by Steven H. Horne, RH (AHG)
I’ve chosen to address the probable causes of (and natural remedies for) a cluster of serious modern health problems researcher Muhammad Yunus, M.D., of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, calls Dysregulation Spectrum Syndrome (DSS). These problems are:
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Irritable bowel
- Irritable bladder
- Multiple chemical sensitivities
- Primary dysmenorrhea
- Migraines and other headaches
- Restless leg syndrome
- Temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ)
- Myofascial pain syndrome
Dr. Yunus views these “diseases” as part of a bigger picture of health breakdown because they usually overlap one another, meaning if a person has one of these problems, they typically have some of the others. I think this is a valid way of viewing these chronic diseases, but I would take it one step further. I’ve never met a chronically ill person who had been labeled with just one disease name. In medicine, these diseases are viewed as separate problems, but I think they are really part of an overall picture of ill health.
Because modern medicine hasn’t determined a specific cause of many of these chronic health problems, it usually offers only symptomatic treatment. However, natural healing is based on the idea that the body heals itself when given the right tools (nutrition) and conditions (lifestyle), so our job is not to treat symptoms (i.e., the disease labels a person has been given), but rather to identify the root causes of their ill health and guide them to a healthier diet and lifestyle.
Because we recently celebrated the 4th of July, the holiday commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and I’m a big fan of the principles of this document and the Constitution of the United States, I decided to use some principles from these documents as a metaphor to talk about solving these and other chronic health problems.
Think of the various symptoms which get labeled with disease names as crimes being perpetrated against the body. The criminals in this case are whatever is causing these diseases to develop. Treating the diseases by offering symptomatic relief is like helping the victims of the crime but allowing the criminals to run free.
Modern medical researchers say they don’t know the cause of many of these ailments. This makes them similar to an unsolved crime. What do we do when we have an unsolved crime? We gather clues and look for suspects and, based on the experience of various natural healers, we have a pretty good list of suspects. So, even if we don’t know the exact causes of our chronic health problems, we can start investigating the likely suspects, and “arrest” them in our lives based on probable cause.
The phrase “probable cause” comes from the Bill of Rights, which says that a person can’t be arrested without a warrant issued under probable cause. What this means is that someone must present evidence to a judge that a person may have committed a crime. This evidence gives the judge probable cause to issue the warrant for that person’s arrest.
This doesn’t mean the person is guilty; it only gives the government the right to pursue the matter further. The suspect has to be indicted (by a grand jury in the case of a felony charge) and put on trial to determine his or her guilt or innocence.
Well, we can do a similar thing with our health problems. We may not know the exact causes, but we can identify some probable causes. Arresting them amounts to taking action to eliminate them from our life. If we arrest these probable causes of disease by making diet or lifestyle changes for a reasonable period of time (say two to four weeks), we can see if the level of “crime” in the body (expressed in the form of disease symptoms) diminishes.
If it does, then we’ve rounded up one of the “criminals” that was robbing our good health. We can pronounce that diet or lifestyle factor “guilty” and put that health criminal “behind bars” for good by making permanent changes to our diet and lifestyle.
Many modern maladies are not the result of a single health criminal. They are more likely caused by a “gang” of health villains who are working together. So, arresting one of the suspects may reduce the level of crime (i.e., result in an improvement in symptoms), but won’t completely restore a person to good health. To get a complete “cure,” you will probably need to get all of the gang members behind bars.
With these concepts in mind, let’s look at the Ten Most Wanted probable causes of fibromyalgia, the other diseases associated with DSS and most other chronic health problems. I’ve divided these probable causes into two groups—primary suspects and secondary accomplices. Primary suspects are diet and lifestyle factors that contribute to these diseases. Secondary accomplices are underlying imbalances in the body created by these factors, which must be corrected so a person can heal.
The Ten “Most Wanted” Health Criminals
If you are suffering from any of the problems associated with DSS, or any other chronic illness, look through the following list and decide which of these gang members is most likely to be committing crimes against your health. Arrest that villain, using the tools suggested. If, after “arresting” a suspect, you notice any improvement in your health, then you should pronounce that health robber “guilty” and make permanent changes to eliminate it. The more of these Ten Most Wanted you eliminate, the lower the level of disease symptom “crimes” you’ll have in your body.
Primary Suspects
These primary suspects are diet and lifestyle habits that may be robbing you of good health.
Primary Suspect #1: “Shifty” Environmental Toxins
I call this suspect “shifty” because he can be a hard one to catch. Without doing some serious detective work, it is sometimes difficult to recognize that he’s invaded the body and brought down our health. He can also be a difficult suspect to arrest because he shows up in so many places in our lives. To see if this suspect might be a cause of your ill health, take the following inventory.
- Do you now or have you ever had a job where you worked around chemicals of any kind (painters, dry cleaners, carpet cleaners, beauticians, farmers, etc.)?
- Do you or have you ever lived near an environment like a factory or a farm?
- Do you have silver amalgam fillings in your teeth?
- Do you eat processed foods containing food additives, preservatives, etc.?
- Do you use pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc. in your home or workplace?
- Do you use commercial household cleaning products (detergents, drain openers, bathroom cleaners) that are labeled toxic or dangerous (read the labels)?
- Do you use commercial personal care products (shampoos, dyes, cosmetics, deodorants, etc.) that contain large numbers of chemicals (read the labels carefully)?
If you answer, “yes” to one or more of these questions, Shifty Environmental Toxins may have entered your life and is silently, but surely, destroying your health. Arresting Shifty is a two-fold process. First, you need to minimize your exposure to his attacks by getting as many chemicals out of your life as possible. Read labels carefully and use natural products containing ingredients you can recognize as natural and non-toxic. Avoid products with labels that indicate the product is poisonous. If a product looks like a chemical soup, it probably is—avoid it.
Since you won’t be able to completely avoid this suspect in modern society, you also have to regularly help your body get rid of him. The best way to do this is to take a fiber supplement every day. Fiber helps bind this character and carry him out of your system.
It also helps to do a cleanse regularly, at least once or twice a year. Different kinds of cleanses or cleansing products may be required depending on the type of toxins you are dealing with. I find a cleanse is most effective when done while fasting, juice fasting or at the very least, consuming a mild food diet. My favorite general cleansing products are: All Cell Detox, Enviro-Detox and Heavy Metal Detox. I also really like the Tiao He Cleanse. Taken with fiber, all these products will help get Shifty out of your life.
For more specific information on cleansing, consult my book, Coming Clean. It contains specific information about various cleansing programs you can use.
Primary Suspect #2: “Sneaky” White Carbs
White Carbs refers to refined carbohydrates, which includes refined sugars of all kinds, white bread and all other products made with white flour and polished white rice. White carbs are Sneaky because they sneak into our diet under the guise of being tasty and appealing. Once Sneaky is in our life, he begins his health-destroying work.
Carbohydrates are the body’s fuel, but in order to be able to utilize carbohydrates, the body has to have other nutrients, including minerals like chromium, manganese and magnesium and B-complex vitamins. These nutrients are present in whole natural foods, but have been stripped from refined carbohydrates. So, eating them depletes the body’s stores of nutrients.
But this is just the beginning. Refined carbohydrates also spike blood sugar levels. These spikes adversely affect brain function and mood and cause the body to hyper-secrete insulin. High insulin levels lead to increased inflammation, obesity, increased risk of heart disease, hypoglycemia and eventually diabetes. So, keeping Sneaky White Carbs out of your diet is one of the best ways to prevent the crime of chronic and degenerative disease in your life.
Unfortunately, getting them out of your diet is easier said than done because sugar and refined flour “sneak” their way into countless foods. You have to read labels carefully. You also have to break your addiction to them, because they are like a drug—you go through withdrawal when you try to eliminate them. Breaking the physical addiction takes about two weeks, breaking the psychological addiction can take months or years. For tips on breaking addictions to sugar, see the article “Breaking the Addiction to Sugar” at www.steven-horne.com. You will also find recipes for goodies, like cookies made with unrefined sugars and whole grains, that can help you break free of Sneaky without feeling like you’re being deprived.
Primary Suspect #3: “Bully” Altered Fats
We are continually bombarded with the message that fats are bad, but fats, like carbohydrates, are vital to good health. The problem is that most of the fats in the American diet have been altered through a refining process. This turns them into a Bully that stirs up trouble in the body.
Like complex carbohydrates, natural fats and oils contain minerals, fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients that help the body process and metabolize the fat. Natural fats and oils also have important essential and non-essential fatty acids that control inflammation, promote brain health and aid immunity.
Bully works his way into the body and stirs up trouble. Instead of being anti-inflammatory, he is pro-inflammatory and aggravates conditions like arthritis, inflammatory bowel disorders, skin irritations and aches and pains. He hardens cell membranes and contributes to the development of type II diabetes and heart disease. He’s also bad for the brain so you can’t think straight and start losing your memory.
Bully makes his way into our lives because fats taste good and he’s so readily available. But, if you want good health, don’t let Bully push you around. Get rid of him by eliminating margarine, shortening, processed vegetable oils (especially partially hydrogenated vegetable oils), deep-fried foods and fats from commercially raised animals.
Get some allies on your side by eating good fats. These good fats are found in wild fish and game, grass-fed animals, flax and hemp seeds, nuts like walnuts and macadamias, avocados, butter and cream from grass-fed cows and natural oils like olive oil and coconut oil. You may also want to take an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement. For more information on fats see the article “Fat Facts” at www.steven-horne.com.
Primary Suspect #4: “Subversive” Chronic Stress
Stress has a very negative impact on our health. It is definitely a subversive influence. Patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia are usually in the middle-to-upper earning brackets and are ambitious, hardworking perfectionists. This suggests that stress plays a big role in their health problems. The body is designed to be able to handle a certain amount of stress, but when you combine stress with nutritional deficiencies from a diet of refined and processed foods, the body becomes depleted more quickly.
Stress depletes the body of nutrients like B-vitamins, vitamin C and magnesium. Subversive Chronic Stress works hand in hand with his accomplice and side-kick, Low Down Adrenal Burnout, which we’ll talk about later, to create fatigue, reduced resistance to disease and chronic inflammation, i.e., chronic health problems.
Subversive also robs you of sleep. Sleep is important because the body heals and repairs itself when we are sleeping. So, chronic sleep deprivation leads to health breakdown. We need about 8-9 hours of sleep each night, but most Americans only get 6-7. They rely on caffeinated beverages and sugar to try to keep themselves going, when what they really need is more sleep.
To combat Subversive, start by replacing nutrients depleted by stress. Nutri-Calm is a great formula for this. Magnesium is also helpful and is the number one mineral deficiency in America. You can also reduce stress levels by using adaptagenic herbs and formulas like eleuthero root, Mineral Chi Tonic or Adaptamax. These adaptagens help keep Subversive Chronic Stress from undermining your health.
However, while supplements can be helpful, the most important thing one can do to counteract the subversive influence of chronic stress is to make time for pleasure and recreation in one’s life. Creating pleasurable experiences does more to promote health than stress does to undermine it. So, make a list of pleasurable activities such as getting a massage, taking a warm bath, listening to music, walking in nature, etc. and make time to do these things on a regular basis.
For more ideas on dealing with stress, check out the article, “Physical and Psychological Approaches to Stress” at www.steven-horne.com.
Primary Suspect #5: Drugs the “Corrupter”
Most people understand the danger of “street” drugs and drug dealers, but what I’m really talking about here are the many legal over-the-counter and prescription drugs. These substances often corrupt our health in the name of “protecting” it as evidenced by the fact that Americans use more prescription drugs than any other nation and we have some of the worst national health statistics of any civilized nation.
Because most people don’t associate the way they eat and live with their health problems, they seek to solve their stress and health problems with these highly advertised and promoted substances. These medications supply temporary symptomatic relief, but don’t really solve the underlying causes of people’s health problems. This gives a person the illusion that they are taking care of their health, when in reality, they’re just taking care of their disease.
Furthermore, since most drugs are inorganic, toxic substances, the body has to treat them like environmental toxins and dispose of them. This requires extra nutrients and leads to a further depletion and toxification of the system. Wherever possible, it’s best to deal with health problems using natural remedies, which actually promote health rather than just treat symptoms.
Once you accept the “Corrupter” into your life he’s hard to get rid of, so I try to avoid him at all costs. If you do need a drug to stabilize some medical condition, you should still work on the other underlying causes of disease, not just rely on the drug. You should also see if you can lower the dose of your medication or perhaps even eliminate it by using appropriate herbs and supplements that accomplish the same tasks.
In some cases, a drug is absolutely necessary, but you can also take steps to minimize any harm it might cause by learning to use herbs or supplements that can counteract its harmful effects. The key thing to realize here is that drugs will never promote good health. All they can do is stabilize a situation to keep it from deteriorating further.
And, while we’re on the subject, many people “self-medicate” for the stress and fatigue in their lives with a variety of drug-like substances. One of them we’ve already discussed—refined sugar. The others include alcohol, tobacco and caffeine. While an occasional glass of wine or cup of coffee won’t hurt anyone, when these addictive substances are used daily, they serve to undermine good health. When you’re taking good care of your health, you don’t need these substances to feel good.
Secondary Accomplices
The Secondary Accomplices aid the Primary Suspects in destroying your health. They are not direct causes of our health problems, but they are underlying problems in the body that need to be corrected to help one start healing from chronic illnesses.
Secondary Accomplice #1: “Shady” Hiatal Hernia
A hiatal hernia is a shady character because it typically hides in the shadows, undetected, while it silently contributes to major health breakdown. My health improved dramatically in 1986 when Jack Ritchason pulled down my hiatal hernia while we were in Jamaica. I was amazed at the difference it made. Jack told me that he’d never seen a chronically ill person who didn’t have one. I’ve since confirmed this to be true with my own experience—just about all chronically ill people have at least a partial hiatal hernia.
A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach moves upward into the opening in the diaphragm where the esophagus comes through. This inhibits movement of the diaphragm resulting in shallow breathing and poor oxygenation of the body. It also interferes with digestion and causes problems with gas, bloating upset stomach and acid reflux. It may also affect the heart, stressing it and causing impaired circulation.
To tell if you have this problem, place one hand on your chest and another on your belly. If you can take a deep breath just moving your belly and not moving your chest, you don’t have this problem. If you chest moves, but not your belly, then Shady Hiatal Hernia has taken up residence in your system.
Getting rid of Shady requires mechanical correction. The Herbal Hour DVD, Fibromyalgia, contains a twelve minute bonus feature on how to identify and mechanically correct a hiatal hernia. You can also read my article, “Hiatal Hernia: Hidden Cause of Illness” at www.steven-horne.com, which provides more information about Shady and how to get rid of him.
Once you’ve eliminated Shady, taking digestive enzymes such as Proactazyme or Food Enzymes helps keep your stomach in good working order. It also helps to eliminate Subversive Chronic Stress, as he contributes to Shady. Lobelia is a great herb for helping to put Shady on the run as it relaxes the stomach and diaphragm. Other helpful supplements for healing from the effects of Shady include Spleen Activator and Intestinal Soothe and Build.
Secondary Accomplice #2: “Treasonous” Leaky Gut
Part of the role of government is to protect our borders from foreign invaders. When someone entrusted with this job is bribed to deliberately allow an enemy to cross the border we would classify this as an act of treason.
Well, our small intestines have an important job to do in protecting the “border” of the body. They are supposed to absorb nutrients and help keep toxins and microbes out of the body. In fact, together with the skin, they are the body’s border and constitute a first line of defense against invasion. When the intestines become chronically inflamed due to environmental toxins, chronic yeast infections caused by antibiotics and sugar, parasites or other irritants, they become porous and allow toxins and microbes to enter into the body unchecked. This treasonous condition lis called eaky gut syndrome.
Leaky gut is a major underlying factor in many chronic diseases, including arthritis, asthma, allergies, skin problems and environmental illness. It is a major factor in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, two of the major ailments associated with DSS.
Shady Hiatal Hernia works in collaboration with Treasonous Leaky Gut, so you have to get rid of Shady before you can permanently get rid of Treasonous. To overcome the treason caused by leaky gut and create a healthy border guard for your body, the best place to start is by taking fiber to absorb intestinal toxins. Psyllium Hulls Combination or Everybody’s Fiber are excellent choices. You should also consider taking digestive enzymes like Proactazyme or Food Enzymes.
Formulas that help to soothe the intestinal inflammation and reduce the “leakiness” of the intestines include Intestinal Soothe and Build, Uña De Gato Combination and Kudzu/St. John’s Wort. Yeast/Fungal Detox may also be needed to eliminate yeast overgrowth. A parasite cleanse such as ParaCleanse may also be necessary.
Treasonous Leaky Gut is an accomplice of Shifty Environmental Toxins, so avoiding chemicals and doing a periodic cleanse is helpful. It’s also important to avoid some of the corrupting influence of drugs like antibiotics.
You can learn more about dealing with treasonous leaky gut by watching our Herbal Hour DVD on leaky gut or reading “Herbal Plumbing Repair for the Leaky Gut” at www.steven-horne.com.
Secondary Accomplice #3: “Conspiring” Weakened Liver
The skin and membranes form the first line of defense for the body’s “borders,” but the liver is the back-up system should these initial defenses become compromised. In modern society, this second line of defense is often compromised, too. Suffering from deficiencies of nutrients and overloaded with toxins, the liver “conspires” with the intestines to create internal toxicity which destroys our health.
This is one of the most often overlooked factors in chronic illness because moderate liver dysfunction does not usually show up on laboratory tests. Some of the signs that the liver may be “conspiring” to create our chronic health problems include feeling nervous and irritable (especially in the evening), feeling groggy and tired in the morning (a kind of “hung-over” feeling), stuffiness and discomfort under the right rib cage, feeling bloated, experiencing frequent headaches or migraines and a general vague feeling of ill health that is difficult to pinpoint.
When these symptoms are present, you probably need to give your liver a little support. One of the best formulas for this is Liver Balance. Another great formula is Milk Thistle Combo. All Cell Detox or Enviro-Detox may also be helpful. For more detailed information read “The Lowdown on Liver Detoxification” at www.steven-horne.com
Secondary Accomplice #4: “Low Down” Adrenal Burn-Out
When people complain to me of fatigue coupled with restless sleep, I usually find that their energy and health are being robbed by Low Down Adrenal Burn-Out. In fact, next to a hiatal hernia, Low Down is the most common underlying cause of people’s chronic health problems that I see.
The adrenal glands perform some important tasks in the body. They help give us energy to get things done. They regulate fluid and mineral balance. They also help regulate blood sugar. The adrenals play a role in immunity by helping to “cool down” excess inflammation. Most importantly, they help us adapt and cope with stress.
When we experience chronic stress, the adrenals take a hard hit. When this stress is combined with the use of stimulants like caffeine and sugar, the adrenals can become downright exhausted. Tired adrenals rob us of both energy and sleep. We start to feel “burned out” and lose the ability to cope with the everyday problems and stresses of life.
We can overcome this low down condition by using herbs and supplements to strengthen the adrenal glands. Adrenal Support and Nervous Fatigue Formula are my favorite choices for getting rid of Low Down Adrenal Burn-Out
Secondary Accomplice #5: “Sluggish” Low Thyroid
At last, we come to our final health criminal on our Ten Most Wanted list, Sluggish Low Thyroid. He gets you down with depression, lack of sex drive, dry skin, weight gain, fatigue and a host of other problems.
Low Down and Sluggish often work together to deplete your energy and undermine your health. Often, it is necessary to work on both at the same time to restore health. Sluggish Low Thyroid can be overcome with supplements that support the thyroid and supply iodine to the system. Thyroid Activator and Thyroid Support are good formulas for improving thyroid function. Concentrated Black Walnut and Liquid Dulse are two great ways to get more iodine in your system. More potent iodine supplements like Lugol’s Solution or Iodoral also available for more serious deficiencies.
Iodine is a vital nutrient for metabolizing fats and is essential not only for thyroid function, but also for breast and reproductive health. Low iodine levels in the body may also be a factor in breast problems, including breast cancer, and in prostate and uterine cancers. Many cases of fibromyalgia have improved by increasing iodine in the diet as well.
Don’t let these health criminals run amok in you life. Act on probable cause and put out a warrant for their arrest. If your health improves as a result, you’ll prove to yourself that they are guilty of destroying your good health and be motivated to lock them out of your life for good.