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AJCC Jan 2000 |
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Guest Column The Truth about Health and Disease: An open Letter to a Colon Cancer Patientby Nicholas Calvino, D.C Albert
Einstein said that a problem can not be solved with the same thinking
that caused the problem. Likewise, your mother’s cancer will not be
resolved until the underlying issues of her health are addressed. Let me
be blunt. Medical care is not health care. That does not mean medical
care isn’t valid. “Conventional medicine has always put its emphasis
on crisis intervention, and that is where it is most successful.
Standard medicine is about doing battle with a disease, bringing in the
big guns of surgery and drugs to search out and destroy. What physicians
are far less successful at is telling you how to stay healthy or what to
do about the multitude of ailments that do not strike as a sudden crisis
but sneak up and refuse to go away (Horowitz, Laffertv. Time 1991; Nov
4:68-76. ).”
Here is the truth, as I see it: •
The Truth is, the body wants to be healthy. •
The Truth is, the body is a self-healing, self-regulating
machine. •
The Truth is, the body needs no help in being healthy, it just
needs no interference. •
The Truth is, health is more than the absence of disease, it is a
state of total emotional, physical and spiritual well-being (World
Health Organization:
Definition of Health). This is termed Wellness. •
The Truth is, symptoms are valuable, but treatment should be
aimed at the cause. Tolle causam (Latin: discover and treat the cause):
the underlying cause of disease should be treated, not just the effect
(symptoms). Symptoms are viewed as a natural attempt for the body to
heal, and therefore, symptoms should not be suppressed, but rather the
cause of the symptoms should be identified so that interferences to
healing can be removed and the patient can be allowed to recover. •
The Truth is, cancer is not a natural phenomenon of aging!
•
There is nothing normal about cancer.
• Cancer should be the exception, rather than the rule as one
ages.
• The wisdom of the body, innate intelligence, does not
naturally guide physiological processes that result in cancer.
Science is always promising new discoveries to heal our modern
ailments; however, the truth is, many of these modern ailments are
caused by science, and science has yet to provide the answers that
nature already contains. Your body was designed masterfully and is
intended to be well, not sick. The truth is, genetics do not decide our
fate. There are other factors, chiefly the environment. And the most
influential environmental factor is diet. The US Surgeon General states,
“Eight of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States are
related to diet and alcohol consumption (The Surgeon General’s Report
on Nutrition and Health. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and
Human Services; 1988. DHHS (PHS) publication 88-50210).”
The media and medical science has taught us to be victimized by
our genes. Genetic predisposition is only one of many factors that
contribute to disease. In my opinion, the stronger the genetic
predisposition to a particular disease, the greater need for precise
dietary and lifestyle choice. Rather than hide in fear or intimidation,
the power of whole foods [nature] enable us to be personally accountable
for our health. We must not assume the victim role when it comes to our
genes. To do so would be suicide. Nature has an arsenal to allow us to
wield powerful weapons to rage against cancer and disease.
I have devoted my life to the research and development of
nutritional intervention program for chronic disease. Pertaining to your
mother’s illness, I would like to make a few points that are
thoroughly researched. •
Abnormal intestinal bacteria are directly linked to colonic cancer.
Since intestinal bacteria are related to diet, dietary changes must be
part of any cancer treatment, especially colon cancer. •
Improper dietary choices can favor the growth of certain intestinal
bacteria which negatively transform normal chemicals in the intestines
to cancerous substances. We can change the proportions of bacteria in
the intestines so that anti-cancer fighting, rather than cancer causing,
substances are elucidated. •
Many chemicals found in fruits and vegetables contain cancer fighting
substances (phytonutrients) that have been shown effective in preventing
and treating cancer. These include chemicals such as indole-3-carbonol,
glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, saponins, isoflavones, flavonoids,
tochoperhols, tocotrienols, ally-sulfides, ellagic acid, terpenoids,
carotenoids and thousands of others. Dietary changes and high potency
whole food supplementation are the foundation for the nutritional
approach to cancer treatment. •
Sources: •
(Graham, S., et al. J Nat Cancer Inst, 61: 709-14, 1978.) (Wattenberg L,
Lipkin M, Boone CW, Kelloff GJ, eds. Cancer Chemoprevention. Boca Raton,
Fla: CRC Press; 1992.). •
(American Institute for Cancer Research, Taking a closer look at
phytochemicals, 1997). •
(Tadi, P.P. Diss Abstr Int (B), 52: 4144, 1992.). •
(Chemical Biological Interactions, 1997, vol. 103). •
(Journal of Endocrinology, 1995, vol. 147). •
(Messina, M. & Barnes, S. J Nat Cancer Inst, 83: 541-46, 1991.). THE
TRUTH ABOUT CANCER
Since 1971, according to official figures, over $1 trillion has
been spent on conventional cancer research and treatment in the U.S. The
current cost is at least $110 billion a year—over 10 percent of all
U.S. medical expenditures and 2 percent of the entire Gross National
Product. Yet despite —or perhaps because of—these unprecedented
costs, the cancer establishment remains largely closed to most truly
independent, innovative ideas (Peter Barry Chowka. Cancer Politics: The
War Goes On. Nutrition Science News, New Hope Communications,
1995-1997). All this money, and still no cure! The reason: You can’t
cure symptoms. Cancer is a symptom of improper diet, lifestyle and toxic
exposure. And there is more of a vested interest in keeping people sick,
than there is in keeping people well. What would happen if cancer
disappeared? I will tell you. The greatest financial vacuum in our
medical system would wither and die. We have created a monster: In our
inherent ‘wisdom,’ what we have created is a Frankenstein.
The single statistic that most clearly highlights the forces at
play is the fact that, as June Goodfield first concluded in her 1975
book The Siege of Cancer, more people make a living from conventional
cancer research and treatment than die from the disease on an annual
basis. Also, the average cancer patient spends in excess of $100,000
treating his or her disease conventionally. There is thus a tremendous
vested interest in maintaining the medical, scientific—and
economic—status quo (Peter Barry Chowka. Cancer Politics: The War Goes
On. Nutrition Science News, New Hope Communications, 1995-1997). Why is
this? First, we have ignored the answers already under our noses.
Second, we have tried to circumvent nature, rather than return to it.
Science has this obsessive fascinating with dissection; it takes
something complete, isolates a part, and tries to present it as a whole.
Never is this more evident than its current approach to pharmaceuticals,
vitamins, and nutrients. Although 1/3 of pharmaceuticals are synthetic
versions of herbs, they are isolated components that lack the full
spectrum of protective phytochemicals. This is true for vitamins also.
All this has lead us away from true health. We all feel it: Our health
is being robbed from us and then marketed back to us in convenient boxes
and pills. And then when our organs fail from lack of proper nutrition,
we are told they need to be removed. Isn’t this ironic? Or perhaps, it
is evil? The pharmaceutical industry tells us we need this medicine for
the common headache, and that medicine for common diarrhea. . .There is
no such thing as a common illness! The body is naturally healthy. We
should listen to our bodies and common sense, rather than those who
stand to gain from our illness’. This has been the message of
chiropractic for over 100 years.
The words ‘cancer’ and ‘politics’ are inextricably
intertwined. As Samuel Epstein, M.D., author of The Politics of Cancer
(Sierra Club Books, 1978) notes, ‘The politics of cancer is more
complex than the science of cancer.’ ‘If we are to effectively
prevent cancer, we will have to change our diets and our smoking habits;
we’re also going to have to clean up our environment, change
industrial processes, and do a number of things that will be difficult,
expensive, time-consuming and intrusive.’ In addition, Bailar adds
that ‘A change [to prevention] at NCI [National Cancer Institute]
would mean a massive disruption in ideas and momentum in the research
community and in the businesses that support that research community.’
(Peter Barry Chowka. Cancer Politics: The War Goes On. Nutrition Science
News, New Hope Communications, 1995-1997).
Despite advances in medical science, the U.S. still leads the
world in rates of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and
hypertension. The incidence of these diseases has increased, although
death from them is declining. This tells me that heroic medicine and
surgery are keeping people alive today that would of died in
yesterday’s medical era, however we have made few strides toward
dealing with the true cause of modern disease.
Here are some more simple truths about cancer: •
The Truth is, there has never been a disease that some one has not
recovered from. Spontaneous healing does happen. The body does heal
itself. God does heal. It is never to late to provide the body the
nutrients and environment it needs to maximize health. •
Cancer is mostly a preventable disease. The chief causes of cancer are
use of tobacco and inappropriate diets (World Cancer Research Fund and
the American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition and the
Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. Washington, DC: American
Institute for Cancer Research; 1997). •
The American Cancer Institute States, “One third of cancer deaths each
year are due to poor dietary practices (American Cancer Society, 1996
Advisory Committee on Diet, Nutrition and Cancer Prevention. Guidelines
on diet, nutrition and cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer
with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA: A Cancer Journal
for Clinicians. 1996:46:325-341).” •
Some studies suggest that 90% of all human cancers are environmentally
induced, 30-40% of these by diet (Prasad KN, Rama BN. Nutrition and
cancer. In Bland J. ed. 1984-5 Yearbook of Nutritional Medicine. New
Caanan CT: Keats 1985: 179-211).
That is why whole foods are so important. Science has not been
able to recreate nature! Part of the reason for this is that many
scientists don’t even use nature as a blueprint or consider the
majesty of existence as being superior. Instead, they feel that they can
improve upon nature—the attitude being that nature is inferior and
incomplete. It is this attitude that has robbed us of our vital
resources—poisoning and starving our race in the name of progress. As
for me, I already see the end of the road where that progress is taking
us. . .And I don’t see the utopia so often promised. Instead, I see
death and destruction. And the only chance we have to save ourselves is
to realize this truth and throw of the shackles of humanism that pits
its knowledge against the sovereignty of creation and blueprints of
evolution.
Let nature be your chemist! That is the simple philosophy of
whole foods and natural health care. Science claims superiority;
however, in their arrogance and ignorance, they have set the stage for
global annihilation. In fact, the many dietary changes during the past
10,000 years have outpaced our ability to genetically adapt to them.
“That the vast majority of our genes are ancient in origin means that
nearly all of our biochemistry and physiology are fine-tuned to
conditions of life that existed before 10,000 years ago.
Looked at in another way, 100,000 generations of people were
hunter-gatherers [lived on whole foods], 500 generations have depended
on agriculture, only 10 generations have lived since the start of the
industrial age, and only two generations have grown up with highly
processed fast foods (Eaton, S.B., Shostak, M., et al. The Paleolithic
Prescription: A Program of Diet & Exercise and a Design for Living:
39. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.).”
Technology, computers, fax machines—all the wonders of modern
science. . . they are all great. However, we should not abandon simple
truths. Truths that have genetically become commensurate with our
survival. Put another way, our genes are not dependent on fax machines,
computers, fast food, etc. . . for survival; however, they are dependent
on whole foods and broad spectrum phytonutrients found in nature.
Sometimes, the forces that be, try to complicate the truth in
order that we might become dependent on them for answers; however, it
must be remembered that “. . . we must not assume that science and
truth march straight ahead and that the present is the beneficiary of
the accumulated knowledge of the past. Because, in many
instances—health and nutrition is one—the past is full of deception
and factual manipulation resulting in the inheritance of a tarnished
view of scientific progress (Jensen, Dr. Bernard & Mark Anderson,
Empty Harvest : Understanding the Link Between Our Food, Our Immunity,
and Our Planet, Avery Pub Group; ISBN: 089529558X p. 75).”
We can clearly see the superiority of whole foods. It is
arrogance that denies the inherent wisdom of nature, exalting
self-enlightenment and humanism, scientism, and other ‘man-made’
ideas above the forces of creation that have inherently guided us
through out the ages. There is a saying, “The eyes cannot see what the
mind does not know (Dr. Andrew M. Bonci, DC).” Scientists haven’t
discovered these truths, they have been self-evident all along! We must
use our good sense when evaluating the menutia of information that
constantly floods and bombards us with ever conflicting tales of wonder.
Science is changing, but the truths in nature have been constant and
remain a source of vitality to those who will return to their
‘roots.’ Here is a Simple truth: Simple dietary changes = profound
changes in our health.
We must respect the individuality of each person. None of us have
the exact same fingerprints. All of us are biologically unique. And only
you know what it is like to be you, and only I know what is like to be
me. Let’s respect that and embrace that in awe in wonder, rather than
try to canalize ourselves into biochemical molds that insult the genesis
and diversity of creation. Typically, allopathic medicine does not
embrace the individuality of the patient and the polymorphic expression
of disease. Rather, allopathic medicine places the disease, rather than
the person, at the center of its focus. WHY
YOU HAVEN’T HEARD THE
TRUTH BEFORE
Dr. Ronald Lawerence, Assistant Clinical Professor, U.C.L.A.
School of Medicine, said (and I quote): “The big drug companies
routinely provide medical schools with free equipment, free computers,
free supplies, free seminars, as well as large grants of money. In
return for this support, the medical schools refuse to teach courses on
natural medicines and nutritional therapies. This is tragic, because
these kinds of safe, natural alternatives can help alleviate many types
of health problems without dangerous side effects. As a result, most
physicians only learn to treat the symptoms, without addressing the
underlying disease. So whenever a doctor suggests some kind of
pharmaceutical drug as the solution to a medical problem, remember that
this doctor is only doing what he or she was taught in school: ‘Treat
medical problems with drugs, and if that doesn’t work, well. . .
There’s always surgery’ (Comments by: Dr. Ronald Lawerence,
Assistant Clinical Professor, U.C.LA. School of Medicine).”
The answer to our health care crisis is to return to the
sovereign knowledge inherent in our God-given resources. This also
places more responsibility and urgency in protecting these resources.
Don’t be misled into thinking that science can substitute and / or
recreate nature. The technology may be there, but the paradigm is
lacking. We should not allow our lives to be part of their test tubes
and experimentation. As for me, give me what is natural and pure. Nature
has the answers to our chronic disease problems—right now!
With utmost sincerity,
Dr. Nicholas Ivan Calvino
Active Med Pain Relief Centers
Chiropractic Physician
3250 N. Campbell Ave. Suite 144
Tucson, AZ 85719
520-323-1780 — Office
520-323-1814 — Fax
Adjustme@cyberdude.com
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