You Can Heal Yourself, Dammit

Last December, I developed a number of micro-lesions and one larger lesion in my digestive tract, among other health issues. I imagine that the larger one would compare to a bleeding ulcer burning in your stomach. I took matters into my own hands and allowed myself two days of bed rest as I began a diet of pureed vegetables and fruit on the advice of Richard Buckley, my “body mechanic”, who now lives in the hills of Montana. I emailed him detailed symptoms and he quickly responded back with a prognosis. The burning in my gut soon went away and I later got on Dr. Peter D’Adamo’s blood type diet on the advice of my brother Andrew, a sales executive at New Chapter supplements. Like Richard, Andrew is a self-taught, walking Wikipedia of health and nutrition information.

The lesions were caused mainly by excessive consumption of spicy food, which was caused by a marriage to Pat, a former professional Thai chef and restaurant owner. I blame her entirely for this mishap ;). Words to the wise: Eastern Europeans that never ate spicy food their entire life should not get hooked on it.

For you traditional medical enthusiasts, I did a bit of reading on D’Adamo’s blood type diet and learned that it’s based on years of research (science). I healed myself by feeding my body the food that it’s acclimated for, based on my blood type. This is dictated by my parent’s blood type and the region our ancestors inhabited and the food sources that were available and consumed by them. D’Adamo determined that food not geared for one’s blood type does not digest well and can eventually wreak havoc with digestion and especially elimination, potentially causing other health issues, as well.

I’ve also been combining foods properly. In most cultures, we’re guilty of mixing proteins and starches… hamburgers, sushi, chicken and rice… the list goes on. This can cause lots of havoc in the body, such as bloating, indigestion, constipation and more. These two food types digest in a completely different manner. Starches begin digesting in the mouth, aided by saliva, and finish off in the small intestines; proteins digest in the stomach, where the acids break down this more dense matter. When you mix these two food types, it can cause discomfort in the form of the aforementioned symptoms, but this also confuses the heck out of your body, rendering it less effective at digestion and depriving your cells of nutrients.

Fast forward to me… today. I now barely eat starches and grains outside of oatmeal, which is on my eating plan as a beneficial food. The bit of spare tire I had been sporting magically vanished. I don’t own a scale, but would guess that I lost at least 15 to 20 pounds of waste and excess water that the body tends to hold when it’s in crisis. I feel at least 20 years younger and more empowered by taking responsibility for my own health and giving my body the proper conditions to heal itself. You also possess the power to heal. If you’re new to Natural Awakenings, the resource you’re holding in your hands right now can be a manual to help assist you on your road to wellness.

Jerry & Pat Hocek, Publishers