Author of the breakthrough books Never be Sick Again and Never Be Fat Again.

An MIT-trained scientist, internationally recognized leader in health, and called “…one of the few scientists who has achieved a breakthrough understanding of health and disease,” Raymond Francis is on the cutting-edge of biological science and an internationally recognized leader in the field of optimal-health maintenance.

He has proposed an entirely new concept of health along with a simple program for achieving it called the Beyond Health Model. Raymond is chairman and CEO of Beyond Health Corporation, a supplier of highly advanced health education and world class health-supporting products to the public. In addition to being an author of two best-selling books, Raymond Francis is the creator of the internationally-presented Beyond Health Seminar and author of the Pathways to Health newspaper columns. He has been a guest on more than 1,500 radio and television shows.

For more than fifteen years, Raymond has been the host and producer of his own syndicated radio talk show, The Beyond Health Show. Raymond is also the founder and president of the nonprofit, Health-e-America Foundation (HeAF). The foundation’s purpose is to end the epidemic of chronic disease by using revolutionary technology to teach the basics of good health. HeAF is the sponsor of TPED (The Project to End Disease), a growing international movement to teach people how to end disease in their lives.

What was the catalyst that caused you to learn about alternative healing and nutrition?

I took very sick and almost died.  In fact, my death was a medical certainty.  The doctors gave up all hope that I would live but at the last moment, I used my own knowledge of biochemistry to save my life. That event has led me on a quest to learn more about why people get sick, what we can do to make them well, and to share what I have learned with others.

How has your field helped you understand the human body?

An understanding of biochemistry is fundamental to understanding health and disease.

Why do you think most physicians don’t view health and illness as you do?

Physicians have almost no training in biochemistry.  Their education is focused on anatomy, diagnosing diseases, and treating diseases with drugs and surgery.  They have virtually no understanding of the biological processes that cause disease or how to reverse these processes after they happen.  This is why they are so ineffective.  Medicine is about “managing” disease, suppressing the symptoms of disease, not about curing disease.

Most alternative health care practitioners seem to be fairly narrowly focused, yet you have such a broad understanding about health and illness. How did you develop such a broad range of knowledge?

I developed my holistic approach because, as I researched health, it became very obvious that a holistic approach was required.  While what is going on at the cellular level determines health or disease, there are many factors that influence events at the cellular level.  These include nutrition, exposure to toxins, your thoughts, emotions, beliefs, the amount of physical activity you get, the amount of sunshine you get, and even your exposure to electromagnetic fields.

You have written two best-selling books: Never Be Sick Again and Never Be Fat Again. How have doctors responded to the information in your book Never Be Sick Again?

Doctors all over the country, and even in foreign countries, are telling us that they are changing the way they practice medicine after reading Never Be Sick Again. This is because the book provides a fundamental understanding of what causes disease and how to prevent and reverse disease.  It changes the equation from merely managing disease to curing disease. More than a few physicians have called it one of the most important books they have ever read.

Tell us about the “one disease theory”.

All so-called diseases have a common root. All disease is the result of malfunction at the cellular level—so there is only one disease—a malfunctioning cell.  The many different symptoms produced by these malfunctions have led to the belief that there are many diseases.  This confuses our physicians and leads to a chaotic approach to treating disease. There are not many diseases, only many symptoms produced by one disease—cellular malfunction.  For example, mercury toxicity can cause cellular malfunction producing various symptoms including allergies, asthma, arthritis, depression, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.  Your doctor will diagnose you with six different diseases and prescribe drugs for each disease.  The diseases will remain chronic and the drugs will damage your health and produce many unpleasant side effects.  However, once you understand that these six “diseases” are merely symptoms of cellular malfunction, you can then look for the true cause of your cellular malfunction, get rid of the excess mercury, and get well.  All these so-called diseases will simply disappear.  There is only one disease—cellular malfunction.

Will readers be able to cut back on their prescription drugs by following the advice in this book?

If they follow the advice in the book and get well, they will be healthy and have no need for drugs.

What are your feelings about typical store bought vitamins?

As an expert in vitamin chemistry, I call tell you with confidence that most of them are junk.  They are not worth what you pay for them, and some even have toxic effects.  When I was struggling to save my life and restore my health, all the vitamins I took made me sick.  Now I know why, and I have my own brand of vitamins, the Beyond Health brand that is the highest quality obtainable.

Never Be Fat Again has been called the “first diet book worth reading.” What makes it different?

What makes it different is that it is the first weight-control book that allows you to lose weight—permanently.  It is scientifically proven that diets don’t work.  Just look around you for the proof.  If diets worked, few would be overweight.  Never Be Fat Again is different.  It is not a diet book. It is a cause and effect breakthrough that gives readers the knowledge to reverse the causes that created the weight in the first place.

Why do you refer to being overweight as a disease?

Because it is a disease.  Overweight is not a cosmetic problem.  It is a serious, chronic, degenerative disease.  If you are even five pounds overweight, we can begin to measure damaging biochemical abnormalities in your body.  This is why overweight people have more of all kinds of diseases, die younger, and suffer more disability than people of normal weight.  Fat doesn’t just sit there and look back at you in the mirror.  Fat cells are biologically active, producing a flood of dangerous, health-damaging chemicals, including excess estrogen that contributes to breast and prostate cancers.

What do you see as the biggest problem with most approaches to weight loss?

The biggest problem is that most approaches are aimed at losing weight.  This is a mistake.  Excess weight is only a symptom of this disease.  Almost anyone can lose 5 to 10 percent of their weight on any number of popular diets.  However, almost everyone will gain the weight back, usually gaining more than they lost. The only real solution is to cure the disease, and then the weight (the symptom) goes away automatically.

How does toxicity cause one to be overweight?

There are two control centers in the brain that control your weight.  One is the appetite control and the other is the fat-storage control.  Certain environmental toxins, such as artificial sweeteners and flavor enhancers (glutamates) will jam these controls and keep you hungry and storing fat, no matter how much or how little you eat.  In fact, toxins are a major cause of overweight disease.

What can the average person do right now to lose weight?

Buy a copy of Never Be Fat Again and learn how to eat a good diet, avoid toxins and improve your health so you can feel better, have more energy, think more clearly, lose weight, and enjoy a higher quality of life.  Since overweight is a disease, the only way to lose weight permanently is to improve health and get well.

What are the three most common things people do to make themselves sick?

1.  They eat poor diets consisting mainly of factory produced, processed foods that are low in nutrition and high in toxins.

2.  They needlessly expose themselves to dangerous environmental toxins that are avoidable.

3.  They put needless stress on themselves.

What are the first steps that most everyone can take to get well?

First understand that health is a choice. Then determine what is necessary to achieve it.  This means learning how to get adequate nutrition, to avoid avoidable toxins, to get regular physical activity, to get adequate sunlight, to learn to manage stress, and have a positive mental attitude.  Even if you are willing to do only one thing, get the sugar out of your life. It will have a tremendous positive impact on your health.

Raymond Francis is an MIT-trained scientist, internationally recognized leader in optimal health maintenance, and author of the breakthrough books: Never be Sick Again and Never Be Fat Again.

Raymond makes free health reports available to the public on his website: www.beyondhealth.com

Letter From The Editor

Ask OLM

Bacteria in Soil Learn to Eat Antibiotics

What’s Wrong With Vitamins?

What Does Organic Really Mean?

17 Reasons to Eat Organic

Grocery Store Guilt

The Vegan Bodybuilder

An Apple a Day…

What Really is a Healthy Diet?

Supplements Everyone Needs

Your Health – Your Responsibility

Digestion

Welcome. Organic Lifestyle Magazine is not just about food; it encompasses the choices we make each day. In these pages, we explore alternative healthcare; fitness; environmental issues; farming practices (including fair treatment of animals and farmworkers); politics as they relate to organics, alternative medicine, and supplements; and how these issues affect us.

Organic is going mainstream. It’s popular—downright trendy. Even big companies appear to be jumping on the bandwagon. But which ones have our best interests at heart? Which ones are lobbying to change the stringent requirements of the organic label? Which ones have been cited for violations?

Now that you can buy organic chocolate and organic wine, are you wondering why your grocery bill has increased while your health, or lack of health, has stayed the same?

With so many choices from acupuncture to reiki, from glucosamine to probiotics, from grandma’s home remedies to new age wisdom, it’s hard to know what’s best. We’re here to help you make informed choices for yourself, your family, our world, and your lifestyle.

Welcome to OLM!

Michael Edwards

Editor in Chief

Raccoon Eyes

Do you know of any herbs, vitamins, minerals, etc. to get rid of dark under-eye circles?

I started having them when I was a pre-teen and they got darker over the years. I’m in my early 20’s now. The circles are so dark, they look like bruises. I did have many blood tests done and everything turned out fine. I eat healthy and get plenty of sleep. I tried virtually every department store cream and they didn’t work. Now, I want to try the natural approach to get rid of these silly things! Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Leann

DR. SHILLINGTON ANSWERS: You need to do some serious liver and gallbladder cleansing. Dark circles are indicative of a poorly functioning liver. Ignore the common belief that dark circles are hereditary. This is simply not true. Handle your liver and the dark circles will disappear.

In health, freedom, and love

Doc

Juicer

I am looking to purchase a juicer. Any suggestions? I am looking for one that will not “heat” the juice. Ease of use and cleaning are also important. I do not mind paying a little more for a good machine.

Kim

DR. SHILLINGTON ANSWERS: The ultimate, best juicer is the Norwalk. Not only does it get all the nourishment out when it comes to juicing, it makes an awesome press for making tinctures. Of course it costs 2,500 bucks so it’s one of those “you get what you pay for” top-notch goodies. Try and pick one of these up on e-Bay or at a yard sale, and you can get a smoking deal sometimes.

I own a 60-year-old Norwalk that weighs 400 lbs. and stands four feet off the ground with a six-ton press on it. You can run three humongous carrots through the grinder at a time and it doesn’t even slow down. I bought it from a little ole lady for $25 without even knowing what it was (discovered it was a Norwalk after I cleaned it up), and discovered it was worth about $25,000 after the President of Norwalk offered me two brand new ones in exchange for this one. Seems as if this was Norman Walker’s original line and even the company didn’t have one in their museum. The thing is you can find these at yard sales, estate sales, garage sales, etc. and most go for a song when you do find them. They are few and far between, though. But they’re out there.

But rather than waiting for that to fall out of the sky, I would recommend a Champion. You can pick these up brand new for anywhere from $250 to $350 depending on where you buy them. They will warm up a bit with continuous use, but the temperature will not go above 105 degrees, which is the temperature at which enzymes start dying in abundance. The Champion is all motor and will last forever. You’ll be handing it down to your grandchildren. You can also find these at yard sales for a song. I saw one last week that went for $5 and it was in perfect condition. The Green Power is also supposed to be good, but I’ve never used one so cannot speak from personal experience here. Hope this helps.

Doc

Homeopathic

Are herbal remedies the same as homeopathic remedies?

DR. SHILLINGTON ANSWERS: No. Homeopathic medicine is a field of alternative medicine all its own and is the leading alternative therapy in France. It uses tiny doses of herbs, minerals, and poison in a theory called the law of the similar. Its premise is that if large doses of a certain substance can cause a problem, a minute dose can help the same problem.

In health and love,

Doc

Email your questions to questions [at] organicmail.net. Questions may be edited for clarity or length

Super bugs live in soil? Yes, according to Harvard University researchers who discovered why antibiotics don’t build up in the soil. Bacteria are eating it; they thrive on doses 50 to 100 times greater than the equivalent therapeutic dose for humans.

Scientists are scrambling to find out how they do it before they teach their cousins, human pathogens, how to wine and dine on Cipro, gentamicin, and the next generation of man made antibiotics.

While we applaud Mother Nature for devising a means to remove antibiotic waste from the soil, the warning is clear. Will we listen? Will we stop polluting our water and our land with antiseptics and antibiotic run off? Will we stop feeding antibiotics like candy to our animals? To our children? To ourselves? Will we look for alternative treatments to strengthen immunity and help our bodies to heal? Or will we continue the evolutionary war on bacteria, creating new strains resistant to every known treatment?

Time and time again studies have shown vitamin C or Echinacea can help prevent or reduce the length and severity of a viral infection such as the common cold. And yet, other studies will show vitamin C or Echinacea are of little to no help in fighting viruses. Some studies conclude a particular supplement prevents or cures an illness. A second study says maybe it does, but more research is needed. A third denies any health benefits at all, while a fourth declares the same supplement to be dangerous. There are as many conflicting reports published as there are supplements!

The truth is, vitamins, minerals, and other supplements can be very beneficial in preventing disease or in restoring the body to health. But choosing the right supplement is not as easy as going to your local vitamin store or grocery store and picking up a multivitamin that claims to have 100% of every USDA daily requirement.
Vitamins, minerals, and other supplements come in many different forms: synthetic pills that our bodies can’t digest, much less assimilate, “natural” vitamins that are anything but natural, and whole food vitamins and supplements.

Binders, fillers, and lubricants used to speed up production are commonly found in almost all supplements. Typical synthetic vitamins are usually coated with shellac (listed in the ingredients as “natural glaze”) or vegetable coating (derived from corn).These additives have a number of effects, including decreased absorption and allergenic reaction. Even small amounts of additives may cause reactions in sensitive individuals. Of course, manufactures and distributors deny that the presence of these substances is detrimental. But obviously, the most desirable products would not contain non-nutrient substances added solely to expedite the manufacturing process.

Whole food vitamins, minerals, and supplements are usually best, but beware. Not all of the products referred to as “food vitamins” are created equal.

One common practice is to take standard vitamins and put them in tablets or capsules with dried foods or herbs along with fillers, preservatives, and other additives, then label them as food vitamins. These vitamins are nothing more than a more expensive version of standard synthetic vitamins.

Another common type of “food vitamin” is made by adding standard synthetic vitamins to a liquid broth containing yeast. As the yeast grows, the vitamins and minerals are incorporated into the cell structure of the yeast. The yeast is then killed in a drying process and the residue is pressed into tablets with herbs, binders, and manufacturing additives. Though absorption is superior to the previous method, vitamins made this way are low in potency and high in cost.

A third kind of “food vitamin” supplement is made from concentrated dried foods either pressed into tablets with the aid of manufacturing additives or sold as tinctures. Potency and effectiveness depend on the quality of the raw herb used, the care taken in manufacturing, and the purity of the final product.

When you look for a natural health care practitioner, we recommend that you check to see if they carry Thorne Research, Systemic Formulas, and/or Standard Process supplements. Though many of the products of these three companies can be purchased over the Internet, many of these products are restricted to distribution through health care practitioners. A health care practitioner who uses any of these brands for acute care is likely to know at least a little more about health than their counterparts.

For tinctures, you can’t go wrong with Medi-herb. As far as purchasing over the internet, the highest quality supplements you can get can be found at Beyond Health. They are pricy, but in this case you get what you pay for. For general nutrition and herbal remedies be sure to check out Organic Solutions.

Do we really need vitamins, minerals, and supplements? Not if we eat fresh raw nutrient dense organic vegetables and fruits straight from a garden with soil rich in minerals and nutrients, and fresh (just killed), raw, all natural, healthy meat. We must also remember to eat our grains, nuts, and seeds sprouted. But even if we were willing and able to eat such a Paleolithic diet in this modern day and age, it’s not readily available.

When choosing a multi vitamin and/or minerals know that knowledgeable manufacturers will exclude iron, copper, and iodine from their multivitamin formula as they react with and destroy other nutrients in most cases. Choose vitamins, minerals, and supplements void of synthetic ingredients. Even small amounts of the synthetic forms may be toxic. Yeast based vitamins can cause sensitivities over time for anyone who has problems with Candida and most of the supplements have hidden ingredients the manufacturers aren’t required to list on their labels, which can affect people with allergies. We believe it’s the toxic effect of synthetic vitamins; reactions to fillers, binders, and lubricants; the huge difference in purity from one brand to another; and the resultant lack of absorption or the absorption rate that are the root causes of widely varying outcomes in scientific studies.

The hardest part about writing an article to teach one how to shop for vitamins and minerals is that none of the rules are applicable every time. In addition, none of the supplement manufacturers listed above are perfect. We believe the highest quality multivitamin/minerals come from Beyond Health but they are far and away the most expensive. The other companies have various strengths and weaknesses but make good products that are effective, especially for acute care. For the best results, choose additive-free supplements.

Most of our readers have a pretty good idea what they’re looking for when they go into their grocery store to buy organic foods. But what does organic really mean?

Webster defines organic (in reference to organic food) as follows:
“Of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides.”

Organic is better for the environment and better for us. When we purchase organic foods, we are buying foods that have not been genetically modified or poisoned with manmade chemicals. The organic label stands for a commitment to agriculture that achieves balance with our ecosystem. The soil is healthy. It retains a higher concentration of minerals. Animals are treated humanely (at least in comparison to non-organic methods). The groundwater runoff doesn’t poison our streams. The plants are able to naturally reproduce.

If you’ve never noticed the difference between organic and conventional foods, buy two organic apples and two conventional apples.

On day one, do a taste test. Which apple tastes better? Does one taste more alive? More full of energy?

On day two, eat an organic apple for breakfast (and nothing else) and notice how you feel. How long does it take for you to feel hungry again? What do you crave for lunch? How is your energy level?

On day three, repeat this process with the conventional apple and ask yourself the same questions.

Now the bad news. Organic standards as defined by the USDA are under attack and have been since their inception. Large companies and big agriculture want to make organic foods less expensive to produce, because they know the organic market is growing. They don’t care if the label is meaningless.

The phrase “all natural” now means little to health-minded, educated consumers. If big business has their way, you can expect the same erosion of the organic label.

Various organizations like the OCA wish to protect standards and keep the word organic synonymous with health and environmentally sound practices. Please visit their website to learn more about this issue and to help protect organic standards.