Jonathan Campbell, Health Consultant
Natural Therapies for Chronic Illness & Health Maintenance

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Lifestyles - Protecting Ourselves and Our Families

Many articles have appeared in the medical literature about new treatments for cancer, heart disease, allergies, asthma, and dozens of other afflictions. But little is written about causes and prevention. It is our belief that responsibility for the health crisis we are facing today lies with U.S. (and, following the U.S. example, worldwide) business practices.

During the last 50 years, many billions of pounds of toxic and radioactive chemicals have been released into the environment. There is not a single living thing on earth that does not have residues of these poisons intruding into its cells. Making the earth's inhabitants healthy again will require that we turn away from the use of toxic and radioactive materials, find safe alternatives, and eliminate waste from our industrial and commercial processes.

But for now, we need to find ways to protect ourselves and our families from the intrusion, as best we can. There are ways that we can live fairly healthy lives while we clean up the earth for future generations.

First and foremost, we must eat further down on the food chain. The bottom of the food chain is grains, beans, vegetables, and fruit. At the very top of the food chain are the meat-eating animals such as birds of prey and large fish. Toxic chemicals accumulate and concentrate in the fat of animals and fish in hundreds, thousands, or even millions of times greater concentration than in (or on) the food eaten by these animals.

So if we were to eat beans, grain, fruit, and vegetables, the amount of toxic chemicals that would accumulate in our fat cells over a lifetime would be thousands or millions of times less than if we eat meat, milk and fish. Today, because of dioxin contamination in meat, this is imperative for healthy living. It is best to avoid all meat. Beef, pork, fish (especially freshwater) and full-fat dairy products are severely contaminated with dioxin, and should be considered toxic! Chicken, other poultry, and eggs are less contaminated, but still have significant amounts. See the dioxin page for other tips to avoid this super-toxic chemical and similar organochlorine chemicals.

The foods at the bottom of the food chain have no significant dioxin contamination. It is quite possible to obtain all the protein you need - about 70 grams of complete protein per day - by eating vegetarian foods and meat substitutes made of grain and beans. The demand for these vegetarian foods has become so great that many of them are quite tasty; no more do you need to figure out what to do with plain tofu to make it palatable.

Soy drinks such as Edensoy and Westsoy are quite decent, tasty substitutes for milk. If you like to cook, there are hundreds of excellent vegetarian and vegan (non-dairy vegetarian) cookbooks. Classic Mexican dishes such as tacos and burritos with no meat or cheese, and Chinese and Japanese tofu dishes served with rice are examples of excellent-tasting high-protein vegetarian meals.

Second, to counteract the stresses placed on our bodies by chemical intrusion (as well as the emotional stress of living in our fast-paced society), it is a good idea to take high doses of certain vitamin supplements. Below is the vitamin regimen Jonathan Campbell has been following for years with no adverse side effects.

Check with your doctor before using this or any other high-dosage regimen to make sure it does not interfere with other medications you might be taking. In addition, you must drink at least 1/2 gallon, and preferably one gallon (four quarts or 16 full glasses) of fluids each day. This amount of fluid intake is now recommended by many doctors for healthy kidney function.

• 2-10 grams (2000-10,000 milligrams) Vitamin C, spread out during the day, taken with food or soy drink to avoid stomach upset. Most people are aghast when I make this recommendation, but it is well-documented in the book Vitamin C, The Master Nutrient by Goodman and Passwater, and in many studies. Most animals produce their own Vitamin C at these levels, but humans and primates must get them externally. If you are ill, you can take far more (20 or more grams per day) to help your body fight the illness.
• 3-6 grams Lysine. This, together with vitamin C, addresses long-term atherosclerosis which is nearly universal by the time we reach age 20.
• 1 gram (1000 milligram) calcium with magnesium, spread out during the day. This is the U.S.R.D.A.! Our nerve cells use up calcium, and if we don't eat it, it is taken from bones and teeth.
• 800-1600 IU Vitamin E (start at 800, build up to 1600. If you have high blood pressure, check with your physician!).
• 25,000-50,000 IU Beta Carotene (Do not use oil-based Vitamin A!).
• 100-300 mg Ginkgo, for increased blood circulation in nerve cells in the brain.
• 500-1000 mg Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B-5) and 10,000-20,000 mg Lecithin. Together, they enhance the production of acetylcholine, for enhanced brain function. Take as directed on the bottle.
• Bilberry extract, to enhance eye health. Take as directed on the bottle
• Zinc: 15-20mg if you do not have night vision problems or prostate enlargement, 50mg if you have either problem. (Take at a different time than Vitamin E, as they destroy each other).
• Vitamin B-Complex supplement, to make up for the fact that we don't eat enough green leafy vegetables in our diet.
• Aloe Juice - a few ounces of this somewhat odd-tasting liquid each day apparently helps heal internal inflammations you might have in your gastrointestinal tract. Given the number of people with severe dyspepsia, this may be a viable alternative to some of the powerful anti-acid medications people currently take, which can have unwanted side effects such as impotence! (There is also anecdotal evidence that aloe has a positive effect on arthritis, through unknown mechanisms.) Only use pure aloe juice that is prepared to be taken internally. It is sold by the quart or gallon in health food stores. Pregnant women should not ingest aloe.

Third, jog or fast-walk at least 1 mile each day (unless you have arthritis in your feet, in which case you should use a stationary bicycle to avoid weight-bearing on the joints). If you are unused to daily exercise, start with a shorter walk at a slower pace, and build up to a mile.

Fourth, avoid contact with toxic materials. If you must handle them, do so with heavy rubber gloves, protective clothing, and an organic chemical mask. Do not use weed killers or pesticides inside your home or on your lawn or garden. (Non-toxic pest products are now quite common, such as Victor Poison-Free aerosols.)

Finally, use relaxation techniques during the workday, such as meditation, at least once per day for five minutes. I suggest using the imagery of a non-toxic environment. In addition to helping your body to heal itself from toxic assaults, this technique will train your body and mind to avoid situations in which you might inadvertently expose yourself to toxic substances - it increases your awareness.