Preface

In 1975 I graduated from school as a registered nurse and began working in the intensive care unit. During that period of time, I was focused on the technological intervention of tubes and machines. The patient was often left out in the techno-wizardry. Few of my colleagues ever talked with patients, or even addressed them in a connecting way. People were just cases.

During my school years, we were taught very little on the subject of wellness, wholeness, and the connection between mind and body. Almost no time was spent on nutrition, nutritional supplementation or preventative illness. The focus was on systems – disease, and masking the symptoms.

Early on, I became interested in holistic medicine which during the middle 1970’s was just beginning to attract professionals where forward thinking physicians joined. I listened to doctors such as Dr. B. Siegal speak, who as a surgeon noticed a link between the mind and cancer. (Author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles).

I also heard Dr. Shealy , who is trained as a neurosurgeon. He estimated that 80% of patients have a condition that was either self-limiting or not treatable by modern medicine. He went on to say that the therapeutic emphasis should be for a holistic physician to teach proper life style, nutrition, and exercise. Believing as he did, he was able to help his patients with biofeedback, relaxation, and nutrition without drugs or surgery.

As time moved forward, it appeared that toxic air and food were becoming more obvious as disease producers. Drugs were the recreation of the day, and heart disease became the number one killer.

The 1980’s had record numbers of strokes, heart-related illnesses, pulmonary diseases, increased cancers attacking younger people; and AIDS came to be recognized by the public as a growing epidemic.

It was in the early 1990’s that I became acutely aware of the immune system and the need to strengthen it in order to stay healthy. I realized we had a choice.

My awareness was sparked by my job, and the resulting consequences. I was selling diagnostic cardiac equipment, and computerized spirometers. My job required a great deal of travel, which I did routinely without thinking. I traveled every week sometimes on as many as six airplanes in 2 days. I covered the United States.

When I traveled my quality of sleep and food was greatly reduced. Sometimes I couldn’t adjust to time changes, or just couldn’t go to sleep in a noisy hotel. I had frequent colds and general malaise. I’d eat on the run, drink my wine, eat cheeseburgers, ice cream, delicious donuts. I didn’t care. I had too many places to get to.

One day I realized that sleep was essential to health, as well as a real diet. I started to make quality sleep and nutrition a priority. I didn’t drink anymore, made wise eating choices, and started to exercise.

Guess what? I noticed a difference. No more colds. More energy. My skin looked better. The sparkle returned. I’ve changed my life style, and no longer travel as extensively. It all makes a difference. It has been said “Health is wealth.” How true it is.

I hope that what is contained in this manual will raise your consciousness. It is not intended to provide the “cure all”. The main intention is to share information which might be an inspiration towards the active pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. I have merely touched on a variety of subjects to raise awareness. Hopefully it will help in the quest to resist the mutating and growing future microbes and toxins.