The Physician Within: A Practical Guide to the Natural Healing Power Within All of Us

Gross

INTRODUCTION

By Dr. David Trybus

It is an honor to introduce you to an amazing Doctor, Healer, Humanitarian, and Father who I am proud to call my friend. I have known Dr. Stan Gross for over 27 years. He has inspired me and my holistic health practice through his compassion for people, his knowledge of the human body both healthy and diseased, his expertise in alternative and oriental medicine and applying it in a way that not only gets quick and lasting results but educates the person so that they understand what is happening in their body and why. When his first book came out over 14 years ago, I was quick to get my copy to see what this brilliant mind had to share. I was not disappointed. As a matter of fact, I was astounded. He wrote a text book for life, a manual for taking control of your health and your life. This book will prove to do that and more.

Dr. Stan’s approach to life is an inspiration to his family, friends and patients. He has used all his knowledge to beat and survive the diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis, handed to him long before we ever met. He is always upbeat, lighthearted and kind. He is ready with a listening ear and inspirational advice no matter what life may have delivered that day. I have watched him overcome what may have been insurmountable odds on many occasions and I believe it is his abundant optimism that allowed him to prevail each and every time. His warmth and compassion are seen in everything he does and everyone he touches. His work within his community, his lectures, radio show appearances and special events all demonstrate his commitment to helping mankind and making this world a better place. He has travelled all over the world, studying with the masters, assimilating their knowledge so he can deliver the best healthcare here in the United States. His unique style of teaching, along with his humor and wit, create an environment where learning from him is easy and fun. He is truly a master himself, demonstrated by his humbleness, his compassion and his patience.

In my experience, people are searching for answers to their health issues. They want to lose weight, decrease pain, and manage their diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions. They have the desire and are looking for help but are not sure where to turn for honest dependable advice. In The Physician Within, Dr. Gross takes you on a journey of discovery of how you go from where you are today to enjoying a healthy life. He provides the blueprint for you to follow, the information you need to reach your health goals.

This book is a must read for everyone interested in getting healthy, understanding what causes disease and what you can do to live a long healthy life. I encourage you to read it, and then read it again, as I did. In my experience, new insightful information came forward as if it were written just for me and what was needed for me at that moment.

Enjoy reading The Physician Within: A Practical Guide to the Natural Healing Power Within All of Us. It will change and improve how you look at health forever.

PREFACE

I’m Sick and Tired of

Being Sick and Tired!

For many years I have heard the same complaints from patients: I’m tired of feeling sick all of the time! The majority of people I see are over-stressed, overweight, overworked, and suffer from some sort of pain. Most people have tried some magic pill or herbal elixir with very limited success. Others have become prisoners to their mounting pain or unrelenting stress. Inexplicably, these same people seem to think that the answer lies in the doctor’s office. While physicians are capable of doing many wonderful things, the vast majority of problems we encounter are managed or regulated according to symptoms…in other words, no cure!

The Physician Within was inspired by the needs of my patients who were tired of chasing their symptoms and getting nowhere. It has been my experience that people want to find a way to get healthy and stay healthy without having to resort to drastic and unreasonable measures. The journey toward health should not be filled with obstacles we cannot overcome. The Physician Within was written to be a step-by-step guide toward optimum health without having to dramatically change our lifestyles. You already possess the tools necessary to tap into the innate healing power within you. You need only a few simple steps and some basic information to make your journey toward health a success. It has been said, With knowledge, there is power. That is the prominent theme of this book. We will discuss:

• How the body works, in simple easy-tounderstand terms.

• What being healthy means

• What is disease and how does it start?

• The connection between the mind, body, soul, and spirit

• How to put it all together and make the power within you come alive in all aspects of your life.

You will also learn about alternative methods of healing that have been used for years to help people on their journeys toward health. You will find all of the basic information you will need to improve your health in all aspects of your life. You will gain the knowledge needed to:

• Control your weight

• Decrease your daily stress

• Increase the quality of your life

• Make several small changes at a time rather than radical ones

This is your chance to take back control of your life. Now is the time to make lasting health an internal process rather than relying on outside influences. The Physician Within will give you the first steps you will need to take on a long and glorious journey toward using the power that already exists in all of us.

CHAPTER ONE

What Is Health?

I believe in simple answers! One could get very deep in trying to describe health, but the truth is that health can mean different things to many people. To the Olympic athlete, health means a body near perfection performing at world-record pace. To the body builder it means high muscle definition and low body-fat content. But to the long time sufferer of arthritis, health may mean the day when he or she could get out of bed with just a small twinge of pain. To the victim of a terminal disease, it is being able to see yet another day. Our optimum level of health for the moment and for the effort creates our definition.

For simplicity, let’s try this: Health is the body, mind, soul, and spirit’s ability to cope with the environment whether internal or external. As long as all aspects of your being can adapt and cope, you will remain healthy while others around you may not be as lucky.

We see examples of this in every household. The flu bug goes around and three out of five children come down with it. The other two escape untouched even though they would breathe the same air, eat the same food, drink from the same glass, and even sleep in the same bed. Microscopic analysis would reveal that the healthy ones had been infected by the virus but their immune systems were able to defeat it. Their bodies were able to adapt and overcome the virus with a process that was strictly internal.

In private practice, I have seen complete cancer remissions in people who were not given a year to live. Despite the bleak prognosis, the body was able to reverse the process of the spreading cancer with only a trace of scarring in the wake. In traditional medicine this is called spontaneous remission and is considered rare. Spontaneous remissions are rare events to document medically or scientifically. But whether it be cancer, AIDS, or the common cold or flu, our bodies can and do stimulate spontaneous remission on a regular basis as needed. In many healing disciplines, this internal coping mechanism is referred to as Innate Intelligence. The natural process that allows the body to cope with changes both internally and externally exists naturally with-in the body. The extent to which we can stimulate this natural process has not been measured. And, truth be told, stimulating the innate intelligence is a very individual thing. It is important to realize that every tool must be considered in our journey toward optimum health. Short term, quick fix solutions are often the treatment of symptoms and seldom, if ever, treat the cause of the problem. So the journey toward health is a life-long process and requires patience. And, as is the case with everything in life, true patience requires wisdom and wisdom comes with information.

What Is Disease?

By definition alone, disease is a lack of ease or disease. Disease is usually defined by a label in the form of a diagnosis. We call it arthritis, cancer, diabetes, chronic fatigue or AIDS. When we think of a disease we usually think of being sick rather than being in pain or dysfunctional. And yet, obesity, alcoholism, and personality disorders are clearly diseases not necessarily associated with physical pain or a feeling of illness like the cold or flu. So our definition must be broadened to describe any process that challenges the coping mechanism of the body, mind, soul, or spirit and hinders function in some way. To be concise, stress on all levels is the underlying source of disease. Let’s take a look at some examples.

On a mental level, stress can produce a long list of diagnoses. Mental stress can include emotional, economic, spiritual, or chemical influences and can affect several systems at once.

A Disease Is Born …

Case #1

A 48 year old man works in construction doing ten hours shifts, six days a week. He has a twenty-five year mortgage since he refinanced to cover college costs for his children, so he has to continue to work hard. His wife works too, but she hates her job and she comes home tense and irritable. It is summer-time, so the heat is unbearable. Work begins on the job site at 5:00 AM to avoid the worst of the heat, but by two or three o’clock in the afternoon, the sun has taken all of the energy away. Then there is the traffic on the way home. At 3:30 PM everyone clogs the roads. The cheese sandwich he had at lunch did not taste right, especially after the boss said that after this project there would be a major layoff. He cannot stand the thought of breaking the news to his wife and children. She will have to keep working. College will have to wait for a while. He can do some side-jobs to help until another job comes along. And while all of these thoughts cross his mind, some idiot cuts him off, nearly forcing him off the road.

He is angry, frightened, disappointed and, thanks to the inconsiderate driver, is about to suffer the symptoms of a heart attack. There is a sharp pain running down his left arm. He feels a pressure in his chest and a burning in his throat. His hands are shaking and he feels weak. He pulls off to the side of the road, wiping pools of sweat from his brow. The thought of this being a heart attack crosses his mind but he quickly dismisses it. He cannot afford a lengthy hospital stay. But the pain has becomes so intense he can hardly sit up straight.

A state police officer stops to assist and radios for an ambulance. Ten minutes later he is being transported to the hospital for a possible Myocardial and Infarction (heart attack). For three days he is probed, stuck, x-rayed, scanned, and drained of his children’s college fund. But there is no sign of damage heart muscle and his EKG has been normal since he arrived. The cumulative effects from stress have stumped our technology – this time.

Several underlying factors lead to this dramatic stage in his life. The ongoing, unrelenting bombardment of financial strain coupled with the emotions linked with the insecurity and helplessness has kept his body on a low level alert even during sleep. His adrenaline levels never fully let down. His immune system has been keyed for so long it is no longer functioning at optimum levels. And even if he takes this time to rest and recuperate, he will have this nagging underlying stress to face whether consciously and unconsciously.

Dietary factors play an important role as well. In our busy, hustling society, fast food, packaged foods, and economic alternative foods are the choice of many. There is seldom time for much more-or so we believe. His cheese sandwich with mayonnaise for lunch was joined by a bag of chips a packaged cream filled cake, a glass of water, and a cup of coffee. The fat content in this simple meal could range 50%, stimulating the gall bladder to handle the excessive fats with bile. At the same time, higher levels of Cholecystokinin or CCK are circulated as a direct result of increased gall bladder activity. Excessive CCK levels are also present when the heart fails to pump adequate blood through the system due to infarction or a heart attack.

So, the excessive fat along with the series of stressful events from work to home gave every indication that the heart had failed. The indigestion, the arm pain, and chest pressure were all the result of mental, emotional, and digestive stress. Still, it was wise to be checked out just in case. Heart attacks are fatal if not treated in a timely fashion. But this type of scenario happens more often than we care to admit. The body’s ability to cope is overwhelmed by the cumulative effects from stress.

Another contributing factor of genes. We inherit certain coping factors are personality types are the result of combination of nurture. The nature aspect is imbedded in our DNA. Our genes determine not only how we look, but they also contribute to how we act and react. Out tolerance and temperament are mental and emotional coping mechanisms closely linked to the basic genetic responses of our parents. The variability of these thoughts, emotions, and reactions are governed by the nurturing aspects: how we are treated by our parents, are we the oldest, the middle, or the baby of the family, what is the stability of the family structure and many other behavior variables. Our ability to adapt with changes in our lives has much to do with the nature and nurture of our primary families. So, without going into in-depth explanations on theories still being argued, let’s use another example:

Our construction worker came from a family who adhered to strong traditional beliefs. He had two loving parents who worked very hard on the family farm and everyone was expected to do their part. They never had much but, what they had was appreciated. Our man was the second oldest of five children. His older sister helped mom with the household duties while he was expected to spend the day with dad in the fields when not in school. They worked hard and played hard. There was always something to do and mom and dad did their best to make time for all of the children as they needed it. They had strong religious beliefs and openly practiced their faith. The grandparents still lived in the old farm house at the end of the country road and were visited on a daily basis. Now on their eighties, they still maintained an independent lifestyle in the home they built together. Everyone remained in relative good health. It sounds a little like the Walton’s, but this was not an uncommon family 40 to 50 years ago from the heart land of America.

The nature aspects indicate that everyone in the family was healthy and resilient. Based upon the history, both sides of the family lived long, active lives. Our construction worker came from a loving environment where everyone did their fair share to keep the family operations running smoothly. His parents and grandparents gave him excellent DNA to survive. His family history is a story of hard working people with sincere love and convictions. Farming requires patience and dedication as well as a great deal of coping when things go bad due to weather are falling crop prices. Endurance and resilience are strong characteristics in this family.

The nurture aspects appear to be equally strong. While there was hard work to be done, there was plenty of love to go around. The family remained close throughout good times and bad, maintaining a center that could not be shaken. When mom and dad were too busy to offer quite moments of love and compassion, grandma and grandpa were right down the road to help fill the gap. From a mental, emotional, and spiritual aspect, this family prepared the children for life away from home better than most, but was it enough?

Eat Right…Exercise Regularly…Die Anyway!

We cannot change our DNA, but we can change the quality of our lives by taking control of as many aspects of our person as possible. We must start by taking an inventory of all of the qualities that makes us who we really are. Health, as I had mentioned earlier, is a system of coping and adapting to changes and influences and every, EVERY aspects of our being. The first part of health is HEAL and our body, mind, soul, and spirit are in a constant state of healing and regeneration. Every cell in our body is replaced with a brand new one or is in the process of being replaced every day we live. We are renewed moment by moment. So change and adaptation are an innate, ongoing process in the body. Everything we do to help that process only enhances the quality of life we can expect.

Quantity of life has never been the issue. It is inevitable that our bodies will die someday. It is the only real guarantee we have. The quality of life is greatly dependent upon what we do to stimulate the natural regenerative coping mechanisms directly associated with ongoing health. For the remainder of this chapter, we will take inventory and discuss the option for care in later chapters. The items in our list are as follows:

The Body

The natural coping processes of the body depend on many, many aspects. We will take a serious look at the following factors and discuss the physical truth, the myths, and some of the theories regarding physical health like:

• What role does diet really play in our health goals? How can I determine what foods will do the most good for my body? Can I get all that I need from the foods I eat to maintain optimum health? What are some of the physical, undisputed facts about food? What are some of the facts and myths that may not be true for me?

• What about exercise and activity? Is working hard enough exercise to ensure quality health? How can replacing one type of stress (daily life) and filling it with another type of stress (boring exercise) help me remain healthy? How can I exercise when I am too tired to move? What are the effects of moderate exercise on the body? What are the effects of pushing too hard too fast?

• How about rest and relaxation? Why do I need to rest? I can’t take time to rest now… the stress of job and family prevents it (breaking the myth). How can I relax when there is so much on my mind? Where do I find a place to relax?

• What about vitamins, minerals, and others supplements? Do I really need them? How can I decide what is good for me when the experts cannot agree? What are these things and why are they important?

• What does it mean to keep the body clean inside and out? Why is it so important to keep the skin, hair, eyes, ears, and mouth fresh and clean? Why do I need to drink so much water?

• Why is it important to recognize my sexuality? Why is sex such an important aspect to health? As a sexual being, how can I determine what is normal and healthy for me? What are the physical risks associated with ignoring my sexuality? What are the risks of sexual promiscuity?

• Why is it important to pay attention to physical changes in my body? What do some of this changes mean? How do I know if a change is good or bad? How can I cope with changes outside my control?

• What does it mean to grow older? What physical changes can be expected? What are some of the myths about growing old? How can I enjoy the fruits of aging to the fullest?

• What are the facts about the germ warfare taking place in my body? What can I do to fortify my defence mechanism? What are some of the danger signs to look for if my body is not coping?

The Mind

More specifically, we will look at the brain of the nervous system and how they function. We will explore the connection between structure and junction, mind and body, and show the intrinsic healing qualities that exist there.

• What is the role of the brain, the nervous system, the spinal cord and all nervous tissue regarding health? What process can be stimulated from within the nervous system? How can I keep everything working normally?

• Is there such a thing as mental exercise? How can I stimulate health and healing through mental processes? How can I fit it all in with my busy schedule?

• How can I rest my brain? If the nervous system is always working, how can I find ways to help with recovery and recuperation? What are some of the signs that I need to take a vacation of the brain?

• Is there such a thing as brain food? Are certain foods and substances good for the brain? Are there certain things that are proven bad for the brain and nervous system?

The Soul

I suppose I need to define the soul first in order to take an inventory. For purposes of simplicity, the soul is the cumulative effects of our lives, the lives of our parents, our families and friends, and the life we put into them. It is the effects and motivations that move us into thought and action. In short, our soul represents the person we are by nature, by nurture, by circumstance, and by choice. If spirit is energy, then soul is the reaction to that energy in the form of a life. Our thoughts, emotions, reactions, and motivations are the soulful aspects of our existence. And while this definition is woefully concise from a philosophical point of view, it describes the general view from several global perspectives. The soul must also be healthy by considering the following questions:

• Do I have a choice in directing my life if I am the product of a defective, dysfunctional family? How can I overcome the obstacles of my past? How can I avoid the basic nature I possess to do harm to myself and others? Am I doomed by genetics?

• How do I remain honest to myself without becoming vulnerable to others? How can I feel secure without compromising the necessary changes I need to make? How much of my soul is really me?

How can I determine what changes will be necessary to change the path of my journey? What exercises can I do for the soul? What does the soul require and how do I find my ways to provide it? What is the connection between my thoughts and emotions and the nourishment of my soul?

The Spirit

Whether you are religious or atheistic, there is a universal acceptance that life is, in part, the expression of energy. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only take on different forms. We are a composition of several different forms of energy which can by directed and influenced through natural, explainable processes. There are mystical, para-physical, or metaphysical aspects to the spirit that cannot be explained mainly because of our own limitations. We will discuss multi-cultural approaches to the subject of spirit and how it influences health. We will also discuss some startling research regarding human energy and how it may apply to answer some of the following questions:

• What is the spirit or energy within the body? Is it something I can control? How does it affect me physically, mentally, emotionally?

• If I do not accept the existence of a higher power, how can I accept the concept of spirit? How can I control something I do not believe in?

• Since energy reacts to influences of attraction and opposition (like a polarized magnet), what effect can other spirits have on our own? Can our spirit or energy have a positive effect on others?

• Since literally everything has some sort of energy associated with it, alive or dead, then can our energy or spirit influence or be influenced by our surroundings? Are not we all part of a universe full of energy?

Everyone Has an Opinion …

In an effort to keep this book as clear as possible, the mad of controversy will not smear the pages. Each idea is presented to stand on its own merit without defending against one philosophy or another. It is my wish for you to understand these concepts in the simplest forms and learn to apply them right away. This book was not written for doctors and philosophers, but for everyone who has had too many unanswered questions regarding their health and happiness.

It comes down to trust! As a doctor, I am given the trust of many people to do my very best to find their problems, to correct them if I can, or send them to someone who will. Too often that trust has been abused by my fellow physicians. The doctor takes absolute control without regard to the person’s feelings and without respect for that individual’s right to choose. Without exploring and discussing your problems and your options, the doctor has not earned your trust. By discounting your ability to understand your problem, the doctor has lost the ability to be empathetic or understanding. The doctor is playing god and blocking the physician within.

This is not a quick-fix book. True solutions often involve looking beyond the symptoms. You will not read about a magic pill or miracle tonic. You will not find the cure for the common cold nor will you find the secret of immortality. You will find lasting solutions you can apply from the first day you open this book. The changes will take time but the rewards are great. You will learn to be patient with yourself and others as you begin your journey toward health-complete health.

For each person, the challenges will be different. We will discuss other scenarios and how each individual will have to face different and sometimes difficult challenges. This book is written not to judge the reader, but to challenge the person to accept the changes necessary to feel whole. It is the first step toward the individual freedom associated with the lifelong journey we call health.

CHAPTER TWO

A Wondrous Beginning …

From the moment of conception, the body is a marvel of creation. The process of cell division to differentiation to ultimately become a breathing, independent person still leaves many wonderful questions to be answered. We start out as a small cluster of organized routines linked to carbohydrates, fats all swimming in water saturated with minerals and other nutrients. As we become multi-celled creatures, our nutrients demands change as well. We require the living blood products of our mother through the umbilical cord. Rather than swim in our own waste and completely contaminate our small world, most of our waste is carried off in the cord back to the mother were her body is much more prepared to handle the disposal.

Through continued growth and change, system upon system, organ upon organ begin to develop and function. The brain, spinal cord and heart are the first to appear in primitive forms. Then the supportive skeletal system becomes clear. Not even at an inch long and we have developed sensory buds, a beating heart, a brain, a nervous system. And yet, from a scientific stand point, we are still merely chemical components of protein linked to carbohydrates and fats, swimming in a pool of water saturated with micronutrients like vitamins, minerals and enzymes. The genetic expression of sex, eye color, and hair color along with patience and temperament are also in place. And yet, we remain just a series components we cannot animate any other way except through procreation. It is the distinctive difference we call life and it can only be described and never fully explained.

The Perfect Food!

Though very small, a baby has the innate sense to cry out when hungry. Mother’s milk is rich in the nutrients a baby needs along with the antigens and antibodies to build immunity to the outside world. The simple components of breast milk have been duplicated biochemically. But like the simple components that comprised the embryo, there are mysteries we have not discovered about food from the freshest source. Mother’s milk, by far, is the best source of nutrition for the baby, provided the mother is well-nourished. This will be an issue for adults to ponder as we explore further into this chapter.

We are what we eat is an old saying often quoted. The fact of the matter is, we are very physically dependent upon the fuel we place in the body. Remember, health depends on renewal and regeneration and we require the right fuel in the right proportions to get the job done. if we analyze the components of breast milk, we can clearly see the need for high levels of everything as Table 2-1 illustrates.

Table 2-1. Mother’s Milk

But as we grow older, our need for fats dramatically decreases. Strangely enough, if we analyze breast milk in societies where breast feeding is extended to age ten or twelve, the fat content of the milk dramatically decreases as the years progress unless the mother becomes pregnant again. The natural expression of nourishment is clearly demonstrated in biology by four important factors:

1. How much growth is taking place?

2. How much food is being used as fuel?

3. How much food is being used to cleanse?

4. How much food is being stored?

Obviously, if a child fails to thrive, the need for all nutrients is dramatically increases. But as the growing process slows down, the need for the concentrated nutrients decreases. It just makes good sense that the body would require more building blocks during the initial growth period. So, the need for certain nutrients like fats and proteins will reduce as growth periods slow down.

Somewhere between ages five and nine, the eating patterns for adulthood are established. A child who exposed to nothing but junk food, packaged foods, canned foods, and high-fat, sugary snacks will follow those cravings through adulthood. The dietary needs are not much different at the pre-teen age as they will be for the rest of his or her life. And wouldn’t you know it… that is the time when hamburgers, french-fries, pizza, and other high-fat foods become the staple in most young people’s diet. I’m not proposing we abolish burgers and pizza. That type of revolution is far too hard to fight.

Instead, I would propose some changes in the thinking of the adults before we start picking on the children. For starters, let’s drop the myth that fresh fruit and vegetables are too difficult to prepare and that the kids will not eat them anyway. Raw fruits and vegetables need only to be rinsed lightly and placed in a bowl for easy access. The only reason something else will be preferred is if something else is available. If they are hungry enough, they will eat the healthy stuff, and so will you. The average family will spend over thirty five dollars a week on junk. Spend thirty five dollars on produce market and see how much food you bring home. Try getting something unique like star fruit or ugly fruit and see who eats it first. In my