 mL) salt1. Cut the beans in the French style by passing through a Frenching utensil
or b y sli cing len gthwise using a paring knife. Immerse beans in cold water
and set aside. 2. Heat five 1-pint (2-cup/500 mL) jars in boiling water, and scald the lids,
lifter, funnel and tongs ( Pressure Canner Method ). 3. In a Maslin pan or canning kettle, heat olive oil over medium -high heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring
frequently, for 2 minutes or until onion and garlic are soft but not browned. 4. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, brown sugar, nutmeg and salt. Bring to a boil
and boil  gently for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce should  be slightly
thick. 5. D rain beans and add to the pa n. Cover and simmer gently fo r 4 minutes,
turning beans with tongs to heat them evenly. 6. Using  tongs, lift beans out of sauce and fill hot jars, shaking the jar to
pack fai rly tight ly. Pour hot tom ato sauce over beans, leaving a  1-inch (2.5
cm) hea dspace. Run a thin non- metallic utensil around the inside of the jar
to allow air to escape. W ipe sealing edge of jars with a clean, damp, lint-
free clot h. Posit ion flat lids ov er the tops of jars and hand-tighten screw
bands.7. Place  jars in pressure canner. Adjust water level (check manufacturer ’ s
instructions), lock lid and bring to a boil over medium-high  heat. V ent
steam for 10 minutes (check manufacturer ’ s instructions), then close vent. Continue heatin g to achieve 10 lb (69 kPa) pressure and maintain pressure
to process pint ( 2-cup/500 mL) jars for 20 minutes and quart (1 L) jars for
25 minutes. These times and pressure are based on using a weighted gauge
pressure canner  at an altitude of 1,000 feet (305 m) or less. Check your
altitude and manufacturer ’ s instructions for variations. 8. C ool, Label and Store: T urn of f heat; let pressure return to zero naturally. Once ga uge sho ws 0 pressure, wait 2 minutes then open the v ent. Unlock
and remove canner lid. W ait 10 minutes then lift jars from canner and place
on a clean towel  or rack. Do not re-tighten screw bands. Let the  jars cool to
room tem perature. This may take from 12 to 24 hours. Remove and store
screw bands. Check lid seals ( Pressure Canner Method ). W ipe and label
sealed jars. Store in a cool, dark place. Use: Heat and e at French Beans in T omato Sauce—they are divine. Y ou
can add them to stew or soup, and they are also a very nice side dish for
winter roasts and chops or combined with cooked meatballs. d i l l e d  b e a n s
V ersatile, colourful and nutritiou s, these beans add “snap” to winter meals
and salads. Y ou can pack them i nto the jars whole, in long strips or cut into
1-inch ( 2.5 cm) pieces. The pieces ar e used in Thr ee-Bean Salad, and the
whole be ans ar e used in Niçoise Salad  w ith tuna, spina ch and potatoes, so I
usually try to make up a batch each of cut and whole dilled beans. MAKES ABOUT 12 CUPS (3 L)
2 lb (1 kg) yellow and/or gr een beans
1 r ed bell pepper
3 cups (750 mL) apple cider vinegar3 cups (750 mL) water
3 tbsp (45 mL) pickling salt
18 Fr ench Rosé or Brazilian gr een pepper corns
6 sprigs fr esh dillweed or 3 tsp (14 mL) dill seed
6 cloves garlic

1. T rim beans and leave whole o r cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Core and
seed red pepper and cut into 1/4-inch (5 mm) strips or 1/4-inch (5 mm) dice. 2. Mean while, heat six 1-pint (2-cup/500 mL) jars in boiling water, and
scald the lids, lifter, funnel and tongs ( Boiling W ater Method, Step by Step ). 3. In  a Maslin pan or canning ke ttle, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring
to a boil over high heat. Add beans and peppers and boil for 1 minute. 4. Into each hot  jar, place 3 peppercorns, 1 dill sprig (or 1/2 ts p/1 mL dill
seed) and 1 clove garlic. Pack hot beans and peppers snugly into the jar,
leaving a 3/4-inch (2 cm) he adspace. Pour hot brine over vegetables,
leaving a 1/2-inch (1 cm) headspace. Run a thin non-metallic utensil around
the i nside of the  jar to allow air to escape. Add more hot brine, i f necessary,
to leave a 1/2-inch (1 cm) heads pace. W ipe rim, top with flat lid and screw
on meta l ring. Return jars to the hot water bath. T op up the canner with hot
water if  necessary. Bring to a  full rolling boil and process jars for 10
minutes ( Boiling W ater Method, Step by Step ).5. T ransfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Check seals, label and store
in a cool place for up to 1 year. t h r e e  s a l a d s  u s i n g  b e a n s
Ar ound the time that the fr esh beans ar e dangling in the sunlight, everything
is bu rsting with summer activity. School is out and cottages ar e open; boats
ar e on the wat er; and ther e is a general air of r elaxed and peaceful
enjoyment. T o me, beans ar e the  icon of summer vegetables. Bl anched just
until ten der -crisp and tossed with the goodness the gar den has to offer, their
sweet flavour defines all that is best about summer food. Beans ar e the prince of the gar den, and I have included thr ee  r ecipes for
using th em. The  first is a very simple version of the now famous thr ee-bean
salad. W ith Dilled Beans  i n your pantry, this salad is a ye ar -r ound r eminder
of the salad days of summer. The second bean salad is one of my
“expandable” salads: it can be the inspiration for any number of fr esh
ingr edient comb inations thr oughout the year. The last bean salad in this
medley is my pe rsonal favourite: Niçoise. Again, we see flexibi lity with the
choice of fr esh, fr ozen or canned tuna for this Mediterranean specialty.d i l l e d  t h r e e - b e a n  s a l a d
While ther e ar e so many variations of this nutrient-dense salad, I still
wanted t o add my own, rather simple r ecipe her e. I always make this salad
at least once during picnic and barbecue season because it travels well
(with no  mayon naise) and is so  delicious with grilled foods. Y ou can add
chopped olives, nuts, grilled vegetables like asparagus, eggplant or
artichokes, and r ed and gr een b ell peppers. In fact, it is the ki nd of salad
that you  can make your own, de pending on the various ingr edients you add
to it. I sometimes include sliced fennel or chopped garlic scapes, but mostly
I e njoy the follo wing simple combination, which celebrates the flavours of
the genus  Phaseolus. Serve it on a bed of shr edded lettuce, baby gr eens or
finely chopped cabbage in the winter. MAKES 6 T O 8 SER VINGS
1 pint (2 cups/500 mL) cut Dilled Beans (page xx), drained, brine
r eserved
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 r ed onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil

1. In  a salad bowl, combine Dilled Beans (and peppers), kid ney beans,
chickpeas and red onion. 2. Meas ure 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the reserved brine and set aside the
remaining brine  for another us e. In a clean jar with a tigh t-fitting lid,
combine brine and olive oil. Shake and pour over bean mixture. T oss well
to coat the beans. e x p a n d a b l e  b e a n  s a l a dBasically, you combine seasonal ingr edients with fr esh, fr


 would have given
up on himself, announced that he was a failure and ceased his en-
deavors to light the world. Failure can be instructive. It can be an
incentive to work and exploration. It can even be thought as success
if it points the way to new discoveries. As Kenneth Boulding put it,
I have revised some folk wisdom lately; one of my edited pro-
verbs is Nothing fails like success  because you do not learn any-
thing from it. The only thing we ever learn from is failure. Success only confirms our superstitions. Think of it. Without failure we can learn nothing, and yet we have
learned to treasure success as the only acceptable standard. We tend
to shun all experiences which might bring about fail-128 / Your Erroneous Zonesure. Apprehension of failure is a big part of fear of the unknown. Anything which doesn’t smack of guaranteed success is to be
avoided. And fearing failure means fearing both the unknown and
the disapproval that accompanies not doing your best. Some Typical “Fear of the Unknown” Behavior In Our Culture
We have already discussed some typical behavior engendered by
fear of the unknown. Resisting new experiences, rigidity, prejudice,
slavish adherence to plans, the need for external security, fear of
failure and perfectionism are all subheadings in this large self-limit-
ing zone. What follows is a listing of the most common specific ex-
amples in this category. You can use it as a checklist to assess your
own behavior. • Eating the same kinds of foods for a lifetime. Avoiding exotic,
new taste treats in favor of the more traditional, and using descrip-
tions such as, “I’m a meat and potatoes person” or “I always order
chicken.” While everyone has certain preferences and predelictions,
avoidance of unknown foods is merely rigidity. Some people have
never eaten a taco, or been to a Greek or Indian restaurant, simply
because they stay on the familiar ground of what they are used to. Leaving familiar grounds can open up a whole exciting gastronomic
world. • Wearing the same kinds of clothes forever. Never trying out a
new style, or wearing something different. Labeling yourself as a
“conservative dresser” or a “loud dresser” and never varying your
sartorial style. • Reading the same newspapers and magazines which support
the same editorial position day after day and never admitting a
contrary viewpoint. In one recent study, a reader, whose political
position was well known, was asked to read an edito-EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN  / 129rial which began with a position identical to his own. In the middle
of the editorial, the viewpoint shifted, and a hidden camera revealed
that the reader’s eyes similarly shifted to another part of the page. The rigid reader in this experiment would not even consider a dis-
similar point of view. • Seeing the same movies (with different titles) for a lifetime. Re-
fusing to view anything that might support a different philosophical
or political belief, because the unknown is disconcerting and must
be shut out. • Living in the same neighborhood, city or state, simply because
your parents and their parents happened to have chosen that loca-
tion. Being afraid of a new place because the people, climate, politics,
language, customs, or whatever, are different. • Refusing to listen to ideas which you do not share. Instead of
considering the other speaker’s viewpoint—“Hmm, I’ve never
thought of that”—you immediately insist he’s crazy or uninformed. This is a method of avoiding the different or the unknown by refus-
ing to communicate. • Being afraid to try a new activity because you can’t do it well. “I don’t think I’d be very good, I’ll just watch.”
• Compulsive achievement in school or on the job. Grades are
more important than anything else. The fitness report matters more
than the pleasure of work well done. Using achievement rewards
as substitutes for trying something new and unknown. Residing in
the safe areas of inquiry because, “I know I can get an A,” rather
than risking a C by embarking on a new discipline. Taking the safe
job where you know you’ll be successful instead of entering a new
race and taking a chance on failing. • Avoiding anyone whom you label deviant, including “fags,”
“commies,” “weirdos,” “spics,” “niggers,” “wops,” “wasps,” “hip-
pies,” “kikes,” “gooks,” and any derogatory tags that serve as pro-
tection from fear of the unfamiliar. Rather than trying to learn about
these people, you label them with a slanderous epithet and talk
about them rather than to them.130 / Your Erroneous Zones• Staying with the same job even though you dislike it, not because
you have to, but out of apprehension about entering that vast un-
known of new work. • Staying in a marriage that obviously is not working, out of a
fear of the unknown, single life. You can’t remember what it’s like
not to be married, so you don’t know what you’d be getting yourself
into. Better to stay with the unpleasant familiar than to wander off
into new potentially lonely territory. • Taking vacations in the same place, at the same hotel, during
the same season each year. In this case you know what to expect,
and you don’t have to risk new places which might—or might
not—provide pleasant experiences. • Using performance rather than enjoyment as a criteria for
everything that you do. That is, doing only those things you do well
and avoiding those where you might fail or perform poorly. • Measuring things in monetary terms. If it costs more, it is worth
more, and therefore an indication of your personal success. The
known is measured in dollar signs, while the unknown cannot be
financially assessed. • Striving for the important title, the fancy automobiles, the right
labels on your clothes and other status symbols, even though you
may not even like the possessions and the life-style that they repres-
ent. • An inability to alter a plan when an interesting alternative arises. If you stray from the map in your head you’ll lose your way and
your place in life. • Being preoccupied with time, and allowing clocks to run your
life. Living by a schedule which keeps you from trying new and
unknown quantities of life. Always wearing a watch (even to bed)
and being controlled by it. Sleeping, eating and making love by the
clock, regardless of hunger, exhaustion, or desire. • Dismissing certain kinds of activities which you’ve never tried. These may include such “weird” things as meditation, yoga, astro-
logy, backgammon, bocci, Mah-jongg, isometrics, or anything that
you don’t know about.EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN  / 131• Viewing sex without imagination. Always doing the same thing
in the same position. Never trying something new and exotic, be-
cause it is different and therefore might be unacceptable. • Hiding behind the same clique of friends and never branching
out with different people who represent new and unknown worlds. Having regular meetings with the same crowd, and staying with
the crowd for a lifetime. • At a party which you attend with your spouse or date, staying
with that person for the entire evening not because you want to but
because you are safe. • Hanging back because of a fear of what might happen if you
ventured into a conversation with strange people on strange topics. Thinking to yourself that they must be smarter, more talented, more
skillful, or more glib, and using this as a reason to avoid a new ex-
perience. • Condemning yourself if you don’t succeed in all your endeavors. These are only a few examples of unhealthy behavior engendered
by fear of the unknown. You can probably make your own list. But
instead of making lists, why not begin to challenge why you want
to live each day the same as the one before, with no possibilities for
growth. The Psychological Support System for Retaining These Behaviors
Here are some common payoffs that keep you from roaming
around in that delicious unknown. • By staying the same you never have to think on your feet. If you
have a good plan, you simply consult your script, rather than your
wits. • Staving off the unknown has its own built-in reward system. The fear of the obscure is strong, and as long as you stay132 / Your Erroneous Zoneswith the familiar, you are keeping that fear at bay, regardless of how
costly it is to you in growth and fulfillment. It’s safer to avoid un-
charted areas. Think of Columbus. Everyone warned him he would
fall over the edge. It is easier to be one of the many treading familiar
ground rather than an explorer risking everything. The unknown
is a challenge and challenges can be threats. • You can say that you are postponing your gratification, which
you’ve heard labeled “mature-behavior,” and thus stay with the fa-
miliar and justify it with such a stance. Thus it is “mature” and
“adult” to put it off, but really it is out of panic and misgiving that
you stay as you are, and avoid unknown parts. • You can feel important by having done it right. You’ve been a
good boy/girl. As long as you see it in failure/success terms, you
can equate your self-worth with your good performance and feel
good


is to eat a small amount of certain foods, or drink hot or cold water, that typically cause tooth pain. Another is to press your teeth in various spots with your fingernail. If you want to be more precise,
you can purchase a dental explorer at the local drug store and use it carefully in the same way. If you
feel a soft spot or experience tooth pain while using the dental explorer, then you have tooth decay. Decayed spots are usually slightly sticky or feel like rotten wood. Some dentists offer a saliva test to
determine if tooth decay is active. Using these tests, you can check and monitor the progress of your
dietary changes, watching to see whether or not your tooth is getting harder. I also encourage you to do a visual inspection of your teeth. You can accomplish this by using an
efficient light and the bathroom mirror. A small dental mirror can also be useful for inspecting your
teeth from different angles. A visual inspection can help you determine if your teeth are healthy. Take
a digital photograph of your teeth if possible, and label them for comparison. You are to be responsible for monitoring your dental health. I support active participation in your
dental recovery program. I do not encourage excessive x-rays because of the dangers of radiation
exposure. Digital x-rays emit less radiation than conventional ones, but they still emit some. By
checking your progress, you will be able to determine whether or not the diet you are following is
working and you will be able to catch a problem before it becomes worse. Understanding Tooth Remineralization
Your body is always trying to heal and repair your teeth to find and maintain balance. I described this
previously as
vis medicatrix naturae. Your goal is to align yourself and your actions with this natural
function. Any tooth has the potential to remineralize. If healing teeth seems confusing, just think of
bones healing. Healing teeth is similar to healing bones. When your diet reaches a certain threshold of
minerals and fat-soluble vitamins, your soft teeth will turn hard and even glassy. Cracks can seal
together, and your tooth ligaments will strengthen. Inside the tooth your body will build new
secondary dentin to protect the inner tooth pulp. As with a bone, if there is a hole in your tooth, the
hole will not usually fill in. The areas all around the hole will get strong and extremely hard. The lost
tooth structure is not usually replaceable. Holes in your teeth usually cannot be completely filled in
and restored to their original condition, even with special nutrition. However, the holes can be
sealed, and the enamel will become hard and protect your tooth pulp from infection. How to Treat Your Decayed Tooth
I frequently am asked about what to do in specific instances of decayed teeth. My answer is very
simple. Do the best you can with nutrition. And then evaluate with your dentist if your tooth needs
further cosmetic or surgical treatments. It never hurts to improve your diet in any case. What to do about your tooth decay depends on how severe it is. The severity is determined by how
much pain you experience, if there is a large visible cavity in the tooth, and if the tooth has been
drilled or traumatized in the past. Understanding the past condition of the tooth will guide you to what
type of treatments your tooth needs under a diet that promotes tooth remineralization such as
described in this book. The advice here is meaningless for those who neglect to carefully ensure that
they have enough fat-soluble vitamins in their diet while avoiding many of the tooth-decay-promoting
foods. Dental problems in teeth that have been drilled by dentists usually need to be repaired in some way
by a good dentist. The model of drilling large holes guided by the “extension for prevention” premise
traumatizes teeth. The tooth with a moderate to large mercury filling has lost its structural strength
from the large hole drilled in it. Some older composite fillings may also exhibit this loss of structural
integrity if they are weakly bonded to the tooth. An analogy for these sorts of teeth is a house without
a roof. Without a sound roof, any kind of foul weather will be able to enter the house. The house will
be hard to clean, and likely will be damaged from the weather. Likewise, your tooth that has been
drilled is like a house without a roof. Your body has to work tremendously hard to clean, repair, and
maintain the damaged tooth because it has little protection from the environment of your mouth. If your
house did not have a roof, would it make sense to continue to try to clean it up after every rain or
snow. No. It would make sense to fix the roof to prevent the problem in the first place. Likewise, bad
dentistry needs to be fixed with good dentistry. Teeth that have mercury fillings, toxic crowns, or
conventional root canals are like houses without roofs. With teeth that have already been subject to the dentist’s drill, no matter what the condition of the
tooth, be it painful, temperature sensitive, cracked, or infected your treatment path will require the
work of the tooth handyman, the dentist. Great dentists can bond teeth, save inflamed nerves, and
restore the structural integrity of your tooth with carefully bonded ceramics or composites. Once the
tooth is safe and not being traumatized it can heal faster. The tricky part is that if you go to a dentist
with a large amount of tooth decay, then he usually will want to remove all of the decayed part of the
tooth, even part of the tooth that can remineralize. How long you wait to remineralize the tooth, how
much the dentist needs to drill, if at all, and if you should have a temporary or permanent filling
placed while the tooth heals is all entirely up to you to decide along with, one hopes, the supportive
advice from your dentist. Teeth that have never been drilled usually respond very well to dietary intervention. You should
notice significant improvement in tooth pain or sensitivity within a few days. Once the tooth has
hardened then you can decide with your dentist if the tooth needs extra structural support from a
filling. In this case you could do a no-drill filling if there was a large hole that needed to be sealed
up. I do not recommend leaving large holes untreated, although some people make this choice for
personal reasons. Tiny cavities, the kind most people have, do not really need any type of drilling orfilling once they remineralize. All that is there will usually be a tiny but very hard discolored or black
spot on the tooth. Sometimes even the discoloration of a cavity disappears completely on an excellent
diet. With your excellent diet your tooth will now be constantly trying to heal itself. If your dental
condition has been going on for years and years, it could take many weeks or even many months to
fully remineralize the damaged tooth. If your tooth is constantly getting aggravated such as from night
time tooth clenching, tooth grinding, a poor bite, or dental work that is falling apart then the healing
process is going to be very slow if it progresses at all. Meanwhile if your tooth is in a lot of pain, it
may be difficult or impossible to wait for weeks and months for your body to heal the tooth
nutritionally to the point where it stops hurting. The only way to know is to implement as much as you
can of the tooth infection program explained earlier in this chapter. If your painful, inflamed tooth
does not radically improve in 24-48 hours, then this tooth likely needs a dental treatment. Specific Examples of How to Treat Tooth Decay
Assuming you have changed your diet for the better, your teeth will be getting hard and strong. There
may still be holes and these will become covered over with hard new enamel, but will not usually fill
in. The general treatment theory on teeth is that less is more. You want to do the least traumatizing and
least invasive treatment as is reasonable for your tooth. The best holistically oriented dentists will be
able to support this process. What the least invasive treatment looks like exactly in your case you will
need to decide for yourself. When people ask me what they should do with their tooth condition, I
always simply ask them what they want to do. Beyond the structure of health I provide in this book, I
cannot tell you or advise you what to do with your teeth. I cannot replace your own wisdom and inner
knowing of what is right for you. Here I will try to give you some guidelines to help you make a good
decision. Soft leathery decay probably cannot be remineralized, but all of the other types of tooth decay can be
remineralized. Your dentist will advise a specific filling or treatment for your tooth based upon his
observation of how damaged the tooth is. If the decay is very hard, then the dentist should not need to
drill much or at all. All cavity treatments and outcomes will be enhanced when you make steps to
correct your bite and to relieve pressure on the central cranial nerve in your jaw, the trigeminal
nerve. This will be discussed in the next chapter. Healing teeth nutritionally is enhanced by topical
treatments including herbs, homeopathy, sea salt rinses, gum cleaning and oil pulling (see the gum
disease chapter). Side Cavities and Regular Cavities. These respond well to nutritional adjustments. After the small
cavity has healed, you will need to decide if you want or need any additional drill-free dental
treatments to restore the structure or look of the particular tooth. Large cavity. Make dietary changes and then get the cavity filled with


nutrients. We	must	learn	to	count	nutrients,	not	calories. Your	body	builds	more
than	ten	million	new	cells	every	second. If	the	foods	you	eat	do	not	contain
sufficient	nutrients	needed	to	build	and	maintain	those	cells,	an	“eat	more”
message	is	sent	to	the	brain. This	happens	regardless	of	how	many	calories	are	in
your	diet. A	body	that	is	starving	for	nutrients	seeks	out	more	food,	and	weight
gain	likely	results. Eating	just	one	hundred	calories	more	than	you	burn,	on	a
daily	basis,	translates	to	roughly	twelve	pounds	of	added	fat	per	year. Try	that
ten	years	in	a	row! Many	Americans	are	both	malnourished	and	overweight. Obesity	is	a	major
health	problem	in	America	today,	regardless	of	age	or	economic	status. According	to	recent	government	statistics,	63	percent	of	American	adults	are
overweight. When	you	eat	real,	nutritious	foods	(typically	lower	in	calories),
your	body	obtains	the	nutrients	it	needs	and	you	likely	do	not	have	intense	food
cravings. If	a	large	part	of	your	diet	is	made	up	of	real	foods,	becoming
overweight	is	difficult. Unfortunately,	overweight	people	(or	those	wishing	to	avoid	becoming
overweight)	often	cut	down	on	their	overall	food	(calories)	intake,	without
making	changes	in	what	types	of	foods	they	eat. This	results	in	more
malnourishment	and	stronger	food	cravings. Consuming	2,000	calories	yet
obtaining	little	or	no	nutrition	is	frightfully	easy:	a	small	candy	bar	(280	calories
and	almost	no	nutrition),	two	soft	drinks	(600	calories	and	no	nutrition),	and	a
hamburger/fries/shake	meal	(1,180	calories	and	only	a	little	nutrition). This
intake	totals	2,060	calories	yet	offers	a	serious	case	of	malnutrition. That	diet
provides	some	protein,	carbohydrate	and	fat	that	the	body	can	use—but	is
seriously	lacking	in	vitamins,	minerals,	phytonutrients,	enzymes,	fiber,	essentialfatty	acids	and	other	nutrients	necessary	to	construct	healthy	cells	and	maintain
good	health. Lacking	these	nutrients,	the	body	must	deplete	its	nutrient	reserves
in	order	to	keep	functioning. When	the	reserves	run	out,	cells	suffer	from
deficiency,	and	they	cease	to	self-regulate	and	self-repair. Disease	follows. Meanwhile,	you	are	still	hungry	and	adding	more	weight	because	your	body	is
short	of	nutrients. Magic	Capsules
How	do	real	foods	support	the	health	and	function	of	your	cells	whereas
processed	foods	do	not? Here’s	one	example:	Whole	grains	(such	as	wheat,	oats,
millet	and	quinoa)	are	seeds	that	contain	all	the	ingredients	necessary	to	create	a
new	plant—to	create	a	new	life. They	are	like	magic	capsules. The	nutrients	in
these	capsules	that	are	necessary	to	create	life	are	also	necessary	to	sustain	your
life. However,	as	soon	as	this	life-creating	capsule	has	been	opened	(due	to
cutting,	mashing	or	grinding),	oxygen	reacts	with	the	chemicals	inside,	causing
the	nutrients	to	deteriorate. At	this	point,	the	seed	can	no	longer	produce	a	new
life,	nor	can	it	sustain	yours	as	well	as	before. Our	ancestors	did	not	have	such
nutrient	losses	in	their	grains,	which	were	eaten	whole	or	coarsely	ground,	rather
than	processed	into	nutritionally	worthless	white	flour. Remember	the	Hunzas? They	coarsely	ground	grains	and	immediately	made	nutritious	flat	breads,
minimizing	nutrient	loss. Foods	that	are	nutritious	but	nontoxic	come	from	the	following	categories:
•
Organic	foods
produced	naturally	without	any	man-made	chemicals,	such
as	pesticides,	herbicides,	fertilizers,	preservatives,	antibiotics,	hormones,
processed	animal	feed,	etc. These	foods	are	generally	higher	in	nutrients
and	lower	in	toxins	than	nonorganic	(commercially	produced)	foods	of	the
same	type. •
Fresh	foods
harvested	at	their	peak	of	nutrition	(ripeness)	and	consumed
shortly	thereafter. Food	that	is	harvested	does	not	gain	any	more	nutrition
(even	though	it	may	continue	to	ripen),	and	in	fact,	nutrition	begins	to
decline. Some	foods	deteriorate	more	quickly	than	others,	but	the	point	is
that	you	want	to	eat	your	food	as	soon	after	harvesting	as	possible. The
more	the	food	sits	around	(during	harvesting,	storage,	transportation	and
distribution),	the	more	nutrition	it	will	lose. •
Unprocessed	foods,
minimally	altered	from	the	way	that	nature	provides. Avoid	foods	that	are	cooked,	peeled,	cut,	ground,	dehydrated,	frozen,
canned,	etc. Unprocessed	foods	are	whole,	complete	foods,	rather	than	justpart	of	a	food	(whole	grains	instead	of	flour	made	from	grains,	for	example,
or	potatoes	with	the	peel	still	on). Because	we	cannot	all	revert	to	hunting,	gathering,	growing	our	own	food	and
eating	it	fresh	and	raw,	we	must	learn	to	evaluate	the	foods	that	are	available	to
us	and	make	choices	that	are	both	healthy	and	realistic. We	must	take	the	“black
and	white”	nutritional	knowledge	outlined	above	and	apply	it	to	our	lives	in	the
best	shade	of	gray	that	we	can. Poisoned	in	the	Nursery
Much	of	the	nutrition	trouble	we	face	begins	before	food	leaves	commercial
farms. Modern	agricultural	practices	and	chemicals	(such	as	chemical	fertilizers,
insecticides,	herbicides	and	fungicides)	produce	ever-increasing	quantities	of
food,	but	the	chemicals	reduce	the	nutritional	quality	of	the	food	and	deplete	the
soil	of	nutrients	needed	to	produce	future	quality	crops. Chemical	fertilizers,	which	are	supposed	to	put	nutrients	into	the	soil,	actually
end	up	causing	nutrients	to	be	removed	from	the	soil. The	most	common
chemical	fertilizers,	which	support	high	food	production,	add	three	major
nutrients	to	the	soil:	nitrogen,	phosphorous	and	potassium. But	the	plants	require
many	other	nutrients	absorbed	from	the	soil,	such	as	zinc,	calcium,	magnesium,
selenium,	germanium,	chromium,	manganese,	nickel	and	molybdenum. Chemical	fertilizers	do	not	supply	these	nutrients. By	not	replacing	these
nutrients	and	by	growing	more	food	on	the	same	land	year	after	year	after	year,
critical	nutrients	continually	are	lost	from	the	soil,	leading	to	nutrient-deficient
soil,	nutrient-deficient	crops,	nutrient-deficient	farm	animals	and	nutrient-
deficient	human	beings. In	her	1976	book
The	Living	Soil,
Lady	Eve	Balfour	describes	an	eighteen-
year	experiment	on	three	farms	with	similar	soil	profiles. One	of	the	farms	was
managed	organically,	one	chemically,	and	the	third,	a	mixture	of	the	two. During
this	eighteen-year	study,	the	soil	on	the	organic	farm	was	found	to


 one of the primary propaganda w eapons put a
t their disposal to serve their masters. Of course,
there are renegade nutritionists and dietitians who have revolted against the basic four except for the fruit and vegetable category. Most nutritionists are ashamed of the fifth food category and don’t even mention it though it is on the books along with the basic four. The fifth category consists of what might broadly be termed “accessory foods” such as
oils, syrups, snack foods, sugars, wines, seasonings, jams, preserves, etc. Even though we are admonished to eat from all five food categories daily by the framers of this scheme to peddle commercial products, nutritionists and dietitians are not keen on mouthing this part of the propaganda even though they include it liberally in their recipes. 60
FruiticultureWhile some nutritionists and dietitians praise fruits and vegetables, they still charac -
terize those who point out our biologically correct foods as faddists and nutritional
quacks. Yet, ev
en in seminars, those who sharply question me must admit that, aestheti -
cally, they would eat little besides fruits in nature and that we humans are naturally fruitar ians. All the cr it
eria heretofore cited as the requirements of our natural foods are amply met
by fruits. In short, they are replete with our nutrient requirements in practically the pro -
portions that we need them. We are biological symbionts of fruit-bearing plants, and in nature would ea t v
ery little besides fruits. Despite all this, there’s no particular harm in
eating green leafy vegetables, stalks, stems and their fresh juices in the raw state. Even some steaming or conservative cooking of tu -
bers, stalks, stems, roots, corms and selected legumes and g rains (pref er
ably sprouted), are
not sufficiently deleterious to seriously harm our health. Of course, there are some toxic re -
sults from eating all this fare. We’re better off without them. Yet, I r epea
t, there is no great
harm in their consumption relative to what is suffered from conventional fare. Dr. Bruce Ames of the University of California, Berkeley, has created a catalog of poi -
sons in vegetables and published an extensive article in the September 23, 1983 issue
of Science magazine. No indic tmen
t of fruits as having toxic substances was made or
can be made. Virtually every vegetable was indicted. All were a part of the same study. Humans are biologically equipped to handle most fruits. When ripened, fruits accommodatingly convert their carbohydrate components into glu -
cose and fructose, simple sugars we can use without further digestion. Their enzymes
conver t their pr
oteins into amino acids and their fats into fatty acids and glycerols. Thus,
when we eat fruits, all we need do is savor their goodness. The fruit portions, that is, mesocarps, were specifically compounded to attract biological symbionts. Fruits meet their nutrient needs rather ideally with predigested nutrients. For humans, no other food compares with fruits in satisfying all needs including, of course, our requirement for deli -
61
Fruiticultureciously vibrant soul-exalting fare. I’m sure that you will agree through your own senses that fruits would be your primary
food in a state of nature. Are We Vegetarian. The average American understands the term vegetarian to mean an “eater of vegetables. ”
But, in reality a vegetarian is someone who eats only plant-derived foods. This may in -
clude a preponderance of fruits but, in practice, it means anything and everything be -
sides animal products. The word v egetable der
ives from the Latin vegetus, meaning lively, exciting or animated. It does not mean specific types of foods other than those which enliven or sustain us in
an energetic mode. Necessarily, by this definition, fruits are high-energy foods whereas vegetables are either low-energy foods or have drawbacks. Typical present-day vegetari -
an fare includes grains, tubers, root, stalks, stems, leaves, nuts, seeds, fruits, legumes and about ev erything else that does not mo v
e, bleed, cry or resist acquisition. Even though those who eat all fruits or a preponderance of them can correctly be called fruitarians, they may also be correctly called vegetarians. Personally, my intake is mostly fruit. I prefer to be called a fruitarian, though I do not object to being called a vegetar -
ian. Do you agree that, naturally, we are fruit-eaters. Are W e Nut and S
eed Eaters. In nature there is no doubt but that humans did consume some nuts. Even so, our ability
to derive nuts from their hard shells is limited. We do not have razor sharp teeth and tons of pressure per bite or jaw-power as have squirrels. Humans can crack certain nuts with their teeth. Very few of today’s degenerated version of humans can do it, but most nuts
can be cracked with strong jaws and good teeth. Even strong hands can crush nuts if at least two are taken and pressed against each other. Most nuts are delicious to us in their raw state. Unfortunately, our ability to handle nuts is rather poor—we’d need pointed, durable teeth, as rodents have, to gnaw through nut shells. Nuts that we savor are in a storage form,
62
Fruiticulturethat is, as fats, proteins and invert sugars or starches. Digestion of nuts into fatty acids,
amino acids, and glucose is a long drawn out process, most often taking hours. Whether we did or did not consume nuts in nature makes little difference to us today. Most of us do consume nuts but disadvantageously as cooked fare. Heated fats and proteins are quite pathogenic, yes, even carcinogenic. Nuts should be eaten raw or not at all. Technically and botanically nuts are fruits. I do not buy that because the word fruit re -
ally means product or result. Fruits are really the mesocarps of seed packages which
plants creat ed specifically as a pr
oduct to be consumed by a biological symbiont who
would incidentally discard and distribute the seeds. Nuts and seeds were created by plants for broadcast and reproduction by other methods. All nuts are seeds. Most seeds are in a storage form to survive the vagaries of climatic and consuming elements so that they may be instrumental in reproducing and perpetuating their kind. Nuts, however, have extra protection in that they have hard woody shells. Seeds usually have only fi -
brous coatings as their protection. Both seeds and nuts are heavily endowed with nutri-ents sufficient to initiate and sustain a certain minimum growth of their plants. We can benefit from these nutrients. But if w
e eat more than two or three ounces, we’re likely to
get more protein and fats than we can readily handle. Certainly nuts and seeds were not created by plants for consumption but, rather, for
reproduction. That some animals have adapted to their consumption has not been a two-sided affair as it has been with fruits where the love affair has been and still is mu -
tual. There are many types of seeds: legumes, grains, weeds, nuts, and fruit seeds being among the most prominent. I n their na
tural state humans can handle very few of these
seeds. Nuts can be digested and used in very small amounts. Likewise, sesame, pump -
kin, squash, sunflower, pignolias, and some other seeds can be used. We are primar ily car
bohydrate eaters, not fat and protein eaters. I dare say you agree
with my assessment of nuts and seeds as human fare. Are We Fat Eaters. In nature there are very few fats we can get in any quantity without violating our biolog -
ical disposition. Avocados, durians, olives, coconuts, nuts and seeds are heavy on fats. Avocados and durians fur nish fa
ts in a predigested state when ripe. Coconuts furnish
fats as monoglycerides/glycerols before they set their fats as triglycerides in a storage 63
Fruiticultureform. Coconuts are, therefore, in the jelly-like state, easily digested. When matured and
hardened, it is almost impossible to digest them. Broccoli and cauliflower have con -
siderable fatty acids in an easily us-
able state when eaten in the raw fresh condition. How ev
er, they give
some unwanted toxic sulfur com -
pounds. We get predigested fats ad-equate to meet our fatty acid needs from fruits. An oc casional a
vocado or
seeds and nuts are quite satisfying. Those who subsist substantially on fats do not do well. Eskimos are very short-lived. They consume about 200 grams, about 1,800 calories, dai -
ly. Their short-lived condition is probably more attributable to their heavy protein con-sumption than fats. They consume about 200 grams of protein daily incidental to their fat-ea ting and this plac
es a great burden upon their organs, especially liver and kidneys. Because of the acid-forming properties of metabolized proteins, Eskimos lose their teeth at an early age and suffer severe osteoporosis. Eskimos are eaters of animal fats and pro -
teins, primarily as derived from fish. Be it noted that, during the berry-picking season, Eskimos are said to ea t only ber
ries during the short season they are ripening. Biologically we are not a species of fat eaters, but


 Manas, through which we perform
the action working with the senses. Buddhi is involved as
the director of the action, through which we develop our
skill in performing it. Once what we have learned becomes
second nature, it becomes a function of Chitta. We tie our
shoes automatically without any deliberation through this
power of Chitta. In the ordinary person, we can divide the
layers of consciousness accordingly:
Chitta — unconscious, but also potential higher
consciousness
Manas — subconscious
Buddhi — conscious
Ahamkara — self-conscious
Chitta is the total potential field of conditioned con-
sciousness (the field of thought). Manas contains all senso-
ry reactions which are largely subliminal. In this regard,
Manas and Chitta are close together and what we take in
through the senses automatically influences the uncon-
scious. Only Buddhi is the aware part of consciousness. It
can divide Chitta from Manas so that our sensory respons-
es do not condition us at a deeper level. Ahamkara is self- Ego and Self 139
consciousness or ego that makes us vulnerable to external
influences. The Atman witnesses and transcends all these
functions and is contacted through the higher function of
the Buddhi. In the disease process, the Doshas or disease-causing
factors are the wrong functioning of mind and intelli-
gence, which occurs through the ego. The ego introduces
Rajas and Tamas, the mental Doshas, into the mental field
in the form of negative thoughts, emotions and impres-
sions. It makes us use our senses, emotion and intellect for
selfish enjoyment rather than for developing a higher con-
sciousness. Wrong functioning of intelligence (Buddhi) is
the main disease-causing factor because it regulates how
we use the mind and senses. Chitta is the aspect of the mind that is damaged by
these disease-causing factors. Like the tissues of the body
damaged by wrong use of the sense organs and poor diges-
tion, consciousness is the substance of the mind damaged
by wrong mental activity. For treating the mind, we must
eliminate these mental toxins and also repair the mental
substance (consciousness)/8
Functions of the Mind
While each function of the mind has its natural quali-
ties (gunas), it can be altered by an admixture of other
gunas. Understanding the gunas of the mind and chang-
ing them from Tamas to Sattva is the key to mental health
and spiritual development. The whole of spiritual devel-
opment and psychological healing consists of moving from
Tamasic to Sattvic living.49
We all go through various gunic phases in our daily
activity. When we are asleep or mentally dull, we are in a
Tamasic mode. When we are awake and perceptive, we are 140 Ayurveda and the Mind
in a Sattvic mode. When we are active or distracted, we are
in a Rajasic mode. Generally what we do in a Tamasic or
Rajasic mode — something ignorant, unfeeling or foolish
(Tamas) or something aggressive, agitated or impulsive
(Rajasic) — we regret while in a Sattvic (peaceful) mode. Yet we should not get discouraged. Even an enlightened
person can have Tamasic moments when he may do some-
thing that he may later regret. Our karma is not deter-
mined by our Tamasic moments only, but by all three
gunas at play within our mental field. Look at the play of these three gunas in your mental
condition. For example, some people will be more Sattvic
in the morning and turn dull and Tamasic in the evening. Others will be dull and Tamasic in the morning but
Sattvic in the evening. Some people are more active or
Rajasic in the morning, others in the evening. Generally
Sattva should prevail more in the morning and evening,
with Rajas developing more midday and Tamas only dur-
ing sleep. Note how your environment and associations affect
you. Around Sattvic (spiritual) people and situations you
will feel Sattvic. Around Tamasic (dull) people and situa-
tions you will feel dull and depressed. Around Rajasic (dis-
turbed) people and situations you will feel agitated. See
how your life is developing. Are you becoming more
Sattvic (spiritual), Rajasic (busy) or Tamasic (dull)? Ego and Self 141
Functions of the Mind
SATTVA
Consciousness inner peace, selfless
(Chitta)
Intelligence
(Buddhi)
Mind
(Manas)
Ego
(Ahamkara) love, faith, joy,
devotion,
compassion,
receptivity, clarity,
good intuition,
deep understanding,
detachment, fear-
lessness, inner
silence, clear
memory, calm
sleep, right
relationships
discrimination
between the eternal
& the transient,
clear perception,
strong ethics,
tolerance, non-
violence, truthful-
ness, honesty,
clarity, cleanliness
good self-control,
control of senses,
control of sexual
desire, ability to
endure pain, ability
to withstand the
elements (heat &
cold), detachment
from the body, does
what one says
spiritual idea of
self, selflessness,
surrender, devotion,
self-knowledge,
concern for others,
respect for all
creatures,
compassion RAJAS
emotional disturb-
antes, overactive
imagination,
uncontrolled
thoughts, worry,
discontent, desire,
irritability, anger,
distorted memory,
disturbed sleep,
turbulent
relationships TAMAS
deep-seated
emotional blockages
& attachments,
trapped in past
patterns & memories,
addictions, worry,
phobias, fear,
anxiety, depression,
hatred, excessive
sleep, wrong
relationships
critical mind,
judgmental,
opinionated, self-
righteous, assertive,
narrow-minded,
distorted perception, delusions, believes in
believes in the realitythe reality of one's
of the outer world or own opinions
in particular names
& forms as truth lack of intelligence,
lack of perception,
deep prejudices,
lack of conscience
or ethics, dishonesty. strong sensate
nature, strong sexual
nature, many
desires, aggressive,
assertive, compet-
itive, willful, overly
active imagination,
disturbed dreams,
willful, calculating lazy, lacking self-
control, easily
influenced by others,
aimless thinking,
daydreaming, unable
to endure pain,
caught up in violent
sensations, many
habits & addictions,
easily influenced,
taking of drugs,
dissipation
ambitious, assertive, negative idea of self,
achievement-orientedfearful, slavish,
willful, arrogant. dependent, dishonest,
vain, self-promoting, fear, identified
manipulative, strong mainly with one's
identifications (as own body
with family,
country, religion) Ayurveda and the Mind
How to Properly Develop the
Functions of the Mind
Chitta Pranayama, mantra, meditation on infinite space or
the void, concentration and mindfulness techniques,
Samadhi, devotion (Bhakti Yoga) and knowledge
(Jnana Yoga) combined, right beliefs, receptivity,
clarity, faith, love, peace, joy, communion, right
associations, satsang (spiritual communion)
Buddhi Concentration, meditation, Self-inquiry, mantra,
meditation, contemplation of universal truths, yoga
of knowledge (Jnana Yoga), self-examination, devel-
opment of conscience and ethics, right reasoning,
self-discipline, developing Tejas (inner fire)
Manas Devotion (particularly using a particular form or
image), self-discipline (like fasting), control of sexual
energy, mantra, meditation on inner light and
sound, visualization, work, service, Yoga of Devotion
(Bhakti Yoga), Ojas enhancement therapies, right
intake of impressions, right diet, practice of
patience, development of character, will-power and
control of senses
Ahamkara Spiritual aspiration, devotion to God, selfless service,
self-discipline, self-inquiry, self-observation, right
association Ego and Self
Exercises in Consciousness
The following are some simple exercises in conscious-
ness to help you understand the different levels of your
mind and how they are working to make your life more
creative and aware or more constricted and asleep. Taking an Inventory of Your Consciousness
Examine the weight of your life experience: the sub-
stances and energies you have taken into yourself
through your habitual actions and expressions. Look
at the quality of your food, impressions, and associ-
ations, the emotions you have most frequently, the
thoughts and beliefs which motivate you. See what
you hold most dear, what abides most deeply in your
heart, what you most give your attention to. On one side, place all your negative life activities —
negative emotions (anger, lust,


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**Summary:**

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Q: What does a high level of serotonin indicate?,
A: A high level of calmness.
Q: What is the impact of being in the presence of someone radiating tranquil energy?,
A: The impact is that the serotonin levels of those around you will increase, and you will have a positive influence on those in your environment.
Q: What is the purpose of the mind, according to Dr. Valerie Hunt?,
A: The purpose of the mind is to allow you to connect with the one power, which is the source of all solutions.
Q: What is the key to raising and maintaining spiritual energy?,
A: Recognizing and embracing your connection to God, and not seeking external validation or approval.
Q: What is the author's advice for overcoming fear and negative thoughts?,
A: The author advises replacing fear with love and embracing the idea that God is the omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent power that cannot be divided or separated.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>My
answer is always the same. I have believed in God’ s law of abundance and I
have always practiced it in my life. Even as a very young boy I knew that I
could have anything I put my mind on, and I had no reservations about
telling my peers this secret. The other children complained about not having
any money to buy what they wanted, but my pockets always seemed to
jingle with the coins I had earned. I would actually sleep with the snow shovel under my blanket on a snowy
night and awaken at five A.M. I would go through the neighborhood and
shovel every walkway that I could manage, and then at ten A.M. I wouldinform the neighbors that I had shoveled their walkways and without fail
they would give me a dime or a quarter for my ef forts. I’ve always known that God’ s law is one of unlimited abundance. Early on I
sensed that the master was teaching us this when he manifested fish and
loaves to overflow the baskets of those who believed otherwise. Most
people believe in, and practice, a law of scarcity, and most of their problems
derive from a fastidious hanging on to this law. They wallow around in their
self-imposed problems, rather than moving upward to a faster and more
spiritual ener gy. I have been able to see and visualize God’ s abundance in my life. I see it
even before it arrives, but the knowing that I can make it arrive stems from
my inner conviction that I am already connected to what only seems to be
missing. This feeling of connectedness propels me to act in such a way as if
what I want, wants me. Thus, when I pray, I never attempt to influence God,
ask for favors, or beg God to do something for me while I wait around and
do nothing. Instead, I use prayer to open the gates of my soul to this divine
presence. I’ve used prayer as a way of residing in that one power and not
asking God to do something, but rather to be in God consciousness where
thoughts of scarcity simply dissolve and I feel directed to attract the missing
pieces of my life like iron filings to a magnet. As I see it, God’ s law states one, “My son you are always with me, and
everything I have is yours,” and two, “W ith God all things are possible.”
Trusting in these two promises will make all the dif ference for you in
raising and maintaining your spiritual ener gy. Examine these two key
phrases. “Everything I have...” What does that leave out? And “all things...” Again, what does this exclude? The answer is your key to understanding
that everything you consider missing from your life, without exception,
stems from your failure to understand and apply God’ s laws of abundance. “Resist Not Evil” Means Giving Up Fighting Y our Problems
I have written of this earlier and I want to stress again the significance of
removing force from your life as a way of achieving a problem-free life. One of the most troubling passages in the scriptures is spoken by Jesus in
Matthew 5:39: “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.” I would like toapply it here to also mean “Do not resist your problems.” This seems to be
something that we all are taught. W e learn that good triumphs by resisting
and fighting evil. W e believe winning means that good is victorious over
wicked. W e battle a malignancy so that health wins. A few lines further in Matthew to 5:45 you can read “He causes his son to
rise on the evil and the good.” I believe this is key to understanding and
practicing nonresistance because this tells us to bring the spirit of God to all
perceived evil and that alone will transform it into good. Y ou want to avoid
ever giving any power, in your mind or in your daily life, to the presence of
these problems in your life. Bring a higher consciousness of spirit to the
presence of problems, and the light of that presence dissolves the darkness. When you become a fighter against  anything you join forces with that
which created the problem in the first place in the form of a counterforce. When Mother T eresa was asked during the V ietnam W ar, “Will you join our
march against the war?,” she replied, “No I won’ t, but if you have a march
for peace, I’ll be there.” Fighting against war is just another war. Putting
your ener gy and your attention on what you are for, not giving credence to a
power that is other than good or God, results in that all-knowing, all-
powerful force disintegrating those illusions. This same logic applies to worldwide conflicts. When we put our collective
energy on what we are for, bringing kindness and love to bear on our
differences of opinions, the need to resist ends. When we know that on a
round planet there is no choosing up sides, and that there is only one mind
here, with many sparks of that same mind, we’ll end the illusion of hatred,
anger, and repression. It is only through a change in consciousness that our
world will be transformed. This is true of your life, and all your problems as
well. Benjamin Hof f, writing in the clever little book, The T ao of Pooh, put it this
way. “The masters of life know the W ay. They listen to the voice within
them, the voice of wisdom and simplicity, the voice that reasons
beyond cleverness and knows beyond knowledge. That voice is notjust the power and property of a few, but has been given to everyone. It
is the key to harnessing the power of the uncarved block.”
It is your key to harnessing the one power, and giving up your belief in a
second power of evil or problems. This one power, having been given to
everyone, has definitely been given to you! This law of resisting not evil applies to your own dark or shadow side as
well. T o fight your demons or to be angry with yourself for the errors of
your ways is to give more ener gy to that second nonexistent power of evil. Always remind yourself there is but one power, the power of good, and
choose to bring this power to bear on any and all your own dark behaviors. Your inner dialogue can be one of “I believed in an illusion that I was
separate from God, and I acted on it, now I will bring the one power of
good to these thoughts of anguish and they will be nullified.”
Certainly you take responsibility for those deeds. Bringing spirit to the
presence of those shadows is the same as bringing light into a dark room. The very presence of the light nullifies all the darkness. Send love to your
dark side and watch it dissolve and simultaneously raise your spiritual
energy. Don’ t fight it, because by doing so, you perpetuate the illusion that
this evil is a real power. There is only one power. Use it. Hold No One or No Thing in Judgment
In the material world we often find ourselves in conflict because of our
opinions about right and wrong. When we negotiate for peace, we generally
see one side as wrong and the other as right. This is true in conflicts
between nations, communities, families, and in your personal relationships
too. Y ou cannot bring spiritual harmony into a problem resolution as long as
you accept the idea that one side is right and the other is wrong. In the
world of spirit there is no right side and wrong side. There is only a field of
infinite harmony that we are calling spiritual. As the scriptures say, “There
is but one good, the Father in Heaven.” Again, there exists but one power,
not two. Letting go of judgments concerning matters of right versus wrong,
and simply finding a way of bringing nonjudgmental harmony to a problem,
eliminates the ego’ s need to make someone wrong,


 our skin
absorbs very quickly and puts another workload on our detoxification
system. In a GAPS person his or her gut is the major source of toxicity over
loading the detox system with too much work. It is not sensible to add
more to that work by exposing the patient to toxic and carcinogenic sub™
stances from the environment What substances are we talking about? The patient's house should be kept as chemical free as possible by using
minimal amounts of domestic cleaning chemicals, paints, carpet pesti
cides and other toxic substances. All widely available domestic chemicals
are toxic. Bathroom detergents, floor cleaners, polishes, etc. all stay in the
air and on the surfaces contributing to the general toxic load on the
patient's detox system. Toxic domestic chemicals can be replaced with
safer bio-degradable alternatives from various conscientious companies. However, generally try to use as little as possible. A lot of cleaning around
the house can be done with just water and a bit of vinegar or lemon juice,
bicarbonate of soda and olive oil. You can clean your wood floors with
strong tea. You can polish your furniture with a mixture of 1 cup of olive oil
with 7a cup of white vinegar. You can pour white wine on red wine spills on
your carpet to remove the stain. It is wise not to re-decorate the house or install new carpets or furniture
while the patient is trying to detoxify. Paints, many building materials, new
carpets, new furniture outgas a plethora of extremely toxic chemicals
which we absorb through our lungs, skin and mucous membranes. New
carpet can outgas considerable amounts of highly carcinogenic formalde
hyde for a few years. New furniture is full of fire retardants, which are great
contributors of antimony (a toxic heavy metal) in our systems. Fresh
household paints outgas dozens of extremely toxic chemicals into the air of
the house for at least six months. Just recently I had a phone call from a
parent of an autistic child who, apart from severe autism, had epilepsy. After implementing the GAPS nutritional protocol the seizures disap
peared completely and the child was doing very well. Then, unfortunately,
the parents decided to paint the walls in the house. The day the painter
started work the child had a major epileptic fit. Epilepsy in a majority of
cases, particularly in children, is caused by toxicity. Obviously, this child's
detoxification system was not ready to take an onslaught of the extremely
toxic chemicals which we can breathe in from paints. Very important contributors to the general toxic overload in the body are
cosmetics, toiletries, perfumes and other personal care products. The per
sonal care products industry is generally not regulated. More than a thou
sand of various carcinogenic and toxic chemicals are widely used in formu
lation of shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, cosmetics, perfumes, creams, etc. The old opinion that our skin is a barrier and does not let toxins in has
proven to be completely wrong. Human skin absorbs most things from the
environment very efficiently, in some cases even better than our digestive
system. Toxins, which go into the body through the digestive system, have
to pass through the liver, where most of them get broken down and ren
dered benign. That is why the pharmaceutical industry recently started
producing more and more drugs which are applied to the skin as patches,
because the skin absorbs them better than the digestive system and they
get straight into the bloodstream without passing the test of the liver. The
wide use of personal care products is a major contributor to our cancer
epidemic. Children, women and men are unknowingly exposing themselves to huge amounts of carcinogenic substances, which they apply
to their skin. A good example is breast cancer. Cells removed from a can
cerous breast in many cases are full of aluminium - a toxic heavy metal. Where does all this aluminium come from? Probably from not far away -
from the deodorants, absorbed through the skin in the woman's armpits. Recent research into heavy metals showed that when a pregnant animal is
exposed to them they accumulate in large amounts in the foetus. That is
why it is particularly important for a pregnant or breast-feeding mother to
be careful what personal products and cosmetics she puts on her skin, face
and hair. In this book we cannot go into the details of all toxins present in
our toiletries and cosmetics. But let us list some of the most common ones. • Talc or talcum powder can cause ovarian cancer. Do not use it, partic
ularly on babies! • Sodium Lauryl (Laureth) Sulfate (SLS) - highly toxic detergent and is
present in most shampoos, soaps and toothpaste. • Fluoride - a terrible poison for every system in the body. Widespread
in toothpaste and other dental care products. It is added to some
water supplies and given to babies as drops. If you are not familiar
with its toxicity I would strongly advise you to learn more about it and
avoid it like the plague. • Titanium Dioxide - carcinogenic. • Triethanolamine (TEA) and Diethanolamine (DEA) form carcinogenic
nitrosamines. • Lanolin, itself a non-toxic natural substance is often contaminated
with DDT and other carcinogenic pesticides. • Dioxanes are inhaled and absorbed through skin - highly carcino
genic. • Saccharin - carcinogenic. • Formaldehyde - a toxic and carcinogenic substance. • Propylene Glycol - carcinogenic. • Lead, aluminium and other heavy metals are present in many per
sonal care products, particularly in deodorants and make-up. In patients with GAP syndrome use of personal care products should be
reduced to an absolute minimum. The body does not need washing with
soaps, shower gels or bubble baths. They not only contribute to the general
toxic overload, but they also wash off important oils, which protect the skin
from infections and drying out. Washing with water and a sponge should
be quite enough. A child does not need any personal care products apart from natural
toothpaste. There are number of companies who produce safe personal
care products without harmful substances, listed above. To assist elimination of toxins through the skin, give your child a bath
every night before bed. Instead of bath soaps, add a cup of cider vinegar to
the bath, it will help to normalise the pH of the skin and encourage appro
priate skin flora, as well as assisting the detoxification process. On alter
nate days add a cup of Epsom Salt to the bath, which will also assist in the
detoxification process. Air your house regularly and let your child spend as
much time as possible in the fresh air. Swimming pools are very toxic places. People generally believe that
going to the swimming pool is a healthy exercise. This cannot be further
from the truth. Apart from a few rare pools in the world, sterilised with
ozone, the rest of them use chlorine-based chemicals for sterilising the
water. Chlorine is a poison, which affects every system in the body, partic
ularly the immune system and liver. It absorbs quite well through the skin. But apart from that a thick layer of chlorine gas is floating above the swim
ming pool water, which children and adults inhale while swimming. Inhaled chlorine absorbs extremely well through the lungs into the blood
stream. GAPS patients are already very toxic. Swimming in a chlorinated
pool would add to that toxicity. GAPS people should swim in the natural waters of lakes, rivers and sea
instead of the toxic chemical soup of swimming pools. Natural waters are
full of life, biological energy from plants and different creatures, minerals,
enzymes and many other beneficial substances. Swimming in natural
living waters has been prized as a therapy for many health problems for
centuries. Obviously, you have to make sure that the water you swim in is
as far as possible from any source of industrial pollution. Washing powders and liquids all stay in the fabric of our clothes,
bedding and towels and also contribute to the toxic overload. Try to look
for safer ecologically friendly alternatives. Houseplants are our great friends when it comes to keeping our houses
toxin free. They consume the toxic gases and replace them with oxygen and
other beneficial substances. Fill your house with geraniums, ivies, spider
plants, Aloe Vera, ficuses and many other varieties of houseplants. The
more the merrier, particularly in your bedrooms! Keep your houseplants
healthy, don't let them become mouldy, as some GAPS people may react to
moulds. Detoxification and reducing exposure to environmental toxins has to be
an important part of the treatment of GAP Syndrome. Normalising gut
ilora, appropriate nourishing diet, clean water, juicing and avoiding expo
sure to toxins are the natural measures which work very well and without
any side effects! A healthy body is clean inside! Happy cleaning! PART THREE:
DIFFERENT ISSUES
i. EAR INFECTIONS
AND GLUE EAR
Ear infections and glue ear are the most common reasons why GAPS chil
dren are prescribed so many antibiotics in their first years of life. But if we
look at ear infections and glue ear on their own, we will see another epi
demic. Ear infections account for more than a third of all visits to GPs. Around two-thirds of all children


 The treatment for bipolar disorder that I have found
repeatedly effective consists of the patient utilizing the proper
dose of progesterone cream, following the correct meal plan,
and weaning himself or herself off any bipolar medications
he or she is taking.|   87 ExCESS  ADRENALINE: THE  UgLy
HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM
It is not unusual for pregnant women to experience morning
sickness during the first three months of pregnancy. This
nausea and vomiting is caused by estrogen when progesterone,
the hormone that normally blocks the effects of estrogen, is
inadequate. At the start of the second trimester, the placenta
starts putting out large amounts of progesterone, which
normally eliminates the nausea and vomiting. However, some women continue to vomit through
their entire pregnancy, a condition known as hyperemesis
gravidarum. Not being a gynecologist, I have not seen women
in my practice at the time they exhibited this condition. But a
number of my women patients report having had this problem
during their pregnancies. These women go into the second trimester with their
brains starved for fuel, so their bodies are pouring
out adrenaline to raise their sugar levels. I have noted that the majority of these women have creative
type ADHD, which means their brains require more fuel than
a “normal” brain. Most of these women are progesterone-
deficient to begin with. As a result, they experience fairly intense
nausea and vomiting in the first trimester due to unopposed
estrogen. They go into the second trimester with their brains
starved for fuel, so their bodies are pouring out adrenaline
to raise their sugar levels. Unfortunately, this outpouring of
adrenaline also induces nausea and vomiting and suppresses the
appetite. To exacerbate matters, these women are still putting
out large amounts of estrogen, which may also contribute to the nausea and vomiting.ADRENALINE DOMINANCE 88  |
A review article titled “ Nausea  and Vomiting in Pregnancy”
in the October 14, 2010 issue of the New England Journal
of Medicine  says that “the cause of nausea and vomiting in
pregnancy is unclear.” However, knowing how adrenaline
affects the body provides a reasonable explanation of the cause. We know that in certain stressful situations, when the body
is likely to produce excess adrenaline, some people experience
nausea and vomiting. Examples include performers just before
going on stage, professional athletes before going out on the
field, and trial attorneys before giving their opening remarks. So overproduction of adrenaline is likely a key factor in women
with hyperemesis gravidarum also. I suspect that giving women suffering from this
condition high doses of bio-identical progesterone via vaginal
suppositories, along with transdermal progesterone cream,
would significantly relieve their symptoms. If nutrition with
low-glycemic carbohydrates, either orally (if possible) or
via tube feedings, is added, the problem could possibly be
eliminated in 24 to 48 hours. Three other obstetrical complications that also seem related
to high adrenaline are preeclampsia, toxemia of pregnancy,
and gestational diabetes. Both preeclampsia and toxemia of
pregnancy, which are extremely serious, often necessitating
early termination of the pregnancy, are associated with
hypertension. It seems reasonable that adrenaline and insulin
are causing the rise in blood pressure. I also suspect that women
with these complications are not producing a sufficient amount
of progesterone during their pregnancy. Adrenaline and insulin
presumably play key roles in gestational diabetes just like they
do in regular diabetes, as discussed in the previous chapter. At the time of this writing, the FDA has just approved use |   89 ExCESS  ADRENALINE: THE  UgLy
of a synthetic progestin to prevent premature births. The cost
of this drug is about $1,500 per week. The good news is that
compounding pharmacies can provide the identical preparation
for about $95 per week. The bad news is that the FDA has
made it illegal for compounding pharmacies to compound it. However, there is still a silver lining to this story. Physicians can
offer their patients an even better option, namely, bio-identical
progesterone in the form of vaginal suppositories and topical
cream. The FDA cannot block compounding pharmacies from
dispensing bio-identical progesterone suppositories or cream
because drug companies do not provide them. Bio-identical
progesterone is natural and does not cause the serious side effects
that synthetic progestins cause. It is also the least expensive as well as the most effective option. CYCLICAL VOMITING SYNDROME
Cyclical vomiting syndrome, which is similar to hyperemesis
gravidarum, is another condition for which the medical
establishment cannot identify a cause. One of my patients,
aged 47, had this condition. He told me that every morning
of his life he would wake up and vomit. When he was a
child, every time he got excited, he would start vomiting and couldn’t stop and would have to be hospitalized. To my way
of thinking, the only possible explanation for this type of
vomiting is adrenaline. On his first visit he sat across the desk from me, clenching
the arms of his chair. It was fairly easy to observe that this
man was pouring out adrenaline. I applied some progesterone
cream to his forearm, and in less than ten minutes he leaned
back in his chair and stated that in his entire life he had never
felt so good.ADRENALINE DOMINANCE 90  |
In the six years (as of this writing) since his first visit, he has
not had one episode of vomiting. The letter he sent to me clearly
delineates the agony he suffered from hyperadrenalism and the
effectiveness of treating excess adrenaline with bio-identical
progesterone cream. For all those who have not experienced the symptoms
of ADHD, there are absolutely no words to describe how
bad, truly bad, life was before…. I first came to Dr. Platt a year and a half ago. I had
been on a nine-month merry-go-round of treatments, tests,
and scans, all to no avail. Some $18,000 later, an entire
staff of doctors could not tell me what was wrong with me. I was suffering from fibromyalgia. Every single inch
of my body hurt. I could not get out of bed in the morning
without extreme pain, I mean PAIN. When I opened Dr. Platt’s book ( The Miracle of
Bio-Identical Hormones), I found all of my life’s agonies
described on the pages in front of me. What makes me this
way and how to fix it, all right there in black and white. I had just lost my job due in part to all these symptoms. My new bride of a year and a half was packing her bags,
and frankly I was seriously considering jumping off a
bridge. I now know that my adrenal glands are very active, and
the one thing that a CT scan showed me is that my adrenal
glands are three times larger than the average person’s. After reading Chapter 15 I realized that I have
ADHD. How someone can remain undiagnosed at 47
years of age baffles me.|   91 ExCESS  ADRENALINE: THE  UgLy
The effect that adrenaline has on so many parts of the
body simply amazes me—how it affects hypoglycemia &
blood sugar, the endless cycle of adrenaline versus sugar. In Chapter 15 Dr. Platt addresses adrenaline and
its effects on the body in many ways. I counted 27 in just
this one chapter. Adrenaline was killing me…. My wife and I made an appointment to see Dr. Platt. Feeling at the end of our rope, we booked the flights to
California. My mood swings were out of control at this point. Like
a clock’s pendulum going tick-tock-tick-tock, mine was
going: aggression, depression, aggression, depression…. We sat across the desk from Dr. Platt, ranting
and raving about all the symptoms, all the tests and
aggravations. My wife and I often speak simultaneously, so the doc was getting more than his fill apparently. “Do you want all this to go away?” he asked me in
the most sincere way, like he just fixed people’s lives every day. Thirty years of agony and this man says, “
DO YOU
WANT THIS TO GO AWAY?”
He took progesterone cream and spread it down the
length of my forearm. “Now rub that in,” he said. We conversed a while, looked at some blood tests, etc. Ten minutes or so passed. He says, “How do you feel?”
The first thing that came to mind was what I was
not feeling…. No adrenaline….I was calm.I was sitting still, perfectly still….ADRENALINE DOMINANCE 92  |
ADHD  is a hyperactivity disorder. This comes from too
much adrenaline. Too much adrenaline attaching to over
15 million neuro-receptors in the brain equals aggression. Waiting too long in line……Aggression
The waitress forgot my drink……Aggression
Someone didn’t live up to my expectations……
         Aggression
My life has always been a battle to calm the aggression…. He


part and parcel of our natural state. This positive inner state is always there,
and it is merely covered over by suppressed negative feelings. When the clouds are removed, the sun shines forth. The freeing up of
abilities, creative ideas, talents, and resourcefulness occurs automatically as
a result of the positive state of mind that ensues when the negative aspects
have been surrendered. Letting go of negativity frees up inspiration to
create an endless flow of creative ideas. For example, there was the case of
a producer of an award-winning Broadway musical who attributed the
success of the hit show to the letting go of negative feelings through the
mechanism of surrender. There have been writers, artists, and musicianswho came into a sudden breakthrough of inspiration as soon as a negative
belief or self-limitation was recognized and surrendered. The same
experience has been recounted by scientists who suddenly just “knew” the
formula that would cure a disease. It is as if the ener gy field of creative
genius is available and waiting for us as soon as we surrender the clouds of
negativity that prevent its revelation to us. Feelings and the Decision-Making Pr ocess
W e can simplify the levels of consciousness into three major states: inert,
ener getic, and peaceful. These three states are related to the decision-
making process. The first state—inertia—is reflective of the emotional
levels of apathy, grief, and fear. The nature of these feelings is to interfere
with our concentration on the situation at hand and engage us instead in
concentration on our own thoughts, most of which are in the realm of “I
don’ t know,” “I’m not sure,” and “I don’ t think I can.” This successive
concentration of our own uselessly cycling thoughts renders us temporarily
unable to perceive the full dimension and possibilities of the overall
situation at hand. While these negative thoughts and feelings are flowing, it is dif ficult
for us to arrive at any decision. Sometimes we opt to stall the decision until
we feel better. At other times, we proceed to arrive at a decision that we
think will answer our questions or take care of a situation. Unfortunately,
the decision that results is not sustainable in the long run because it is based
on the feeling state, and when the feeling state changes, the decision has to
be changed with it. This leads to inner insecurity, ambivalence, confusion,
and a loss of confidence in us by those around us. In the computer language
of “garbage in and garbage out,” the negative feeling state is the “garbage
in,” and the decisions that come out of it must be on the same level. The second state, which is higher than inertia, is that of being
“ener getic.” The emotions underlying this state are those of desire, anger,
and pride. The nature of these feelings is to interfere less with concentration
than the previous lower state because some positive thoughts are allowed to
flow through and mix with the negative feelings. This is the state of the
“go-getter.” Although things are accomplished, there is unevenness of
performance because of the mixture of positive and negative thoughts and
ideas. Negative feelings such as ambition, desire, or “proving oneself” tendto drive the “go-getter,” and at times the decision-making is compulsive or
impulsive. Characteristic of this level of consciousness is personal self-gain as the
primary motivating factor. Therefore, many of the decisions are
unsustainable because they are based on a win-lose situation rather than on
a win-win situation. A win-win decision would have occurred had the
feelings and welfare of the other persons involved in the situation been
taken into account. Using language relating to the body’ s ener gy centers, we say that
people on this level are motivated by their “solar plexus” (third chakra). This means that they seek to attain success and to master the world. But
they are self-centered and driven by personal motives, with little concern
for the welfare of others or of the world in general. Because their decisions
benefit primarily themselves, their success is limited to personal gain. Any
benefit to the world is purely secondary and the results, therefore, fall far
short of greatness. The third and highest level is the peaceful state, based upon the
feelings of courage, acceptance, and love. Because these feelings are purely
positive and non-disturbing by their very nature, they allow us to
concentrate completely on the situation and observe all of the relevant
details. Because of an inner state of peace, inspiration brings forth ideas that
solve the problem. In this state, the mind is free of worry, and its ability to
communicate and concentrate is unimpeded. From this state come solutions
to problems that are placed in a win-win context; because everyone
benefits, everyone lends their ener gy to the project and success is shared by
all. This approach not infrequently leads to greatness. It characterizes the
noble projects that bring about far -reaching improvements in our society. On this level we discover that when everyone’ s needs in a situation are met,
our own needs are fulfilled automatically. The unimpeded creative mind
will work out a solution where everyone gains and no one loses. If we look at a situation and claim that a win-win solution is not
possible, that should warn us that we have some un-surrendered inner
feelings blocking a possibly perfect solution. W e need to remember the
dictum that the impossible becomes possible as soon as we are totally
surrendered to the situation. Feelings and Sales AbilityInasmuch as selling is a part of many vocations, involving either a product
or ideas or our personal services, it is rewarding to look at the relationship
between these three basic levels of consciousness and sales ability itself. The lowest or inertia state is governed by feelings of apathy, grief and
fear; it is obvious that sales ability is at its lowest. Sales persons in this state
are often told by prospects that they are not interested in the product right
now. This leads immediately to negative thinking and self-criticism with
thoughts such as, “They don’ t want my product.” The very nature of sales
activity exposes sales persons to rejection and disappointment. They may
temporarily escape these feelings, by taking cof fee breaks or indulging in
personal conversation with other employees; however, their feelings have
impaired their concentration and diminished their ability to produce
resourceful ideas. The low self-esteem creates vulnerability to
discouragement, which, in turn, creates expectations of failure. When
thoughts of failure are held in mind, failure is precipitated in the sales
situation. At this point, by acknowledging the negative feelings and letting
go of the payof f from each of them, a person can evolve to the next level. The next level, the ener getic state, is based on feelings of desire, anger,
and pride. It includes a greater degree of vigor and drive. This facilitates
better concentration on the work goal; however, because the feelings are
somewhat driven, there may be excessive verbalization, with more time
spent talking to sales prospects than listening to them. This may typically
lead to premature closings, pushing too hard, and creating marketing
problems. Nonetheless, achievement of sales goals is possible on this level
because of the higher ener gies invoked. One block to success on this level is
the focus on self-gain and the underlying viewpoint, “I win; they lose.” This
self-seeking motive is intuitively picked up by sales prospects and may lead
to resistance. The thoughts characteristic of this level are along the lines of:
“I want to get them to buy it, so I’ll get a good commission.”
On the highest or peaceful level, based upon the feelings of courage,
acceptance, and love, our ability to concentrate is at its highest. Sales
people on this level are able to listen carefully to the other person, and place
the sale in a context of what is beneficial to the buyer rather than to the
seller. Because the mind is peaceful and creative, they are never at a loss for
creative ideas as to what will produce sales or what will turn problems into
solutions. The person on this level often converts customers to friends, and
the customers tend to become loyal. Achievement of sales goals on thislevel is assured because what is being held in mind is the positive situation
of win-win and the inner certainty that a win-win solution can be created in
the situation. Often, surrendering to what appears to be an impossible situation
quickly turns into a positive experience. This is exemplified by the case of
someone who had been working in an art gallery. Sales were slow; she
hadn’ t made a sale in weeks. She tried a number of consciousness
techniques with herself and worked very hard at it. She utilized
visualization, positive thinking, advance sales techniques, and written
af firmations; however, nothing came of it. Her frustration mounted
progressively, with the accompanying feeling, “I can’ t.” Finally, in
desperation, she just let go completely and surrendered all of her pent-up
feelings. Inside of herself, she suddenly felt free of all the ef forting, trying,
and striving. The inner tension disappeared and, instead, she felt at peace as
she went to work that morning at the gallery. W ithin the first hour at work,
she sold two copies of a sculpture, which interestingly enough, was titled
“Letting Go.”
Executives of a number of companies have documented similar
breakthroughs. For instance, a partner in one of the country’


 life, and everyone of them is giving love:
1. Be grateful for everything you have received in your life (past). 2. Be grateful for everything you are receiving in your life (present). 3. Be grate ful for what you want in  your life, as though you have r eceived it
(future). If you're not grateful for what you've received, and what you're receiving,
you're not giving love, and you don't have the power to change any of your
current circumstances. When you give thanks for what you've received and
what you're continuing to recei ve, it multiplies those things. At the same
time, gra titude brings what you w ant. Be grateful for what you want in your
life, as though you have received it,and the law of attraction says you must
receive it. Can you imagine that something so simp le as being gr ateful c an multiply
everything you love and completely change your life. A divorced man, lonely, depressed, and working in a job he hated, decided
to practi ce love and gratitude every day to change his life. He began by
being po sitive to  everyone he talked to during the day. When he called oldfriends a nd fam ily, he shocked them with how positive and happy he was. He bega n to be grateful for everything he had, right down to be ing grateful
for running water. This is what happened to his life within 120 days:
Everything he hated about his job miraculously changed, and h e now loves
his job. His job even takes him to places that he has always wa nted to see. He has the best relationships with all his family members, which he'd never
had befo re. He paid of f his car and he always has the money h e needs. He
has good  days no matter what is happening. And he is married a gain - to his
first love from tenth grade. "Gratitude for the abundance y ou have r eceived is the best insurance that
the abundance will continue. " (Muhammad Founder of Islam 570-632)

If you use gratitude a little, your life will change a  little. If you use gratitude
a lot every day, your life wi ll change in ways you can hardly imagine now. Not only does g ratitude multipl y everything in your life, it also eliminates
the negative things. No matte r what negative situation you may find
yourself in, you can always find something to be grateful for, and as you do
, you harness the force of love that eliminates negativity. Gratitude Is the Bridge to Love

"If we will be quiet and r eady enough, we shall find compensation in every
disappointment. " (Henry David Thor eau 1817-1862)

Gratitude took my mother from the d eepest grief into happiness. My mother
and father fell in  love with each  other virtually at first sight, and they had
the mos t beauti ful love af fair a nd marriage I have ever seen. When my
father died, my mother suf fered from enormous grief, because she missed
my f ather so much. But amidst her grief and pain, my mother began to look
for thin gs to be grateful for. Other than being grateful for all she had
received from the decades of lov e and happiness with my father, she looked
for things to be  grateful for in the future. The first thing she found to be
grateful for was that no w she could tra vel. T raveling was something my
mother had always wanted to d o but didn't do when my father was alive,
because he never wanted to travel. My mother did fulfill her dream; she
traveled, and she did many other things that she had always w anted to do. Gratitude was the bridge that too k my mother out of immense grief and into
building a new life of happiness. It's impossible to feel sad or have any negative feeling when you'r e grateful. If you're in th e midst of a dif ficult situation, look for something to be
grateful for. When you find one thing, then look for anoth er, and then
another, because every single thing you find to be grateful for changes the
situation. Gratit ude is the bridg e from negative feelings to harnessing the
force of love. "Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an a ntiseptic. " (John Henry
Jowett 1864-1923)
 When anything good happens to you in your day, give thanks. It doesn 't
matter h ow sma ll it is, say thank you. When you get the perfect parking
space, hear your favorite song  on the radio, approach a light that turns
green, or find an empty seat on the bus or train, say thank you. These are
all good. things you're receiving from life. Give tha nks for your senses: your eyes that see, your ears tha t hear, your
mouth t hat tastes, your nose that smells, and your skin that le ts you feel. Give thanks for the legs you walk on, your hands that you use to do almost
everything, your voice that enables you to express yourself and
communicate with others. Give thanks for your amazing immune system
that keep s you well or heals you, and for all your or gans that m aintain your
body im maculately so that you can live. Giv e thanks for the magni ficence
of your human mind that no computer technology in the world can
duplicate. Y our entire body is the greatest laboratory on the planet, and
there's nothing that can come even close to replicating its magnificence. Y ou are a miracle. Give thanks for your home, you r family, your friends, yo ur work, and your
pets. Give thanks for the sun, the water that you drink, the food that you eat,
and the air that you breathe; without any of them you wouldn't be alive. Give tha nks for the trees, the animals, the oceans, the birds, the flowers, the
plants, blue skies, rain, the stars, the moon, and our beautiful planet. Give tha nks for the transportatio n you use every da y. Give thanks for all th e
companies that provide you with essential services so that you  can live a
comfortable life. So many human beings toiled and sweated so that you can
turn on a tap and  have fresh water. So m any human beings gave their Life's
work so that you can flick a Light switch and have electricity. Think about
the magnitude of human beings who slaved day after day, year after year, to
lay the train tracks across our planet. And it's almost impossible to imagine
the n umber of p eople who did t he backbreaking work of making the roads
we drive on that form a connecting network of life for the world. "In or dinary life we har dly r ealize that we r eceive a gr eat deal mor e than
we give,  and that it is only with  gratitude that life becomes rich. " (Dietrich
Bonehoffer1906-1945)
T o use the power of gratitude, practice it. The more you feel gratitude, the
more love you give; and the more love you give, the more you receive. Are you  grateful  for your health when it's good. Or do you only notice  your
health when your body gets sick or hurts. Are you grateful when you have a good night's sleep' Or do you take those
nights for granted and only think of sleep when you've been deprived of it. Are you  grateful for your loved ones when everything is going well, or do
you only talk about your relationships when there are problems. Are you grateful for electricity when you use an appliance  or flick a switch. Or do you only think of electricity when there's a power blackout. Are you grateful to be alive each day. Every spare second is an opportunity to be grateful and multiply the things
you love. I used to think I was a gr ateful person, but I didn't know what
gratitude really was until I practiced it. If I am drivi ng or walking I use the time  to give thanks for eve rything in
life. Even wa lking fr om my kitchen to my bedroom I will give thanks. W ith
my heart I say, 'Thank you for my life. Thank you for the harmony. Thank
you for the joy. Thank you for my health. Thank you for the fun and
excitement. Thank you for the wonder of life. Thank you for everything
wonderful and good in my life. " Be grate full Gratitude costs you nothing, but it is worth more than all the
riches in the w orld. Gratitude  enriches you with all the riches in life,
because whatever you're grateful for multiplies. The Key of Play

There is one ce rtajn way you can make yourself feel better about any
subject in your life, and th at is to create games with your imagination, and
play. Play is fun, and so when you play, you feel really good. At some  point, we stopped playing and having fun like we did as children,
with the  result that as we beca me adults, we became more se rious about
life. But seriousness brings serio us circumstances into your life. When you
play and have fun, you fee l really good, and - voila really good
circumstances come into your life. Life is