This letter is from someone who is daily seeing sick people and curing them with water. His story is interesting.
The Center for Functional Nutrition
514 Amherst Road, South Hadley, MA 01075
413-536-0275
www.healthequest.com
maramor1@earthlink.net
Russell Mariani, M.A., Director of Client Education Services
To: Dr F.Batmanghelidj, M.D.
September 21, 2004
Dear Dr.B,
This is a letter that is long overdue !
Since 1973, when I was incorrectly diagnosed with colon cancer and then ineffectively treated for ulcerative colitis, I have been on a quest to discover the fundamental connections between our nutritional choices and our health . Scientific studies, though often helpful, should never be are placement for our own direct personal experiences. Thank you for encouraging people to take more responsibility for our own health and well-being by taking actions that truly nourish us best.
In my own experience, I was shocked to discover how little I understood about the cause and effect relationships between states of chronic unintentional dehydration and disease. Even in my natural healing classes I had been advised to eat when ou are hungry and drink water when you're thirsty. i had been taught that there was enough water content in the cooked whole grains, steamed vegetables and fresh fruits that I was eating and that extra water was rarely necessary. I was taught that drinking water would dilute and render ineffective the digestive juices. I was taught that drinking water would weaken the kidneys. How incorrect all that 'advice' turn out to be ! Although I had always made a point of drinking only fresh spring-water or purified tap water, there were many years of my life that I rarely drink more than one or two glasses of water per day. For most of the past thirty years (30) years, I have weighed an average of two hundred (200) pounds. So you can see that my daily water intake had been woefully inadequate for a very long time.
My body was constantly crying out to me for water and salt, but I did not know how to interpret these messages. Irritable bowel, chronic fatigue, dry skin, days of acute anxiety, weeks of constant depression, periodic kidney stones ; were all signals of thirst and chronic dehydration that I missed for many, many years. More importantly, because of my own ignorance of the role of proper daily hydration and health, I was unable to pass this vital information on to others. Fortunately, all of that changed about seven years ago. (1997)
In the middle of one of the worst episodes of acute anxiety and constant depression in my life, someone handed me your first book ; Your Body's Many Cries for Water . After reading chapter 5 on Stress and Depression, I had the thought : " Why haven't I ever read or heard anything about this before?" Your explanations all made perfect sense. A few days later I phoned your office and spoke to you in person. You simply advised me to begin measuring the inflow of water and the outflow of urine, and to consume half my body weight in ounces of water with salt, daily. Thus began one of the most helpful and important learning experiences of my life.
Following your sage advice , it took a mere twenty-one (21) days for my body to rid itself of the state of anxiety and depression that I had been suffering from for almost two months.
Remember , that I had been suffering from periodic ( and medically unexplainable) bouts of anxiety and depression for over twenty years. In the previous three years, I had also started to experience the excruciating pain of kidney stones , which came upon me like clockwork in the late summers of 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Since first learning about the WaterCure in March , 1997, I have not had one relapse of anxiety or depression. I have not had another kidney stone attack either. I know with absolute confidence and certainty that both of these medically unexplainable conditions had their origin in my state of chronic unintentional dehydration . As the weeks and months and years roll by, the benefits of proper daily hydration continue to manifest.
Clearly there exists no more powerful medicine on earth than simple water and salt ! Clearly, the easiest thing each one of us can do every single day to ensure the highest quality of health inside our own bodies, is to maintain proper hydration levels within the cells, organs and systems, by drinking the correct amounts of water with salt.
In the hierarchy of effective health solutions, nothing is more important than water with salt. The WaterCure is health solution number one!
I have tried many natural, alternative and holistic health habits for over thirty (30) years now, and all of them have worked to one degree or another. Water with salt is the thing that ties them all together. When the body is properly hydrated on a daily basis, every other complementary health practice is enhanced and made more effective. For many people this habit of water with salt is the missing piece of the puzzle in their long search for effective health solutions.In my work with clients in my nutrition counseling practice, it is the very first thing I teach them. Please let your readers know that they are welcome to contact me by phone or e-mail at any time. I am committed to helping you get the word out about proper daily hydration. The WaterCure is not only vital ; it's transformational.
Thank you for your pioneering work in educating the world about the role of proper daily hydration and health. Ignorance truly is the cause of all human suffering. And education, of the kind you continue to provide us all, is the very best medicine we have.
Sincerely, Russell Mariani
About Us
Russell Mariani and Megan Moore first met in 1982 and have been working together on a mission of better health through better nutrition ever since. They married in 1986. They have been pioneers in the worlds of holistic health, organic agriculture and whole foods cooking as well as pioneering the virtual counseling and education experience for their clients and customers. The Center for Functional Nutrition, their most recent cooperative endeavor, was started in September, 1999.
About Russell Mariani
Russell Mariani is the Director of Health Education at The Center for Functional Nutrition in South Hadley, Massachusetts. He is a Health Educator, Nutrition Counselor and Digestive Wellness expert. He has been in private practice since 1980. He has his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University (1977), a Masters of Arts degree in Health Education from Vermont College at Norwich University (2003), and continues acquiring ongoing education credits in the area of Digestive Wellness and Integrative Health through the Institute for Functional Medicine and the Institute for Functional Nutrition. Since 1980 he has helped thousands of people regain their health through dietary and lifestyle improvements through classes, seminars, retreats and personal consultations.
He is passionate about teaching others how to be and become more proactive in their own self-care.
Russell graduated from the Kushi Institute for International Macrobiotic Studies in 1979. He was a Macrobiotic Counselor and teacher for many years. He was a founding member of the American Shiatsu Association in 1984. The Macrobiotic approach to health has been foundational in Russell’s commitment to helping others to be and become more proactive in their own self-care. Many of the core principles and practices of what we refer to as Functional Nutrition and Functional Medicine today, have their origins in the basic Macrobiotic approach to diet and lifestyle. Generally speaking these principles and practices have to do with a deep understanding of the natural world and how the human body is part of this larger eco-system. This orientation empowers us to understand that the best foods to consume are organic whole foods similar to the ones our own ancestors prepared and consumed for thousands of years before us. This orientation also empowers us to eat locally and seasonally and to understand that when it comes to the various choices we make every day; nothing is neutral. Every choice we make is either comple-mentary to the way our body has been designed to function or it is insulting. Russell’s books and health programs explain these dynamic principles and practices in full detail and help people to integrate these transformational habits, step-by-step into their daily lives.
"My interest in natural healing and whole foods nutrition began shortly after I was mis-diagnosed with colon cancer in 1973. Within three months the doctors settled on a diagnosis of pre-cancerous Ulcerative Colitis. I was 18 years old at the time. Believing I had little time to live and no time to waste, I started on my healing journey. I sought the answers to a few questions of vital interest to me at the time: How did this happen to me? What are the root causes of digestive disease? What role does diet and nutrition play in reversing the disease process and restoring one's vitality, energy, health? The answers I found were so inspiring and helpful that I decided to dedicate the rest of my life to the continuous learning and teaching of the fundamentals of nutrition and health. And that's what I've been doing since 1980. I encourage you to contact me to explore ways in which I can assist you in your personal quest to regain, maintain and optimize your health and well-being, especially if you are suffering from any digestive system problems."
“I can tell you this: There is simply no reason for anyone to suffer from any digestive system problem if they are serious about getting better. Many people have the desire to change, they are just not sure where or how to begin. What they need is an effective coach and guide. Someone who knows first hand, the kinds of physical symptoms and personal challenges they are experiencing. Someone who has learned how and why to change their own dietary and lifestyle habits. Someone who has helped thousands of people with digestive system problems just like theirs…to get better.”
“I have been assisting others in the quest for better health through better dietary and lifestyle choices since 1980. I am experienced in working with people addressing the full range of health challenges, including all the major (and minor) forms of degenerative disease. My experiences demonstrate that the human body has an almost infinite capacity to regenerate and heal as long as we cooperate consistently. Teaching people how to cooperate with the dynamic healing systems within their own body is the essence of the work that I do. I have a particular interest in and a long history of success with the prevention and correction of digestive system imbalances. I am passionate about teaching others how to be and become more proactive in their own self-care.”
About Megan Moore
Megan Moore is the Director of Client Services at The Center for Functional Nutrition in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She has a Bachelor of Education from York University in Toronto, Canada. For twelve years Megan taught elementary school in the Toronto Public Schools including English as a Second Language to many immigrant children. In the 1990’s she was the artistic director of The Children’s Dance Theater in Conway, NH. For most of her adult life Megan has been a professional Storyteller. She is a highly regarded Gourmet Natural Foods Chef and has taught whole foods cooking classes to individuals and groups for many years. She is also a seasoned Event Coordinator. Her life long passion and advocacy for sustainable earth stewardship led her to join the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement in its early stages. She is dedicated to advancing the principles and practices of Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition.
****************************************
Russell's Story: Ulcerative Colitis, Anxiety, Depression
I had been sick for about a year but the seriousness of my symptoms never registered:
constipation for days at a time, then diarrhea for days at a time. I lived on Kaopectate and Pepto
Bismol depending on my condition and symptoms. I was uncomfortable all the time. I had
constant headaches and my face was a mess with acne. I was tired all the time. I felt lousy. I had
constant indigestion, constant gas and bloating, constant abdominal discomfort, and periods of
acute abdominal pain. I had intestinal cramps that were so bad, that they literally threw me out of
my bed in the middle of night. I would curl up in a fetal position on the floor of my bedroom and
moan for hours. I never had a good night's sleep. I probably had insomnia. I remember lying
awake for hours every night. I never had a normal bowel movement. Ropey little stringy things, or
hard round black balls, or one variation or other or loose bowel movements right up to full blown
diarrhea. I never told anyone about any of this. I was too embarrassed. I was too ashamed. It was
late winter, 1973. I had just turned 18 years old.
Months and months had gone by and nothing seemed to change. Then one night some-thing
really weird happened. I sat up in bed feeling the unstoppable urgency that had defined my
regular bouts of diarrhea. I ran to the bathroom and made it just in the nick of time, as usual. It
sounded like normal diarrhea, but as I turned around to flush, I was shocked to discover that the
toilet bowl was filled with bright red blood. My blood.
I was very freaked out.
The next day proved to be even stranger. My appointment with the gastroenterologist was
scheduled for 11 am . The waiting room was filled with older men. No one in the room was under
60 years of age, except me. Remember that this was 1973. Men looked older at younger ages
back then. The difference between the generations was more pronounced back then. Many
things were different back then. By three pm the waiting room was empty. The nurse came out
and asked me who I was, and why I was sitting there. I told her my name and said that my
appointment was for 11 am . The nurse explained that the doctor never saw patients my age,
and that she assumed I was the son or grandson of one of the other patients. Then she
explained that the reason the doctor never saw patients my age was because the kind of
problems the doctor treated didn't usually happen to people until they turned 50 or older. I am
sure she was trying to be reassuring, but it made me feel even more strange and isolated than
before. She apologized for keeping me waiting all day and brought me in to see the doctor.
I endured the excruciating pain and absolute humiliation of a full-length colonoscopy without any
anesthesia. It wasn't even an option back then. (Well, it wasn't offered to me anyway.) Once the
procedure started, there was nothing I could do. I felt trapped. I couldn't believe the level of
discomfort and pain I was experiencing! I sacreamed out every curse word and unsavory phrase
I could think of. I didn't even know who this doctor was, but I decided that I hated him. I couldn't
wait to get out of there, and was determined to walk out just as soon as I could. Finally, "the
procedure" was over. I couldn't believe I had just willingly submitted myself to such a horrendous
experience. I started looking for the door. I wasn't interested in talking to anyone. I wanted to get
the hell out of there.
Halfway to the door, the doctor grabbed me by the arm. "Son, you just can't walk out of here like
that. Besides I have some bad news for you. You need to sit down for this."
"Sit down?" I thought to myself, "I may not be able to sit down for a week after what I just went
through!" Once again, I felt like I had no choice. I reluctantly and cautiously sat down inside the
austere confines of that ill-fated examination room in the middle of what was shaping up to be
one of the worst days of my life. Unbelievably, it got worse.
"It looks like you have colon cancer." The doctor had just spoken. "We have to run some more
tests, but it does not look good." I'm sure he said a lot more than that, but that is all I remember.
My mind was spinning in a million different directions. Cancer? How is that possible? Cancer?
People die from cancer! Cancer? Me? I'm too young to have cancer! Cancer? I was totally
shocked. I had never been in a situation like this before. I felt totally helpless and alone. I was
terrified.
What seemed like an eternity probably lasted only thirty seconds. The doctor was waiting for my
response and I was trying to come up with one. Instinctively, my mind was racing around for an
explanation, a reason, an excuse, a justification, anything. Suddenly, I had a question to ask the
doctor:
"Do you think this has anything to do with my diet?"
His answer, as it turned out, changed my life.
"No." he said. "There's no connection."
"Well then, what causes colon cancer?" I asked.
"We don't know. (he paused) Stress."
Then he left it at that, and left the room.
Stress? I had never experienced so much stress in my entire life! I left the doctors office that
afternoon determined to find out how and why I had gotten myself into such a mess. In spite of
my doctor's assurances that "more tests were needed" before they knew for sure what was
wrong with me, I was already gearing up for the worst case scenario. I was also starting to feel
that I might have to start figuring things out on my own. By the time I got home that night, I had
the very distinct and very disquieting feeling that I was definitely going to have to figure things
out on my own.
Why did I ask my doctor the question about diet? It was not because I knew anything about the
connections between diet and disease, nutrition, and health; because at that time in my life, I
didn't. I asked the question because it was the only thing that made sense. You see, since the
previous summer, I had been on a high-protein diet, where I ate steak three times a day, and as
much milk and cheese and ice cream as I wanted. I had never connected my many
uncomfortable gastro-intestinal symptoms to my high-protein diet, until that moment. I can't tell
you how or why I knew there was a connection between my symptoms and my diet. But I can tell
you this: I knew there was a connection!The doctor said there was no connection between my diet and my condition, but I believed there
was. The doctor said they didn't know what caused colon cancer, other than stress. I certainly
didn't know for sure what had caused my condition and symptoms. I only knew that the answer;
"We don't know" didn't make any sense at all. This was America ! Land of the free, home of the
brave! This was America ! We were landing men on the moon! We had the very best medicine
on earth! Or so I had been lead to believe. Surely we could figure out the cause and cure for
colon cancer. I was deter-mined to find out what caused my condition and symptoms. I was
determined to find a cure and get better fast. I had no choice. I had to find a cure. I was too
young to die!
(Please remember that I was looking for a "cure" because I was just starting out on my journey.
At this point in time I did not know the difference between curing and personal healing as I
described earlier.)
In the three weeks between my first examination and my next series of tests, I went to the library
almost every day looking up whatever literature I could find about the connections between diet
and colon cancer. Here's what I discovered:
The lack of fiber in the diet has been identified as a major contributing factor in an increasingly
higher and higher rate of colon cancer in both men and women.
I can't tell you from what book or study or author I read the above sentence. I simply can't
remember and I never wrote down the exact quotation or source. All I can tell you is that when I
read these words (or something like them), I knew instantly that I had found the first clue in
solving the puzzle of my own personal health crisis. I was ecstatic. I was relieved. I was hopeful
once again. I was looking forward to sharing my discovery with my doctor. My next encounter with
my doctor turned about to be another interesting experience.
He laughed at me. When I told my doctor what I had discovered about the link between dietary
fiber and colon cancer, he laughed at me! He said there was no connection. He looked at me
with an expression combining disgust and pity, as if I were the biggest fool alive. Then he
lowered the boom: "Besides" he said with some measure of relief in his voice, "You don't have
colon cancer. Not yet anyway. But don't get me wrong, your colon is a mess. You have a very
serious case of precancerous ulcerative colitis." He went on and on but I stopped listening after
the first few sentences.
I remember thinking to myself that I was supposed to meet this news about my ulcerative colitis
as if it were good news, as if this was better than colon cancer, which it was, technically, but
somehow it just didn't feel that way. There was very little good news in any of this for me at the
time. I just felt angry and confused and humiliated. In spite of all the feelings swirling around
inside of me that afternoon, I felt pretty certain about three things when I left his office:
It never entered my mind to seek a second or third opinion. Imagine that.
In the days and weeks following my informative encounters with the gastroenterologist,
I read a series of books that I had found about the connections between diet and disease. I'm
pretty sure that one of those books was entitled: Are You Confused? written by the famous
Naturopathic doctor, Paavo Airola. I took the book off the shelf because I most certainly was
confused. I read a few chapters and felt more confused. I read another book called: The Save
Your Life Diet, written by Dr. David Reuben. I took this book off the shelf because the title really
spoke to me. Directly. Literally. The basic premise of David Reuben's book was that colon cancer
was caused by too much meat and dairy and processed foods and not enough fiber from whole
foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables. His book made a lot of sense to me.
I took myself off the crazy high protein diet right away. I dramatically decreased the amount of
meat, dairy, and processed foods in my diet. I dramatically increased the amount of fiber in my
diet. I think the first month on my "new diet" I ate three bowls of bran cereal every single day. I
ate salads and carrots and apples and bananas. My family and friends thought I had gone a little
"nuts." I didn't care. I was on a mission. I was on a quest. In a matter of a few days, I started to
feel and see results. In a matter of a few weeks, most of my physical symptoms were completely
gone. What a revelation. What a sense of relief I felt. (I am not suggesting that you eat bran
cereal. Please be patient. My complete dietary recommendations are in Section Two.)
Although my physical symptoms had cleared up rather quickly, my emotional, mental or
psychological symptoms did not. The months of constant digestive problems had taken their toll.
The weeks of absolute terror I lived through believing that I had colon cancer and might die as a
result, with the best doctors in the world not knowing the cause or the cure , left me anxious,
uncertain, and afraid. Though some pieces of the diet and health puzzle made sense to me,
many other pieces remained elusive. The more I read, the more confused I became. The more
"diets" I tried, the more frustrated I became. No matter how hard I tried, I never really felt 100%
healthy again, the way I had felt before the onset of all my digestive system problems, sometime
in the Spring of 1972.
The worst symptoms I endured as an aftermath of all my experiences with ulcerative colitis,
modern medicine and the hundreds of conflicting choices available to me in the holistic and
alternative healing worlds between 1973 and 1980 were these: anxiety and depression.
Sometimes these "states" of anxiety and depression would come upon me slowly and gradually.
Sometimes they would hit me like a ton of bricks. Whenever they happened, they were always
unwelcome guests. In the previous eighteen years of my life, I had never felt any anxiety or
depression. I had always felt lots of good energy. I had always been enthusiastic and optimistic. I
had always felt confident and successful. I hated feeling anxious and afraid. It felt like something
from my personality had been stolen. These states of anxiety and depression always felt so
foreign and strange. At my worst moments, I felt totally helpless and hopeless. At my worst
moments I desperately feared for my life. At my worst moments I could feel parts of my
personality slipping away, eroding away, disappearing and dissolving into some dark abyss, like
an Edgar Allan Poe horror story that had become real. (My favorite writer as a high school
student.)
During one of these darkest of times, an interesting realization occurred to me. "Perhaps there is
some reason for my suffering." What that reason could be I could only begin to imagine, and
what I imagined was usually not very favorable! And so I began to pray. I began to bargain with
God. Here was the essence of my prayer: "Dear God! I hate feeling anxious and depressed. I
hate feeling alone and isolated. I hate feeling adrift at sea, with no rudder, oars, sail, map, or
compass. I hate feeling uncertain about the purpose and direction of my life. I know I am on the
right path by changing my diet and lifestyle. I know I am on the right path to learn about the
things that nourish me best. Here is my promise to you. If I can ever wake up in the morning once
again, free of these awful feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and depression, I will dedicate the rest
of my life to teaching others about the things that got me well and kept me well. I will dedicate the
rest of my life to helping other people who are suffering the way I am suffering now. Please show
me the way back to health and confidence, energy, vitality, and fun."
During the years between 1973 and 1980, I read hundreds of books, joined many interesting
organizations, attended dozens of seminars, and interviewed many experts about alternative
health and healing. I experienced everything that was out there at the time, from Alcoholics
Anonymous to Macrobiotics to Zen. I had jobs that exposed me to every aspect of the food and
nutrition industries, from organic gardening to lab testing the seeds and nuts at the Erewhon
Natural Foods Warehouse. I washed dishes and waited on tables and worked my way from
vegetable cutter to head chef. I practiced meditation and yoga and learned many forms of
bodywork and massage. I met thousands of people just like me, searching for the answers about
the causes of their sickness and disease. I met thousands of people searching for solutions,
searching for answers, searching for health. I met many people who healed themselves from
cancer and other serious illnesses. I met many people who did not heal themselves as well. I
witnessed many people dying from their illnesses at far too young an age. I learned important life-
changing lessons from them all.
During the years between 1980 and 1987 I felt pretty good most of the time. But I never felt
100% healthy and energetic. My best days were about 80%. I figured that's just the way it's going
to be. I was convinced I was doing the best that I could do and had already tried everything that
was out there to try in the holistic and alternative world. I had a part time practice in Shiatsu
Massage and Nutrition Counseling. My dietary suggestions were often too extreme for other
people to follow for any length of time, which was an endless source of frustration for me. I knew
that people could heal themselves by eating certain foods and avoiding other foods, but most
people were just not willing to make too many changes. People wanted magic bullet/quick fix
solutions and I didn't have any to offer.
In the Spring of 1987, I was introduced to a company called Cell Tech and an amazing wild-
crafted food called Super Blue Green Algae. I remember my first algae experience like it was
yesterday. About two weeks after eating only two capsules of the algae per day, I woke up very
early one morning and felt something very pleasant but also very strange. I felt 100% healthy
and alive! I was sitting at my desk, and I remember looking at my legs and arms as if I could see
the pulsation of my life-force coursing through my veins like some kind of visible electric current. I
remember thinking to myself: Wow, this is unbelievable. This is how I used to feel when I was a
teenager, before I got sick. I walked downstairs into our kitchen to see if Megan (my wife) was
feeling the same thing.
Our eyes met with the unmistakable expression: "Are you feeling what I'm feeling?" The answer
was a resounding yes. The intensity of the experience wore off by the end of the day, but each
day I continued to eat my algae, and every day I felt 100% healthy and alive again. What on
earth was going on?
All I can tell you is this: based on everything I have studied before and since that time, there is
only one logical explanation. Prior to the day that Super Blue Green Algae entered my life (and
my bloodstream) I was suffering from micro-nutrient deficiencies.
(This is one of the root causes for all physical degeneration and disease as I described earlier.)
The algae contains over 100 different micro-nutrients from every significant category. The algae
contains every vitamin except vitamin D, which we get from sunlight. The algae contains over 43
minerals and trace minerals. The algae contains active enzymes. The algae has the greatest
amount of chlorophyll gram per gram than any other food. And chlorophyll is a cell builder and
blood purifier. A molecule of chlor-ophyll and a molecule of hemoglobin (red blood cells) are
identical in almost every way, except for an atom of iron which gives hemoglobin its red color and
magnesium which gives chlorophyll its green color. Chlorophyll carries oxygen to the cells of our
body. The algae is the biggest source of beta-carotene, a powerful anti-oxidant. The algae
contains all 20 amino acids, which is unique to all plants, and amino acids are the building blocks
of protein. The physical structure of all cells is protein. Most of our human structure is made of
protein. The algae contains complete protein molecules. This means that the basic building
blocks are present in the algae for the cells of our body to do essential repair work;
reconstruction, deconstruction, and new construction! The algae contains nucleic acids which
provide vital nourishment for the inner machinery of all cells. The algae contains essential fatty
acids like Omega 3 and Omega 6. And the algae contains all of these essential micro-nutrients in
a form that is 100% digestible and easy to assimilate.
The body exerts no energy to get at these nutrients and there is no fiber and no waste. This
Super Blue Green Algae from Cell Tech is the most amazing single food source of vital nutrients
that I have ever experienced.and I have tried them all!
In the years between 1987 and 1994, I was mostly symptom free. I had no digestive system
problems and the few moments of anxiety and depression were rare and mild.
In the Spring of 1994, I started to give seminars around the United States and Canada about the
fundamentals of nutrition and health. Cell Tech's distributors and customers and the home office
were very supportive of these seminars. I felt fantastic most of the time, but gradually the jet-
setting lifestyle started to wear me out. In November of 1994, I was taken to the hospital after
suffering my very first kidney stone attack. Unfortunately, it wasn't my last. It was the worst
physical pain I had ever felt. After a few shots of morphine (in the hospital) to relax all my
muscles, I passed the kidney stone the following morning.
After that unsettling experience, I started to have relapses with my old friends, anxiety and
depression. I just could not imagine what was causing these symptoms to return. But return they
did, with a vengeance. I examined every aspect of my diet and lifestyle and redoubled all my
efforts in avoiding insulting foods and habits and stayed totally focused on complementary foods,
beverages, supplements, and other influences. In the summer of 1995, I passed another kidney
stone. In October of 1996, I passed my third kidney stone in three years. I knew that if I didn't
figure something out soon I would be heading straight towards the creation of my fourth kidney
stone or something even worse. But I was distracted. My anxiety was becoming more frequent
and near constant. I was starting to have extreme panic attacks. The only solution was to lock
myself in my room and just wait it out. Depression was hovering around me constantly now, and
the worst thing about all this was that I couldn't tell any one. I was Mr. Health Educator! I was Mr.
Nutrition Counselor! I was used to figuring these things out and solving them alone.
In January 1997, for no apparent reason, I felt completely fine. The fog of depression had finally
lifted and the constant panic attacks had stopped. As much as I enjoyed every precious moment
of my reprieve, I couldn't help but thinking that another episode was just lurking around the
corner. Now, trust me, I wanted desperately to think positive thoughts, but the truth was that I
knew with confidence that I had absolutely no idea why my anxiety and depression had suddenly
disappeared. This realization troubled me. And of course I still hadn't figured out what was
causing them to appear in the first place. This was most troubling. I had learned so much about
the puzzle of nutrition and health, but clearly a piece was still missing. I kept reading. I kept
talking to my colleagues. I kept experimenting with my diet, modifying my lifestyle, but nothing
seemed to help at all. Still, I was very grateful for my unexpected reprieve. I never knew how
temporary these reprieves would ever be.
Then in February 1997, I flew down to Tampa , Florida from Boston to give one of my seminars. I
remember walking on the beach on a Friday afternoon soon after my arrival. Clear blue skies, 80
degrees warm, and brilliant sunshine. As I walked along the beach I remember thinking: Man do I
feel great or what! This is just perfect. I wish I could bottle this moment and remember how to feel
this way no matter what happens in the future. There were beach volleyball games happening
every 100 yards or so and I was thinking I would go and join one. Then, it hit me. Wham. Just like
that. The lights went out again. The dimmer switch got turned all the way down. The air went out
of my lungs. The darkness and shadows descended upon me. Fear roiled in the pit of my
stomach. Depression. Just like that. I walked back to my hotel in shock and disbelief. In a few
short hours, my seminar was set to begin. How was I going to pull it off this time?
Somehow, I survived. I always managed to survive. I kept on trusting and hoping and believing
that there was an organic explanation for my suffering, even though I could not seem to find the
right book or the right person to explain it to me. Not yet anyway. I just never stopped believing
that the explanation was out there, somewhere. My job was to keep looking for it and never give
up. Perhaps you know the feeling.
The following weekend I was in Tulsa , Oklahoma to give another one of my day-long seminars. I
was half-way through the Saturday morning session, when a very troubling and distracting
realization entered my mind: You may never find the solution because you keep looking in all the
wrong places. Whoa. That thought really messed me up. I stopped lecturing. I remember looking
out to a sea of puzzled and concerned faces. Beads of sweat broke out around the edges of my
forehead. My mouth got really, really dry. I thought for sure I was going to melt-down right in front
of everybody. Suddenly, I had an idea: "Folks," I said with a forced but passable smile on my
face, "I sure hope you understand, but sometimes these things just happen. I've given this
seminar a hundred times over the past few years and I can give this particular talk in my sleep
forwards and backwards. But, I just had an unmistakable brain cramp and I've completely lost the
thread of what I have been talking about." Everybody laughed. That helped. "Let's take an early
lunch break. Let's get back together at one pm ." It worked. Everyone got up and filed out of the
room without incident. I turned around and shuffled through some papers on the lectern, trying to
look unavailable and distracted and busy.
When I turned around to leave the room there was a strange looking man standing there waiting
for me. He was skinny and disheveled, wearing denim overalls and a yellow plaid cotton shirt. He
wore a scraggly day-old beard and was missing a front tooth or two. I didn't say a word to him. I
just stared. He spoke first. "I was wondering if you have ever come across the connection
between hydration and depression?" Say What? I thought I was hallucinating. Maybe I had
melted down after all. Maybe everyone was still in the room. Maybe this man was a shamanic
guide from the Carlos Castaneda books I had read in the early seventies. Before I could
formulate a response to him, he started speaking again: "I think you need to read this book.
Here, take it. It's a gift." He handed me the book, and I said thank you. Then he turned and
walked away.
I stared down at the book cover and read the title to myself: Your Body's Many Cries for Water.
And the subtitle, right below it: "You are not sick, you are thirsty!" By F. Bat-manghelidj, MD. I
tucked the book in my bag and walked to my room. I sat down on the side of my newly made bed
and read through the table of contents, I scrolled my finger down to chapter five, Stress and
Depression : the initially silent compensation mechanisms associated with dehydration. I turned
to chapter five and started reading:
A state of depression is said to exist when the brain, in confronting a stressful emotional problem
finds it difficult to cope with other attention-demanding actions at the same time. This
phenomenon can become so all-absorbing as to incapacitate the person. p.55
Pathology that is seen to be associated with social stresses , fear, anxiety, insecurity, and
(gradually) the establishment of (a state of) depression are the results of water deficiency to the
point that the water requirement of brain tissue (brain cells) is affected. The brain uses electrical
energy that is generated by the presence of water. With dehydration, the level of energy
generation in the brain is decreased. Many functions of the brain that depend upon this (water-
generated) energy become inefficient. We recognize (the symptoms associated with) this
inadequacy of function and call it depression. p.57
Dehydration is the number one stressor of the human body. Chronic cellular dehydration
painfully and prematurely kills. Its initial outward manifestations have until now been labeled as
diseases of unknown origin. p.69
I read the entire book on the flight home. I couldn't put it down. First thing on Monday morning I
called the publisher listed in the front of the book, hoping to make a telephone appointment with
Dr. Batmanghelidj (known to his legion of devoted fans as Dr.B). To my utter surprise and
delight, I was told to hold the line and within a minute or so I was talking to Dr. B. himself. He was
very generous with his time. He was very patient with my questions and my skepticism. He kept
repeating himself over and over again. "Just follow the watercure recipe and you will be fine."
Two hours went by. I finally agreed to follow the guidelines of his watercure. I told him I would
stay in touch and let him know if anything positive happened. I hung up the phone and started
the watercure.
Prior to that moment, I never drank more than one or two glasses of water a day. And I loved
water! Since the mid 1970s I had always made sure I was drinking natural spring water or purified
water from a home water filter. I was always careful about my drinking and cooking water quality .
I just never paid attention to my drinking water quantity . I had been taught that it didn't matter.
And I believed it. I had been taught that more than enough water was in my cooked whole grains
and steamed vegetables and fresh fruits. I was taught to "eat when you're hungry and drink
when you're thirsty." And so I did. For about 25 years I drank one or two glasses of water a day.
Dr. B was claiming that at my size and body weight (six foot tall and 200 pounds), I needed about
six times that amount on a daily basis. There was no way I could consume that much water.
There simply wouldn't be any room for anything else! Or so I thought.
I had to accept something very important and very real. No matter what I thought about drinking
that much water, the simple fact of the matter was I had never consumed that much water before
and I had been experiencing bouts of depression and anxiety off and on for the past 25 years! I
had run out of ideas myself and nobody else in my life was coming up with any new ideas. I had
absolutely nothing to lose and potentially every-thing in the world to gain. I tried it. Fourteen days
later my depression lifted and has not returned since. Not once. I have not had one moment of
acute anxiety, and not one panic attack since either. Oh, yeah. And no more kidney stones!
Imagine that.
The habit of proper daily hydration according to the guidelines set up by Dr. B in his (soon to be
more) famous watercure recipe was the last piece of a puzzle that I had been searching for, for a
very long time. In the nine years that have passed since my initial discovery of the watercure, I
have not missed one day of following that recipe precisely.
I encourage you to do the same thing. I have tried to the best of my ability to share the watercure
with everyone I know. There is nothing that I have discovered in over 30 years of searching for
common sense health solutions more important than the watercure. The watercure may turn out
to be the single most important health discovery of all time.
Imagine that. (The watercure recipe is found in Section 3.1)
Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you learned something. Please
read the other stories I have included here in the final pages of Section One. I know that you are
eager to get to the other parts of the Intestinal Regeneration Program found in Section Two. I am
eager for you to get there too. Simply keep in mind that each one of the next six stories was
carefully chosen with you in mind. Remember that each story is a true story, a case history
report from a recent client of mine who is following the same program I am describing to you in
this book. I believe there is a powerful seed of truth for you in each of the next six stories. A truth
that could set you free from the pain and suffering of your current digestive system problems.
Russell Mariani
South Hadley , Massachusetts .
March 2006"Even in our sleep, pain, which we cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart,
until in despair, against our own will, comes wisdom."Aeschylus
http://www.healingdigestiveillness.com/russells-story.html
Click here if you want to hear him http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrof7HYAyhA
1. Learn about irritable bowel syndrome and what can be done to help relieve IBS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBU0UUUC1CA&feature=channel&list=UL
Testimonial.
3. Learn about colitis and what can be done to help relieve colitis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jMqocnIi4U&feature=BFa&list=ULDzlVWRCGsWs
4. Learn about acid reflux and what can be done to help relieve acid reflux. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-B9vQU-rDA&feature=BFa&list=UL9jMqocnIi4U
5.Learn about constipation and what can be done to help relieve constipation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMYI9hmYlkw&feature=BFa&list=UL5-B9vQU-rDA
watch and digest your DIGESTION SYSTEM This video describe the whole function of the digestive system in our body, first, we start at the oral cavity...... (JUST CLICK ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7xKYNz9AS0&feature=related
The Center for Functional Nutrition
514 Amherst Road, South Hadley, MA 01075
413-536-0275
www.healthequest.com
maramor1@earthlink.net
Russell Mariani, M.A., Director of Client Education Services
To: Dr F.Batmanghelidj, M.D.
September 21, 2004
Dear Dr.B,
This is a letter that is long overdue !
Since 1973, when I was incorrectly diagnosed with colon cancer and then ineffectively treated for ulcerative colitis, I have been on a quest to discover the fundamental connections between our nutritional choices and our health . Scientific studies, though often helpful, should never be are placement for our own direct personal experiences. Thank you for encouraging people to take more responsibility for our own health and well-being by taking actions that truly nourish us best.
In my own experience, I was shocked to discover how little I understood about the cause and effect relationships between states of chronic unintentional dehydration and disease. Even in my natural healing classes I had been advised to eat when ou are hungry and drink water when you're thirsty. i had been taught that there was enough water content in the cooked whole grains, steamed vegetables and fresh fruits that I was eating and that extra water was rarely necessary. I was taught that drinking water would dilute and render ineffective the digestive juices. I was taught that drinking water would weaken the kidneys. How incorrect all that 'advice' turn out to be ! Although I had always made a point of drinking only fresh spring-water or purified tap water, there were many years of my life that I rarely drink more than one or two glasses of water per day. For most of the past thirty years (30) years, I have weighed an average of two hundred (200) pounds. So you can see that my daily water intake had been woefully inadequate for a very long time.
My body was constantly crying out to me for water and salt, but I did not know how to interpret these messages. Irritable bowel, chronic fatigue, dry skin, days of acute anxiety, weeks of constant depression, periodic kidney stones ; were all signals of thirst and chronic dehydration that I missed for many, many years. More importantly, because of my own ignorance of the role of proper daily hydration and health, I was unable to pass this vital information on to others. Fortunately, all of that changed about seven years ago. (1997)
In the middle of one of the worst episodes of acute anxiety and constant depression in my life, someone handed me your first book ; Your Body's Many Cries for Water . After reading chapter 5 on Stress and Depression, I had the thought : " Why haven't I ever read or heard anything about this before?" Your explanations all made perfect sense. A few days later I phoned your office and spoke to you in person. You simply advised me to begin measuring the inflow of water and the outflow of urine, and to consume half my body weight in ounces of water with salt, daily. Thus began one of the most helpful and important learning experiences of my life.
Following your sage advice , it took a mere twenty-one (21) days for my body to rid itself of the state of anxiety and depression that I had been suffering from for almost two months.
Remember , that I had been suffering from periodic ( and medically unexplainable) bouts of anxiety and depression for over twenty years. In the previous three years, I had also started to experience the excruciating pain of kidney stones , which came upon me like clockwork in the late summers of 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Since first learning about the WaterCure in March , 1997, I have not had one relapse of anxiety or depression. I have not had another kidney stone attack either. I know with absolute confidence and certainty that both of these medically unexplainable conditions had their origin in my state of chronic unintentional dehydration . As the weeks and months and years roll by, the benefits of proper daily hydration continue to manifest.
Clearly there exists no more powerful medicine on earth than simple water and salt ! Clearly, the easiest thing each one of us can do every single day to ensure the highest quality of health inside our own bodies, is to maintain proper hydration levels within the cells, organs and systems, by drinking the correct amounts of water with salt.
In the hierarchy of effective health solutions, nothing is more important than water with salt. The WaterCure is health solution number one!
I have tried many natural, alternative and holistic health habits for over thirty (30) years now, and all of them have worked to one degree or another. Water with salt is the thing that ties them all together. When the body is properly hydrated on a daily basis, every other complementary health practice is enhanced and made more effective. For many people this habit of water with salt is the missing piece of the puzzle in their long search for effective health solutions.In my work with clients in my nutrition counseling practice, it is the very first thing I teach them. Please let your readers know that they are welcome to contact me by phone or e-mail at any time. I am committed to helping you get the word out about proper daily hydration. The WaterCure is not only vital ; it's transformational.
Thank you for your pioneering work in educating the world about the role of proper daily hydration and health. Ignorance truly is the cause of all human suffering. And education, of the kind you continue to provide us all, is the very best medicine we have.
Sincerely, Russell Mariani
About Us
Russell Mariani and Megan Moore first met in 1982 and have been working together on a mission of better health through better nutrition ever since. They married in 1986. They have been pioneers in the worlds of holistic health, organic agriculture and whole foods cooking as well as pioneering the virtual counseling and education experience for their clients and customers. The Center for Functional Nutrition, their most recent cooperative endeavor, was started in September, 1999.
About Russell Mariani
Russell Mariani is the Director of Health Education at The Center for Functional Nutrition in South Hadley, Massachusetts. He is a Health Educator, Nutrition Counselor and Digestive Wellness expert. He has been in private practice since 1980. He has his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University (1977), a Masters of Arts degree in Health Education from Vermont College at Norwich University (2003), and continues acquiring ongoing education credits in the area of Digestive Wellness and Integrative Health through the Institute for Functional Medicine and the Institute for Functional Nutrition. Since 1980 he has helped thousands of people regain their health through dietary and lifestyle improvements through classes, seminars, retreats and personal consultations.
He is passionate about teaching others how to be and become more proactive in their own self-care.
Russell graduated from the Kushi Institute for International Macrobiotic Studies in 1979. He was a Macrobiotic Counselor and teacher for many years. He was a founding member of the American Shiatsu Association in 1984. The Macrobiotic approach to health has been foundational in Russell’s commitment to helping others to be and become more proactive in their own self-care. Many of the core principles and practices of what we refer to as Functional Nutrition and Functional Medicine today, have their origins in the basic Macrobiotic approach to diet and lifestyle. Generally speaking these principles and practices have to do with a deep understanding of the natural world and how the human body is part of this larger eco-system. This orientation empowers us to understand that the best foods to consume are organic whole foods similar to the ones our own ancestors prepared and consumed for thousands of years before us. This orientation also empowers us to eat locally and seasonally and to understand that when it comes to the various choices we make every day; nothing is neutral. Every choice we make is either comple-mentary to the way our body has been designed to function or it is insulting. Russell’s books and health programs explain these dynamic principles and practices in full detail and help people to integrate these transformational habits, step-by-step into their daily lives.
"My interest in natural healing and whole foods nutrition began shortly after I was mis-diagnosed with colon cancer in 1973. Within three months the doctors settled on a diagnosis of pre-cancerous Ulcerative Colitis. I was 18 years old at the time. Believing I had little time to live and no time to waste, I started on my healing journey. I sought the answers to a few questions of vital interest to me at the time: How did this happen to me? What are the root causes of digestive disease? What role does diet and nutrition play in reversing the disease process and restoring one's vitality, energy, health? The answers I found were so inspiring and helpful that I decided to dedicate the rest of my life to the continuous learning and teaching of the fundamentals of nutrition and health. And that's what I've been doing since 1980. I encourage you to contact me to explore ways in which I can assist you in your personal quest to regain, maintain and optimize your health and well-being, especially if you are suffering from any digestive system problems."
“I can tell you this: There is simply no reason for anyone to suffer from any digestive system problem if they are serious about getting better. Many people have the desire to change, they are just not sure where or how to begin. What they need is an effective coach and guide. Someone who knows first hand, the kinds of physical symptoms and personal challenges they are experiencing. Someone who has learned how and why to change their own dietary and lifestyle habits. Someone who has helped thousands of people with digestive system problems just like theirs…to get better.”
“I have been assisting others in the quest for better health through better dietary and lifestyle choices since 1980. I am experienced in working with people addressing the full range of health challenges, including all the major (and minor) forms of degenerative disease. My experiences demonstrate that the human body has an almost infinite capacity to regenerate and heal as long as we cooperate consistently. Teaching people how to cooperate with the dynamic healing systems within their own body is the essence of the work that I do. I have a particular interest in and a long history of success with the prevention and correction of digestive system imbalances. I am passionate about teaching others how to be and become more proactive in their own self-care.”
About Megan Moore
Megan Moore is the Director of Client Services at The Center for Functional Nutrition in South Hadley, Massachusetts. She has a Bachelor of Education from York University in Toronto, Canada. For twelve years Megan taught elementary school in the Toronto Public Schools including English as a Second Language to many immigrant children. In the 1990’s she was the artistic director of The Children’s Dance Theater in Conway, NH. For most of her adult life Megan has been a professional Storyteller. She is a highly regarded Gourmet Natural Foods Chef and has taught whole foods cooking classes to individuals and groups for many years. She is also a seasoned Event Coordinator. Her life long passion and advocacy for sustainable earth stewardship led her to join the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement in its early stages. She is dedicated to advancing the principles and practices of Functional Medicine and Functional Nutrition.
****************************************
Russell's Story: Ulcerative Colitis, Anxiety, Depression
I had been sick for about a year but the seriousness of my symptoms never registered:
constipation for days at a time, then diarrhea for days at a time. I lived on Kaopectate and Pepto
Bismol depending on my condition and symptoms. I was uncomfortable all the time. I had
constant headaches and my face was a mess with acne. I was tired all the time. I felt lousy. I had
constant indigestion, constant gas and bloating, constant abdominal discomfort, and periods of
acute abdominal pain. I had intestinal cramps that were so bad, that they literally threw me out of
my bed in the middle of night. I would curl up in a fetal position on the floor of my bedroom and
moan for hours. I never had a good night's sleep. I probably had insomnia. I remember lying
awake for hours every night. I never had a normal bowel movement. Ropey little stringy things, or
hard round black balls, or one variation or other or loose bowel movements right up to full blown
diarrhea. I never told anyone about any of this. I was too embarrassed. I was too ashamed. It was
late winter, 1973. I had just turned 18 years old.
Months and months had gone by and nothing seemed to change. Then one night some-thing
really weird happened. I sat up in bed feeling the unstoppable urgency that had defined my
regular bouts of diarrhea. I ran to the bathroom and made it just in the nick of time, as usual. It
sounded like normal diarrhea, but as I turned around to flush, I was shocked to discover that the
toilet bowl was filled with bright red blood. My blood.
I was very freaked out.
The next day proved to be even stranger. My appointment with the gastroenterologist was
scheduled for 11 am . The waiting room was filled with older men. No one in the room was under
60 years of age, except me. Remember that this was 1973. Men looked older at younger ages
back then. The difference between the generations was more pronounced back then. Many
things were different back then. By three pm the waiting room was empty. The nurse came out
and asked me who I was, and why I was sitting there. I told her my name and said that my
appointment was for 11 am . The nurse explained that the doctor never saw patients my age,
and that she assumed I was the son or grandson of one of the other patients. Then she
explained that the reason the doctor never saw patients my age was because the kind of
problems the doctor treated didn't usually happen to people until they turned 50 or older. I am
sure she was trying to be reassuring, but it made me feel even more strange and isolated than
before. She apologized for keeping me waiting all day and brought me in to see the doctor.
I endured the excruciating pain and absolute humiliation of a full-length colonoscopy without any
anesthesia. It wasn't even an option back then. (Well, it wasn't offered to me anyway.) Once the
procedure started, there was nothing I could do. I felt trapped. I couldn't believe the level of
discomfort and pain I was experiencing! I sacreamed out every curse word and unsavory phrase
I could think of. I didn't even know who this doctor was, but I decided that I hated him. I couldn't
wait to get out of there, and was determined to walk out just as soon as I could. Finally, "the
procedure" was over. I couldn't believe I had just willingly submitted myself to such a horrendous
experience. I started looking for the door. I wasn't interested in talking to anyone. I wanted to get
the hell out of there.
Halfway to the door, the doctor grabbed me by the arm. "Son, you just can't walk out of here like
that. Besides I have some bad news for you. You need to sit down for this."
"Sit down?" I thought to myself, "I may not be able to sit down for a week after what I just went
through!" Once again, I felt like I had no choice. I reluctantly and cautiously sat down inside the
austere confines of that ill-fated examination room in the middle of what was shaping up to be
one of the worst days of my life. Unbelievably, it got worse.
"It looks like you have colon cancer." The doctor had just spoken. "We have to run some more
tests, but it does not look good." I'm sure he said a lot more than that, but that is all I remember.
My mind was spinning in a million different directions. Cancer? How is that possible? Cancer?
People die from cancer! Cancer? Me? I'm too young to have cancer! Cancer? I was totally
shocked. I had never been in a situation like this before. I felt totally helpless and alone. I was
terrified.
What seemed like an eternity probably lasted only thirty seconds. The doctor was waiting for my
response and I was trying to come up with one. Instinctively, my mind was racing around for an
explanation, a reason, an excuse, a justification, anything. Suddenly, I had a question to ask the
doctor:
"Do you think this has anything to do with my diet?"
His answer, as it turned out, changed my life.
"No." he said. "There's no connection."
"Well then, what causes colon cancer?" I asked.
"We don't know. (he paused) Stress."
Then he left it at that, and left the room.
Stress? I had never experienced so much stress in my entire life! I left the doctors office that
afternoon determined to find out how and why I had gotten myself into such a mess. In spite of
my doctor's assurances that "more tests were needed" before they knew for sure what was
wrong with me, I was already gearing up for the worst case scenario. I was also starting to feel
that I might have to start figuring things out on my own. By the time I got home that night, I had
the very distinct and very disquieting feeling that I was definitely going to have to figure things
out on my own.
Why did I ask my doctor the question about diet? It was not because I knew anything about the
connections between diet and disease, nutrition, and health; because at that time in my life, I
didn't. I asked the question because it was the only thing that made sense. You see, since the
previous summer, I had been on a high-protein diet, where I ate steak three times a day, and as
much milk and cheese and ice cream as I wanted. I had never connected my many
uncomfortable gastro-intestinal symptoms to my high-protein diet, until that moment. I can't tell
you how or why I knew there was a connection between my symptoms and my diet. But I can tell
you this: I knew there was a connection!The doctor said there was no connection between my diet and my condition, but I believed there
was. The doctor said they didn't know what caused colon cancer, other than stress. I certainly
didn't know for sure what had caused my condition and symptoms. I only knew that the answer;
"We don't know" didn't make any sense at all. This was America ! Land of the free, home of the
brave! This was America ! We were landing men on the moon! We had the very best medicine
on earth! Or so I had been lead to believe. Surely we could figure out the cause and cure for
colon cancer. I was deter-mined to find out what caused my condition and symptoms. I was
determined to find a cure and get better fast. I had no choice. I had to find a cure. I was too
young to die!
(Please remember that I was looking for a "cure" because I was just starting out on my journey.
At this point in time I did not know the difference between curing and personal healing as I
described earlier.)
In the three weeks between my first examination and my next series of tests, I went to the library
almost every day looking up whatever literature I could find about the connections between diet
and colon cancer. Here's what I discovered:
The lack of fiber in the diet has been identified as a major contributing factor in an increasingly
higher and higher rate of colon cancer in both men and women.
I can't tell you from what book or study or author I read the above sentence. I simply can't
remember and I never wrote down the exact quotation or source. All I can tell you is that when I
read these words (or something like them), I knew instantly that I had found the first clue in
solving the puzzle of my own personal health crisis. I was ecstatic. I was relieved. I was hopeful
once again. I was looking forward to sharing my discovery with my doctor. My next encounter with
my doctor turned about to be another interesting experience.
He laughed at me. When I told my doctor what I had discovered about the link between dietary
fiber and colon cancer, he laughed at me! He said there was no connection. He looked at me
with an expression combining disgust and pity, as if I were the biggest fool alive. Then he
lowered the boom: "Besides" he said with some measure of relief in his voice, "You don't have
colon cancer. Not yet anyway. But don't get me wrong, your colon is a mess. You have a very
serious case of precancerous ulcerative colitis." He went on and on but I stopped listening after
the first few sentences.
I remember thinking to myself that I was supposed to meet this news about my ulcerative colitis
as if it were good news, as if this was better than colon cancer, which it was, technically, but
somehow it just didn't feel that way. There was very little good news in any of this for me at the
time. I just felt angry and confused and humiliated. In spite of all the feelings swirling around
inside of me that afternoon, I felt pretty certain about three things when I left his office:
- I did not like this doctor.
- I did not trust this doctor.
- If I was going to get better, I was going to have to do it on my own.
It never entered my mind to seek a second or third opinion. Imagine that.
In the days and weeks following my informative encounters with the gastroenterologist,
I read a series of books that I had found about the connections between diet and disease. I'm
pretty sure that one of those books was entitled: Are You Confused? written by the famous
Naturopathic doctor, Paavo Airola. I took the book off the shelf because I most certainly was
confused. I read a few chapters and felt more confused. I read another book called: The Save
Your Life Diet, written by Dr. David Reuben. I took this book off the shelf because the title really
spoke to me. Directly. Literally. The basic premise of David Reuben's book was that colon cancer
was caused by too much meat and dairy and processed foods and not enough fiber from whole
foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables. His book made a lot of sense to me.
I took myself off the crazy high protein diet right away. I dramatically decreased the amount of
meat, dairy, and processed foods in my diet. I dramatically increased the amount of fiber in my
diet. I think the first month on my "new diet" I ate three bowls of bran cereal every single day. I
ate salads and carrots and apples and bananas. My family and friends thought I had gone a little
"nuts." I didn't care. I was on a mission. I was on a quest. In a matter of a few days, I started to
feel and see results. In a matter of a few weeks, most of my physical symptoms were completely
gone. What a revelation. What a sense of relief I felt. (I am not suggesting that you eat bran
cereal. Please be patient. My complete dietary recommendations are in Section Two.)
Although my physical symptoms had cleared up rather quickly, my emotional, mental or
psychological symptoms did not. The months of constant digestive problems had taken their toll.
The weeks of absolute terror I lived through believing that I had colon cancer and might die as a
result, with the best doctors in the world not knowing the cause or the cure , left me anxious,
uncertain, and afraid. Though some pieces of the diet and health puzzle made sense to me,
many other pieces remained elusive. The more I read, the more confused I became. The more
"diets" I tried, the more frustrated I became. No matter how hard I tried, I never really felt 100%
healthy again, the way I had felt before the onset of all my digestive system problems, sometime
in the Spring of 1972.
The worst symptoms I endured as an aftermath of all my experiences with ulcerative colitis,
modern medicine and the hundreds of conflicting choices available to me in the holistic and
alternative healing worlds between 1973 and 1980 were these: anxiety and depression.
Sometimes these "states" of anxiety and depression would come upon me slowly and gradually.
Sometimes they would hit me like a ton of bricks. Whenever they happened, they were always
unwelcome guests. In the previous eighteen years of my life, I had never felt any anxiety or
depression. I had always felt lots of good energy. I had always been enthusiastic and optimistic. I
had always felt confident and successful. I hated feeling anxious and afraid. It felt like something
from my personality had been stolen. These states of anxiety and depression always felt so
foreign and strange. At my worst moments, I felt totally helpless and hopeless. At my worst
moments I desperately feared for my life. At my worst moments I could feel parts of my
personality slipping away, eroding away, disappearing and dissolving into some dark abyss, like
an Edgar Allan Poe horror story that had become real. (My favorite writer as a high school
student.)
During one of these darkest of times, an interesting realization occurred to me. "Perhaps there is
some reason for my suffering." What that reason could be I could only begin to imagine, and
what I imagined was usually not very favorable! And so I began to pray. I began to bargain with
God. Here was the essence of my prayer: "Dear God! I hate feeling anxious and depressed. I
hate feeling alone and isolated. I hate feeling adrift at sea, with no rudder, oars, sail, map, or
compass. I hate feeling uncertain about the purpose and direction of my life. I know I am on the
right path by changing my diet and lifestyle. I know I am on the right path to learn about the
things that nourish me best. Here is my promise to you. If I can ever wake up in the morning once
again, free of these awful feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and depression, I will dedicate the rest
of my life to teaching others about the things that got me well and kept me well. I will dedicate the
rest of my life to helping other people who are suffering the way I am suffering now. Please show
me the way back to health and confidence, energy, vitality, and fun."
During the years between 1973 and 1980, I read hundreds of books, joined many interesting
organizations, attended dozens of seminars, and interviewed many experts about alternative
health and healing. I experienced everything that was out there at the time, from Alcoholics
Anonymous to Macrobiotics to Zen. I had jobs that exposed me to every aspect of the food and
nutrition industries, from organic gardening to lab testing the seeds and nuts at the Erewhon
Natural Foods Warehouse. I washed dishes and waited on tables and worked my way from
vegetable cutter to head chef. I practiced meditation and yoga and learned many forms of
bodywork and massage. I met thousands of people just like me, searching for the answers about
the causes of their sickness and disease. I met thousands of people searching for solutions,
searching for answers, searching for health. I met many people who healed themselves from
cancer and other serious illnesses. I met many people who did not heal themselves as well. I
witnessed many people dying from their illnesses at far too young an age. I learned important life-
changing lessons from them all.
During the years between 1980 and 1987 I felt pretty good most of the time. But I never felt
100% healthy and energetic. My best days were about 80%. I figured that's just the way it's going
to be. I was convinced I was doing the best that I could do and had already tried everything that
was out there to try in the holistic and alternative world. I had a part time practice in Shiatsu
Massage and Nutrition Counseling. My dietary suggestions were often too extreme for other
people to follow for any length of time, which was an endless source of frustration for me. I knew
that people could heal themselves by eating certain foods and avoiding other foods, but most
people were just not willing to make too many changes. People wanted magic bullet/quick fix
solutions and I didn't have any to offer.
In the Spring of 1987, I was introduced to a company called Cell Tech and an amazing wild-
crafted food called Super Blue Green Algae. I remember my first algae experience like it was
yesterday. About two weeks after eating only two capsules of the algae per day, I woke up very
early one morning and felt something very pleasant but also very strange. I felt 100% healthy
and alive! I was sitting at my desk, and I remember looking at my legs and arms as if I could see
the pulsation of my life-force coursing through my veins like some kind of visible electric current. I
remember thinking to myself: Wow, this is unbelievable. This is how I used to feel when I was a
teenager, before I got sick. I walked downstairs into our kitchen to see if Megan (my wife) was
feeling the same thing.
Our eyes met with the unmistakable expression: "Are you feeling what I'm feeling?" The answer
was a resounding yes. The intensity of the experience wore off by the end of the day, but each
day I continued to eat my algae, and every day I felt 100% healthy and alive again. What on
earth was going on?
All I can tell you is this: based on everything I have studied before and since that time, there is
only one logical explanation. Prior to the day that Super Blue Green Algae entered my life (and
my bloodstream) I was suffering from micro-nutrient deficiencies.
(This is one of the root causes for all physical degeneration and disease as I described earlier.)
The algae contains over 100 different micro-nutrients from every significant category. The algae
contains every vitamin except vitamin D, which we get from sunlight. The algae contains over 43
minerals and trace minerals. The algae contains active enzymes. The algae has the greatest
amount of chlorophyll gram per gram than any other food. And chlorophyll is a cell builder and
blood purifier. A molecule of chlor-ophyll and a molecule of hemoglobin (red blood cells) are
identical in almost every way, except for an atom of iron which gives hemoglobin its red color and
magnesium which gives chlorophyll its green color. Chlorophyll carries oxygen to the cells of our
body. The algae is the biggest source of beta-carotene, a powerful anti-oxidant. The algae
contains all 20 amino acids, which is unique to all plants, and amino acids are the building blocks
of protein. The physical structure of all cells is protein. Most of our human structure is made of
protein. The algae contains complete protein molecules. This means that the basic building
blocks are present in the algae for the cells of our body to do essential repair work;
reconstruction, deconstruction, and new construction! The algae contains nucleic acids which
provide vital nourishment for the inner machinery of all cells. The algae contains essential fatty
acids like Omega 3 and Omega 6. And the algae contains all of these essential micro-nutrients in
a form that is 100% digestible and easy to assimilate.
The body exerts no energy to get at these nutrients and there is no fiber and no waste. This
Super Blue Green Algae from Cell Tech is the most amazing single food source of vital nutrients
that I have ever experienced.and I have tried them all!
In the years between 1987 and 1994, I was mostly symptom free. I had no digestive system
problems and the few moments of anxiety and depression were rare and mild.
In the Spring of 1994, I started to give seminars around the United States and Canada about the
fundamentals of nutrition and health. Cell Tech's distributors and customers and the home office
were very supportive of these seminars. I felt fantastic most of the time, but gradually the jet-
setting lifestyle started to wear me out. In November of 1994, I was taken to the hospital after
suffering my very first kidney stone attack. Unfortunately, it wasn't my last. It was the worst
physical pain I had ever felt. After a few shots of morphine (in the hospital) to relax all my
muscles, I passed the kidney stone the following morning.
After that unsettling experience, I started to have relapses with my old friends, anxiety and
depression. I just could not imagine what was causing these symptoms to return. But return they
did, with a vengeance. I examined every aspect of my diet and lifestyle and redoubled all my
efforts in avoiding insulting foods and habits and stayed totally focused on complementary foods,
beverages, supplements, and other influences. In the summer of 1995, I passed another kidney
stone. In October of 1996, I passed my third kidney stone in three years. I knew that if I didn't
figure something out soon I would be heading straight towards the creation of my fourth kidney
stone or something even worse. But I was distracted. My anxiety was becoming more frequent
and near constant. I was starting to have extreme panic attacks. The only solution was to lock
myself in my room and just wait it out. Depression was hovering around me constantly now, and
the worst thing about all this was that I couldn't tell any one. I was Mr. Health Educator! I was Mr.
Nutrition Counselor! I was used to figuring these things out and solving them alone.
In January 1997, for no apparent reason, I felt completely fine. The fog of depression had finally
lifted and the constant panic attacks had stopped. As much as I enjoyed every precious moment
of my reprieve, I couldn't help but thinking that another episode was just lurking around the
corner. Now, trust me, I wanted desperately to think positive thoughts, but the truth was that I
knew with confidence that I had absolutely no idea why my anxiety and depression had suddenly
disappeared. This realization troubled me. And of course I still hadn't figured out what was
causing them to appear in the first place. This was most troubling. I had learned so much about
the puzzle of nutrition and health, but clearly a piece was still missing. I kept reading. I kept
talking to my colleagues. I kept experimenting with my diet, modifying my lifestyle, but nothing
seemed to help at all. Still, I was very grateful for my unexpected reprieve. I never knew how
temporary these reprieves would ever be.
Then in February 1997, I flew down to Tampa , Florida from Boston to give one of my seminars. I
remember walking on the beach on a Friday afternoon soon after my arrival. Clear blue skies, 80
degrees warm, and brilliant sunshine. As I walked along the beach I remember thinking: Man do I
feel great or what! This is just perfect. I wish I could bottle this moment and remember how to feel
this way no matter what happens in the future. There were beach volleyball games happening
every 100 yards or so and I was thinking I would go and join one. Then, it hit me. Wham. Just like
that. The lights went out again. The dimmer switch got turned all the way down. The air went out
of my lungs. The darkness and shadows descended upon me. Fear roiled in the pit of my
stomach. Depression. Just like that. I walked back to my hotel in shock and disbelief. In a few
short hours, my seminar was set to begin. How was I going to pull it off this time?
Somehow, I survived. I always managed to survive. I kept on trusting and hoping and believing
that there was an organic explanation for my suffering, even though I could not seem to find the
right book or the right person to explain it to me. Not yet anyway. I just never stopped believing
that the explanation was out there, somewhere. My job was to keep looking for it and never give
up. Perhaps you know the feeling.
The following weekend I was in Tulsa , Oklahoma to give another one of my day-long seminars. I
was half-way through the Saturday morning session, when a very troubling and distracting
realization entered my mind: You may never find the solution because you keep looking in all the
wrong places. Whoa. That thought really messed me up. I stopped lecturing. I remember looking
out to a sea of puzzled and concerned faces. Beads of sweat broke out around the edges of my
forehead. My mouth got really, really dry. I thought for sure I was going to melt-down right in front
of everybody. Suddenly, I had an idea: "Folks," I said with a forced but passable smile on my
face, "I sure hope you understand, but sometimes these things just happen. I've given this
seminar a hundred times over the past few years and I can give this particular talk in my sleep
forwards and backwards. But, I just had an unmistakable brain cramp and I've completely lost the
thread of what I have been talking about." Everybody laughed. That helped. "Let's take an early
lunch break. Let's get back together at one pm ." It worked. Everyone got up and filed out of the
room without incident. I turned around and shuffled through some papers on the lectern, trying to
look unavailable and distracted and busy.
When I turned around to leave the room there was a strange looking man standing there waiting
for me. He was skinny and disheveled, wearing denim overalls and a yellow plaid cotton shirt. He
wore a scraggly day-old beard and was missing a front tooth or two. I didn't say a word to him. I
just stared. He spoke first. "I was wondering if you have ever come across the connection
between hydration and depression?" Say What? I thought I was hallucinating. Maybe I had
melted down after all. Maybe everyone was still in the room. Maybe this man was a shamanic
guide from the Carlos Castaneda books I had read in the early seventies. Before I could
formulate a response to him, he started speaking again: "I think you need to read this book.
Here, take it. It's a gift." He handed me the book, and I said thank you. Then he turned and
walked away.
I stared down at the book cover and read the title to myself: Your Body's Many Cries for Water.
And the subtitle, right below it: "You are not sick, you are thirsty!" By F. Bat-manghelidj, MD. I
tucked the book in my bag and walked to my room. I sat down on the side of my newly made bed
and read through the table of contents, I scrolled my finger down to chapter five, Stress and
Depression : the initially silent compensation mechanisms associated with dehydration. I turned
to chapter five and started reading:
A state of depression is said to exist when the brain, in confronting a stressful emotional problem
finds it difficult to cope with other attention-demanding actions at the same time. This
phenomenon can become so all-absorbing as to incapacitate the person. p.55
Pathology that is seen to be associated with social stresses , fear, anxiety, insecurity, and
(gradually) the establishment of (a state of) depression are the results of water deficiency to the
point that the water requirement of brain tissue (brain cells) is affected. The brain uses electrical
energy that is generated by the presence of water. With dehydration, the level of energy
generation in the brain is decreased. Many functions of the brain that depend upon this (water-
generated) energy become inefficient. We recognize (the symptoms associated with) this
inadequacy of function and call it depression. p.57
Dehydration is the number one stressor of the human body. Chronic cellular dehydration
painfully and prematurely kills. Its initial outward manifestations have until now been labeled as
diseases of unknown origin. p.69
I read the entire book on the flight home. I couldn't put it down. First thing on Monday morning I
called the publisher listed in the front of the book, hoping to make a telephone appointment with
Dr. Batmanghelidj (known to his legion of devoted fans as Dr.B). To my utter surprise and
delight, I was told to hold the line and within a minute or so I was talking to Dr. B. himself. He was
very generous with his time. He was very patient with my questions and my skepticism. He kept
repeating himself over and over again. "Just follow the watercure recipe and you will be fine."
Two hours went by. I finally agreed to follow the guidelines of his watercure. I told him I would
stay in touch and let him know if anything positive happened. I hung up the phone and started
the watercure.
Prior to that moment, I never drank more than one or two glasses of water a day. And I loved
water! Since the mid 1970s I had always made sure I was drinking natural spring water or purified
water from a home water filter. I was always careful about my drinking and cooking water quality .
I just never paid attention to my drinking water quantity . I had been taught that it didn't matter.
And I believed it. I had been taught that more than enough water was in my cooked whole grains
and steamed vegetables and fresh fruits. I was taught to "eat when you're hungry and drink
when you're thirsty." And so I did. For about 25 years I drank one or two glasses of water a day.
Dr. B was claiming that at my size and body weight (six foot tall and 200 pounds), I needed about
six times that amount on a daily basis. There was no way I could consume that much water.
There simply wouldn't be any room for anything else! Or so I thought.
I had to accept something very important and very real. No matter what I thought about drinking
that much water, the simple fact of the matter was I had never consumed that much water before
and I had been experiencing bouts of depression and anxiety off and on for the past 25 years! I
had run out of ideas myself and nobody else in my life was coming up with any new ideas. I had
absolutely nothing to lose and potentially every-thing in the world to gain. I tried it. Fourteen days
later my depression lifted and has not returned since. Not once. I have not had one moment of
acute anxiety, and not one panic attack since either. Oh, yeah. And no more kidney stones!
Imagine that.
The habit of proper daily hydration according to the guidelines set up by Dr. B in his (soon to be
more) famous watercure recipe was the last piece of a puzzle that I had been searching for, for a
very long time. In the nine years that have passed since my initial discovery of the watercure, I
have not missed one day of following that recipe precisely.
I encourage you to do the same thing. I have tried to the best of my ability to share the watercure
with everyone I know. There is nothing that I have discovered in over 30 years of searching for
common sense health solutions more important than the watercure. The watercure may turn out
to be the single most important health discovery of all time.
Imagine that. (The watercure recipe is found in Section 3.1)
Thank you for reading my story. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you learned something. Please
read the other stories I have included here in the final pages of Section One. I know that you are
eager to get to the other parts of the Intestinal Regeneration Program found in Section Two. I am
eager for you to get there too. Simply keep in mind that each one of the next six stories was
carefully chosen with you in mind. Remember that each story is a true story, a case history
report from a recent client of mine who is following the same program I am describing to you in
this book. I believe there is a powerful seed of truth for you in each of the next six stories. A truth
that could set you free from the pain and suffering of your current digestive system problems.
Russell Mariani
South Hadley , Massachusetts .
March 2006"Even in our sleep, pain, which we cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart,
until in despair, against our own will, comes wisdom."Aeschylus
http://www.healingdigestiveillness.com/russells-story.html
Click here if you want to hear him http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrof7HYAyhA
1. Learn about irritable bowel syndrome and what can be done to help relieve IBS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBU0UUUC1CA&feature=channel&list=UL
Testimonial.
I used this guy. He was pretty expensive. He likes to sell
you supplments which he gets commision for which would have been ok
except he didn't help me at all. He claims to have cured 1000s of people
yet his website onlyhas about 20 testimonials of which one is his own!
In my view you should steer well clear of this guy. On his website he
says that IBS is within the category of IBD which it is not.
3. Learn about colitis and what can be done to help relieve colitis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jMqocnIi4U&feature=BFa&list=ULDzlVWRCGsWs
4. Learn about acid reflux and what can be done to help relieve acid reflux. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-B9vQU-rDA&feature=BFa&list=UL9jMqocnIi4U
5.Learn about constipation and what can be done to help relieve constipation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMYI9hmYlkw&feature=BFa&list=UL5-B9vQU-rDA
watch and digest your DIGESTION SYSTEM This video describe the whole function of the digestive system in our body, first, we start at the oral cavity...... (JUST CLICK ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7xKYNz9AS0&feature=related
He genuinely cares and with great confidence and great ethics, will provide you with the help you need and succeed. A Ginestet