Health to you may mean being able to live the life you choose without any obstacles or barriers, to be able to achieve your goals and dreams, or to be the very best that you can be. Without health you are not able to enjoy what life has to offer. A weakened or unhealthy body is prone to disease and deterioration, which means that you age faster, you begin to look older, you become less attractive and you begin to lose the sparkle in your eyes. An unhealthy body affects your mind, your emotions, your motivations, and your sense of peace and happiness within you. An unhealthy mind is more prone to psychological disorders, depression, anxiety or neuroses. As you lose motivation and begin to feel down on yourself, you begin to lose yourself, you begin to falter off the path that you initially set on and this again affects your physical health, you gain weight, you stop exercising and eating right and soon you just cannot get off the merry-go-round. Your health or should I say lack of health has now taken control of you instead of you grabbing hold of the reins and taking control of your own health. Do you see what I mean? I call this the empty merry-go-round syndrome. You keep going around in circles but you don't get ahead any further and keep repeating the same mistakes. It's time to get off the merry-go-round and take charge of your own health.
In order to prepare for what you need to learn about your health and your own bodies it is important to clarify some misconceptions, to learn a little about what your eyes can reveal about your genetics, to throw away some of those sad excuses and take a general look at what intelligent nutrition and the Eye for an Eye Diet can offer.
What is Holistic nutrition?
I like to think of holistic health as all the factors that influence our health, which include nutrition, exercise, emotions, sunlight, job satisfaction, relationships, creativity, nature, and spirituality among many others.
Holistic nutrition is a summary of all the factors that need to be considered when we deal with nutrients that the body requires. Holistic nutrition takes into account our genetic requirements for nutrition as well as nutrients that are required for growth, regeneration from disease, stresses that we impose on our bodies and changes as we age. Holistic nutrition takes into consideration individual needs, as every one of us is different.
Wake up! Old diets are dead. It's time to implement sound nutritional principles.
I sincerely hope that those old diets and remedies that we have heard about so much in the past that promise anywhere from quickly losing mass weight to healing chronic problems in a matter of weeks are long dead. The body just does not work that way. We need to think in terms of long-term not short-term strategies. This approach of course is not as attractive to us because in our day-to-day lives we are used to finding quick cures that make our symptoms go away or fad diets that have immediate results. Often we find that we do lose weight but we gain it back quickly again and this kind of cyclic dieting ends up worse than when we started. If we starve ourselves and eat less, our metabolism learns to slow down and when we get off our crash diet, we find that we gain back all the weight we lost plus more. Further when we crash diet we usually deprive the body of essential nutrients, those same nutrients that are needed to metabolize fats, carbohydrates and proteins. It is true that we do eat too much and consume more calories than we generally need but a sound nutritional program is needed that caters to our genetic make-up to really achieve long-term results. Prescription drugs are another great example of the effect of short-term treatments. Our pain or our symptoms are relieved but they just keep cropping up again and again. What becomes worse however is that the constant suppression of our common ailments can often lead to serious degenerative diseases in the future.
We need to think in terms of lifestyle changes and not just try a diet for a few weeks and then return back to our old unhealthy habits. The Eye for an Eye Diet is about making responsible lifestyle changes and for most people, that is not that easy to do. Through my years of experience with nutrition and disease, I have found that at least 90 percent of all health problems in our modern civilization can be eliminated by sound nutritional practices alone. This means without any medication or drug. When you look at it, we have an extremely powerful method at our disposal to combat and prevent disease!
Shatter your illusions
You know there are many illusions that we have in regards to our health practices. Some have been passed on through the generations and some have been indoctrinated into our educational institutions. It is time to take a look at those long-held beliefs that we cannot seem to let go of and see things with a new perspective. Ask yourselves if you hold any of these popular illusions below:
Illusion Number 1:
Chemicals and drugs will cure my disease and have no long-term effects on my health.
Illusion Number 2:
Crash diets will help me lose and maintain weight.
Illusion Number 3:
Lifestyle habits have no influence on my health.
Illusion Number 4:
I live in a safe and responsible world that is concerned about my health.
Illusion Number 5:
If I feel no symptoms, that means that I am cured.
Illusion Number 6:
I can stay healthy and maintain ideal body weight without any work.
Illusion Number 7:
Everyone reacts to the same diet programs the same way.
Illusion Number 8:
Overnight miracle cures and diets exist.
Illusion Number 9:
The physical health we inherit cannot be influenced or altered.
Illusion Number 10:
If everyone would eat the same healthy foods, we would all be without health problems.
Illusion Number 11:
Manufacturers of foods are concerned about our long-term state of health.
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Illusion Number 12:
It is my doctor's or therapist's fault if my disease is not cured.
Illusion Number 13:
The most important thing is to find out what diseases that you have.
Illusion Number 14:
The long-term aim of dealing with health problems is to kill germs, liquidate bacteria and remove tumors or faulty body organs through operations.
Illusion Number 15:
Healthy means being free of major symptoms of diseases with the occasional cold or flu, periodic stomach problems,
constipation, sore throat, fatigue, or skin problem.
Illusion Number 16:
It is possible to achieve optimal health with only good nutrition.
Illusion Number 17:
Diseases like cancer and diabetes can be inherited.
Genotype and Phenotype It's what you do with what you have that counts!
What influences our health? That is the question of the millennium. There are just so many factors but we can break them down into two major variables: our genotype and phenotype. Our genotype or genetic make-up is what is handed down to us through the generations by our parents, grandparents, great grandparents and so on. If you have been one of the rare lucky ones and have been blessed with strong genes then you will begin life with a great advantage but the battle is far from over yet. It's what you do with what you have that counts! Your phenotype is what you have control over and is developed by influences such as the type of environment you live in, your diet, and any physical or emotional events that you experience. So what I'm saying is that you may start your life as a brand new car but if you don't tune it up or change the oil when needed, it won't last much after the warranty! If you are one in the majority who start life with average genes or what I call a used car and you put a bit of work and investment in it, you have a chance to outlast your shiny new self-abusive rival! Do you see what I am getting at?
Our genotype and phenotype together influence our health status. Now it comes down to what we have in our control. When we mention genetics, most of you believe that the genes we inherit are fixed and beyond our control. To a certain degree this may be true but we are constantly evolving and our genes are changing. That means that what we do with what we have during our lives will not only influence our own health but also that of our children and their children and so on. I do not believe that we inherit diseases. We only inherit weak organs or systems in our bodies that predispose us to those diseases. This is a very important concept to understand. I commonly hear statements such as "my mother had diabetes and her mother had diabetes as well and now I have diabetes. It must run in the family." Sure, this lady may have inherited weakness in her pancreas or liver or other systems in the body that led to her diabetes but I do not believe that she inherited the disease. Did she make any diet or lifestyle changes? Nine times out of ten, we tend to carry on the same diet and lifestyle as our parents. We have to learn about our bodies and make a change for the better. It is only in this way that we can break the cycle and improve the next generation. Although we may not be able to change our predispositions to certain ailments, we can certainly influence them in a positive way so that they occur less frequently or even not at all.
Our phenotype however is our best chance to improve our chance of survival. In most cases it is entirely under our control. Some may argue that stress caused by others around us cannot be controlled or our environment that we live in but these are all subjective. If we analyze our individual situations carefully we soon find that even those factors that we believe cannot be changed are under our control but we often choose not to deal with them. Our phenotype as mentioned are all those influences that affect our health after we are born. Now as a baby you cannot choose whether you prefer mother's milk to formula but your mother can make that decision which as many studies have shown can dramatically affect the future health status of the child. The environment that we live in greatly affects our health. Diet or nutrition, which is the main theme of this course, is one of the most important influences on our phenotype. There are many other influences on our phenotype including every physical or psychological event that occurs during our lives.
Some negative influences that can weaken our genetic make-up include inadequate nutrition, excess alcohol, starvation, pollution, drugs, cigarette smoking, depression, stress, radiation, inactivity, obesity, and lack of sunlight. Some positive influences that can strengthen our genetic make-up include quality nutrition, living in a clean environment, regular exercise, natural drug-free medicine, fresh air and sunlight, positive thinking, balance and good moral behavior.
It is important to realize that we are not born perfect. Each of our bodies comes with an expiry date. This expiry date depends on our genetic make-up (genotype) and what we do during our lives (phenotype) that will influence our health in a positive or a negative way. We will soon learn about our genetic make-up and what it will take to influence it in a positive way so that we can achieve the optimum health that we deserve.
Unlock the secrets that your eyes reveal - the Iridology-Nutrition connection
We have often heard the term that the eyes are the windows to the soul. We use our eyes to capture images of the world around us, but we also use them to communicate our emotions, expressions and passions. We can often tell if someone is lying, angry, in love, or not well by what we see in the eyes. The eyes are a wonderful tool that we have been given but they are much more amazing than most of us realize. To the average person, a look into the eyes involves usually taking notice of only one characteristic: color. We know what color of eyes that we have as well as those of our loved ones. Have you ever noticed clouds or markings in the iris of your eyes? Have you ever thought that what is seen in the eyes can reveal a wealth of information about your health?
Iridology is the study of signs in the human iris and a method that has been used to diagnose health for well over a hundred years. It is a branch of alternative medicine that is used by thousands of health professionals and therapists around the world. I have worked as an iridologist for many years and have had the opportunity to photograph and analyze thousands and thousands of patient's eyes. I have been able to correlate what I have seen in human eyes to what is displayed as health problems, deficiencies in body organs and genetic strengths and weaknesses. If you are interested in having a more detailed look into signs that are commonly seen in the iris and an in-depth look at iridology, please read my book, For Your Eyes Only or take the set of iridology courses on CD-ROM.
To an iridologist the eyes unlock a map to the entire body. It is possible to analyze the condition of every body organ through the use of the wonderful method of Iridology. Have you ever taken a really close look at the iris of your eyes? Take a look in the mirror or have a look through a magnifying lens at someone's eyes and you will begin to see much more than just eye color. You will see that the iris of the eye is made of threads or fibers that radiate outwards from the pupil. Often there are small holes or breaks in these fibers and often we can see different colored clouds and marks in sections of the iris. You will notice as well that your right eye is not exactly the same as the left eye. That's right. No eye is exactly the same and just like your fingerprint, your eyes are different from any other person.
According to Iridology theory, our nervous system in our body records information about every single event that occurs in our bodies and this information is transmitted to areas in the iris and results in changes in the appearance of the fibers. These courses will teach you the basics so that you can recognize what kind of genetic eye constitution you have so that you can find out much more about your own health, possible reasons for your ailments and how to use nutrition to heal and prevent potential problems from occurring.
Remember, it's what you do with what you have that counts and by using the wonderful method of Iridology you can learn about what you have in terms of genetic strengths and weaknesses as seen in your eyes so that you can use diet and nutrition to do something about it. That's what is meant by the Iridology-Nutrition connection and forms the basis of the Eye for an Eye Diet. We will learn how nutrition can be applied to our individual genetics in Holistic Nutrition 3.
Genetic Eye Constitutions - An Introduction
We have touched over what is meant by our genotype or our genetic make-up and have recently found out that our eyes reveal information about our health status. What do we mean though by Genetic Eye Constitutions? You know even though every eye is different there do exist similarities. We call these similarities Genetic Eye Constitutions. A genetic eye constitution is determined by the color of eyes you have as well as the structure. Almost everyone can be placed into one of these constitutions.
Iridologists over the last one hundred years, especially those in Europe have researched thousands of people with similar types of eyes and found similar dispositions to health problems as well as some aspects of psychological behavior as well. How about that! We can actually look into our eyes and learn about our genetic strengths and weaknesses. For thousands of iridologists around the world, including myself, this is an invaluable method for getting to the root of patient's problems so that a sound nutritional program can be implemented. I have used this method to assist thousands of patients with cancer, diabetes, digestive disorders and others as well as those who have problems with controlling weight.
If we can unlock some of the mysteries of our body through the use of Iridology, our bodies begin to function as they are intended because finally we start giving the body what it needs to overcome those genetic weaknesses and to begin to heal itself. You don't know it yet but soon you will have an unbelievably powerful tool at your disposal, and all you have to do is open your eyes! Just think of all the expensive, painful, and at times unhealthy tests that you have gone through to diagnose your medical problems. The science of Iridology is one of the most gentle and natural forms of diagnosis that I have discovered and it is available for everyone to learn.
How did Genetic Eye Constitutions come about? Well that's a good question. There is a theory that there used to exist only blue-eyed races who came from the cooler climates and brown-eyed races who came from the warmer climates. As a result of interracial mixing, the eye types, or what I call the Genetic Eye Constitutions became what they are today. Through my extensive studies of human eyes and the human iris in particular, I have found 10 distinct types of Genetic Eye Constitutions. Each of these types has their own set of characteristics. We will later learn how to identify each type by their characteristic colors and structural signs. If we learn what type of Genetic Eye Constitution we have, we will understand much more how our body works and what it requires to be healthy and disease-free.
About "Eye for an Eye Diet" Holistic Nutrition- an overview
Remember you can't fool your body you can only fool yourself. Your body has a set way of healing itself and it will heal itself if it receives the right nutrients in the right amounts. We need to follow each step carefully. The Eye for an Eye Diet is a lifestyle change. I believe it is an intelligent program that teaches not only about our genetic constitution but also sound nutritional principles that we can take with us throughout our lives.
In Holistic Nutrition 1 you will learn about lessons from the old and wise, essential nutritional principles, and some of the most important nutrients that the human body requires to maintain its vast array of functions.
In Holistic Nutrition 2 you will learn some of the most important factors that drastically affect the quality of our food and affect our health and well being. Remember that lack of quality food is the reason for 90 percent of health problems that exist today. You will also learn about healing foods, foods that steal, nutritional supplements and contemporary issues in human nutrition.
In Holistic Nutrition 3 you will learn how genetic factors play a large role in nutritional needs. The identification of your Genetic Eye Constitution will be explained and discussed in order to implement a specific nutritional strategy for genetic types. Eating plans, beneficial foods, herbs, and vitamins are also suggested for each Genetic Eye Constitution. Color image photographs of eye types are included to assist you in identifying different genetic eye constitutions. You will also learn about common health problems that plague our civilization today and specific nutritional strategies, about weight loss or gain and information on how to maintain health as you encounter stress and as you age.
Please read a few of the sad excuses below, which are often responsible for failures in nutritional practices, and the host of chronic diseases that we encounter today.
Sad Excuses and Job Descriptions- why nutritional programs fail
Sad Excuse Number 1: I just don't have the time to follow a health program.
This is the classic WORKAHOLIC who frequently uses work as an excuse for the lack of time during the day. What he or she does not realize is that sooner or later their lifestyle habits will catch up with them. Those donut and coffee breakfasts on the run, those high caloric lunches and late working nights will eventually amount to a lot of sick days, which will not pay dividends in the future. Besides, the extra energy gained in eating right will make up for any additional time in preparation of healthy food.
Sad Excuse Number 2: Eating healthy is just too expensive.
I call this individual the ACCOUNTANT because he or she measures health in terms of financial expense. Is it really that expensive to eat healthy? Take a look at how much is spent on over the counter drugs, how many financially productive days are lost due to sick days etc. Take a look at your return on investment and not just what the expenses are.
Sad Excuse Number 3: Life is short. You are going to die anyway.
This person is what I call the FATALIST who believes that sooner or later an earthquake will hit or a car will run over you and that it is a waste of time to work on your health. Live life! Did you know it is possible to live healthy and enjoy even more the time you have on this earth as well?
Sad Excuse Number 4: I don't want to know about the health of my body.
This individual is the BLINDPERSON who believes that what he or she doesn't know won't hurt them. This of course is an illusion and not true at all. Turning a blind eye never led to any benefits. The more you open our eyes and the more you learn about your health, the more power you have to control your life.
Sad Excuse Number 5: If I find out something bad about my health, it may really happen as I might bring it on psychosomatically.
This individual is the NEUROTIC person, one that is really just afraid to take their health in their own hands. This person needs to be reassured that just as we do have the power to psychologically influence our health in a negative way, we also have the power to affect it in a positive way. This type of person does not have the confidence to take control of his or her own health.
Sad Excuse Number 6: I just don't have the willpower to change my eating habits.
This individual is the LAZYPERSON. He or she needs motivation and incentive to work on their health. They need to see the benefits of a healthy diet.
Sad Excuse Number 7: I don't want to create friction in the family by changing my diet.
This is the PACIFIST who would rather sacrifice their own health in order to not stir up any waves. Your health is only your responsibility. Don't let others and their bad influences deprive you of the health that you deserve.
Sad Excuse Number 8: I know lots of people who eat healthy and they are sick all the time.
This is the NON-BELIEVER, who through his experience does not see benefits by a healthy-eating lifestyle. This person needs to be educated and informed about healthy lifestyle choices and their benefits.
Are you or anyone you know guilty of fitting any of the Job Descriptions below?
Workaholic
Accountant
Fatalist
Blindperson
Neurotic
Lazyperson
Pacifist
Non-Believer
The Origin of Living Food
Our journey into nutrition begins with food at its very first beginnings. Few of us when we unwrap that final beautifully prepared food product ever really think about where it all comes from or where it all begins. Very few of us assess what nutrients we take into our bodies. We need to have some understanding because the quality of what we ingest will have a great effect on all our other essential life processes. Remember we are all a part of the food chain, that transfer of energy from one form to the other. That is how nature has planned it. As humans we are part of an immense ecosystem that is held in delicate balance with our natural environment. We can trace the source of all food back to the sun, our energy supplier, the one that through the process of photosynthesis transfers the solar energy in plants into living food. For their source of energy many animals use living food in the form of plants. I call food that is "living food," the most natural that exists, that which is in its natural form. Unfortunately to the detriment to mankind's health, this living food has lost much of its life through our neglect for nature's laws.
Our food is derived from living organisms, be it plants or animals, which also depend on their sources of food for survival. The quality of our food therefore is dependent on the quality of what our plants and animals ingest.
Our plants require nutrients to grow. They need the energy from the sun to allow for the process of photosynthesis. They require carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, which they receive from carbon dioxide and water as well as major nutrients like phosphates, potassium and nitrates in the soil. If these nutrients are in short supply in the soil, the plant turns out much less nutritious. If we eat plants that are grown in soil that has reduced levels of zinc, iron, iodine or other micronutrients, our diets will be deficient in these nutrients as well. Man's destruction and abuse of soil and irresponsible use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has led to a reduction in the nutritional value of plant foods.
You may be saying to yourself at this point that this is nice to hear but what can we do about it? This seems to be a subject for environmentalists and those trying to save our planet. That may be right but we need to be aware of the consequences to our health. We should realize that where some food is grown is not necessarily the optimum location. The fact that our soil is in many cases deficient in minerals means that our diets are often deficient despite the fact that we are eating what we believe are natural living foods. Don't be surprised if you suffer from disease even though you ingest these foods. Your body may still be deficient in valuable nutrients.
The goal of mankind should be to achieve the most natural and purest food sources. This means we need to implement agricultural practices that will protect and not destroy the soil. We need to stop using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The type of fertilizer used also affects the nutrient value of what is grown. The protein or vitamin content of foods can vary. One carrot or potato grown in one soil is not necessarily equivalent in nutrient value to another carrot or potato grown in another soil somewhere else.
One source of better quality grown food is organically grown produce. Organically grown fruits and vegetables have been found to contain far greater amounts of nutrients than those commercially available. Studies have shown on average that organic crops have a higher nutrient content. Some research has attributed higher incidence in allergies to chemical fertilizers. The world-renowned Gerson cancer institutes rely on food grown organically for their cancer patients and the results have been remarkable. Compared to crops grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, organically grown crops generally have a higher vitamin C content, a lower content of carcinogenic nitrates and better protein quality. Even some research on animals fed commercially grown food with chemical fertilizers and pesticides have shown that fertility rates declined over several generations. What are the possible implications for us? Just take a look at the growing incidence of couples having difficulties with conceiving children and the alarming increase of allergies in childhood, not to mention cancer affecting one in every three people today.
The use of earthworms has shown to dramatically improve the quality of our soil. The advantages of having earthworms in the soil are: they increase the richness of the soil by adding nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and other natural elements. This avoids the need for chemical fertilizers that affect the soil in the long run. Earthworms increase the resistance against pests, aerate the soil so it holds more water and clean up dead organic matter by eating it and turning it into premium natural organic manure. Research has proved that vegetables and fruits grown in a high concentrated earthworm farms stay fresh for a longer time and are known to improve their quality. So there you have it! Adding earthworms to our soil is a natural way to improve its quality and thus the quality of our plant foods.
I would highly recommend finding food sources that are reliable and that are not grown under commercial chemically fertilized conditions. Today there is a growing awareness of this problem and there is a current rise in organic farming due to demand for better quality food. Organic food usually costs more and doesn't look as attractive but you will increase your intake of nutrients that may be deficient in the food you currently buy in your local supermarket. If you have the rare opportunity to grow your own foods, avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Add earthworms to your soil and let nature do its work.
Our voyage in understanding human health and nutrition has to start with the origins of food. Naturally it is nearly impossible to completely isolate ourselves from food grown under less than desirable conditions, but we need to be aware that what we eat, even if it is considered healthy food may not be enough to protect us from disease and degeneration. If you can understand this concept here you may come to realize that your body may not be getting what it needs and as a result you may not be enjoying the success that you desire in your health objectives. Even though at times you may be shocked at what you hear about our food in this course, it is certainly not the end of the world. I believe there is always a way out of our health problems; we just have to cater the intake of nutrients to our individual body's needs. It really is quite simple when you think about it. Just give the body what it needs. What it needs is "living food" and we get living food best from soil that is free of chemicals, rich in minerals, and cultivated under nature's optimum conditions.
