Nature's Sunshine Products NSP

[CombinedNSP]

Detoxing Product Focus Call

This is not a word-for-word transcript, but I tried to keep up with each of the speakers as best I could. I thought it was an excellent call!! This is definitely a tape worth getting and passing around to your clients, through www.nspontape.com.

Scott Terry, CRM – Midwest; Call moderator

Scott: Welcome to tonight's call. Many of you are familiar with Dr. Haas and the many books that he has authored and have some of his books in your library. Dr. Haas has been in medical practice for over 25 years and was instrumental in the development of the field that he has termed Integrated Medicine. He is the founder and director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin, an integrated health care facility in San Rafael, California, where he specializes in Family and Nutritional Medicine, Detoxification, and Individualized Health Programs.

Dr. Haas is author of many books including Staying Healthy with the Seasons; Staying Healthy with Nutrition; The Detox Diet, and The New Detox Diet; A Cookbook for all Seasons, Vitamins for Dummies, The Staying healthy Shopper's Guide, and The False Fat Diet.

After graduation from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1972, Elson moved to Northern California where he received additional training. After an internship, he began further studies in many health-related fields: Nutrition, Herbology, Oriental Medicine, Exercise Physiology, Body Therapies, and Mind-Body Medicine.

Dr. Haas: Just had my first taste of Thai-Go half an hour before the call. Delicious! Have been part of the natural health field for over 30 years, NSP has been around for that same amount of time.. I embrace an integrative field of medicine; I am passionate about natural health.

Scott: What led you to be involved with integrative med?

I was in medical school in Ann Arbor, Michigan from 1968-1972, and the times they were a-changin'; I was part of the rebellion against the authoritarian practice of medicine when people weren't treated with respect but as diseases. This approach to medicine left a lot to be desired because it didn't have a lot to do with health. I was an unhealthy young physician and realized I didn't know anything about health at 25-26 y/o; I became my first patient. A major turning point for me was meeting a naturopathically oriented practitioner, Stanley Burroughs, who taught me about cleansing, and I have been using that cleanse and adapted it over the last 30 years. It was dramatic change for me; I was 40-50 # overweight, had allergies and congestion, was eating a terrible diet; went through the first couple of days that were hard, and woke up on the third day breathing clearly. Started having energy and clarity and knew this is how I wanted to feel! Bernard Jensen was in the field writing about natural health, but I started to realize I needed to make a change in what I was putting into my body. My body let go of 20# the first ten days; I lost more weight over the next couple of years and I started writing about all that I was learning. I began to adopt a health-improving vs. disease oriented style of medicine. When I first started bringing nutrition and herbs into my practice, I was gathering herbs (200 jars of leaves, roots, flowers, etc. in my office) and would make up my own concoctions of herbs and teach people how to use them at home. Now, there are hundreds of thousands of products to choose from. It was simple and less advanced than we have become, and my parents and most of the doctors I knew didn't understand what I was doing. As I started writing I introduced the spring cleansing (1991) and wrote a book that was one of the first integrative medicine books. I didn't want to be called holistic or alternative – I wanted to bring common sense back into traditional medicine, after studying herbs, Chinese medicine, nutrition, exercise physiology, etc. It was really using the best of everything and should not be separate from the best of medicine, but part of it. People age as a result of the way they live. If you want your body to be different (more energy, look and feel better), it's the things that you are doing in your life that are contributing to your life being less than ideal for you. My rule of thumb regarding treatment is this: lifestyle first, natural therapies second, drugs last. My practice is about evaluating people, testing them, and finding how their body is functioning, and helping them get on a new plan, as much as people are open to do that.

Scott: Most health problems arise from a deficiency of some kind, or congestion. What is the difference and how does that relate to the need to detox?

Dr. Haas: When people get out of balance they get congested or toxic. We get clogged up with things our bodies don't utilize very well. Many of the degenerative long-term problems are congestive toxic problems. We are lacking essential fatty acids, amino acids and enzymes, and when we have all those things our bodies are happy. We realize in our detox programs we eat a lot more than we need to. In the new book, I give a simple approach to eliminating what I refer to as SNACC's:

Sugar Nicotine Alcohol Caffeine Chemicals

It is common in our culture that people are both deficient, and congested. They eat "treat" foods (bread, baked foods, chips, snack foods) and have daily habits to one or more of the SNACC substances. Most everyone has at least one of these! It is hard to break those but the new book has chapters on each one of those areas to help break those addictions. I will address these at the NSP convention, and how we get into these emotional hooks, and find a way to clear them. I have set up detoxing support groups to help people through this process. People come to my office and tell me, "I can't give up my ice cream at night or toast in the morning," etc. Recently a patient in the support group brought her husband back with her, and I talked about the purification process (article on website) [The False Fat Diet – (food reactions)]. Husband responded he would never quit caffeine, but the next week came back and started doing the juice cleanse with his wife; had dropped 10# and was off caffeine; the doctor and lawyer daughters followed along with their parents and started to feel so good; they were just amazed by the last class at how good they felt.

Scott: Would you suggest some kind of cleansing or detox programs for everyone, or are there certain conditions when one might need to be a little cautious before putting them on a program?

Dr. Haas: You need to nourish someone who is depleted, and detox someone who is congested. Water in the a.m., lemon, 1 or 2 pieces of fruit, a little whole grain cereal (see the whole program at the end of this phone interview). Need to keep the body a little more alkaline; diet is more nourishing than cleansing. People who have a thyroid problem or are anemic, losing hair, etc., need to be more careful about cleansing – they need to be building first. Chapter 2 gives guidelines of who should cleanse and who should build, and gives an overview of the whole thing. The book deals with all kinds of different physical symptoms and the suggested detoxs and diets for each. People who go through the purification diet will see a great improvement in their allergies. My goal is to inspire people to take care of themselves. I want to teach people to be their own best doctor. My website is: www.elsonhaas.com – I don't sell anything there, but there are lots of articles, health tips, book info, etc. Sign up for a seasonal e-newsletter with important tips for staying healthy in each upcoming season. On Mondays you can hear the weekly program 3-4 p.m, PST [http://www.health.voiceamerica.com]; archives of all of the shows are there. Be aware of what you are putting in your mouths and how it makes you feel. Everything in medicine is an experiment; supplement programs and diets are the same way. Pay attention to how you feel; lots of times there is an overall effect. See if you feel better, and then you have that clear chalkboard where you can try some old things you used to get away with and see how terrible it makes you feel (i.e., wheat as it affects digestion, mood, brain function, etc.), or try new things that will really improve your health. You can do this with dairy products, sugar, caffeine — all are hard to get away from initially, but after the first couple of days, but day three it changes and you started to feel better and clearer. Your energy is more stable, your moods are leveled out, etc. Many people in our culture have to stimulate themselves during the day with sugar and caffeine, and sedate ourselves at night with alcohol or food. You wake up in the morning feeling sluggish and the whole cycle starts again with artificial stimulants to keep you going for another day. Some people want to go cold turkey "gradually", eliminating one bad habit at a time, but it is better to do it all at once, because you will feel so much better after just a couple of days. "I can't do it" - I was like that too, but it's because we tie in our feelings of being loved and fulfilled with food, for example, and you have to switch that concept – "I will feel loving and fulfilled if I DON'T do that!" That makes it so much easier to make the change. If I hadn't changed I would weigh 40 or 50 # more than I should and be on 3-5 medicines and would probably be living day to day. Now, I feel that I can live longer and a better life – I can live and feel good instead of being in a wheelchair and not feeling good.

Scott: You mentioned that you have a group of folks that do a spring cleanse – can you tell us more about that?

Dr. Haas: The busiest times in doctor's offices are the beginning of spring and autumn at the change of seasons. The climate shifts and we are coming out of a heavier winter diet,, and our body wants to lighten up. We can start cleansing as early as the beginning of spring (March 20) and not get sick like we used to. It happens again in autumn when we start pulling into ourselves. I do three groups, usually, groups of 20 or 30 people. We meet in the beginning, middle and end of the cleanse. We focus mainly on changing habits, sometimes with a little bit of juice fasting in the middle. In January, cleanse after the holidays. I have been doing a ten-day juice cleanse every spring for the last 30 years. People [in these groups] really make changes! You come out the other side with a healthier approach. You realize it's important to chew your food well, eat less, and you can get a lot more energy out of fresh, wholesome food. Every step away from nature is a loss of nutrition and vitality in your food.

Scott: What are some of your favorite herbs or combinations for cleansing?

Dr. Haas: You definitely want to use something to cleanse the colon, and if you don't feel well you are either not drinking enough fluids or not moving the material through the colon. You can use things like cascara, senna, oregon grape fruit, licorice, etc. If people need liver support, and need to cleanse the lymph system and the blood, these are the most important so you would use dandelion, silymarin, milk thistle; alkalizing Vit. C powder with potassium and magnesium, etc.; green combination, etc. NSP's Ultimate Green Zone is an excellent choice. We also need antioxidants. The new version of The Detox Diet contains lots of stories of clients and their detox success.

Scott: We have a few minutes for questions.

Caller #1: I was on the Master Cleanse for an extended period of time and felt great, but now, three months down the road, I am losing hair and not feeling as well. How do you feel about lengthy extended cleanses?

Dr. Haas: You weren't getting enough amino acids or essential fatty acids, and your body fell into a deficiency state; hair loss and dry skin would be common in that situation. You always need oils along with your master cleanser. The original recipe: 2 T. fresh lemon juice, 1 T. maple syrup, 1/10 t. cayenne pepper, and pure water. People need olive oil or flax seed oil, or combination oils. Add some green powder as well for the amino acids to support your body's energy so you don't lose muscle mass. Your body will come back; 10-14 days on this type of a cleanse is usually long enough. Learn to listen to your body more, without getting depleted over the long term. Look for a more scientific and balanced way to cleanse. Scott, it would be great if we could plan another one of these phone calls as a support group for people who want to detox for a month or so.

Caller #2: What about elderly people that need to be cleansed? How do your groups function?

Dr. Haas: Detoxing is the missing link in western medicine and the key to health and nutrition in our modern age. Most elderly people can follow a detox program, but not something that is so extreme. You can cleanse the whole body and detox the liver, lungs, skin, kidneys, and colon. When people are in a group they feel more connected and not so isolated. I am setting up programs with another company (10/8 will be speaking for in Denver) sharing with practitioners how to do detox in groups in their practice. Makes the practice simpler, more effective and much more rewarding.

Caller #3: What about cleansing your bowels – I had seven enemas and am still enema-dependent – what program would help with that?

Dr. Haas: On my website there are several articles and tips on healthy digestion. Chapter 1 of my book is on gastrointestinal health.. There is testing that tells how well you are secreting HCl, etc., and what is out of balance in your gut – imbalanced flora, imbalanced function, etc. Intestinal tract is the first place to start. So many people overdo it with herbs, etc., but you need to combine your food well, chew your food well, use digestive enzymes and add fiber. I do colon hydrotherapy with my spring cleanse. Stanley Burroughs recommended the salt water flush (not recommended for people with high blood pressure). 2 t. sea salt in a quart of fresh water; this is similar to sea water and ideally should not be absorbed, and it cleanses your intestinal tract. I have varied this in a number of other ways of how you can do that. You will get some good ideas on this on my website.

Scott: Thank you, Dr. Haas! Please go visit his website and get more information there. Be sure to join us at convention where more of this information will be shared the end of August in Salt Lake City.

This is the conclusion of tonight's call; here are some quick product specials:

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THE DETOX DIET SPECIAL GUIDELINES for THE DETOX DIET:

1. Chew your food very well and take enough time when you eat.
2. Relax a few minutes before and after your meal.
3. Eat in a comfortable sitting position.
4. Eat primarily steamed fresh vegetables and some fresh greens.
5. Take only herbal teas after dinner.

THE DETOX DIET MENU PLAN

Morning: (upon arising): Two glasses of water (filtered, spring, or reverse osmosis), one glass with half a lemon squeezed into it.

Breakfast: One piece of fresh fruit (at room temp), such as apple, pear, banana, grapes, or citrus. Chew well, mixing each bite with saliva.

15-30 minutes later: One bowl of cooked whole grains -- specifically millet, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa, raw buckwheat, or buckwheat. Flavoring can be two tablespoons of fruit juice for a sweeter breakfast taste, or use the "better butter" mixture mentioned below with a little salt or tamari for a deeper flavor.

Lunch: (Noon-1 P.M.) One-two medium bowls of steamed vegetables; use a variety, including roots, stems, and greens -- e.g. potatoes or yams, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, asparagus, kale, chard, and cabbage. CHEW WELL !

Dinner: (5-6 P.M.) Same as Lunch

Seasoning: Butter/canola oil mixture. Make this "better butter" by mixing a half cup of cold-pressed canola oil (or olive or flaxseed oils) into a soft (room temperature) half-pound of butter; then place in dish and refrigerate. Use about one teaspoon per meal or a maximum of 3 teaspoons daily.

11 A.M. & 3 P.M. One-two cups veggie water, saved from steamed vegetables. Add a little sea salt or kelp and drink slowly, mixing each mouthful with saliva.

Evening: Herbal teas only -- e.g. Peppermint, Chamomile, Pau d'Arco, or blends.

NOTE: You may feel a little weak or have a few symptoms the first couple of days; this will pass. Clarity and feeling good should appear by day 3 or 4, if not before. If during this diet, you start to feel weak or hungry, assess your water intake and elimination; if needed, you can eat a small portion of protein food (3-4 ounces) in the mid-afternoon. This could be fish; free-range, organic chicken; or some beans, such as lentils, garbanzos, mung, or black beans.
-Sharon Grimes