Cliff's Weekly Papers Archives

Cliff's holistic health papers ----Week of 7-3

Hi,
Dr. Stoll has suggested I post each week 2 of my holistic health papers. This week (posted
below): Paper 19D, Small and large intestines; Paper 20D, Dysbiosis, allergies, environmental sensitivities.
Cliff

Health Musings (Paper 19D, Small and large intestines, ICV, HV)

by Clifford S. Garner, Ph.D.

In this paper we discuss the small and large intestines, as part of the digestive and
eliminative systems.
Diseases of the large intestine especially are on the rise, with about 60,000 Americans
expected to die from colon-rectal cancer in the year 2000, and the incidence of diverticulosis
(herniated bowel pockets caused mainly by long-term constipation and excess intestinal gas), e.g.,
increasing from 10% of Americans over age 45 developing this in 1950, to 15% in 1955, 30% in
1972, and 50% in 1987. Some other maladies of the intestines are discussed later in this paper.
The small intestine constitutes the greater part of the gastrointestinal tract, with its 1-foot
long duodenum, the 5- to 8-foot long jejunum, and the 12- to 20-foot long ileum, 18 to 29 feet
overall. Absorption of minerals occurs mainly in the duodenum, water-soluble vitamins,
carbohydrates and proteins are absorbed primarily in the jejunum, and fat-soluble vitamins, fats,
bile salts, and cholesterol in the ileum.
The duodenum is the small intestine’s major enzyme secretory part. These enzymes
include petidase (splits protein peptides into amino acids), lipase (breaks down fats into fatty
acids and glycerol), amylase (catalyzes 50% of carbohydrate digestion), sucrase (breaks sucrose,
i.e.,ordinary table sugar, into glucose and fructose), lactase (breaks milk sugar or lactose into
glucose and galactose--many people have insufficient lactase, one reason why they don’t handle
milk well), and maltase (converts maltose into glucose). Bile from the liver flows from the
gallbladder into the duodenum where it breaks large fat globules into smaller ones that can be
processed by the lipase. Some lipase and amylase also come from the pancreas, along with trypsin
and chymotrypsin (which break down proteins) and sodium bicarbonate. In the duodenum, in
response to the hormone secretin, to neural signals from the vagus nerve, and to the presence of
food in the small intestine, Brunner’s glands secrete mucus to protect the duodenal wall from
acidic digestive juices. Epithelial cells secrete a half gallon daily of a neutral fluid which mixes
with the chyme (a mixture of food and acidic secretions from the stomach) to aid in electrolyte
and vitamin absorption through the villi of the small intestine. The villi and microvilli increase the
surface area of the small intestinal wall exposed to the chyme by 60,000%, making the small
intestine extremely efficient in absorption of nutrients. About 90% of our daily fluid intake is
absorbed in the small intestine. As chyme enters the duodenum its acidity causes secretion of
secretin, which is a signal to the pancreas to secrete the alkaline juices, which neutralize the
chyme. Chyme also initiates contractions of the small intestine known as segmentation, which help
mix and chop the chyme and add to the peristaltic waves propelling the chyme at 1 inch every 2-3
minutes. Normally chyme can remain in the small intestine 3-10 hours (irritants in our food and
foods to which we are allergic can initiate a “peristaltic rush” which can empty the entire small
intestine in a few minutes, leading to poor food absorption and often diarrhea).
Common symptoms indicating small intestine dysfunction include abdominal pain, pain
between the shoulder blades or in the chest and/or shoulders, nausea, cramps, gas, diarrhea, loss
of appetite or severe hunger, and weakness of abdominal muscles and quadriceps. Pain from an
abdominal ulcer often occurs in midmorning or the middle of the night and tends to be relieved by
eating. Such pain may last for 1-3 weeks at a time and then subside.
Causes include food allergies, stress, intestinal infections, antibiotic therapy (kills
beneficial intestinal bacteria and tends toward an alkaline gut in which harmful gas-producing
bacteria proliferate), oversecretion of mucus especially from overuse of irritants such as caffeine,
spices, and alcohol (too much mucus can plug the villi, decreasing nutrient absorption to the point
where even a healthful diet will not be assimilated properly), nerve pressure from misalignment of
the lower thoracic spinal vertebrae, and causes which originate in the liver, pancreas, gallbladder
and stomach (these are readily addressed naturally through Contact Reflex Analysis, CRA, — in
Las Cruces Regis Guest, DN, and I are trained in CRA). Duodenal ulcers are usually associated
with grossly increased hydrochloric acid secretion in the stomach (up to 1500% above normal),
stress (increases sympathetic nerve flow and decreases secretion of protective mucus from
Brunner’s glands), and presence of helicobacter pylori bacteria.
Louise Hay ascribes problems in the small and large intestines to fear of letting go of the
old no longer needed, difficulty in assimilating experiences, and insecurity; she relates constipation
to being stuck in the past, and sometimes to stinginess, and diarrhea to fear and feeling rejected.
(Although I have quoted Louise Hay in the past and find her ideas helpful, I do not accept them as
automatically valid.) Thorwald Dethlefsen and Rüdiger Dahlke, MD, in their book, “The Healing
Power of Illness,” Element, Shaftesbury, Dorset, 1990, draw an interesting analogy between the
small intestine, which digests material input, and the brain, which digests impressions on the non-
physical level--they then reason that small intestine disorders arise because the person is too
analytical, too given to criticism and fault-finding, as well as an indicator of fears we may have for
our survival. In contrast, the large intestine reflects the unconscious, the realm of the dead, the
fear of letting our unconscious with its repressed contents see the light of day, so we have
difficulty in giving and letting go. The Chinese Five-Element Law associates small intestine
problems with the Small Intestine Meridian and the Fire Element, for which some main emotions
include shock, sadness, discouraged, hurting, unappreciated, and large intestine problems with the
Large Intestine Meridian and the Metal Element, for which some key emotions are guilt, grief,
letting go, apathy.
Prevention and treatment are suggested in part by the causes we have just listed, including
addressing any problems with the liver (see paper 2D), pancreas (see paper 3D), gallbladder (see
paper 24D), stomach, and pituitary gland (an underactive pituitary causes the stomach to
compensate by excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid). Use of garlic (helps kill harmful
intestinal bacteria and promotes growth of beneficial acid-producing bacteria), slippery elm tea
(reduces inflammation), Standard Process Labs Gastrex (maybe 6 a day for 12 weeks, doubling or
tripling until any severe pain is gone); Gastrex absorbs gastrointestinal toxins and coats the
gastrointestinal tract), and their Okra-Pepsin E3 (perhaps 6 a day for 12 weeks, again doubling or
tripling until severe pain is gone); Okra-Pepsis E3 is a digestive enzyme product that heals
mucosal linings. Following the Eat Right for Your Type diet for your blood type should also help
greatly because many food lectins, often blood-type specific, can cause irritation by attacking the
mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. Regional enteritis (Crohn’s disease of the small
intestine) has been helped by the ER4YT diet, as have duodenal and stomach ulcers. Blood type
Os are statistically especially vulnerable to the helicobacter pylori bacterium— use of the common
seaweed bladder wrack (fucus vesiculosis), available through North American Pharmacal, (203)-
866-7664, can help in preventing and healing such ulcers, and Thorne Research Formula SF 734
is especially effective in removing helicobacter pylori. Daily 1-minute rubbing of the inside surface
of each thigh and of the entire bottom of the rib cage in front can help reduce small intestine
problems (these are neurolymphatic reflexes--see paper 2D).
We turn now to the large intestine or colon. It is typically about 5 feet long, and is made
up of the cecum, ascending colon, hepatic flexure, transverse colon, splenic flexure, descending
colon, sigmoid, rectum, and anus, in that order. Unlike the small intestine, the large intestine has
no villi, no secretion of digestive enzymes, and no true peristalsis. Mucus is secreted to help move
the undigested food remains along and to bond them together into what becomes the feces. The
large intestine has two main functions, absorption/dehydration, and temporary storage of fecal
matter. About one-third to one quart of water, electrolytes, and some vitamins is absorbed daily
and partly dehydrated. If the colon’s bacterial flora is normal (fairly rare these days with the great
overuse of medical antibiotics and the presence of antibiotics in much of our food), the B
vitamins, B1, B2, B12, and methionine are produced in the colon by the bacterial flora and
transported to the rest of the body by the liver and portal circulation. Much of the absorption of
nutrients from the chyme entering the large intestine occurs in the cecum and ascending colon.
Mixing contractions (“haustrations”), mainly in the transverse and descending colon, occur
especially after meals to help roll and mix the chyme to expose it to the colon’s surface for
absorption (over 80% of material reaching the large intestine is reabsorbed). When the partly
dehydrated fecal residue reaches the rectum a parasympathetic reflex activates to produce
defecation unless we abort this mentally (not a good habit, especially if there is a tendency toward
constipation). Typical feces are 75% water, 5-10% fiber, 8% dead bacteria, 5% fat, and 1%
protein.
Constipation is a major cause of many bowel problems. The average American has a
bowel movement every 3 to 5 days, and often the stool is hard and requires straining. Harsh
laxatives are a major business. Dr. Richard Schulze, ND, traveled around the world in search of
what bowel habits should be (I call him a “super dooper pooper snooper”), going especially to
primitive peoples living in rural non-industrialized areas, living simply, with little emotional stress,
moderates amounts of physical exercise, and eating simple natural diets of locally foraged
foods–these primitive people have one BM within 20 to 30 minutes after each major meal (2 to 4
BMs a day), and they just squat and deliver without any effort within a minute–that’s what we all
should be having and doing, i.e., average one BM per major meal or 3 a day.
Aside from constipation, possible symptoms of large intestine dysfunction include its
abnormal opposite, diarrhea, and abnormal pain, tenderness, fever, weight loss or gain, weakness,
headaches, allergies, bags under the eyes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, burning
sensations (especially of the feet), tendency toward gallstones and appendicitis, and weakness of
the hamstrings, quadratus lumborum and/or tensor fascia lata muscles. A transit time over 36
hours suggests a problem somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. To check your transit time,
chew 10 charcoal tablets before any one meal and record the date and time; watch the feces when
you have BMs and record date and time when the last bit of blackened feces are eliminated--the
time interval is the transit time. Fruits tend to have short transit times, grains and vegetables
intermediate times and meats, poultry and fish long transit times.
Diverticuli (small herniations through the muscular wall of the colon, caused by bowel
pressure from constipation and intestinal gas, and usually filled with trapped fecal sludge which
erodes the surrounding mucosa and blood vessels, and gives rise to bleeding, rupturing and
serious infection) can become inflamed (diverticulitis), as can the colon wall itself (colitis), both
part of what is often called “inflammatory bowel disease,” with two main forms, Crohn’s disease
and ulcerative colitis, often occurring together. Crohn’s disease of the colon is marked by an
inflammatory reaction throughout the entire thickness of the bowel wall, and is a serious matter
(incidence of Crohn’s disease is increasing in world populations eating a typical USA diet, while
nearly nonexistent in cultures consuming a more primitive diet with lots of fruits and vegetables).
Hemorrhoids (varicose veins of the rectum) are revealed by pain, itching, bleeding, and
distension on straining to defecate. If the colon is dysfunctional, the body will find other areas of
waste elimination in the form of infections, skin problems, nasal and lung congestion, bad breath
(see paper 18D) and body odor.
Causes of colon dysfunction are numerous, and include many listed earlier for small
intestine dysfunction. Transit times over 36 hours are often accompanied by fermentation,
putrefaction, gas, bacterial imbalances, and bile acids converting to cancer-causing substances (the
bile acid breakdown product also signals the liver to reduce its production of bile, thus leading to
poor digestion of fats). Long transit times come from a lack of enough roughage in the diet,
eating too many refined foods, diets high in meats, eating between meals, insufficient drinking of
water (not beverages), and stress. Emotional causes were mentioned in discussing the small
intestine. Diets low in fiber and high in refined carbohydrates tend to cause diverticuli and adverse
bacterial changes. High fiber diets tend to favor beneficial bacteria such as lactobacilli, bifido
bifidum, etc., whereas low fiber diets tend to produce toxic E. coli, especially if the refined
carbohydrate intake is high with sugar and white flour foods. Allergies (see paper 20D) and
antibiotic use are frequent causes. Colitis is favored by underactive adrenals (see paper 15D), a
weak immune system (see papers 6D, 7D, 22D, and 23D), allergies, and insufficient stomach acid.
Hemorrhoids can be caused by underactive adrenals, a congested liver, and poor diets.
Constipation can injure the colon (most causes of constipation are well known, but dysfunction of
the liver (see paper 2D), adrenals (see paper 15D), thyroid (see paper 9D)and parathyroids (see
paper 9D) may also be causative.
Remedies are implied in the above list of causes; see those for the small intestine also. Diet
is especially important, and following the ER4YT diet should help greatly. Except for blood type
Bs, staying off all milk and other dairy items for a month often gives real improvement; milk is a
common allergen regardless of blood type, so even type Bs may benefit. Herbs such as slippery
elm, red raspberry leaves, barberry, turkey rhubarb, fennel, red clover, chamomile, golden seal,
and muellein often help. Three very good nutritional supplements, made by Standard Process
Labs, are Fen-Cho (6 per day, to acidify the bowel and remove bowel toxins via the liver and
kidneys), Spanish Black Radish (3 per day, draws out pus and other toxins; excellent for general
lymph detoxification), and Choline (3 per day, for helping the liver detoxify toxins from the
bowel).
The human gut from mouth to rectum has over 400 known species of living
microorganisms making up what is called the “flora.” The stomach has 10-100 per ml, and the
small intestine many more, with the large intestine having maybe one trillion per ml. The intestinal
flora actually weighs over 2 pounds and constitutes a whole ecology on its own. Often just
improving the flora will improve health (the two main factors harming intestinal flora are poor diet
and medications, especially antibiotics). The freindly flora have many functions, including
production of B vitamins, helping stop tumor and cancer development and growth of many
harmful organisms such as the rhizome form of candida species, inducing beneficial steroid
hormone function, enhancing immune function, etc. The two major friendly bacteria that keep a
healthy bowel flora are bifidobacteria and lactobacillus acidophilus, with much help from such
bacteria as lactobacillus bulgaricus, lactobacillus sporogenes, lactobacillus laterosporus,
lactobacillus subtilis, and many others. Probiotics are helpful in replenishing the normal bacterial
flora of the colon, especially after the use of medical antibiotics, and some other medications, and
after colonic irrigations; remember that many foods now have antibiotics in them. The probiotics
I have found most useful with clients are those produced by Natren and by DDS-l Labs. The
North American Pharmacal (203-866-7664) makes four series of probiotics for blood types O, A,
B, and AB, which may be taken on an on-going basis. Arabinogalactan (AG), a complex
carbohydrate and fermentable fiber extracted from the larch tree, has several gastrointestinal
benefits. It acts as a natural stool softener, reacts with existing colon bacteria to produce short-
chain fatty acids which feed friendly bacteria and generate a more favorable lower pH level for the
colon (also thus reducing colon cancer risk), decreases production and absorption of fecal
ammonia (a toxin), helps keep insulin levels low, and enhances immune function. Even just
ingesting frequently a good yogurt rich in probiotics (if not allergic to the milk) can be helpful.
Chiropractic adjustment of the lumbar spine often helps, especially if there is also low-
back pain. Daily rubbing for one minute each the entire thigh inner and outer surfaces, and the
prominent hipbones (posterior superior iliac spine, PSIS) of the back adjacent to the fifth lumbar
vertebra, should help, as may holding softly all four fingerpads of each hand on the horizontal
bony ridge above each ear and halfway down the head (the parietal eminences) for perhaps several
minutes. Massaging the colon, starting at the bottom right (cecum) and progressing up the right
side (ascending colon) to just below the ribcage (hepatic flexure), across the abdomen (transverse
colon) to the left side (splenic flexure), then down the left side (descending colon), then repeating
several times, often helps loosen hardened fecal matter--you can do this yourself, although a
skilled massage therapist can help here as in other health problems. Huge quantities of laxatives
are sold in the USA, most of which are harmful and habit-forming. Among better ones are those
with cascara sagrada as the main active ingredient; especially good is one called “Colon Support
Formula,” which is a balanced herbal formula claimed to be non-habit-forming and to tonify the
bowel (available through Carotec, Inc., 1-800-522-4279). Two other excellent ones are Intestinal
Corrective Formula #1 (curacao and Cape Aloe leaf, senna leaves and pods, cascara sagrada aged
bark, barberry rootbark, ginger rhizome, garlic bulb and African bird pepper) and Intestinal
Corrective Formula #2 (flaxseed, apple fruit pectin, bentonite clay, psyllium seed and husk,
slippery elm inner bark, marshmallow root, fennel seed, and activated willow charcoal), both
formulated by Dr. Richard Schulze, and available from the American Botanical Pharmacy, 1-800-
437-2362. The #1 stimulates peristaltic action, and is cleansing, healing and strengthening. The
#2 draws old fecal matter off colon walls, and detoxifies metals and over 3000 known drug
residues. Both are powerful! Medical anti-diarrhea drugs are potentially dangerous, sometimes
causing depression, headaches, vomiting, increased heart rate (tachycardia), and numbness
(paresthesia) of arms and legs. Natural anti-diarrhea substances include bananas, carrots, sugar
beets, pectin in apples, citrus fruit peel, kaolin clay, golden seal, marshmallow root, and Standard
Process Labs Cholacol II.
Colonic irrigations, properly done with proper equipment, can be very helpful for periodic
cleansing, or for emergency use when the laxatives tried don’t perform well, but they do remove
beneficial bacterial flora which need to be replaced with rectal or oral probiotics.
We want to mention also the ileocecal valve (ICV) and Houston valve (HV).
The ICV is a valve between the end of the small intestine’s ileum and the cecum at the
start of the large intestine, situated beneath the midpoint of a line from the navel to the right
anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS), i.e., the most prominent bony part of the pelvis on the right
front of the body. The ICV has a dual purpose, to prevent back-up of toxic fecal matter from the
colon into the normally sterile small intestine (an “open” or “incompetent” ICV allows this back
flow because the circular muscles encircling the ICV and whose function is to close the valve are
weak), and to stop the small intestine’s contents from passing into the cecum before digestive
processes are completed (a “closed” or “spastic” ICV keeps the valve closed too long and allows
putrefaction because the longitudinal muscles which open the valve are malfunctioning). All sorts
of symptoms, some bizarre, can occur with either type dysfunction.
The HV is a set of two to four semilunar folds separating the last part of the colon
(sigmoid) from the rectum, whose purpose is to prevent feces from passing through the anus until
the person is ready to defecate. The HV is situated on the left side of the lower abdomen about in
horizontal line with the ICV. Diagnosis of ICV and HV problems and their treatment can be
accomplished in several ways, in which the best and cheapest (my bias) is the use of PKP
kinesiology in which I am certified. Dysfunction of either ICV or HV is usually compensatory to
some other body dysfunction. A beneficial nutritional supplement for either is Standard Process
Labs Chlorophyll Complex Perles (perhaps 3 a day), or failing this a good oil-soluble chlorophyll
supplement. Space does not permit further discussion here.

DISCLAIMER:
Information and procedures described in this and other "Health Musings" are reported
solely for educational purposes. The author is not directly or indirectly dispensing medical advice.
Although the author believes this information and these procedures to be valuable, persons using
them do so entirely at their own risk.

Cliff Garner, Ph.D., is a holistic health facilitator and a professional kinesiology practitioner. He
may be reached by telephone or fax at (505) 525-1089 or by e-mail at kosmik@totacc.com.

Health Musings (Paper 20D, Allergies, environmental sensitivities, dysbiosis)

by Clifford S. Garner, Ph.D.

In this paper we tell you about allergies, environmental sensitivities, and dysbiosis
(abnormal organisms in the body, such as “candida,” parasites, bad bacteria, and viruses). Since
1980 I have been helping clients to free themselves from these maladies with great success, often
in 3 weeks, using non-medical energy-balancing techniques.
Few people, including medical allergists, realize how widespread allergies are, and how
they cause or contribute to far more serious health problems, physical and mental, than is
generally believed (including the dreaded Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementias, especially
allergy to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, oats, barley). Perhaps 60% of the USA population
suffers from undetected food allergies alone (common food allergens include wheat flour
products, cow’s milk and milk products, eggs, corn, rye, soy, tomato, potato, peanut, citrus, beef,
pork, shellfish, orange, malt, chocolate, coffee and other caffeine products, MSG, and aspartame
products such as “NutraSweet,” “Equal,” “Spoonful,” etc.). Over $600 million was spent last year
on allergy medications, many over-the-counter, all of which give only short-term if any relief, are
self-perpetuating, i.e., the more you take them, the more you need, and usually have harmful side
effects. Allergies are now the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the USA, and over $10 billion
is spent annually in the USA on their treatment.
A very incomplete list of symptoms or adverse health conditions caused by allergies and/or
environmental sensitivities, or to which these significantly contribute, includes: hay fever (not
caused by hay and not involving a fever), frequent sneezing and/or coughing, runny nose, sinus
congestion, fatigue or low energy, chronic fatigue syndrome, indigestion, heartburn (now called
gastroesophageal reflux, GERD), chronic bloating and gas, nausea, itching (especially of eyes,
nose, anus, and/or vagina), headaches including migraines, acne, eczema, hives, psoriasis, brain
fog, memory loss, emotional disorders, depression, irritability, panic attacks, cravings and
addictions, chronic non-infectious sore throat, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), dizziness, sleepiness,
weight gain, chronic muscle or joint pain, fibromyalgia, asthma, bronchitis, rheumatoid arthritis,
constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and other
bowel inflammatory conditions, impaired immune function, high blood pressure (hypertension),
low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), diabetes, rapid heart beat (tachycardia), heart murmurs, sudden
non-infectious voice changes, chronic dry eyes or mouth (Sjögren’s syndrome), visual
disturbances, glaucoma, puffiness around eyes, learning and behaviour disorders including
attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bed wetting (enuresis), aphthous ulcers (small
ulcers in mouth), cold sores, celiac sprue, gallbladder disease, kidney problems, middle ear
infection (otitis media), epilepsy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s, dementia , anaphylactic shock, and sudden death.
Medically, an allergy is a hypersensitive response to an acquired specific altered capability
of the body to react to specific substances called allergens. An allergen may enter the body as
foods or medications, or environmentally as chemicals, pollens, dusts, spores, animal hair, insect
scales or droppings, household or industrial fumes, etc., induce antibody formation and react to
produce adverse effects and symptoms. Medical allergists may suspect an allergy when they
encounter symptoms such as sinus congestion, hay fever, headaches, skin rashes, etc. Except for a
small number of medical doctors trained as medical allergists, most MDs don’t take allergies very
seriously. Half of the USA medical schools don’t even have a department of allergy.
Within the past 20 years some clinical ecologists (mostly more holistic MDs) and natural
health practitioners have redefined allergy as a disturbance of the body’s natural flow and balance
of meridian energy from exposure to even a very small amount of a particular substance or
radiation. By this definition, which I use from here on, in addition to obvious allergies and
environmental sensitivities, there may be hidden allergies, which a medical doctor might ignore
because of the absence of pathology or symptoms like those above. Both obvious and hidden
allergies appear to stress organs and tissues, and may lead to “disease.” The concept of energy or
chi flowing in body pathways known as meridians is the basis of ancient and much modern
oriental medicine, including acupuncture and what has come to be called “energy medicine” or
“vibrational medicine,” as described for example in the excellent 1995 book, “Vibrational
Medicine,” by Richard Gerber, MD. Although many USA MDs continue to deny the reality of
meridians, there is ample evidence of their physical existence (they are very tiny ducts in which a
clear colorless fluid slowly flows, completely independent of the blood and lymph circulatory
systems). Please note that the term “meridian” used in this article is not to be confused with the
use of that term to mean the “plumblines” dealt with in certain systems of aura balancing.
Some symptoms which might be thought of as due to food allergies may actually be food
intolerances, which come from eating more of a given food than the body can metabolically
process (often due to one or more nutritional deficiencies). A fairly common intolerance is that of
milk sugar or lactose, because the person has insufficient lactase enzyme to digest the lactose.
Sometimes what appears to be an allergy or intolerance may be a reaction of blood-type-
specific lectins in many foods which, even in very small amounts sometimes, can create a severe
inflammation of the mucosal surfaces of the gastrointestinal tract accompanied by an agglutination
or clumping of red and white blood cells which can mimic allergies. Gluten, the most common
lectin found in wheat, barley, oats and rye (but not in the sprouted form of these grains), tends to
bind to the small intestine lining, inflaming and irritating it, especially in blood type O people
(who, by the way, are more susceptible to allergies than blood types A, B, and AB).
A primary cause of allergies is an impaired immune system (see papers 6D, 7D, and 22D
about the immune system and its nutritional support). This comes about because of the toxic
overload from pesticides, heavy metals, food additives, many medications (especially antibiotics,
tranquilizers and antidepressants, corticosteroids, birth control pills, hormone replacement pills),
and especially for infants and children repeated vaccinations and immunizations. Other major
causes include poor diets with resulting nutritional deficiencies, forms of dysbiosis (abnormal
organisms, often in the gut, especially “candida” and parasites), eating the same foods repetitively
(e.g., eating wheat breads every day encourages a wheat allergy), “leaky gut syndrome”
(excessive permeability of the gastrointestinal tract from dysbiosis, poor digestion, over-
consumption of alcohol, etc.), excessive emotional stress, etc. Allergies and addictions are closely
related. E.g., coffee is a common addictive allergen, and if a person is allergic to coffee, although
they won’t often sneeze or break into a rash when they drink coffee, hours after the coffee
consumption they are likely to experience a headache or low energy if they refrain from another
cup--most people will drink coffee regularly to get relief from their symptoms without being
aware that it is the coffee that is causing them.
Louise Hay ascribes allergies to denying one’s own power, to aversion to certain
people, and hay fever to emotional congestion, a belief in persecution, to guilt, and fear of the
calendar. Thorwald Dethlefsen and Rüdiger Dahlke, MD, in their book,”The Healing Power of
Illness,” think allergies arise from aggression precipitated out of the psyche into the physical body,
that allergic people do not recognize their aggression and do not live it out. We know that fake
roses can cause an allergic attack in one allergic to roses, or the picture of a cat can do the same
with people sensitive to cats; thus, the allergic response does not require the presence of the
“actual” allergen (or, what is the actual allergen, but a form of fear?).
Medical detection of allergies is based on skin-scratch tests (occasionally including serial
endpoint titration), cytotoxic assay, IgE-radioallergosorbent (RAST) test, IgG ELISA and Food
Immune Complex Assay (FICA), all based on blood reaction to allergens. Widely used in Europe,
but not the USA, is electroacupuncture biofeedback, in which a small electrical current is applied
at specific acupuncture points and then potential allergens are introduced into the circuitry. This
last method is apparently good for detecting both food allergies and environmental sensitivities,
and even remedies. The other medical methods mentioned have many false positives (an allergen
you don’t actually have) and false negatives (an allergen you have but is not detected), are often
painful or invasive, and expensive; many only measure the presence of IgE antibodies, whereas
most food allergies are dealt with by IgG antibodies. There is another medical allergy test, used by
only a handful of American MDs that is easily usable by almost anyone, and that is the Coca Pulse
Test, developed by Arthur Coca, MD, who discovered that there is an increase of 10 or more per
minute in the heartbeat on eating a food to which one is allergic. To do the test, take your resting
pulse just after you awaken (use a watch or timer with a second hand and count the number of
beats in 60 seconds--a normal pulse rate is 50 to 70 per minute). Retake your pulse 15, 30, 45,
60, and 90 minutes after eating a single food (if you eat more than one food it can be harder to
find out which food is an allergen)--if the pulse rate is increased by 10 or more beats per minute
you are probably allergic to that food (of course, you must not exercise, etc., during these time
periods). However, this test too can give false positives and false negatives. Still one other
method used by some health professionals is the elimination diet for food allergies and laypersons
can use it easily; one eats only one commonly non-allergenic food such as zucchini or watermelon
for one week, and if symptoms have gone, reintroduces one food at a time until symptoms
reappear--this can be time consuming and some persons are unwilling to do such a partial fast.
With rare exceptions, the medical treatment of allergies, including “allergy shots,” is not
very successful, and usually merely involves temporary alleviation of symptoms. If you are going
to use a medical approach to your allergies, I would suggest finding a good clinical ecologist MD
near your location through the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, (303)-622-9755;
one such excellent MD is Sherry A. Rogers, MD, of Syracuse, NY, (315)-455-7863. She has
written several excellent books and publishes a monthly newsletter for people with allergies and
environmental illness.
Acupuncture has had some success with allergy treatment. Tapas Fleming, L.Ac., has
developed a self-allergy release procedure she calls “TAT, Tapas Acupressure Technique.” After
a clearing procedure, she has 7 steps, which may be assisted kinesiologically or not, in which, she
claims, the person is reunited with parts of herself or himself that have been locked away or frozen
in time. At each step the “TAT Pose” is held, in which the tip of the thumb of one hand is lightly
held to acupoint B1 1/8" above the inner corner of the eye, while the ring finger of the same hand
is lightly held to the other B1 acupoint above the inner corner of the other eye, and at the same
time the tip of the middle finger is lightly held to acupoint GV24.5 (“yindang” point) midway
between and ½" above the eyebrows; the palm of the other hand is lightly held on the occiput with
the thumb at the base of the skull in back (i.e., just above the hairline). The attention is put on the
“problem” and successively on the 6 remaining thoughts that are prescribed. The full procedure is
well-described in her inexpensive book, “You Can Heal Now,” 2d ed, 1999, available from her at
1-(310) 378-7381, or by e-mail at tapasvini@aol.com. She also has instructive videotapes. She
has applied TAT also to other problems, such as physical and emotional trauma.
Homeopathy has also had some success in treating allergies. Homeopathic remedies are
best prescribed by a competent homeopath because of the many factors that must be considered
before a helpful remedy can be found (although, in my opinion, a competent kinesiologist could
select an appropriate remedy).
Medical tests for yeast/fungal overgrowths and parasites, often precursors to allergies, are
not very reliable. Moreover, the individual patient can vary greatly in sensitivity to these
organisms--one can have lots of a given organism, but be relatively insensitive, so there are few or
no symptoms, or one can have few organisms (maybe insufficient to be medically detectable), but
be very sensitive and so have lots of symptoms. Drugs used by MDs, such as Nystatin, Diflucan,
Nizoral, or Sporanox for yeast/fungi and Flagyl or Yodoxin for parasites, are not all that effective
and have bad side effects. I have had many clients who have been on Nystatin, e.g., for 9 to 12
months and still have yeast/fungi .The Lebowitz protocol I use and describe below clears them
typically in 3 weeks.
Now we come to the use of kinesiological muscle testing for allergy detection. Many use
muscle testing for this and other purposes without having been meaningfully trained in pre-
clearing the person of neurological switching, blocking, etc., or in testing with the sample in an
appropriate body location, and the same can be said of some chiropractors, naturopathic doctors,
and the few MDs, clinical psychologists and dentists who use kinesiology testing. As a good
beginning in learning kinesiological muscle testing a basic course in Touch for Health is
worthwhile (how I got my start in this field in 1980), or for health professionals the Touch for
Health “Chiropractic Assistants and Doctors Applied Kinesiology Workshop.” A good
introductory book for the layperson on kinesiology and how it can be used is Ann Holdway’s
monograph, “Kinesiology.”
One kinesiology method is that of Basic Touch for Health. The person is TFH balanced so
there are no weak muscles, then the pectoralis clavicular muscle is usually used; the person chews
a bit of the food and the muscle is retested. If the muscle has weakened, the person is presumed
allergic to that food. The food is spit out, the mouth rinsed out with quality water, and a second
food is tested. The method is somewhat messy, not entirely accurate, and only 3 to 6 foods can
be tested before the tasting system fatigues.
Another kinesiology method is that of Devi Nambudripad, DC, Lac, RN, PhD, described
in her book, “Say Goodbye to Illness.” It is a generally reliable technique for both detection and
correction, but it requires treating only one, or possibly a few, allergies in each session, and for
one with multiple allergies (many people) this can take 2 to 3 sessions per week for many months
or years and be very expensive. To locate practitioners, telephone (714)-523-0800.
Another method is that of Steven Rochlitz, described in his book, “Allergies and Candida:
with the Physicist’s Rapid Solution.” It too appears to be generally reliable for detection and
correction. Practitioners may be located by calling (914)-228-4162.
A fourth method is that developed by Jimmy Scott, PhD, a simplified but 90% effective
form of which is described in his book, “Cure Your Own Allergies in Minutes.”
Dr. Scott has a more elaborate fully reliable method which he calls “Symbiotic Energy
Transformation.” I took this training from Jimmy, and I still occasionally use this and his simpler
method. To locate practitioners, call 1-705-696-3176.
A fifth method is that based on Biokinesiology, created by John and Margaret Barton, and
discussed in their book, “Allergies--How to Find and Conquer.” The full procedure, which
includes emotions, is somewhat complex. One very good practitioner I know is Wayne Topping,
PhD. You may reach him at (360)-647-2703 for appointments or referrals to other practitioners.
A sixth method is that used in Professional Kinesiology Practice, PKP, created by the New
Zealanders Bruce Dewe, MD, and his wife, Joan Dewe, MA, from whom I received training and
certification. It uses “finger modes” (fingers are held in certain positions, like mudras, while
muscle testing) to learn which of several hundred procedures involving nutritional, emotional,
structural, electrical, spiritual, and other factors are to be used. With “luck,” PKP can give fast
effective results; in other cases it can be slow.
A seventh method is Contact Reflex Analysis, CRA, using kinesiology to address allergies
(not detected individually) wholly with nutritional supplements, without any meridian or other
correction. It is not always effective and usually takes 3 to 9 months to clear some allergies. I do
use CRA for organ and gland imbalances if the client still has some symptoms after removal of
dysbiosis and allergies.
I’ve saved to the last what for me is the all-around “best” method because of its
effectiveness, its fast removal of the allergies, its ability to address all forms of dysbiosis
(yeast/fungal overgrowths, parasites, viruses, harmful bacteria), electromagnetic and other
radiation sensitivities, food allergies, and pollen, epidermal/inhalant, and mold allergies, and their
correction all typically in one 2 ½ to 3 hour session, using biomagnetic kinesiology, in which
allergen samples or nutritional supplements are held under the south (north-seeking) pole of a flat
ceramic magnet over acupoint GV27 (just above the middle of the upper lip) and tested with and
without a pin-prick sample of the client’s blood on a small pretested piece of paper towel;
biomagnetic kinesiology gives a much more sensitive detection of allergies. Certain clearing
procedures are used first, including making sure all meridians are in general balance and the
governing meridian is in complete balance. This is the detection phase; the 120 food samples are
freeze-dried pure samples. The correction phase involves tapping, or better, lasering with a 5-
mW low-intensity 670-nm red laser beam, certain acupoints and other reflex points. Appropriate
nutritional supplements and their dosages are found kinesiologically. The client must avoid the
foods to which he or she has been found allergic and foods that feed the dysbiosis for a three-
week period, at which time nearly all clients are free of the tested-for problems, with the possible
exception of parasites, and usually feel a lot better, and we go on in this second session to testing
and correcting sensitivities to chemicals and fabrics, metal toxicity, dental problems, etc., in a
similar way. This wonderful method was created largely by a genius chiropractor, Michael
Lebowitz, DC. I add to his procedure the PKP finding of key emotions and the use of non-
hypnotic age regression, as well as testing for possible unconscious “attitude reversals” or
“attitude conflicts” regarding being helped. Dr. Lebowitz has manuals and videotapes of his
teaching seminars, and publishes a monthly newsletter of updates which I receive. He may be
reached at (970)-257-0311 or by email at NOACH2343@aol.com for appointments or referral to
other practitioners.
Highly intuitive people, or people adept at using a pendulum, may be able to find their
own allergies, although self-deception is not rare, and the person then must find some way to
clear the dysbiosis, allergies and sensitivities, or attempt to avoid the allergens indefinitely or try
to use a rotation diet for the food allergies.
Until you are freed of allergies, a simple acupuncture technique to use as soon as you
experience a familiar allergic response appearing is to apply firm pressure for at least two minutes
to acupoint LI4 (“hegu” point) at the center of the webbing between thumb and index finger of
each hand; this seems to act like taking an anti-histamine.

DISCLAIMER:
Information and procedures described in this and other “Health Musings” are reported
solely for educational purposes. The author is not directly or indirectly dispensing medical advice.
Although the author believes this information and these procedures to be valid, persons using
them do so entirely at their own risk.

Cliff Garner, Ph.D., is a holistic health facilitator and a professional kinesiology practitioner. He
may be reached by telephone or fax at (505) 525-1089 or by e-mail at kosmik@totacc.com.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Cliff's holistic health papers ----Week of 7-3 Vince F 05:47:43 7/04/00 (0)

In Reply to: Cliff's holistic health papers ----Week of 7-3 posted by Cliff Garner, PhD on July 03, 2000 at 11:08:47:

Very Long but Interesting info. Thanks..

VF