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The ABC+D Approach

With Steven Horne, RH(AHG)

Lesson One

The ABCs of Natural Health

The Two Approaches to Health

•  Historical uses approach –  Naming symptoms

(diseases) and prescribing treatments

•  Systematic approach –  Looking at how the

body is out of balance and treating the person to bring them back into balance

The Myth of Medicine

“Really, there is no special medicine which is a specific (or remedy) for any chronic disease.” Henry Bieler in Food is

Your Best Medicine

“Curing” Plants

•  If you had a plant that wasn’t getting enough sunlight, could you “cure” it with fertilizer?

•  If you had a plant that wasn’t getting enough water, could you “cure” it with sunlight?

•  Growing a healthy plant means supplying it with all the things it needs to grow (water, sunshine, fertilizer, etc.)

•  The same is true for the body. Most of our health problems arise because we aren’t giving the body something it needs to stay healthy

Treatment by Prevention

“That same thing that will prevent disease will cure it.”

Samuel Thomson “Remove the cause and

the effect will cease.” Samuel Thomson

The best way to cure disease is by doing the things you should have done to prevent it!

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80/20 Rule

•  20% of what you do will produce 80% of your results

•  Unfortunately, when it comes to health most people spend more time on the 80% of health knowledge that produces only 20% of the results

•  The ABC principles are the 20% of health practices that yield 80% of the healing results

Activate

•  Activation is the MOST important principle in healing and is usually the thing that is addressed the least

•  Activation is getting the life energy of the body flowing freely

The Good News

•  The fundamental activators of health are FREE

•  The only thing they will cost you is a little time and effort

•  The bad news is that without them you cannot ever achieve real health

Four Cornerstones of Health

•  Deep breathing •  Hydration

•  Physical Activity •  Rest

Stuck Emotional Energy

•  Emotional energy is the “currency” of life

•  Our primary motivation is to gain emotional stimulation (usually positive) and to avoid stress

•  Unfortunately, our emotional energy is often “damned” in our bodies

•  The result is shallow breathing and muscle tension (lack of flow)

Our Three Brains

•  We have a “head” brain that we all understand, but we also have:

•  A heart brain that “thinks” in feeling AND

•  A gut brain that “thinks” in sensations

•  Most people are out of touch with their heart and their guts, which means they are out of touch with what they need both physically and emotionally to be happy and healthy

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Head Heavy

•  People in modern society are “head heavy”

•  They have lost touch with their heart and their guts

•  The heart is the intelligence center of wisdom and moral guidance

•  The guts are the intelligence center for good health and vitality

Deep Breathing

•  Conscious deep breathing: –  Gets you out of your head

and into your heart and guts

–  Oxygenates the body –  Increases energy –  Centers emotions –  Relaxes the body –  Eases pain –  Alkalizes the body –  Fights infection and

cancer –  Reduces stress

•  All chronically ill people are shallow breathers

Emotional Healing

•  Deep breathing is a major part of emotional healing work

•  Emotional healing is removing the mental blocks that keep us from being aware of and acknowledging our heart and our guts

•  I am convinced that until we remove these blocks, life energy cannot flow freely through the body and healing cannot take place

•  Throughout the ABC+D course, we’ll examine emotional issues that may contribute to problems with certain body systems and remedies like flower essences and essential oils that can clear them

The Importance of Water •  Water is the foundation of

all life •  Our bodies are 65-75%

water •  All biological processes

need water, including digestion, energy production and elimination

•  Water generates energy by itself and increases the energy derived from food

•  Water dilutes toxins and waste acids and helps all eliminative channels

•  Water helps regulate temperature

•  Water lubricates tissues and joints and provides cushioning

Your Body’s Many Cries for Water

•  Dr. Batmanghelidj, MD was a political prisoner in Iran

•  In trying to help a fellow prisoner suffering with an ulcer, he learned that increasing water intake alone could cure ulcers

•  He went on to research more about how water can “cure” disease

•  www.watercure.com

Are Your Cells More Like Grapes or More Like Raisins?

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We Dehydrate as We Age Water and Thirst •  Thirst is regulated by

blood levels of water, but… –  66% of water loss is from

inside cells –  26% is from extracellular

fluids (lymph) –  Only 8% from blood

•  People confuse thirst with hunger

•  People try to satisfy thirst with beverages that deplete the body of water –  Caffeinated beverages –  Alcohol –  Artificial sweetened

drinks

Health Problems Associated with Dehydration

•  Energy Problems –  Fatigue –  Sugar Cravings –  Obesity

•  Digestive Problems –  Heartburn –  Hiatal hernia –  Dyspepsia –  Colitis pain

•  Poor Elimination –  Constipation –  Congestion –  Water retention

•  Respiratory Problems –  Allergies –  Asthma

•  Pain –  Joint pain –  Back pain –  Migraine headaches

•  Nervous/Emotional –  Insomnia –  Depression –  Anxiety –  Irritability –  Difficulty concentrating

•  Degenerative Diseases –  High blood pressure –  Diabetes –  Cancer –  And many others

Water Therapy

•  Basic Instructions –  Drink at least ½ ounce of water

per pound of body weight per day (more may be required)

–  Eliminate diuretic beverages –  Use natural salt (about ½

teaspoon per day) •  Other

–  Drink 1-2 glasses of water upon arising

–  Drink 2 glasses of water 1/2 hour before meals

–  Drink one glass 2-1/2 hours after meals

–  Drink an extra 1-1/2 cups of water for every glass of coffee, alcohol, soda or tea you consume

Physical Activity

•  Activity encourages the build-up of bone and muscle

•  Movement is needed to pump lymph to remove waste from cells

•  One hour of walking activates enzymes that break down fat for 12 hours

•  Leg exercises enhance testosterone in men

•  Aerobic activity promotes cardiovascular health

•  Exercise lifts mood, relieving anxiety and depression

•  Exercises reduces insulin resistance in diabetes

Sedentary Society

•  Are modern conveniences weakening us?

•  75% of Americans are physically inactive

•  Getting adequate physical activity may be the most important factor in maintaining body weight and weight balance

•  Physical fitness increases immunity

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Getting Off Your Behind

•  Walk or hike •  Ride a bike •  Go swimming •  Bounce on a mini-

trampoline •  Use the stairs •  Do some physical work

(gardening, etc.) •  Try tai chi, yoga or

other Oriental forms of exercise

•  Play a sport •  If you have to, go to the

gym

Insomnia (Lack of Sleep)

•  Causes irritability, inattentive and accident prone

•  Makes one more likely to suffer from depression, heart disease or stroke

•  Contributes to obesity •  Decreases immune system function •  Has effects similar to aging •  Contributes to approximately 100,000

car crashes resulting in 1500 deaths at a cost of $12.5 billion (accidents are the leading cause of death under age 45)

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

•  Average 8.5 hours •  Could be as little

as 7 or as much as 10 depending on the person and circumstances such as age and health

•  Several hours of REM sleep (rapid eye movement)

•  Also need deep sleep

Sleep Deprivation

•  1/2 of all Americans of occasionally suffer from insomnia

•  1/3 of all Americans suffer from life disrupting insomnia

•  Sleeplessness estimated to cost $15.9 billion a year

Sleep Debt

•  When you don’t get enough sleep you acquire a progressive “sleep debt”

•  Missing one hour of sleep per day puts you seven hours behind after a week

•  Taking stimulants won’t make up for sleep debt and will contribute to insomnia

Sleep Tips

•  Completely darken your bedroom •  Don’t watch TV or play on the computer

for at least one hour before bedtime •  Don’t eat late at night (except for a

small protein snack) •  Drink plenty of water and get physically

active •  Practice deep breathing before bed •  Try to stay on a regular sleep schedule •  Use a natural sleep aid, if necessary

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Natural Sleep Aids

•  Herbs –  Passion flower –  Hops –  Valerian –  Skullcap –  Corydalis

•  Other –  Magnesium –  L-theanine –  GABA –  Melatonin –  5-HTP

Benefits of a Good Nights Sleep

•  Boosts energy •  Reduces stress •  Lifts mood and

decreases anxiety •  Enhances

learning •  Regenerates the

body •  Improves immune

system function •  Helps with weight

loss

Life is Energy

•  You cannot achieve real health if you don’t activate your body’s energy by: –  Breathing deeply and get in touch with your heart

and body –  Staying adequately hydrated –  Getting adequate sleep (and rest) –  Staying physically active

•  So, these are the first things we should examine if we are ill

•  In the ABC+D course we will constantly refer back to the Activating principles as we learn how to support the health of various body systems

Building

•  Building is about giving the body the nutrients it needs to support structure and function

•  This is the second most important principle of healing

•  It is also a “mine-field” of conflicting opinions and “camps” promoting various nutritional dogmas

Body Wisdom

•  We are all biochemically unique

•  A diet that is healthy for one person is NOT healthy for another

•  You can’t have a healthy diet based on a “head” philosophy

•  You have to learn to listen to your own “guts” (bodily sensations) to understand how to eat healthy for you

Common Sense Nutrition

•  In 30 years of search for the “truth” about nutrition, the best work I’ve found it that of Weston Price

•  Nourishing Traditions is a sensible approach to nutrition based on Dr. Price’s work

•  It is the only nutritional guide I can recommend without reservation

•  www.westonaprice.org

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Dr. Price Discovered That Native People…

…Had plaque on their teeth, but had virtually no tooth decay or gum disease

…Did not get impacted wisdom teeth because jaws were wider

…Had healthy bone structure …Rarely caught contagious

diseases …Had very few social

problems

Dr. Price concluded that teeth and bone problems were a sign of nutritional deficiency

Dr. Price Discovered that Traditional Diets…

…were composed of nutritionally dense, chemical-free, naturally grown foods

…utilized similar methods of preparing various foods

…incorporated both raw and cooked foods

…utilized both plant and animal foods

…were not low fat diets …were high in fiber

Don’t Eat by a Philosophy! •  Your senses were designed to inform you

about what you need to eat •  Engage your senses when you buy,

prepare and eat food •  Pay attention to how foods make you feel •  Eat slowly and consciously

Orthorexic Nervousa

•  An unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food

•  Signs of orthorexia: –  1) Diet takes up an inordinate

amount of time and attention in your life

–  2) Deviating from that diet is met with guilt and self-loathing

–  3) Dietary correctness becomes a major “moral” issue

–  4) Diet is used to avoid dealing with other life issues

•  A healthy diet is about feeling good, not about being “right” about food!

•  http://www.orthorexia.com/

Essential Principles of Healthy Eating

•  Select natural foods over processed foods

•  Select nutritionally dense foods

•  Eat fresh foods that are in season and locally-grown

•  Eating organic reduces chemical exposure

•  Select food that is flavorful, looks and tastes good

•  Eat in a relaxed state with a gratitude attitude

Fats: The misunderstood nutrients

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You Need Good Fats

•  Necessary for cell membranes •  A major component of brain and nervous

tissue •  Needed for adrenal & reproductive

hormones •  Preferred fuel of the heart •  Keep the body warm •  Keep skin soft and moist •  Weston Price found that traditional diets

had 10 times more fat soluble vitamins than “civilized” diets of the 1930s.

•  Vitamin D3 is now recognized as the number one nutritional deficiency

Unhealthy Fats

•  Shortening •  Margarine •  Partially

hydrogenated vegetable oils

•  Commercially-fried foods

•  Fats and oils in processed foods

Good Fats •  Olive oil •  Coconut and coconut oil •  Organic butter from grass-fed cows •  Avocados •  Seeds (flax, hemp, pumpkin,

sesame) •  Nuts (walnuts, Brazil nuts) •  Deep ocean fish (sardines,

anchovies, albacore tuna, etc.), wild salmon, fish oils

•  Animal fat (especially from pastured or wild animals)

Better, Better Butter

•  Soften butter to room temperature

•  Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup of flax seed oil to each cup of butter (1 pound = 2 cups)

•  Blend together with hand mixer

•  Refrigerate and enjoy

Fats in the Diet

•  Low fat diets are not healthy, especially for growing children

•  Depending on your metabolic type about 20-50% of your caloric intake should be from fat

•  Natural fats and cholesterol do NOT cause heart disease

Protein

•  Composed of amino acids

•  Building blocks of tissue

•  Needed for neurotransmitters, hormones, immunity, detoxification and enzymes

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Good Sources of Protein

•  Grass fed, organic beef and poultry, and wild game

•  Organic, free-range eggs

•  Gland and organ meat from organically raised animals

•  Soaked and cooked legumes and grains

Quality Meat

•  Wild game or grass fed is best quality

•  Animals that are allowed to graze have a much different nutritional profile

•  Grain-fed organic is second best

•  Organ meats are nutritionally superior to muscle meat

Fish

•  Fish is one of the healthiest meats

•  Deep ocean or wild caught is best quality

•  Fresh is best •  Frozen is second

best •  There are

problems with mercury contamination in modern fish

Quality Dairy •  Milk is problematic

for many people •  If consumed it

should ideally be raw

•  Organic, pasteurized milk is second-best

•  Fermented dairy is easier to digest

•  Look for dairy other than just cows

Quality Eggs

•  Chickens are NOT vegetarians

•  The best eggs come from chickens that are able to eat bugs

•  Hard shells, dark orange yolks and firm whites are signs of good eggs

•  Fresher the better

Grains, Legumes, Nuts, Seeds

•  One of the most affordable sources of good nutrition on a budget

•  Nature’s naturally-storable foods

•  Ideally, all these foods should be soaked before eating to activate their nutritional value

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Protein in the Diet

•  Meat, eggs, dairy and other foods should comprise about 20-40% of the caloric intake depending on your metabolic type

•  Lower protein intake requires higher fat intake

Carbohydrates

•  Carbohydrates include all foods that are sources of sugars and starches

•  These foods are needed for energy

Refined Carbohydrates

•  Are extremely bad for your health

•  They include –  Refined sugars of

all kinds –  Corn syrup –  White flour –  White rice

Complex Carbohydrates

•  Contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed to convert carbohydrates to energy

•  Contain fiber to slow absorption of sugars

High Carbohydrate Diets

•  Trigger insulin production which causes sugars to be stored as fat

•  High carb foods mature in fall to allow animals to “fatten up” for the winter

•  High insulin levels increase inflammation, promoting heart disease, arthritis and other chronic ailments

•  Create insulin resistance, resulting in diabetes

•  Are the number one problem with modern American diets

Healthy Sugar Substitutes

•  Fresh fruits •  Xylitol •  Stevia •  Agave nectar •  Freeze-dried

sugar cane juice •  Raw, unfiltered

honey •  Real maple

syrup (grade B or C)

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Seasonal Fruits and Veggies

•  Go to the produce section first when you shop

•  Look for seasonal, locally-grown food

•  Use your eyes, nose and fingers when shopping for produce - develop your instincts

Carbohydrates in the Diet

•  Complex carbohydrates should comprise about 20-60% of caloric intake depending on your metabolic type

•  Refined carbohydrates should be avoided as much as possible

Nutritional Health Insurance •  Investing in Your Own Health is the

Best Investment You’ll Ever Make

Financial Wellbeing

•  Most people spend a lot of effort insuring their financial well-being –  Career –  Savings –  Insurance –  Investments –  Retirement plans

The Value of Money

•  Most people in our society place a lot of value on money

•  Money is only a “medium of exchange”

•  The real value of money is that we can trade it for things that make our lives better

Investing in Health

•  If you lose your health, all of the money in the world won’t do you any good

•  Investing in your health is one of the best investments you can make

•  In the long run you’ll save money by investing in your health

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Basic Supplement Savings Account

•  Daily vitamin and mineral supplement to supply basic nutrition

•  Needed to make up for basic dietary deficiencies

•  Helps maintain adequate nutritional reserves

Essential Fatty Acid Nutritional Bonds

•  Essential to heart, brain and immune function

•  Omega-3s protect heart, reduce inflammation and pain and aid brain function

•  Medium chain saturated fatty acids help nervous and immune system

•  Fat soluble vitamins are also critical to health : A, D3, E and K-2

Antioxidant Annuities

•  Free radicals are associated with chronic inflammation and are involved in aging and degenerative disease

•  Antioxidants prevent free radical damage, reduce inflammation and pain, slow aging

Mineral Mutual Fund

•  Modern agriculture has depleted the mineral content of foods

•  Minerals are essential for healthy structure and function

•  Minerals include good salt

•  Magnesium is particularly important

Digestive Enzyme Investment Account

•  Replace enzymes missing in the diet due to cooked and processed foods

•  Support digestion, immunity, reduce inflammation, pain and allergic reactions

•  Enzymes are critical because of the amount of cooked and processed food most people consume

Probiotics Protective Stock

•  Replace intestinal bacteria killed by antibiotics, chlorine and drugs

•  Help immunity, bowel function, prevent yeast infections

•  Friendly bacteria in your intestines play a critical role in digestive health and immunity

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Fiber Low Risk Fund

•  Most people don’t get enough fiber

•  Fiber is needed for bowel health, protection from toxins, lowering cholesterol and blood sugar

Building Summary

•  Good nutrition is as much instinctive as it is logical, as long as you’re dealing with natural foods

•  Pay attention to how foods make you feel and adjust your diet so it makes you feel great and you enjoy your meals

•  Throughout the course, we’ll consider specific foods and nutrients that provide Direct Aid to specific body systems

Start Investing Today!

•  Protect your health and the health of your family by eating healthy and taking appropriate daily supplements

•  It’s the best investment you can make!

•  Sharing this message with others is also a great investment

Cleansing

•  Building is about giving the body the nutrients it needs to support structure and function

•  This is the second most important principle of healing

•  It is also a “mine-field” of conflicting opinions and “camps” promoting various nutritional dogmas

Two Parts to “Cleansing” •  1. Reducing our

exposure to toxins is the most important part of cleansing and includes: –  Eating foods that are as

chemical-free as possible –  Cleaning up our water

and air –  Avoiding chemicals in our

home –  Supporting care for the

environment •  2. Using diet, fasting,

herbs and hydrotherapy to help our bodies get rid of toxins

Environmental Health is Essential

•  We are part of the environment

•  We cannot poison the air, water and soil without poisoning ourselves

•  Our civilization is destroying the environment and poisoning it for future generations

•  We need to think about what kind of world we are leaving for future generations

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A Few Unpleasant Facts •  Prior to the 20th century, only 1 out of 8,000

people in the United States were stricken with cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

•  With the myriad of chemicals introduced since the industrial revolution, the incidence of cancer has increased to 1 out of 3 people

•  Since World War II, we have developed more than 80,000 chemicals for use in cleaners, pesticides, plastics, personal care products, industrial products and other modern day conveniences.

•  80% of people’s exposure to chemicals occurs in the home.

•  A five year study completed by the EPA concluded that many homes had chemical levels 70 times higher than that of outside air.

Understand the Labels When it states on a label: •  CAUTION – between 2 Tbs. and 2

cups can be lethal to an adult when ingested

•  WARNING – as little as 1 tsp. •  DANGER – just a few drops

7 Steps to “Detoxifying” Your Home

1. Look at the labels of all your cleaning supplies dispose of anything that is poisonous

2. Replace your supplies with non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products

3. Don’t overuse disinfectants 4. Use non-toxic solutions to pest problems 5. Examine your personal care products

and replace with organic and natural products

6. Clean your indoor air with houseplants 7. Don’t trust labels — trust your own

senses — if a product doesn’t smell or “feel” right, don’t use it

Daily Housekeeping Cleanse •  Drink adequate

amounts of water –  All channels of

elimination require water to work properly

•  Consider taking a fiber supplement –  Fiber binds toxins in the

gut and prevents their absorption, it also helps remove toxins from the liver

•  Other Supplements to Consider –  A high quality multi-

vitamin and mineral –  Milk thistle, schizandra

and other herbs that aid liver detoxification if you work around chemicals

A Periodic “Radiator” Flush •  Periodic fasting is an

excellent way to detox •  Try a 24 hour water-

only fast once each month OR

•  Do a “juice” fast of 3-7 days periodically using: –  Freshly made fruit or

vegetable juice –  Water with lemon and

maple syrup •  Fasting is one of the

oldest methods of healing, but should not be done by young children or people who are extremely weak

Cautions About Cleansing

•  Cleansing herbs remove the good with the bad because they stimulate elimination

•  Thus, cleansing can be overdone •  Cleansing programs are not good for

young children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, people suffering from prolonged illness or the elderly

•  Cleansing happens naturally with adequate nutrition and hydration

•  Herbal hydrotherapy (enemas, sweat baths, etc.) can be helpful for acute illness

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Emotional “Cleansing” •  There are parallels

between physical and emotional healing

•  The body has to detoxify to heal and so does the heart

•  Physical and emotional symptoms often mirror each other

•  What cleansing is to the body, forgiveness is to the heart

•  Health also requires that we “let go” of past hurts and pain through forgiveness

Direct Aids

•  Direct aids are herbs, nutrients and health practices designed to balance biological terrain and support the health of specific body systems

•  Biological terrain will be discussed next week

A Word from Our Sponsor •  The ABC+D course goes through each system

of the body, explaining: –  How that system works –  The health problems that arise when that body

system isn’t working –  The ABC principles of Activating, Building and

Cleansing that system –  The symptoms of biological terrain imbalance in that

system –  The +D Direct Aids that balance biological terrain in

that system •  Cost for the complete course is $247 (which

includes both the existing manual and the new one when it is completed)

•  Webinar only is $147 •  Register at www.treelite.com or call

800-416-2887

Question and Answer Time