We are in a health crisis in the United States. When you consider the numbers, they are staggering. In 2015, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimated that 96 million Americans were living with chronic conditions. The country was projected to spend $3.2 trillion on health care of all types, or about $10,000 per person. Although the rate of spending has slowed in recent years, we still have to ask, what are we getting for all this money? With the Affordable Care Act, more people than ever now have insurance coverage, and this is great news. But we are by no means out of the woods. Medical care is costly, and there is no assurance that insurance companies will actually allow for people to get the treatment they need. Unfortunately, women bear the brunt of this predicament.
Compounding the crisis is the fact that despite the talk, we still do almost nothing in our society to prevent illness or truly acknowledge that lifestyle choices can affect health and well-being. There have been some changes, but the conventional medical establishment continues to minimize the role of diet, nutrition, exercise, emotions, and the environment in maintaining good health. Instead, it pushes more pills, more dangerous “quick fixes,” and more profits for the ever-growing medical industry. In the women’s health arena, menopause and the use of hormone replacement therapy provide a stark case in point. As described throughout this book, there are many other examples as well.
The natural healing community has a long tradition of providing safe, sensible, and cost-effective health solutions. More than two decades ago, I introduced health support groups to my radio audience. The health support group is meant to bring people together to show them that with just lifestyle modification, we can change the outcome of illnesses. I had people from every walk of life, from every state of health, from totally deteriorated health to very good health, and all ages and all races. We had a good melting pot. I started to apply principles that I had been using with individual patient for a long time. I put them on vegetarian diets. I excluded all meat, dairy, artificial sweeteners, refined carbohydrates, deep-fried and processed foods, and caffeine. I got them to go organic. They went through a really thorough detoxification, which generally took about a year. Then we used the supplements, herbs, and juices that were necessary to rebalance their body chemistries. What we found was that as long as people applied these principles and followed the protocols, there was tremendous benefit. If they only applied part of the principles and only did some of the things, they benefited somewhat, but not as completely by any means.
Later I started to do specific groups, such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, depression, skin, and hair. The results were astonishing. We presented our findings from the latter group at the World Congress on Anti-Aging Medicine before a group of thousands of scientists. We showed for the first time that lifestyle modification—in and of itself, with no drugs, no topical applications of any type of proprietary product—was able to reverse balding, thinning, and graying, and to sustain the reversal in a statistically significant number of individuals. These people also saw their pigmentations, wrinkles, and poor skin improve substantially. From their diaries, we noted that many also overcame or improved their arthritis, fibromyalgia, and high blood pressure.
A support group for menopausal and postmenopausal women also showed remarkable results. Nearly 260 women followed the protocol that included hormone rebalancing using plant therapy, the phytoestrogens from specific plants and herbs; elimination of dairy, meat, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine; and use of supplements. Within three weeks, people started talking about having more energy. Within two months, people who hadn’t been able to lose weight were doing so, and keeping it off. Over time, the hot flashes subsided. The drying and chafing skin were reversed. Brittle and fungal nails were reversed. The night sweats were gone. The mood swings were gone. Hair started to grow where it was balding and thinning. About nine months to a year into the study women started noticing that their white or gray hair was growing in brown and black. There were major changes in their musculoskeletal system because human growth hormone was restimulated. Simple bone density studies showed that, across the board, women re-mineralized. There is nothing in orthodox medicine that can compare with the results these women achieved. The only side effects were positive.
These health support groups have continued throughout the years, with unbridled success. Testimonials from a number of recent participants are included at the end of this book, giving you access to first-person accounts of the power of natural healing. Throughout this book, you—like these women—will find practical and proven ways to apply lifestyle modifications on your road to optimal health and well-being.