[Originally published in 2011 by Citizen Doctor.]
Trust me, I’m a doctor
The first time I seriously questioned the medical establishment was when I learned how physicians are trained by intentionally overworking them and subjecting them to sleep deprivation during their hospital residencies, resulting in avoidable errors including deaths. I later watched how the medical profession, which had long since been compromised by the pharmaceutical corporations, became further compromised by the rise of HMO corporations, which put bottom-line profit over the well-being of both patients and doctors. Meanwhile, insurance corporations, through health and malpractice insurance, were driving up costs while subverting authority to decide on treatment.
It’s no surprise to me now that physicians are the third leading cause of death in the US behind heart disease and cancer, while statistical indicators of health such as life expectancy and infant mortality are falling behind much of the developed world even as per capita health care costs are twice that of any other country — medical costs are the leading cause of personal bankruptcies. And we shouldn’t be surprised that profit-driven corporations and the government agencies they control routinely suppress alternative health options. Under Codex Alimentarius, they are even trying to outlaw over-the-counter vitamins and herbal remedies as part of a general strategy to restrict our health freedom. The FDA is trying to destroy the vitamin industry.
As in every other sector of society, the solution to domination by predatory and parasitic central authorities is decentralization, beginning with individual sovereignty. We have health resources at our disposal that earlier generations couldn’t dream of: a vast knowledge-base directly accessible via the Internet and a vast array of alternative healing options including over-the-counter remedies and supplements. The goal is to reduce our dependency on the dominant profit-driven medical establishment by taking responsibility for our own health. The medical establishment is controlled by predators who profit from disease. They have no qualms about such strategies as manufacturing flu pandemics to reduce population size while making billions in profit.
One man’s journey to health sovereignty
I will share with you a personal healing story that made me a believer in health sovereignty. When I was in my early forties I developed prostatitis, an inflammation of the prostate gland. This disease has become a common occurrence in men in that age range in the US, as has the more serious disease prostate cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in men besides skin cancer. The symptoms quickly became acute. Without going into details, I will just say that the symptoms can be extremely painful and debilitating, such that one will do whatever it takes to stop the pain.
When a man with prostate problems visits his physician in desperation, he is probably offered treatments to alleviate the symptoms such as anti-inflammatory drugs or in the case of cancer, radiation or surgery. The typical mentality of the medical profession is to see a diseased part of the body as something that must be either suppressed or removed. A better perspective is to see the whole mind-body system as inherently possessing astounding self-repair and self-immunization capabilities, which operate smoothly unless they are undermined in some way. If true healing occurs, it is always the mind-body that heals itself. The best medicine is to support this natural healing ability.
I resolved not to suffer the fate of many men I have known at the hands of the medical establishment. Over the next year, I tried several natural remedies such as saw palmetto, but at best they provided only temporary relief. Then one day listening to a radio program I learned of a treatment advocated by a doctor who had cured himself of prostate cancer. He was told by his own physician that if he didn’t immediately have his prostate gland removed, he would die. But he didn’t give in to fear. Instead, he embarked on an extensive research program which resulted in a theory of the cause of prostate cancer and a program to treat the cause. I’ve found no better example of what health sovereignty means that what Dr. Clapp has demonstrated.
According to the theory, the cause of prostate problems is in the colon. Due to the typical unhealthy American diet (the incidence of prostate cancer is 10 times less in Japan and Africa), by the time one reaches the age of 40, a large amount of undigested food residue has collected on the walls of the colon. This substance becomes putrified and hardened, forming a kind of plaque that has several detrimental effects. Absorption of nutrients is blocked, affecting the overall health of the body. More seriously, the substance generates toxins as it decays, and also becomes a breeding ground for parasites. Between the parasites and toxins, the colon wall is damaged and the toxins leak out into the rest of the body. (This is also leads to leaky gut syndrome.) The nearby prostate happens to be one of the most sensitive tissues in the body and is likely to be the first to react to the toxic load by inflaming. (Incidentally, a corresponding sensitive tissue in women is the breast tissue.)
If this theory is right, it is obvious how completely wrong-headed the medical establishment is in their approach of cutting out tissue that has reacted to toxins. The prostate acts as an early warning system that something is wrong in the body. Cutting it out or radiating it is like firemen responding to a fire by disabling the alarm and then leaving the building to burn. Removing the prostate, besides the direct harm done to the body and the psyche of the man, does not address the actual problem and thus assures further disease.
As Dr. Clapp discovered, there is an effective treatment that is simple, inexpensive, natural, non-invasive and can be self-administered. It consists of a cleansing liquid-only fast and detoxification and a long-term commitment to a healthy diet. The most immediately effective part of the treatment is a daily salt-water enema. A quart of water is consumed each morning, salty enough that the body does not absorb it and so it is passed through in an hour or two, and serves to wash the colon clean. After a few days, one can actually observe long black cords of hardened material being expelled. This plaque is broken up with the help of bentonite, a mildly abrasive clay.
After only one day of this treatment, my prostate symptoms began to improve. By the forth day, the black substance began to be expelled from my colon. By the ninth day it was all gone and my lower abdomen felt light and clean, like the feeling of having a long hot shower for the first time after months or years without. The symptoms returned in mild form periodically and so I repeated the treatment a few times during the following years. I have been 100% symptom-free for more the two years since my last treatment.
I wanted to tell this story for two reasons:
First, colon health is extremely important to overall health, and can be greatly improved with this simple treatment along with a healthy diet and lifestyle. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear. Most Americans probably have the black cord in their colon right now, like a time bomb waiting to go off. With a little effort and commitment you can save yourself much misery and expense in the future. Spread the word.
Second, this is a good example of how you can free yourself from dependence on the dominant medical establishment. Chances are good that your physician knows nothing about this treatment. Most likely he is overstressed, limited to ten minutes per office visit by his HMO, and subject to intense marketing from the pharmaceutical corporations. Do you want to turn over your health sovereignty to him, and perhaps end up losing part of your manhood and having to wear diapers in the bargain? Don’t expect the corporate-controlled medical/pharmaceutical establishment to promote such cures, since they would be cutting their own profits. By all means go to the emergency room if you break a bone; but for non-trauma events, consider first checking the Internet or visiting a local alternative health practitioner.
Some strategies for overcoming disease and creating health
It goes without saying that a balanced life with minimal stress, good relations, proper diet, sleep and exercise are all important to health, i.e., an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prepare ahead of time for the occasions when injury, illness or disease may strike by educating yourself and identifying alternative health practitioners and sources of remedies and supplements in your area. Equip yourself with first aid supplies, and stock up on medicines, remedies, and supplements that have a substantial shelf life.
The subject of medicine, in the most general sense, is very broad and I do not have the expertise to make specific treatment recommendations or to properly survey the vast range of alternatives. My goal is simply to motivate you to begin taking steps toward health sovereignty. But I will suggest a few directions to explore on your own journey, based on my personal experience.
My daily regimen
Every day I take some vitamins, minerals and other supplements, especially green powder which helps keep my pH-level up, more alkaline than acidic. It is known that cancer can not exist in an alkaline environment. Since I started this regimen years ago, a chronic and advancing case of candida (a yeast infection), which appears as a red rash on the skin but can also damage internal organs, has permanently vanished. The expensive ointment I previously used for years as prescribed by my physician only temporarily suppressed the symptoms.
I also try to keep my caloric intake down. Studies show that low caloric intake correlates with longer life. I believe that the body has two modes: either growth or regeneration dominates. Low caloric intake keeps the body in a regenerative self-healing mode conducive to survival. Cancer is cell growth run amok. Growth is good for children, but for adults regeneration and longevity are more important.
Also very important is plenty of water. Think of pure water as a medicine, or better yet as an elixir.
Resources on the web
Although the WebMD online database is based on Western establishment medicine, it can be very helpful on the path to health sovereignty. With it you can at least get a “second opinion” about anything your physician says, including learning about all the side effects of treatments. There are a host of informative alternative health websites such as Natural News. Educate yourself about potential health hazards such as vaccines, mercury, fluoride, GMO, MSG and aspartame and mobile phones.
Chinese medicine
I have had good luck with traditional Chinese medicine, which is a holistic approach to healing drastically different from Western medicine and less expensive. Chinese acupuncture and herbal treatments are intended to remove energy blockages and restore the balance of the body’s vital energy systems, so that it can heal itself. My understanding is that much training and experience is needed to master Chinese medicine, and it is best to find a practitioner trained in China.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy aligns well with the theme of decentralized medicine. It is a holistic approach, treating each person as an individual and taking into account their entire life situation and history as well as their complete mental, emotional and physical condition, and it uses minute amounts of various substances found in nature to stimulate the body to heal itself. Homeopathic remedies are easy to acquire: no prescription is needed and they are relatively inexpensive and completely harmless compared to allopathic drugs.
I wish I could give a strong endorsement of homeopathy, but my personal experience with it has been disappointing. I worked with several experienced homeopathic practitioners over several years in an attempt to cure a chronic disease, but never clearly benefited from homeopathic remedies, even for ordinary illnesses. But it seemed safe and inexpensive enough, and based on sound enough principles, to be worth giving a chance.
Creating a healthy life
It has been demonstrated by many studies that one’s mental attitudes and belief systems are a primary determinant of one’s health. Studies with placebos have proven the remarkable ability of the body to heal itself if one completely trusts their physician, even if all he prescribes is a sugar pill. Likewise, a physician’s diagnosis of disease can trigger a loss of hope and a terminal downward spiral. The challenge is to put your trust in yourself instead of some external authority figure. Become proactive in establishing and maintaining your own health, and when you must overcome disease, do it on your own terms. Never surrender your sovereignty.
If you really want to take responsibility for your own long-term health and well-being, consider a combination of bodywork, therapy and spiritual practice. This is a serious long-term commitment, not a quick fix, but is well worth the effort and expense. The health of the mind-body-spirit system is greatly affected by emotions, which are in turn are governed by belief systems, and no pill can substitute for the effort needed to find inner balance. A compassionate, joyful spirit, a focused, clear mind and a strong, vibrant body all go together.
The long-term process of healing the body, mind and spirit, which inevitably leads to a change in lifestyle, is a very personal journey. My own journey led me to a healing approach known as core energetics + pathwork combined with a yogic lifestyle. Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice backed by thousands of years of tradition. The best introductory book I’ve found on yoga is the Sivananda Companion to Yoga. But there are countless other paths to follow. Be well.
This article is one of ten in my Decentralized series: Manufacturing, Energy, Money, Education, Agriculture, Medicine, Security, Communication, Government, Religion