immune system

Restoring the Temple – To Arms with Your Immune System, Part I

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When we catch a cold, we say that we are “fighting a bug.” But did you know that our bodies are constantly fighting “bugs”? Moment by moment we are under attack by thousands of different kinds of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. Our powerful immune systems wipe out the invaders before they ever knew what hit them. Only when a microbe launches a particularly strong invasion (or the microbe itself is particularly virulent) does our immune system put its entire arsenal into play, stimulating symptoms such as tiredness, fever, runny nose, and coughs. It is often only then that we pay any attention to the health of our immune systems.

We each have billions of microbes on our skin and in our gastrointestinal (GI) tracts. These microbes are called our normal flora. The vast majority of our normal flora do not cause disease and are either completely passive or actually help us maintain health. For instance, certain bacteria in our GI tracts produce vitamin K for us, an important factor in the ability to clot blood and stop bleeding. We actually have more bacteria in us than we have human cells! When certain internal or environmental changes occur, the delicate balances of our bodies falter and opportunistic microbes begin their invasion. We are exposed to more people and stale air in the cool months and therefore provide more opportunities for the wily microbial invader. Fortunately, our immune system was created to be an incredibly complex powerhouse that ever-vigilantly sweeps the body for enemies and destroys them. It is important, therefore, that we know both what is harmful to the immune system and what strengthens it.

Toxic Chemicals

Those who know the health message do not have to worry about the destruction done by smoking, alcohol and drug use, but toxic chemicals are present elsewhere and are harmful to our immune systems. Avoiding second-hand smoke is essential. Also important is the amount of non-organic foods you ingest. This is particularly true for children, because the EPA’s guidelines for safe pesticide levels are standardized for a large adult human male, not for children who are not only smaller but who metabolize chemicals at a different rate.

Sugar

Refined sugar is nothing but pure carbohydrate stripped of any nutritional value. It is what we call empty calories. Like a recreational drug or alcohol, sugar affects the brain first, is addictive, and causes your energy to bottom out. Sugar depresses the immune response and is toxic to immune cells. Sugar lowers our resistance. Think of sugar as lowering the walls of our fortress, letting the invading army march over the top. One teaspoon of sugar can inhibit natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages for up to six hours. “Sugar clogs the system. It hinders the working of the living machine.” Counsels on Diets and Foods, 327.

Fat

Avoid saturated and polyunsaturated fats and oils. They help form free radicals which damage the immune system. Fats are also known to irritate the lining of blood vessels, making a less than optimal environment for the immune cells to do their work.

Protein

By-products of metabolizing protein can irritate the immune system. Vegetarians benefit from a naturally lower protein diet. Animal products contain residues of steroids and antibiotics that lead to an impaired immunity. Not only is milk protein a common immune system irritant, it increases mucus production, which makes the body’s systems slow to respond and slow to heal.

Lack of Exercise

The cells that comprise the immune system—NK cells, macrophages, B-cells, T-cells, etc.— rely on a well functioning, strong circulatory and lymphatic system. A sedentary lifestyle leads to lethargic blood and lymph flow. “Exercise, and a free, abundant use of the air and sunlight—blessings which heaven has bestowed upon all—would in many cases give life and strength to the emaciated invalid.” Ibid., 302. “By neglecting to take physical exercise, by overworking mind or body, we unbalance the nervous system. Those who thus shorten their lives by disregarding nature’s laws are guilty of robbery toward God. We have no right to neglect or misuse the body, the mind, or the strength, which should be used to offer God consecrated service.” Counsels on Health, 41.

Dehydration

One way the immune system relies on water is the same as for exercise. Dehydration causes the blood to become concentrated and torpid—not optimal conditions for immune cells to rush the invader. Furthermore, water helps regulate temperature—essential during fever—and flushes microbes and toxins out of the body. Remember, thirst is an indicator that you are already dehydrated.

“Thousands have died for want of pure water and pure air who might have lived. And thousands of invalids, who are a burden to themselves and others, think that their lives depend upon taking medicines from the doctors. They are continually guarding themselves against the air and avoiding the use of water. These blessings they need in order to become well. If they would become enlightened and let medicine alone, and accustom themselves to outdoor exercise and to air in their houses, summer and winter, and use soft water for drinking and bathing purposes, they would be comparatively well and happy instead of dragging out a miserable existence.” Ibid., 55, 56.

Lack of Sleep

Interleukins are chemical messengers that are produced by certain white blood cells. During a microbial invasion, interleukins are released, mobilizing the immune cell army. Immune cells rely on these chemical messages in order to know when to “go to arms.” Interleukins also stimulate the hypothalamus, which is the body’s thermostat, to increase body temperature, thereby providing an unpleasant atmosphere for the “bugs” and speeding up the immune response. Interleukins also contribute to the feeling of sleepiness that you have when you get sick, prompting you to get more healing rest. Studies have shown that sleep increases natural immune system modulators, such as interleukin, and even a modest sleep deficit impairs immunity. Your body’s response to illness appears partly dependent upon the quality of sleep you got before the illness set in.

Stress

Ever notice that when you are stressed you become more prone to catching a cold? One of the reasons is a hormone called cortisol that the body produces when we are under stress. Cortisol causes several responses in the body. Inflammation is increased; calcium is pulled from the bones, and autoimmune disorders are exacerbated. Conversely, reducing stress reduces cortisol which alleviates these symptoms. You can then see how it is paramount to over-all health to reduce daily stress.

Our bodies were created to be wonderfully complex. Fortunately, God has given us much insight into how we can avoid certain behaviors that cause the body and its interconnected systems to falter. With a little care, each one of us will be able to build up our health instead of fighting against our own army.

“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.” Isaiah 58:8.

Restoring the Temple – To Arms with Your Immune System, Part II

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“Both riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.”—1 Chronicles 29:12.

How important is your immune system? Consider this scenario. A woman with the flu boards a plane. During the flight from New York to London, 150 passengers are exposed, and 80 of them consequently come down with the flu. What was the difference between the people who got the flu and those who did not? Strong immune systems.

After years of the public’s overuse of antibiotics, many strains of bacteria have mutated and become resistant to those same antibiotics, which makes it ever so much more important to strengthen our immune systems. Here we briefly examine what we can do to make a more powerful army. The key is that immune-boosting must be an ongoing process, not merely popping a few extra vitamin C tablets when a cold hits.

As we learned in Part 1 of this article, our bodies are constantly on the watch, ready to squelch any invasion. How can you make your immune system more powerful and vigilant? Let us explore what you can do to help yourself.

Nutrition

Nutrition is what fuels our fighter cells. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are all part of a diet complete in essential vitamins and minerals. Since pesticides and fungicides can inhibit immune function, try to choose organic foods whenever possible. Nutrient-dense, pure foods are important for us all, but are especially essential for growing children.

Vegetarians do not have to worry about one health-damaging food—animal products. Meat and dairy products carry residues of antibiotics and steroid hormones that can weaken immunity (not to mention diseases that tax the immune system). Dairy products also contain milk protein which is a common irritant of the immune system. Milk products are especially harmful to an individual who is prone to allergies or autoimmune diseases such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. Daniel understood that eating the king’s meat and other rich foods would weaken his physical powers and decrease his mental capability. (Daniel 1:8–20).

Recent research has found that plant fats, particularly sterols, help immunity. Plant sterols help perform a balancing act by boosting an underactive immune system and decreasing an overactive one. Sterols increase the amount of natural killer cells and reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. A vegetarian diet contains more plant fats than does the average American diet.

Interferons (IFNs) are important chemicals our bodies produce that play a complex part in our immune systems. IFN stimulates a cell to resist viral invasion, induces production of antibodies, and makes infected cells more recognizable to leukocytes (white blood cells). IFN is also very important in keeping a healthy cell from turning into a cancer cell. Recent research has shown that certain mushrooms—particularly reishi and shiitake—help the body with IFN production. Health care practitioners in China and Japan have been aware of the immune-enhancing properties of these mushrooms for a long time. Western medicine is focused on development cell-killing drugs to fight cancer—hoping that more tumor cells will be destroyed than healthy cells. Western scientists are just beginning to research other models of medicine in exploring therapies that work by strengthening the host’s defenses instead. What a novel concept!

Vitamins A, C, E, and B complex are among the immune-enhancing nutrients. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that work by protecting against infection and neutralizing free radicals that damage cells. A diet low in vitamins A and E increases the risk of infection.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are known to enhance the immune system. Zinc increases the size of the thymus gland, an important immune organ, and improves the function of certain immune cells. When a diet is low in zinc, wounds take longer to heal. Low iron intake increases the risk of infection and disease, so it is important to eat foods with lots of iron. A mineral deficiency will suppress the immune function.

A Positive Mental Attitude

Our emotions play a critical part in immunity. As noted in Part 1, stress increases the likelihood that we will become ill. Our attitudes alone may mean the difference between getting sick twice a season and four times a season. Healthier people have been found to have a positive mental attitude, being health-focused—and seeing illness as merely a hitch in an otherwise healthy life—than being illness-focused. “All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15. Both rest and exercise work toward keeping the mind relaxed. Ellen White stated:

“By the beauty of flower and field, their minds will be diverted from themselves, from their aches and pains, and they will be led to look from nature to the God of nature, who has provided so abundantly the beauties of the natural world. The convalescent can lie in the shade of the trees, and those who are stronger can, if they wish, work among the flowers, doing just a little at first, and increasing their efforts as they grow stronger. Working in the garden, gathering flowers and fruit, listening to the birds praising God, the patients will be wonderfully blessed. Angels of God will draw near to them. They will forget their sorrows. Melancholy and depression will leave them. The fresh air and sunshine, and the exercise taken, will bring them life and vitality. The wearied brain and nerves will find relief. Good treatment and a wholesome diet will build them up and strengthen them.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 255, 256.

Seven Habits of an Effective Immune System, Part II

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What are the seven habits of an effective immune system?

Investigation

When an enemy comes into the body, the immune system identifies and tags it for destruction. An inspection occurs, so the first step of the effective immune system is investigation. As soon as the foreign organism comes into the body, the immune system investigates it to determine whether it is part of the body. If it is not part of the body, it needs to be disfellowshipped out of the body. If the foreign organism does not have a certain protein marking on it, it is an enemy. Most people who get a kidney transplant have to take immune suppressant drugs, because their body recognizes the new kidney as a foreign object. When we sneeze, when we have a histamine flush, there is something that we have inhaled or ingested that is not part of the body. The immune system investigates it, identifies it, and sends for help to get rid of it.

We are living in the time of the Investigative Judgment. We will either receive the seal of the living God or the mark of the beast. God is expecting to put His mark on us, but for that to happen, we should be ready—not getting ready. When we leave home in the morning, what guarantee do we have that we will make it to work? If the people on September 11, 2001, knew that two planes were going to run into the Twin Towers [World Trade Center, New York, NY] do you think they would have gone there? That means that we should be ready, even at this moment.

When an enemy comes into the camp, the body, a white blood cell called a microphage will definitely identify it and send out a chemical solution to destroy it. It recognizes that the intruder does not belong in the house. The Bible says, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19. We know that if we do not feed our brains with the truth of God, there is nothing the Holy Spirit has to work with when we are faced with temptation. So what goes into our bodies and into our minds determines how we respond to a situation.

Communication

When the immune system first investigates and discovers there is a problem, it begins to send out communication. It sounds the alarm that there is an enemy in the camp and calls for reinforcement.

We, as a people, are not only under investigation, but heaven is communicating with us. We have angels ascending and descending, carrying our prayers to the throne of God where Christ intercedes. There is constant communication between heaven and earth through God’s grace and Holy Spirit.

So the immune system communicates. The body systems recognize and communicate with one another. Another microphage with little tentacles (pseudo-pods or false feet) recognizes the enemy and sends the pseudo-pods to trap the organisms for destruction. They say, There is an enemy in the camp; prepare for war! They blow the trumpet.

We must have men and women who will give the trumpet a certain sound. We must keep truth ever before us, and as the enemy comes in the gate, we should not be afraid to call error by its right name, to lovingly lift up Calvary. If you are my friend, you are going to pull me aside and tell me when I am wrong. That is true love. Even though the old flesh might rise up, that flesh will be mortified if we allow God to crucify us.

Duplication

God designed the immune system to multiply. When there is infection in the body, the T-cells duplicate themselves to attack enemy cells.

Jesus called twelve men to duplicate His work. There is strength in unity, in duplication. Ministries become strong as they mentor other people in the ministry to duplicate their efforts. One ministry by itself has a difficult time; often it cannot make it. There has to be duplication. If the multiple ministries are on the same wavelength, under the same investigation, communicating the same thing, and duplicating, then there is going to be an impact for good.

Cooperation

Once there is communication and duplication, the systems can work together. How can two walk together unless they agree? (Amos 3:3.) The Bible says there is one body but many members—the eye cannot say it is not part of the body because it is not the nose. (1 Corin-thians 12:14–26.) Every member is important, so there has to be cooperation. God will have a church that will be united. “That they also may be one in us.” John 17:21. When we draw close to Jesus, we are going to draw close to one another.

The immune system operates on the same principle; the parts of the system cooperate to maintain the health of the body. “For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; [Yet] through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.” Job 14:7–9.

Cancer cells contain tentacles or roots. Through M.E.E.T. Ministry we work with dozens of people who have cancer, especially women. I am not anti-surgery; sometimes it is necessary, but when people have surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy and think that is going to solve their problem, they are wrong. The cancer will return, if that person has not made any lifestyle changes. There have been situations where women have had their cancerous breast removed and then, without being discouraged by their medical practitioner, had their good breast removed. That is ludicrous! They believe that is where the cancer will return, but the only reason it is going to come back is because they are not taking care of the immune system. We are not telling people to change their lifestyle, so we find that, even now, they are trying to deal with cancer by producing a drug that will cut off the blood supply to the cancer. “The life of the flesh [is] in the blood.” Leviticus 17:11. You do not need to cut off the blood supply; you need to make clean, healthy blood. “In order to have good health, we must have good blood; for the blood is the current of life.” The Ministry of Healing, 271. Every cell in the body depends upon the integrity of the blood, so if we have a healthy blood stream, it gives no environment for cancer cells to breed.

Annihilation

“The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend . . . .” Matthew 13:41. When the time comes, God will separate everything that offends Him from His true sheep. We are in that sifting and shaking time right now.

After we investigate to identify the enemy, create communication to let the body know there is an enemy in the camp, experience duplication and cooperation, we then must have annihilation, complete destruction. Sin will be destroyed just as the healthy immune system destroys the invading cells. Sin must be removed out of the body; we are not going to take sin to heaven. God is a consuming fire. If anyone tells you that we cannot overcome sin, they are a liar and the truth is not in them. By God’s grace we can overcome sin. Calvary testifies to that. If we do not believe that, we might as well go out into the streets and eat, drink, and be merry. I do not have the same desires that I used to have, and I am still growing in grace. This is the only truth that I know that can take the mind and transform it. Sin will be annihilated.

Transportation

Leviticus 16:21, 22 talks about the scapegoat, how sin was transferred to it, and how it was led out into the wilderness by a fit man. He will be led out—that means sin will be taken out. “And shall send [him] away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”

Once the invading organism is destroyed, it must be transported out of the body. It will either go out through the glands, through the ducts, or through the rectum—God will get rid of it. That is how the immune system works.

Cessation

Scripture tells us, “And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast [it] into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.” Revelation 8:5. When Jesus finally casts the censer down and probation closes, His mediatorial work ceases, which leads us to the seventh habit.

This means that whatever is occurring stops! There are diseases known as autoimmune conditions, such as lupus, leukemia, and those types of things. We have what we call suppressor T-cells. When the war is over within the body and the enemy has been destroyed, the suppressor T-cells send out a signal saying, The war is over! Stop the fighting—cessation. But if something goes wrong within the system and there is no connection there, the immune system keeps fighting and turns against the good tissue of the body. We call that “friendly fire.” Have you ever heard of that?

Friendly fire occurred in the Gulf War and in other wars where the United States military has mistaken their friends for the enemy. During the Gulf War some of the navy vessels shot their own airplanes out of the sky! They said, We have to find out what is wrong that we are shooting down our own planes. They discovered it was because of mental fatigue. The guys were tired.

I want to tell you, friends, we have friendly fire among us. We think we are the enemies, and we turn our spiritual weapons on one another. Even though we might not agree on all points, we are not the enemy; you are not my enemy. The Bible says it is the spirit in the man. (See Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:11.) The only way you can deal with a spirit is that you must be in the Spirit. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood; it is not against people; it is against error. “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” Revelation 10:7.

When the war is over within the body, it is finished. Cancer cannot survive a powerful immune system. There have been people where the war is over, and there is no more cancer, no more AIDS, no more diabetes, and no more arthritis. It is finished! That is because of a powerful immune system. The powerful soldiers of our immune system destroy foreign invaders every day of our lives. They do their work so thoroughly that most of the time we are unaware that there is a war going on within us.

Ellen White says that if we could just pull back the curtains, we would see the forces of good and evil in intense combat. (See Patriarchs and Prophets, 598.) There was war in heaven. Michael and His angels fought, and also the dragon. (See Revelation 12:7–11.) We know of that war. The dragon did not prevail; the devil was cast out of heaven, and it says, “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb . . . .” Verses 10, 11. The blood of Jesus does two things for us: it cleanses us, and it nourishes us.

The blood that runs through our veins cleanses and nourishes our bodies—the life of the flesh is in the blood. In order to overcome disease, we must have the blood—not only spiritual but physical. We must have good blood, and the way we can have good blood is to have the strong man. Mark 3:27 says that no man can enter into the strong man’s house (that is the immune system), and spoil his goods except he first bind the strong man, and then he can spoil his house. So in order for foreign invaders to thrive in the body, the powerful immune system must be weakened.

Weakened Immune System

There are certain things that weaken the immune system.

Lack of trust causes stress and distress, which weakens the immune system. “A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine . . . .” Proverbs 17:22. Proverbs 3:5, 6, 8 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. . . . It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” What takes place in the bone marrow? Blood building—red and white blood cells. So when we have a genuine trust in God, our immune system is strengthened. Isaiah 58, which is the prescription to the church, tells us that when we carry out this instruction it is health to our countenance. When we quit focusing on our own problems, our own selfish ways, and begin to minister to others, it has a biological, chemical effect upon us.

Negativity. “A good report maketh the bones fat.” Proverbs 15:30. What is a good report? That means when you are encouraged. Most people only give roses when someone is in the grave. We should lift people up, encourage them, and thank them for the little things. We men often take our wives for granted—we think the wife is supposed to cook and clean and take care of the children, but they need some encouragement, and vice versa. If a good report makes the bones fat, what does a bad report do? “Pleasant words [are as] an honeycomb” and are even health to the soul. Proverbs 16:24. If you are around someone who is always negative—the weather is too hot; the weather is too cold—rejoice in the Lord. When the world gives you lemons, make lemonade. God turns curses to blessings.

Bad diet. Sugar suppresses the immune system. A phagocytic study was performed. Just one can of soda—Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola, you name it—equals 12 teaspoons of sugar and decreases your immune system by 20 percent. A slice of chocolate cake, no matter how you slice it, cuts the immune system down 50 percent. I used to be a sugarholic. To show you how bad I was, I ate sugar sandwiches. I used to melt butter, put it on Wonder bread, then spread the sugar on it. That is how much I liked sugar. I used sugar on my rice, on my beans, in my greens. I was hooked on sugar, and it suppressed my immune system, wiped out my B vitamins, zinc, and chromium. Sugar reduces oxygen; it stresses you out.

Lack of exercise; poor lifestyle habits. The lymphatic system is only stimulated through exercise. It is not stimulated through food or watching TV. It is stimulated outdoors in the garden and exercising, because some of the fat that you eat is dumped into the lymph glands, and when you sit all the time, without any activity, you are going to end up with lymphoma.

Lack of rest. Habitually we need to be in bed before 10 p. m. When I am not on the road, I am in bed at 9:30 p.m. If I did not do that, I would be wiped out every day.

Lack of water. If we do not drink enough water, we will pay for it. We have close to 60,000 miles of blood vessels in our body. That is enough to go around the earth at the equator two and one-half times. Our red blood cells travel through 60,000 miles of blood vessels at a speed of about 43 miles an hour. When we do not drink enough water, the first place the body takes water from is the blood; it next takes water from the bones. You have heard of dry bones! The next place it takes the water from is the liver, then the skin (that is why we have premature aging), then from the brain (cerebral dehydration), then from the cells. Cell dehydration is one reason we have pain.

Lack of sunshine. Water, rest, sunlight—are you following where I am going? I am giving the eight doctors important to our immune systems.

Antibiotics. We have “antibio-ticed” ourselves to death. If you do not take antibiotics you may still ingest them from your food, because they are in the cow and in the chicken. Science already calls these antibiotic-resistant organisms smart bugs, because antibiotics do not now have the same impact that they used to have.

These are the things that bind the strong man.

Strengthen the Immune System

How can we strengthen our immune system? Simply! We realize that heredity loads the gun; we cannot change it. I am six feet six inches tall, slender build, thick lips, wide nostrils, tight hair, brown skin, and I cannot do anything about that, so I must be happy with the house in which I live. I do not want to bleach my skin; I do not want to point my nose, and I do not want to blue my eyes. God made some of you with blond hair and blue eyes; praise God! We cannot do anything about heredity. But what we can control is lifestyle. If heredity loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger. That over which you have no control, leave it to God.

When God told Noah to build the ark, did the ark save Noah? No way! But if he had not built it, would he have been saved? No. No man can build anything that can withstand the onslaught of God’s arsenal. Napoleon had that experience. When he battled, God just blew through His nostrils and snow came—it stopped Napoleon. We have all of these weapons, and we think we are going to win a war. God just blinked, and there was a flood. The point is this: Noah obeyed God, and even the ark could not have withstood unless God upheld it. Noah had to cooperate with God. When we use the natural things that God has given us, God does something supernatural. Do not despise the beginning of small things. If God said drink water; if God said get exercise; if God said get rest, trust Him, and watch Him supernaturally interpose in your life.

God’s Plan

It is through God’s plan that the integrity of the immune system is preserved. This has been my experience. “Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.” Psalm 107:17. The Bible says a fool is one who says in his heart, “[There is] no God.” Psalm 14:1. But in Proverbs 1:7 we are told that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God, but fools despise instruction and wisdom. I used to be like that, you could not tell me anything.

Iniquity and transgression mean the same thing, but there is a slight difference. Iniquity is known sin—one knows better, willful rebellion. Transgression is ignorance. So there are two classes of people, those who are willful and those who are ignorant. The willful need to be influenced to use their knowledge to live a life in harmony with God. Those who are ignorant need to be educated.

“Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.” Psalm 107:18. That means they are on their last legs, giving up hope, not wanting to live. I remember a gentleman, who had cancer, looking up into my face and saying, “I just want to die.” I told him that was not in his power. God holds life and death in His hands. God did not let him die.

“Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, [and] he saveth them out of their distresses.” Psalm 107:19. That is my testimony. For 17 years I suffered with crippling arthritis. I did not know God, but I just cried and said, “Lord, I need help. I need peace.” “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered [them] from their destructions.” Verse 20. There is a difference between faith healing and fake healing. With fake healing, you can blow on somebody, move your hand over them, and they fall down. Faith healing comes by hearing the Word. God heals according to His Word.

“Oh that [men] would praise the Lord [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!” Verse 21. When you experience the power of God, you will praise Him.

Choice not Chance

Health is a choice—not a chance. Salvation is a choice—not a chance. We choose to be healthy; we choose to be saved. It is a treasure, and all God is asking of us is to make a decided change. Seven habits of the effective immune system—you and I hold the key. We should work with it; we should supply it. May God help us to realize that as it is in the spiritual, so it is in the body.

Thomas Jackson is a health evangelist and director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at 731-986-3518.

Health – The Body’s Defenses

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The word “health-a-holic” is becoming very familiar to me. I am not sure if I conjured up such a word or if it has been around for awhile, but it certainly describes my insatiable appetite for health literature. The more I study, the more I am realizing how we are so “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), and it is a good thing to understand our body’s functions if we are to take care of it. The following excerpts are taken from the book, Healing the Gerson Way, Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases, by Charlotte Gerson with Beata Bishop (Copyright 2010 by Gerson Health Media, 316 Mid Valley Center #230, Carmel, California 93923, pages 21 through 27).

The body, left to its own devices and given the right conditions, functions in order to survive and remain in the state of homeostasis (i.e., a state of dynamic equilibrium). In this state, the human organism maintains stability while adjusting to changing conditions. As soon as this stability becomes endangered, several built-in defense systems spring into action.

The Immune System

All through nature, millions of living organisms prey on others. This also applies to the human body, as it is daily exposed to attacks by germs, viruses and parasites that carry disease. Its main protector is the immune system, which has in recent times gained some recognition among the general public, mainly through advertisements offering preparations “to strengthen the immune system.” Irrespective of whether or not these work, people buy them without knowing anything about the immune system—what it consists of or where it is located—yet the subject deserves attention.

The immune system is not a single organ or a single gland; its parts are located all over the body. Several organs (e.g., the liver, the brain and the pancreas) are so important that they have their own immune mechanism—the reticuloendothelial system, which gives them extra protection.

There is also the lymphatic system, which transports excess fluid from body tissues into the bloodstream. The lymph itself is a straw-colored liquid containing cells that fight infection. The system consists of some 700 nodes in a normal person, distributed all over the body. Unlike the blood stream, circulated through the pumping action of the heart, the lymph is moved around the body by muscular action.

However, the main basic component of the system is located in the bone marrow, where the white blood corpuscles are formed. When they are released, they are not complete. Some wander to the thymus gland, where they are completed, and released as T lymphocytes; others drift to the spleen and lymphoid tissue and mature into B lymphocytes. All of them ingest germs, viruses, malignant cells or toxic substances, killing or otherwise neutralizing them.

As all other parts of the organism, the immune system is made up of cells that need to be nourished. They require a full complement of minerals, enzymes and vitamins in their natural form, which is easily assimilated. Pills and drugs cannot cover that need; sometimes they are not absorbed at all. Here, as in the rest of the body, the need is for fresh, living, organic substances to nourish and maintain this essential life-preserving system.

The Enzyme System

Enzymes are often poorly understood by the lay person. According to one authoritative definition, they are “complex proteins that are capable of inducing chemical changes in other substances without being changed themselves.” Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: F. A. Davis Company, 1993). Everything that happens in the body—from taking a breath in order to supply oxygen to the blood, to digesting food and then to combining digested foods with oxygen in order to produce energy—hundreds of such processes require enzyme activity.

The body must build its own enzymes since it cannot utilize the ones found even in raw foods or animal products. In order to produce the hundreds needed, the organ systems require specific minerals as catalysts. (Catalysts are substances that speed up a reaction without themselves being altered.)

Researchers Dixon and Webb, Malcolm Dixon and Edwin C. Webb, Enzymes (New York, New York: Academic Press, Inc., 1964), performed a detailed study as to how the body builds enzymes. They found that, in most of the enzymes they studied, the body needed potassium as a catalyst, while sodium acted as an enzyme inhibitor (i.e., a blocking substance). Since enzymes are destroyed at temperatures above 140° F (60° C), the body receives no enzymes from cooked or processed foods. If it doesn’t receive fresh living nutrients … serious difficulties will arise. This is particularly true for patients already facing major health problems such as poor digestion, poor appetite, constipation, diarrhea and painful gas. The pancreatic enzymes are not doing their job of attacking tumor tissue and the oxidizing enzymes are not producing adequate energy, to name just a few deficiencies.

The reason why enzymes, especially pancreatic ones, are able to attack and destroy tumor tissue while digesting foods is because they recognize tumor cells as “foreign,” needing to be eliminated. However, the basic function of these same enzymes is to digest proteins. Since the average diet is high in animal proteins, most of the pancreatic enzymes are used for digestion and little—if any—is available to destroy tumor tissue, allowing the latter to grow and spread.

Clearly, inadequate enzyme activity is one of the major problems with which sick people, especially cancer patients, must contend. The answer lies in providing them with toxin-free, fresh organic food … Moreover, supplying extra doses of digestive and pancreatic enzymes is an integral part of the Gerson protocol, alongside fresh juices with their high oxygen content.

The Hormone System

Hormones are substances found in certain glands that are released directly into the blood stream and are therefore called endocrine (i.e., ductless) glands.

The thyroid deserves special attention, as it is an important part of the immune system. Among its many other functions, it regulates body temperature, including fever. If and when the organism is invaded by germs or viruses, the immune system responds by producing excess heat, namely fever. We must remember that most germs and viruses, and even tumor tissues, do not tolerate elevated temperatures, which healthy cells can easily bear. Hence, the well-functioning thyroid helps to restore health if it is supplied with iodine, which it needs in order to manufacture its vitally important hormone—thyroxin.

These days, iodine is unfortunately in short supply. Chlorine in the water supply is able to remove it from the thyroid. Fluoride, a dangerous toxin, is even more powerful in blocking this important element. In addition, as a consequence of commercial farming methods, the soil contains too little iodine, thus producing iodine-deficient plant foods. In recognition of this, the governments of many countries have made it compulsory to add iodine to ordinary table salt on the grounds that, as the public already used a great deal of salt, everybody was likely to consume some iodine with it. High salt consumption, on the other hand, is now known to be unhealthy and is, in fact, officially discouraged, resulting in a serious shortfall of iodine even in people on a good diet. (See “Excessive Sodium is One of the Greatest Health Threats in Foods,” World Health Organization (WHO) report from October 2006 meeting in Paris, part of the implementation of the WHO’s Global Strategy on Diets, Physical Activity and Health.)

Other enzyme inhibitors include food additives such as preservatives, emulsifiers, coloring agents, artificial flavors and many other so-called food cosmetics, plus pesticides and other agricultural poisons in our food supply—the hormone system, an important part of the body’s defenses, is itself under severe attack.

The Mineral Balance

In order to function well and keep its defenses strong, the body needs a large number—some 52 or so—minerals. On the Gerson Therapy, this requirement is amply fulfilled by the generous supply of fresh organic juices made from produce grown on rich soil. However, Dr. Gerson also recognized that two minerals, sodium and potassium were mainly involved in creating mineral imbalance in the body.

The human body has become a “potassium animal,” needing some 90% potassium versus 10% sodium in its diet—the approximate percentage found in natural, fresh, organic vegetarian foods. Yet, these days, the average modern diet is far removed from these proportions; instead, it is overloaded with sodium, which the body must excrete. Excess sodium is an enzyme inhibitor. … It has also been shown to stimulate tumor growth and produce edema, as the body ties it up with water to reduce its toxicity. (See M. Gerson, A Cancer Therapy: Results of Fifty Cases and The Cure of Advanced Cancer by Diet Therapy: A summary of Thirty Years of Clinical Experimentation, 6th ed., San Diego, California: Gerson Institute, 1999, p. 210).

To remedy this situation, Dr. Gerson introduced large amounts of potassium to the patient’s diet. … This resulted in an immediate reduction of edema, ascites and pain. He also noticed that adding any other minerals, such as magnesium, calcium or iron, disturbed the patient’s mineral balance and caused damage. His main warning was against adding calcium to the diet. He discovered—with his close friend, top biochemist Rudolf Keller (Ibid., p. 64), that calcium belonged to the sodium group of minerals and stimulated tumor growth. Even in cases of severe bone destruction by tumor tissue, or in osteoporosis, the Gerson treatment—with its high level of well-balanced minerals—is capable of achieving bone restoration. In light of all this, it is easy to see why mineral balance is an important component of the body’s defenses.

God has provided us with a beautiful body temple and has supplied all of the wonderful fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes to uphold and nourish it. Will you think twice before eating something that will damage your body temple, a gift from God?

Health – A Merry Heart

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Your body was created for action, and each system of the body has a specific need to retain its health. The immune system is one of those internal systems that needs action to work properly.

Your immune system depends upon a good internal jog each day. How do you accomplish this? You laugh! Many of us have read or heard that a good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving our muscles relaxed. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving our resistance to disease. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow.

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” Proverbs 15:13.

“The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health to a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression. Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death.” My Life Today, 151.

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Proverbs 17:22.

So often we seem to overlook the simple things in life that can help to preserve or restore our immune systems, including internal jogging. The following excerpt is taken from the book, The Owner’s Manual for The Brain, Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research, Second Edition, Pierce J. Howard, Ph.D., Bard Press, Austin, Texas, 170, 171.

“Norman Cousins is known as the founder of phychoneuroimmunology (PNI). Originally he called the concept of mentally influencing the immune system “hardiness.” One of the four critical ingredients of hardiness is positive emotions, which Cousins defines as maintaining a sense of humor and general joyfulness. He refers to laughter as “internal jogging.” Laughter is healthy. Laughter appears to be an especially important ingredient in recovering from life-threatening illnesses. Cousins found that even a few moments of laughter can reduce the sedimentation rate, which is a measure of inflammation. Specifically, according to research by Lee S. Berk, a professor at the Schools of Medicine and Public Health at Loma Linda University in California (APA Monitor, September 1997, p. 18), laughter results in:

  • Enhanced respiration
  • An increased number of immune cells
  • An increase in immune-cell proliferation
  • A decrease in cortisol
  • An increase in endorphins
  • An increase in salivary immunoglobulin type A concentrations

“Tests of problem-solving ability yield better results when they are preceded by laughter. Laughter has a way of turning off posterior hypothalamic activity and allowing the cerebral cortex to carry on stress-free activity. Cousins reports that ten minutes of laughter can provide a person who is in pain with at least two hours of good sleep.

“Michelle G. Newman, a psychologist at Pennsylvania State University, reports from her research that people can learn to use humor as a coping device and that this learned humor has marked effects. Ibid.

Even the world is realizing that what our minds are thinking upon affects our health and that a merry heart is needed for our health. The Christian knows where to find that merry heart.

“The condition of the mind affects the health of the physical system. If the mind is free and happy, from a consciousness of rightdoing and a sense of satisfaction in causing happiness to others, it creates a cheerfulness that will react upon the whole system, causing a freer circulation of the blood and a toning up of the entire body.” Counsels on Health, 28.

Let’s put on those garments of rejoicing as stated in the following:

“Sorrow comes and goes; it is the lot of man; we should not seek to magnify it, but rather dwell upon that which is bright and pleasant. When winter spreads its icy covering over the earth, we do not let our gladness freeze up with the flowers and brooks and continually mourn because of the dismal days and the chilling winds. On the other hand, we reach forward in imagination to the coming summer, with its warmth and life and beauty. Meanwhile we enjoy all the sunshine that comes to us, and find much comfort, in spite of the cold and snow, while we are waiting for nature to put on her fresh, bright garments of rejoicing.” In Heavenly Places, 274.

Don’t think upon the negative, but look forward to our heavenly home and let some of that internal jogging take place right here and now; have a merry heart that will help to preserve our immune systems and keep them in good working order so that heaven’s influence may touch others.

Health – Castor Oil Packs

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Conditions that stress or compromise the immune system will very often benefit from castor oil packs. Nowhere is this more obvious than with AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). I have talked with several AIDS patients who have added castor oil packs (usually for one hour a day) to their treatment regimen with very positive results. Within two weeks, it was not uncommon for them to see increases in their WBC (white blood cell) platelet counts, hematocrit readings, and RBC (red blood cell) counts.

“I should mention also that in addition to the castor oil packs most of those I talked to are also drinking a combination of olive oil and lemon juice to further stimulate lymphatic flow and liver activity. It can be made by blending the following:

  • 1 clean whole lemon (pulp, rind, seeds, and all)
  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ cups of distilled water
  • 4 rounded tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate

“The blended material is then strained through a wire strainer to remove the pulp, which is discarded. The remaining liquid is divided in four equal portions of approximately ¼ cup each and a portion is consumed with each of the three daily meals and before bedtime.

“In addition to stimulating lymphatic flow, the drink increases the flow of bile from the liver and gallbladder, which, in turn, enhances one’s ability to digest essential fatty acids through the Peyer’s patches in the small intestine. It is not uncommon for AIDS patients to experience weight gain and a reversal of a long list of complaints often associated with fatty acid deficiencies.” Dr. David G. Williams, Alternatives Newsletter, July 1995.

The olive oil drink, Dr. Williams suggests, may be too sweet for many people due to the orange juice concentrate. I prefer a similar preparation made with: 1 grated beet, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, and the juice of 1 lemon (include the peel and seeds if you like).

Castor oil has an impressive anti-microbial activity. Anyone with a congested lymphatic system or liver, whether they have AIDS or not, will benefit by using a castor oil pack.

To use a castor oil pack you will need:

  • Cold pressed castor oil
  • Hot water bottle or heating pad
  • White plastic (garbage bag)
  • Two or three one-foot squares of cotton flannel, wool, or towel

On top of the hot water bottle or heating pad, lay the plastic. Next soak the cloth with castor oil and lay this on top of the plastic. It is a good idea to lay plastic and/or a towel underneath on the bedding. The entire pack is then placed on the abdomen. The body can then be wrapped in a large bath towel. The pack should remain in place for at least an hour. It can be reused a few times, but it needs to be refrigerated. If the person is very toxic, don’t reuse often (use your intuition on this), as the pack draws the toxins out of the body. With each use, add a little more castor oil. Clean up with a little soda water. This treatment feels very comfortable. It will help the patient sleep soundly and wake up feeling rested. It is fine to go to sleep with the pack in use.

If using castor oil packs is too labor intensive, a simpler and very effective method of using castor oil externally is as follows: Before going to bed, warm a small amount of castor oil in a pan. Massage the oil into the abdomen (liver/colon) area and wherever there is pain. Lay a white towel underneath the abdomen area to protect the sheets. On top of the parts of the body where the oil has been applied, place clean, soft, cotton cloths. You may then wrap a towel around the abdomen, and place hot water bottles on the top of the cloths. This is a mild and gentle way to decongest and heal the liver/colon area. Use clean cloths each time. They are easy to wash, as the oil is absorbed by the body.

Uchee Pines Lifestyle Center
30 Uchee Pines Road #75
Seale, Alabama 36875
Tel. 334-855-4764

www.ucheepines.org

More information: Castor oil is primarily an external preparation, as packs placed over swollen glands, cancers, cysts, hard swellings, and other abnormal growths. The oil seems to stimulate the lymphatic system to draw away poisons. Packs are usually placed over the lymph glands near the shoulders, groin, upper back and neck, over the abdomen or liver, or over the kidneys. Castor oil packs have been recommended for arthritis, intestinal impaction, kidney and liver problems, uterine and ovarian issues, and many other complaints.

Health – The Immune System

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We can hinder our immune system by having a bad lifestyle, or we can help our immune system by having a good lifestyle.

The special work of our immune system is to keep our bodies healthy. If two individuals visit in the home of a mutual friend suffering from a cold, and the following day one individual comes down with a cold, but the other does not, it is because the healthy individual’s immune system was high and was able to fight off the cold, whereas the other person’s immune system was low and could not fight off the cold.

Here are a few of the many, many things that can lower our immune system: eating the wrong foods; not drinking enough water; not getting enough sleep; not getting enough exercise; not getting enough sunshine; breathing poor quality air; being intemperate in any area; living with guilt, fear, hatred, or other negative emotions, and not taking your problems to God; using drugs; eating between meals; not keeping warm; living in unsanitary conditions; working in a very noisy atmosphere. As you can readily see, the list could go on and on … .

To keep our immune system up, we have to have a clean, free flowing blood stream. There are many different types of blood cells in our body. Red blood cells comprise a third of all the cells in the human body, about 20 trillion in the average adult. White blood cells are larger but less numerous than red cells, and there are approximately 20 million in the adult body. The white blood cells are the ones that play a major role in our body’s immune system, and are sometimes referred to as our warrior cells; they are responsible for apprehending and eliminating foreign substances.

While red cells are buoyed along like cargo rafts as the heart pumps the serum, white cells function more like patrol boats. Under their own locomotion, they can change direction to go after an invading molecule or cell. Whenever the body has an infection or any problem, internally or externally, the white blood cells will multiply rapidly. You may have three to five times as many of them in the blood stream during infection as you would have under normal conditions. If you had an infected cut, they accumulate at the point of infection like an army to fight the invaders.

At the sight of the infection, where the battle is raging, there is heat, redness, swelling, and pain. This is called inflammation and may result in the formation of yellow pus. This pus is made up mainly of dead white cells, living and dead germs, and broken down tissue. When the pus is cleared away, healing takes place. Poor health habits can hinder our white blood cells from doing their job. Let me share a few of these with you.

Watch out! Eating sugar lowers the immune system!

Eating sugar will paralyze and hinder your white blood cells from fighting off an infection. … One who eats sugar is lowering his immune system by paralyzing his white blood cells so that the body cannot properly fight off the cold.

Not drinking enough water lowers the immune system.

A normal sized adult needs two quarts of pure soft water daily. Those who do not drink enough water will have problems with constipation, which causes a backing up of waste materials in the body. Not drinking enough water causes the blood to become thicker and this slows down the circulation throughout the whole body, thus raising the blood pressure. Insufficient water causes many health problems such as kidney and bladder problems, skin eruption, eye problems, and similar troubles. These problems will put an overload on the body, indirectly weakening it and lowering the immune system.

Lack of sunshine will lower the immune system.

Sunlight increases the production and stimulates the activity of the white blood cells. These cells in turn produce more antibodies and interferons to circulate throughout the body. The net effect is that the individual’s defenses against disease are greatly strengthened with exposure to sunshine.

Eating meat lowers the immune system.

Eating meat lowers the immune system because the meat has a large amount of waste materials in it that the animal was unable to eliminate when it was slaughtered. This waste material eventually enters the blood stream, causing extra work for the white blood cells since they have to destroy all the harmful bacteria and other toxic substances introduced by eating meat.

Consuming the flesh of dead animals also puts an overload on the kidneys, liver, colon, and many other organs in the body. It is a well known fact that vegetarians have a lower red blood cell count than do meat eaters. They also have a lower white blood cell count because of their stronger immune system. The vegetarian doesn’t need as many white blood cells because he is not consuming meat which contains large amounts of waste materials which would require additional white blood cells. …

Ways to build the immune system:

  • Drink plenty of water
  • Exercise in the sunshine and fresh air
  • Get the proper amount of rest
  • Be temperate and trust in God

Conclusion

If you faithfully follow these few guidelines I have just covered I can promise you that you will be helping your body to have a strong immune system which will, in turn, add time and joy to your life.

Adapted from Natural Medicine, Jerry Hoover, N.D., pp 219–225.