Basic Treatment Guidelines

By Barry Lomax ND

These general wellness guidelines will give you some healthy steps to take on your own to improve your health. Establishing these healthy habits will help to increase your vitality and often help resolve various ailments without doing specific treatments. My goal is to teach patients healthy lifestyles so that they can help themselves and achieve a high level of vitality.

1) Eat a diet based on traditional foods

It is wise to focus your diet on traditional foods. What does this mean? It means eating the foods that native people from around the world have eaten throughout the ages. It makes sense to focus on what your particular ancestors ate but I have found that most people can eat any traditional diet and be far healthier than eating a diet of modern adulterated foods. There are numerous delicious foods to choose from traditional cultures all around the world. To learn more about this concept, I suggest reading Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price DDS, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Traditional foods are your Best Medicine by Ron Schmid ND. Dr. Weston Price traveled around the world to native populations in various continents and found exceptional health in these people. He also found their health quickly deteriorated when they were introduced to modern processed foods. The healthiest traditional cultures had a diet based on hunting and gathering. Wild foods are generally hardier and healthier than cultivated foods so whenever possible eat wild foods. Wild fish, meat, berries, seaweed and herbs are loaded with vitality. Whenever possible choose fresh, locally grown foods. Seek out local farmers markets and grow some of your own food if possible. Most of the food in the markets today, including the large health food markets purchase their food from centralized food producers. This means that your food is rarely locally grown and rarely fresh. If a food is not grown in your area, I think it is ok to get it from somewhere else. For more information on this subject, I suggest reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. He gives some fascinating information and insight on the food we are eating. Make sure the foods that you eat are in their natural whole food form. Do not eat foods that have the fat removed or have been pasteurized, homogenized, irradiated, microwaved or canned. Eat organic, wild crafted or home grown food whenever possible. Pesticides, fertilizers, GMO foods, antibiotics and recombinant bovine growth hormone have devastating effects on your health. A lot of the problems people have with foods like grains, dairy and fruits are because these foods have been highly altered from their natural form. If you use animal products, make sure they are free range and grass fed. When animals eat their natural diet, they produce radically different eggs, milk and meat than when they are fed commercial grains. Look at your individual needs and follow your instincts. Just because someone else has a problem with a food doesn’t mean that you will. For example a lot of people have a problem with gluten but my patients of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent tend to have no problem with gluten. My patients of Mexican descent tend to do well with corn although my patients of European descent often do not. The key is to find what works for you and eat foods that are as close as possible to their original natural, wild form.

It is very important not to deprive yourself of tasty foods. There is a psychological benefit to enjoying our foods and living a life of deprivation is counterproductive. Simply find the healthiest version of the treats that you love. The Amish people are a good example, they eat healthy and still enjoy desserts but they make their food from scratch and use healthy ingredients. Try making some raw homemade ice cream from raw cow’s milk or raw coconut. These are tastier and healthier than anything you will buy at the market. There are all kinds of raw food desserts that are actually good for you. If you occasionally indulge in something that is not good for you, don’t worry about it too much. The psychological benefit of enjoying one of Grandma’s homemade cookies with family and friends probably outweighs any negative health effects. Dr. Bernard Jensen said it well when he said, “It’s what you do every day that matters most, not what you do once in a while.”

2) Eat a diet consisting of at least 50% raw foods

This is easier than it sounds. Raw foods contain enzymatic activity and more nutrients than cooked and processed foods. Some simple daily habits will allow you to include more raw foods in your diet. One way is to include a salad of dark leafy greens and assorted vegetables with lunch and/or dinner. Another idea is to include a tasty raw soup with lunch and/or dinner. We can help you with some recipes. Soup made from scratch tastes wonderful and just because it is raw doesn’t mean that it can’t be eaten warm. We can show you how to do this. You can eat fresh fruit, raw nuts and seeds as your snacks. Another option is to include a raw smoothie with breakfast or any other meal. Drinking a large glass of vegetable juice made at home or from a juice bar can also increase your intake of raw foods. If you use dairy products, you may want to consider using raw grass fed dairy products, as they offer much greater health benefits and none of the negative health effects of commercial pasteurized and homogenized dairy products. We can provide you with resources if you are interested. Adding some sprouted foods to your daily diet is another good habit. The nutrient content of seeds, grains and beans increases when they are sprouted. The proteins, fats and carbohydrates found in sprouted foods are more easily digested than their non sprouted form. If you eat grains, you may want to consider using them in a sprouted form such as Ezekiel bread. Although sprouted grains have no gluten beware that most commercial sprouted breads have added gluten. Check the ingredients. Traditional people generally fermented and/or sprouted their grains in order to improve their digestibility and nutrition. For helpful recipes on raw foods, I suggest reading Raw Food Real world by Matthew Kenney, Eating in the Raw by Carol Alt and any book by Ann Wigmore or David Wolfe.

3) Eat fermented foods daily

Fermented foods have enzymatic activity, help with digestion and help create the proper balance of flora, which can improve the immune system and overall health. Fermented foods are easier to digest than in their non fermented state. Some fermented foods to consider including in your diet are yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, poi, raw apple cider vinegar, natto, sour cream, buttermilk, sourdough bread, rejuvelac and others. There are lots of delicious fermented foods from traditional cultures all over the world. Whatever your ethnic background is, there is probably a traditionally eaten fermented food. We can provide you with resources on these foods. Although daily fermented foods are preferable, including a daily full spectrum probiotic long term or an intensive full spectrum probiotic for a short period can be very helpful. Avoid antibiotics except for life threatening conditions and always take a full spectrum probiotic after using antibiotics. For lots of ideas on fermented foods, I suggest reading Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz.

4) Eat some superfoods and drink fresh vegetable juice and blended foods daily

What are superfoods? Superfoods are any food that is very nutrient dense. Often these are wild harvested foods that have not been genetically modified and mass produced so they still have a high level of nutrients and vitality. Whenever possible eat these foods fresh, however some of them are difficult to obtain that way so they can be used in the form of whole food supplements. Some examples of superfoods are wheatgrass, spirulina, chlorella, Klamath Lake blue green algae, kelp and other seaweeds, bee pollen, acai, mangosteen, goji berries, camu camu berries, maca, nettles, dandelion greens, cod liver oil, colostrum, organ meats, elderberry, alfalfa, schizandra, and mushrooms like reishi, shiitake, maitake, agaricus and cordyceps. Fresh wheatgrass juice is a wonderful tonic that can help improve vitality and fresh dandelion greens can easily be added to your salads to increase its nutritional content. I can make some recommendations on high quality whole food supplements that contain lots of superfoods.

Using a juicer on a daily basis and juicing low glycemic vegetables like celery, cucumber and dark green leafy vegetables like kale, cilantro, dandelion and parsley can help to dramatically improve health. A daily ounce or two of wheatgrass juice is an almost surefire way to improve your long term health. Including one or two blended foods like a fruit smoothie, green smoothie or raw soup can give your body whole food nutrition in an easily digestible and assimilated form. Most of us don’t chew our food nearly enough so juicing and blending assures that we get at least some food completely digested and assimilated. I do not believe that we should only eat blended and juiced food as we are designed to have hearty digestion, eat whole foods and should not “baby” our system unless we are sick. When you are sick is a good time to eat all blended and juiced food so your body can put more of its energy toward healing and less towards digestion. For helpful information on juicing, blending and superfoods, I suggest reading Juicing for Life by Cherie Calbom, Dr. Jenson’s Juice Therapy, Juiceman’s Power of Juicing by Jay Kordich and books on wheatgrass and sprouting by Ann Wigmore and Steve Meyerwitz. Superfoods by David Wolfe and Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko and show you easy ways to include raw superfoods in your daily diet.

5) Take digestive enzymes

If I could only give my patients one supplement, it would be digestive enzymes. When taking with meals, they help to increase nutrient absorption, optimize digestion and decrease the load on our often overloaded pancreas. I recommend taking a full spectrum plant enzyme product with meals. Taken between meals, pancreatic enzymes, protease plant enzymes like bromelain or an analog plant based pancreatin type product can help the body break down cellular debris and help prevent cancer and other disease. Unless you are eating a diet that is 100% raw and fermented foods, I recommend using enzymes.

6) Get daily sunshine and some time in nature everyday

Sunlight and darkness control our circadian rhythms and are important for hormonal balance and overall health. Our pineal gland responds to sunlight and stimulates the whole cascade of hormones. This effect occurs through the eyes and is not achieved if sunglasses are worn. Sunlight is also what up regulates our natural serotonin levels. This is part of the reason for seasonal effective disorder. Sunlight is also responsible for activating vitamin D synthesis through skin exposure. Vitamin D levels have been found to be very low in much of the population. Vitamin D has been found to be very important for health and disease prevention. The darker you skin is, the more exposure you need. This is one benefit of lighter skin tones, more vitamin D can be more easily absorbed in less time. This benefit is not achieved if there is sunblock being used. My recommendation is to get at least 20 minutes of sunlight exposure, preferably in the morning without sunglasses or sunblock. If you live in an area where there is little to no sunlight or your schedule restricts you from getting much sunlight, you can get some benefits from using a sunlight box or visor. We can provide more information and resources for you.

Spending a little time in nature everyday can reap all kinds of health benefits. A walk through the woods exposes you to high levels of oxygen from all the green plants and tends to have an overall balancing effect. Have you ever noticed how good you feel by the ocean or by a waterfall? There are negative ions created from these moving bodies of water and all kinds of other health benefits from these environments. Try to walk barefoot on the earth whenever possible. The earth has an electromagnetic field that offers all kinds of health benefits but wearing shoes with rubber soles act like an insulator to these fields. Walking barefoot on the beach, grass or dirt can offer many health benefits. Strengthening the muscles of the feet by walking barefoot helps improve structural alignment and naturally stimulates reflexology points on the feet. Avoid walking in areas that have been sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers. Recent studies have shown that soil microbes can offer lots of health benefits. These microbes act as important probiotics for our digestive and immune systems and recent studies have shown that they can help to raise our serotonin levels. This may be part of the reason people find gardening to be so enjoyable. So my prescription is to grow some vegetables/flowers in your yard, take a walk on the beach or go play in the mud.

7) Sleep in total darkness and fast for 12 hours daily

The serotonin that your body produces in response to sunlight is later converted to melatonin in the presence of darkness. You can optimize this effect by sleeping in total darkness, either by blackening out all light in the room or wearing a sleep mask. Another good idea is to dim the lights during the evening to gradually get your system adjusted for sleep and increase melatonin levels. It is also wise to go to bed at a reasonable hour, preferably before midnight and ideally before 10 pm. Strive to get 8-9 hours of sleep every night. We are designed to have a daily period of fasting. Digestion is by far, the most strenuous activity that the body engages in and the body needs a break in order to detoxify and regenerate. Your body cannot rebuild and detoxify metabolic debris efficiently if it is constantly digesting food. Growth hormone is naturally released when you go to bed without having eating for a few hours. This hormone is very important for proper sleep cycles, tissue regeneration and is one of the strongest fat burning substances in the human body. I do not subscribe to the view that we should be constantly eating, having 5 or more meals a day and eating right before bed. If you eat whole raw and fermented foods containing plenty of fiber and healthy fats, you should have a steady balance of blood sugar and not feel the need to be constantly eating. Fasting helps to balance blood sugar and optimize insulin sensitivity. A daily 12 hour fast is easy to do, simply do not eat anything for the rest of the evening after dinner. You can eat dinner at 6 or 7 PM and breakfast 12 hours later.

8) Get some form of exercise everyday

If you do not have the time or energy for strenuous exercise every day, even taking a long brisk walk, doing yoga or simply stretching can be very beneficial. Try to integrate various forms of exercise into your routine such as aerobic, anaerobic, resistance and stretching. We can help you to plan and individualized routine. Our Movement Specialist can evaluate structural and functional imbalances that you may have and provide specific exercises for your individual needs. 9) Use a castor oil pack and/or skin brushing to improve lymphatic detoxification

A castor oil pack is placed on the skin to increase circulation and to promote elimination and healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin. It is used to stimulate the liver, relieve pain, increase lymphatic circulation, reduce inflammation, and improve digestion. We can provide you with instructions for castor oil packs.

Dry skin brushing can help to gently increase circulation and lymphatic detoxification. The skin is the largest elimination organ, it is known to be responsible for 10 to 15% of total body elimination, and is sometimes referred to as the third kidney. Buy a long-handled, natural bristle brush. Brush the surface of your skin always in the direction toward your heart with firm but gentle sweeping strokes. Start with the balls of your feet, eventually moving up the calves and thighs. Use this same technique with your arms, starting at the wrists, and motion towards the heart. For the stomach, back and chest areas use circular movements. Avoid the face. You can, however, use downward or circular strokes on your neck area.

10)Have daily physical contact with loved ones and pets

The therapeutic power of touch is very powerful. We live in a society that is often touch deprived. Treat yourself to a weekly massage, you are worth it. There is therapeutic benefit to giving and receiving massage.

11)Do what you love

Whatever it is that truly brings you joy, try to include it in your daily life somehow. Doing this improves our emotional and physical health. It is very difficult to feel bad when you are doing something that brings you joy.