “diseases”. It is important to note that
“all these acute symptoms of ‘disease’ are in fact the result of an action by the body to re-establish equilibrium and positive health. As such they are corrective and eliminative and should not be suppressed. What is commonly called acute disease is really the result of nature’s efforts to eliminate waste matter or poisons from the body and to repair injured tissues. If this acute condition is not allowed to run its natural course, or is treated with suppressive methods and therefore not allowed to fulfil its intended function of elimination, then eventually chronic disease will result” (Trattler 2001). See Trattler, R. (2001). Better Health Through Natural Healing: How to get well without drugs or surgery? Australia: Hinkler Books.
“As toxins are released and parasites and candida (overgrowth of yeast) die off, waste products pour into the system. When they are released faster than the body can eliminate them, we can experience symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, diarrhoea, cramps, headaches, skin eruptions, sleep disturbances, increased thirst, loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability, ear infection, head or chest cold and flu-like symptoms. …This elimination process is often referred to as the healing crisis.” (Calbom et al. 2003). See Calbom, C., Calbom, J. & Mahaffey, M. (2003). The Complete Cancer Cleanse. Petaling Jaya: Advantage Quest Publications.
In the detox process, you will face a number of ‘diseases’ when your body attempts to free itself of various types of toxins via the following processes (Trattler 2001).
Diarrhoea and vomiting are attempts by the body to get rid of toxic materials.
Fever increases the body’s metabolic rate and circulation of blood and lymph, thus speeding the removal of toxins. Fever also creates a less favourable environment for either bacteria or viruses, which generally have a narrow temperature range for optimal growth.
Inflammation, swelling and edema (or fluid accumulation) is actions by the body to localize a problem.
Local infection, boils and acne may be the results of inner cleaning process.
Mucous is a form of toxin removed from the body.
Sneezing and coughing are attempts by the body to remove the respiratory system of irritants and toxins.
Sweating carries toxins out of the body system through the skin.
When you are practising healthy eating, you will experience the above detox responses, which vary from one person to another, depending on the level and type of toxic materials accumulated in your body. These responses are similar to the symptoms of diseases. In fact, they are like twins. If you do not understand the process and responses of detox, you may think that switching to a healthy diet has brought negative impact. You may even rush to the clinics and start taking medicines again. If this is the case, your effort to reclaim health is likely to take a longer time, if not wasted.
You need to understand the theory behind detoxification. If you continue to pour clean water into a glass of contaminated water, the pollutants (toxic materials) will gradually spill over. In the process of spilling, you will feel bodily discomfort. These are the detox responses which affect your physical and mental conditions.
It is important to take note of the various detox responses which could be through the various channels in our body, i.e. the nose, mouth, anus, skin, ear, eye and urinary system. Discomfort related to healing crisis will be felt, especially in the organs that have problems, particularly during the early stages of detox.
What should you do when detox responses emerge? Do not worry and don’t panic. It is important to have confidence in understanding the detox responses. They are ‘false disease’ symptoms and the body is on its way back to good health, more energy and greater vitality. Normally, a healing crisis lasts from one till three days, but if the body’s energy level is low, it could last up to a week or more (Calbom et al. 2003). If you have sufficient confidence, just bear with the responses as they will disappear after some time, which could be days or even weeks. It is beneficial to remember that “the swelling and inflammation (boil or abscess) is a wise response of the body, for they constitute a complete quarantine, a thick barricade of inflammatory tissue to prevent the enemy (microbes or poisons) from spreading further throughout the body” (Bieler 1965). See Bieler, H. (1965). Food is the Best Medicine. New York: Ballantine Books.
In this process, even the cancer cells have a chance to be cured. The analogy is like getting a naughty child to live with a group of well behaved children (i.e. an alkaline environment). Don’t you think the naughty boy would turn good one day? Yes, the child is most likely to grow up to become good and kind.
On the other hand, if the naughty-child were to continue living with the old group of bad companions (i.e. in an acidic environment), he will not be transformed. In fact, he will have no chance to turn into a new leaf. This means that if you were to continue consuming more acidic food and less alkaline food, how could you be healthy? In reality, you will become medicine-dependent. You will not live a happy life when you are inflicted with sufferings, resulting from one or more kinds of diseases.
When you gradually let go of unhealthy food and switch to natural and/or organic food, the process of detoxification also begins immediately. The natural and health food will enhance your body’s natural functions when you replace high protein, high fat and high sugar food with fresh fruits and vegetables. In the process, you will experience certain acute symptoms of “diseases”. It is important to note that
“all these acute symptoms of ‘disease’ are in fact the result of an action by the body to re-establish equilibrium and positive health. As such they are corrective and eliminative and should not be suppressed. What is commonly called acute disease is really the result of nature’s efforts to eliminate waste matter or poisons from the body and to repair injured tissues. If this acute condition is not allowed to run its natural course, or is treated with suppressive methods and therefore not allowed to fulfil its intended function of elimination, then eventually chronic disease will result” (Trattler 2001). See Trattler, R. (2001). Better Health Through Natural Healing: How to get well without drugs or surgery? Australia: Hinkler Books.
“As toxins are released and parasites and candida (overgrowth of yeast) die off, waste products pour into the system. When they are released faster than the body can eliminate them, we can experience symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, diarrhoea, cramps, headaches, skin eruptions, sleep disturbances, increased thirst, loss of appetite, fatigue, irritability, ear infection, head or chest cold and flu-like symptoms. …This elimination process is often referred to as the healing crisis.” (Calbom et al. 2003). See Calbom, C., Calbom, J. & Mahaffey, M. (2003). The Complete Cancer Cleanse. Petaling Jaya: Advantage Quest Publications.
In the detox process, you will face a number of ‘diseases’ when your body attempts to free itself of various types of toxins via the following processes (Trattler 2001).
Diarrhoea and vomiting are attempts by the body to get rid of toxic materials.
Fever increases the body’s metabolic rate and circulation of blood and lymph, thus speeding the removal of toxins. Fever also creates a less favourable environment for either bacteria or viruses, which generally have a narrow temperature range for optimal growth.
Inflammation, swelling and edema (or fluid accumulation) is actions by the body to localize a problem.
Local infection, boils and acne may be the results of inner cleaning process.
Mucous is a form of toxin removed from the body.
Sneezing and coughing are attempts by the body to remove the respiratory system of irritants and toxins.
Sweating carries toxins out of the body system through the skin.
When you are practising healthy eating, you will experience the above detox responses, which vary from one person to another, depending on the level and type of toxic materials accumulated in your body. These responses are similar to the symptoms of diseases. In fact, they are like twins. If you do not understand the process and responses of detox, you may think that switching to a healthy diet has brought negative impact. You may even rush to the clinics and start taking medicines again. If this is the case, your effort to reclaim health is likely to take a longer time, if not wasted.
You need to understand the theory behind detoxification. If you continue to pour clean water into a glass of contaminated water, the pollutants (toxic materials) will gradually spill over. In the process of spilling, you will feel bodily discomfort. These are the detox responses which affect your physical and mental conditions.
It is important to take note of the various detox responses which could be through the various channels in our body, i.e. the nose, mouth, anus, skin, ear, eye and urinary system. Discomfort related to healing crisis will be felt, especially in the organs that have problems, particularly during the early stages of detox.
What should you do when detox responses emerge? Do not worry and don’t panic. It is important to have confidence in understanding the detox responses. They are ‘false disease’ symptoms and the body is on its way back to good health, more energy and greater vitality. Normally, a healing crisis lasts from one till three days, but if the body’s energy level is low, it could last up to a week or more (Calbom et al. 2003). If you have sufficient confidence, just bear with the responses as they will disappear after some time, which could be days or even weeks. It is beneficial to remember that “the swelling and inflammation (boil or abscess) is a wise response of the body, for they constitute a complete quarantine, a thick barricade of inflammatory tissue to prevent the enemy (microbes or poisons) from spreading further throughout the body” (Bieler 1965). See Bieler, H. (1965). Food is the Best Medicine. New York: Ballantine Books.
Detox 1: What is Detoxification?
After we switch to health food, it is the beginning of removal of toxins from the body. It is important to know that toxic substances are everywhere, in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Our body and bacteria in the intestines also produce toxins. What are the toxic substances? They include heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel and aluminium), chemicals, drugs, pesticides, herbicides, food additives, alcohol, solvents and microbial compounds (Yam 2008). See Yam, C.S. (2008). “Detoxification for better health”. New Straits Times, 22 January 2008.
A healthy body involves detoxification. Since we have consumed much acidic food daily before 1996, it is time to detoxify the body. The acidic body needs much alkaline food to detoxify.
Detoxification is defined as the process of removing toxic substances such as wastes and toxins from the colon, liver, kidneys, gallbladder, lungs, skin, lymph and blood (Calbom et al. 2003). Normally, the body eliminates the toxins that come in through food, water and air via the following four metabolic processes (Kushi & Jack 2003). See Calbom, C., Calbom, J. & Mahaffey, M. (2003). The Complete Cancer Cleanse. Petaling Jaya: Advantage Quest Publications; Kushi, M. & Jack, A. (2003). The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health. New York: Ballantine Books.
Respiration or breathing releases carbon dioxide and other gaseous wastes into the atmosphere (accounting for about 70% of energy exchange);
Perspiration or sweating transports sodium, urea, oils, fluids and other wastes to the surface of the body (accounting for about 20% of excreted wastes);
Urination, which consists primarily of urea, uric acid, and other nitrogenous wastes, sodium chloride and about 100 other substances suspended in fluid (accounting for about 7% of discharge); and
Bowel movement, which consists primarily of cellulose and other undigested food remains, bile pigments, mucus, bacteria and water (accounting for about 3% of waste).
Just in case you do not know this: Fasting facilitates detoxification to achieve physical and mental health. Occasional fasting is an effective and healthy way to reduce body weight.
A healthy body involves detoxification. Since we have consumed much acidic food daily before 1996, it is time to detoxify the body. The acidic body needs much alkaline food to detoxify.
Detoxification is defined as the process of removing toxic substances such as wastes and toxins from the colon, liver, kidneys, gallbladder, lungs, skin, lymph and blood (Calbom et al. 2003). Normally, the body eliminates the toxins that come in through food, water and air via the following four metabolic processes (Kushi & Jack 2003). See Calbom, C., Calbom, J. & Mahaffey, M. (2003). The Complete Cancer Cleanse. Petaling Jaya: Advantage Quest Publications; Kushi, M. & Jack, A. (2003). The Macrobiotic Path to Total Health. New York: Ballantine Books.
Respiration or breathing releases carbon dioxide and other gaseous wastes into the atmosphere (accounting for about 70% of energy exchange);
Perspiration or sweating transports sodium, urea, oils, fluids and other wastes to the surface of the body (accounting for about 20% of excreted wastes);
Urination, which consists primarily of urea, uric acid, and other nitrogenous wastes, sodium chloride and about 100 other substances suspended in fluid (accounting for about 7% of discharge); and
Bowel movement, which consists primarily of cellulose and other undigested food remains, bile pigments, mucus, bacteria and water (accounting for about 3% of waste).
Just in case you do not know this: Fasting facilitates detoxification to achieve physical and mental health. Occasional fasting is an effective and healthy way to reduce body weight.
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