A77: “Diseases engendered by prolonged exposure to avoidable noxious influences should not be called chronic. These include diseases brought about by:

• the habitual indulgence in harmful food and drink
• all kinds of excesses that undermine health
• prolonged deprivations of things necessary to life
• unhealthy places, especially swamp regions
• lack of exercise or fresh air, etc.”

While each of the above can contribute to ill health, in our modern society “harmful food and lack of exercise” seem to be the new and main modern day culprits. “Adult” onset diabetes is now rampant in young teenagers. Diets ranging from the Atkins, South Beach, and more alluring names (like Beverly Hills) are followed blindly by thousands of people. Carbohydrates seem to be the ultimate enemy: even in regular stores, low CBH(carbohydrate) foods are touted as the savior, ice cream comes now in the same low CBH formula. Studies in University centers tell you how bad CBH are and the latest study makes you believe that a high-CBH diet could increase breast cancer risk.

I am always amazed at these “new” discoveries as if the science of physiology has changed over the decades--that CBHs raise blood sugar fast, leading to a surge of insulin. This causes cells to divide and leads to higher levels of estrogen, both of which can encourage cancer. If Dr Atkins were still alive, he would be overjoyed at this news. Couple this to the fact that breast cancer rates in the United States are the highest in the world with 132 cases diagnosed for every 100,000 women and even more people will find reasons to avoid carbs like the plague. I would be more impressed by this finding if it were not that these same scientists strongly disagreed about a low CBH diet just a few years ago.

Being a homeopath, I know one thing: cancer is a multi-miasmatic state and if it is not caused directly by a diet mistake (rare!), then a change in diet will not cure cancer, no matter how hard a macrobiotic or vegetarian fanatic will convince you of the contrary. But the CBH haters at this point find solace in eating a lot of meat (stimulates psora and sycosis), cheese and fats, and yes losing weight!

This last word is really the key word to the diet craze. Very few people "diet" to be healthier: let's face it, more than 90% do it because they can lose weight. No matter where you look, on your TV, in magazines or on radio shows, there are only two kinds of supplements that sell well: those that promise a loss of weight and those that enhance your sex drive! So far, it sounds like I am against that weight loss and your motorized enhanced viagra-like sex drive. As a homeopath with 30 years practice, I am well aware of the fact that people ruin their health through diet and that they always are on the look for an increase in their lagging sex drive. This article is not going to address the libido enhancers, of which we possess at least 30 different ones, each for their own case. While an occasional patient might drop in with exactly that chief complaint (and there is no one better equipped to help this patient than the homeopath), I am more concerned with the damage that foods can do to your VF, your self-confidence and self esteem.

The topic of diet restrictions is discussed in my new book, Achieving and Maintaining the Simillimum. As homeopaths (and indeed, any health practitioner), we must be careful how many dietary restrictions we impose on our patients. There are simply three categories of diets. “We must distinguish between errors of diet, which produce and maintain the patient’s disease; their ordinary diet; and the new dietetic regulations laid down by the physician” (Hahnemann, Lesser Writings). For more about all this, consult my new book. This article examines how to be practical in our homeopathic practice.

We do recognize cravings (and to lesser extent aversions) as a sign of a mistuned miasmatic state. Therefore, the simillimum, chosen according to the active present miasmatic state, will with time, and subsequent, judiciously chosen doses of the remedy, help curb those cravings. The simillimum remains the supreme healer! I said with “time,” and this seems to be a problem with most patients, who “don’t have time,” and would sell their soul to lose a few pounds. I bet that you would have more patients revisiting you with increased enthusiasm and advocating your skills to others, if they see that they lose pounds and inches. I am well aware of this and wish I would have known earlier in my career what I tell you now.

There is a catch with that “losing weight.” Why do so many people on all these diets and even with a far reaching operation like “stapling the stomach,” lose the battle over the years? Because mistakenly, they think that measuring their weight tells them all they need to know. But it does not tell you anything about the percentage of fat components, which will reflect health, fitness and longevity. One of the great advantages of measuring your % body fat, is that you can see, depending on exercise, life style and diet, not only how much fat tissue you lose, but also how much muscle tissue you gain. How many people get frustrated because initially they don’t seem to lose any weight, but they have no idea that in spite of that same weight on the scale, they already lost pounds of fat tissue and gained and replaced it with muscle tissue. This certainly would be obvious in their clothes, since inches are lost on all the desirable places (“who said love handles?”). Therefore, anyone interested not just in losing weight (you might even increase your weight, although most will lose weight), but feeling fitter, having abundant energy and looking better, should obtain a “skinfold caliper,” which usually comes with a booklet that gives you all the diagrams and charts you need. I bought mine from Creative Health Products (1-800-742-4478), the product number is C-120 and is called Slim Guide, including the booklet, How to Measure % Body Fat.

For all of you who know me, you probably know that I did not start my own experiment for reasons of losing weight! When I started the experiment my wt was 159 lbs for 6 feet height. I did NOT change my diet or my exercise program, as I wanted to make only one change and evaluate: I took some supplements (no glandulars!) for increased endurance and fitness for my workouts (4 times a week swimming for 30’ and 4 times a week tennis for 90’)

NLMB: non lean body mass (fat)

LBM: lean body mass or muscle
% Body fat considered good for my age: between 12-19. The lower the better.

As you can see clearly, my Wt remained fairly constant (I really don’t have anything to lose there), yet my figures with fat loss and muscle gain changed substantially over this short period. I actually could see it in how my clothes fit, but even more important to me, my energy level remained high during the day and during strenuous tennis matches of 3 hours long against 30 year-old competitors.

So this was my experiment, one can see that primarily implementing a program to balance people in their eating habits, increase their energy and make them lose the fat mass while increasing the Lean Body Mass, something that is much more important than losing weight. In case a patient asks you anyway if you can help them losing weight, you know what you have to do as a homeopath: approach the case as any other case and find the simillimum! This means, take in account the predominant miasm (for cravings towards certain foods), the NWS or trigger (“why and for what purpose” is this person overeating and craving foods-this can range from emotional to physical factors like being preoccupied so much with “care-taking” of the family that they always eat “on the run” because they make or have no time) and the constitution (a Calc-c receiving homeopathic Calc-c will lose weight, A Sulphur has tendencies to crave sweets and alcohol, etc.). In other words, as in any other dis-ease (and obesity is one of them), the three above factors determine the simillimum, which remain the supreme guide and aid for the patient.

The “overweight” issue has been much in the news the last year, and people are desperate to do something, often with great difficulty. I read recently in the USA Today, an article “Heavy bodies, heavy hearts,” the many tragic stories of people who have let themselves go in their eating habits, unable to reverse this “killing” process. I think the homeopath has much more to offer to those people than anyone else since the NWS, constitution and miasmatic state is taken into account. Add those supporting supplements, a sensible diet and moderate exercise, and everyone is a winner.

Like I said: you might try it on yourself first! As I mentioned before I did not change my diet but I can imagine that some of you, as they start feeling better, will automatically eat less sweets and the wrong foods. Once you are there and you feel more energy, you want to introduce some exercise. No time? Don’t tell me that. Priorities! Get the husband or wife out to walk with you! That is the least you can do! I feel so energetic that I am going to add 2 mornings of 90’ yoga: my tight muscles will love it!

The second part of this article will investigate A74, and explore how we can combat iatrogenic diseases while we are waiting for the positive effect of the simillimum.