by: Renato U. Paragas, M.D.
When God created the world, He sought to it that everything was created and provided for the last being He created–MAN. This made man live happily, healthily and at peace. In my opinion, disease is basically the result of the violation of the law of nature. We read in the Book of Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Sin is the violation of God’s Law and this leads us to death through diseases.
There are two basic violations (sins) that lead to disease.
First, the lack of essential nutrients; and second; the excess of toxins.
There are six basic nutrients that the body requires. These are carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. Of the six, minerals and water are the most neglected and most ignored essential nutrients today.
Most of us take water for granted. With so many types of commercial beverages available in the market today, people have chosen the unhealthy beverages as their preferred beverage over plain water. Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, author of “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water,” after over 20 years of studying the health effects of drinking water, boldly declared: “Water is the only prescribed beverage for the human body and nothing substitutes for water.” He cited 46 reasons why drinking water is vital to health.
The vital functions of water in the body are:
(1) works to keep body cells toned;
(2) assists in weight loss;
(3) transports nutrients and oxygen throughout the body;
(4) eliminates acidic metabolic wastes and toxins out of the body; and
(5) regulates body temperature.
When one or more of these functions do not occur, disease is inevitable.
The blood is 80 to 90 percent water and it is here where the nutrients and oxygen are being dissolved and distributed to the 100 trillion cells comprising the body. Without water, the cells won’t be properly nourished causing their weakening then resulting to their deterioration and death from organ failure.
We are often misinformed that any fluid can meet the body’s water needs and that all manufactured beverages and fluids will serve the body in exactly the same way as water. This is very evident during summer that even medical professionals advise the masses that any fluid will do the job to quench thirst. This is probably the most serious of all mistakes when it comes to fluid management of the body. The mistake is the background to all health problems of our society at present. Most of the manufactured beverages consumed today do not function like natural water in the body. Even milk and fruit juices cannot meet the body’s daily water needs. Like it or not, one has to get used to the taste of water. It is critical that one prevents thirst and dehydration regularly and not wait to reach the kind of “water” that one perceives is tastier.
Martin Fox, Ph.D., author of “Healthy Water for a Longer Life” declared: “The quality of drinking water is important to our health and may be the missing and vital link in our overall health program.” Dr. F. Batmanghelidj had researched the health effects of water for more than 20 years and he observed that the poor intake of water and the intake of wrong beverages brought the body into a state of unintentional chronic dehydration, the root cause of present day chronic degenerative diseases such as hypertension, asthma, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, etc. He stated: “You are not sick. You are only thirsty. Do not treat thirst with medication.”
Water is the best cleansing agent. When it leaves the cells after providing them with sufficient nutrients and oxygen, it carries out the acidic metabolic wastes such as carbon dioxide, uric acid, urea, ammonia, creatinine and other toxins. These are brought to the circulation, then delivered to the kidneys for proper disposal. This process will always maintain a clean internal environment and helps keep the cells healthy at all times.
When one does not drink adequate volume of water, the metabolic wastes and toxins are not disposed completely and when their quantity accumulates, they poison the cells. Poor excretion will also increase their amounts in the blood as seen in patients suffering from kidney failure. As a consequence, cells, tissues and organs weaken resulting to their rapid deterioration and, again, death from organ failure(s). Weak and dead cells are “food” of the body’s scavengers – the pathogenic microbes. These feed on the filthy things and when well-fed, their population increases and their own wastes further add to the toxins already present. This further places the body to a diseased state resulting to various forms of infection including COVID-19. This is well explained by the more than 150 years old Cellular Theory of Disease Causation of Dr. Pierre Jacques Antoine Bechamp, a French physician and a contemporary of Louis Pasteur. Thus to prevent and overcome infection, one must always observe and practice healthy lifestyle.
Essential minerals are also vital to health and well-being. Minerals causes the balance of fluids inside and out of the cells. They help maintain the physiologic movement of water in the body. This function provides sufficient nutrients to the cells and also assists in cleansing them. Like water, they help extract toxins out of the cells. Minerals, specifically magnesium, helps strengthen the immune system. It is known to be an excellent detoxifying agent. Scientific studies showed that magnesium chloride, one form of magnesium, is an impressive infection fighter. It increases the destructive and phagocytic capability of the white blood cells by as much as 300 percent. I have personally witnessed this amazing power against dengue hemorrhagic fever, chickenpox, measles, abscess, acne, pneumonia, exudative tonsillitis, urinary tract infection and many more.
Thus, to enhance the body’s defense system against today’s COVID-19 attack and other infections, we should pay close attention to minerals and water, the two most neglected and ignored essential nutrients. With the use of purified drinking water and IONIQUE® Mineral Drops, a 100% natural mineral supplement, I have created the concept “Tubig at mga Mineral” to manage most diseases people suffer from today. As Dr. Bechamp emphasized:
“To prevent disease, we have to create health”.
The second violation (sin) people commit is the excess of toxins in their bodies. With the fast-paced life today and the advancement in technology that easily manufactures “foods”, people easily and readily cater to foods and beverages that are processed, instant, refined, canned and preserved. With these come various chemicals that are detrimental to health.
Examples are:
Nitrites and nitrates are effective antimicrobials that protect against botulism bacterium. However, they are known to be health hazards. Richard Scanlan, Ph.D. of the Linus Pauling Institute cited that nitrites react with certain amino acids in the digestive system causing the formation of nitrosamines known to cause cancer. Sodium nitrate, used as a color stabilizer, slowly metabolizes into nitrites. Common processed foods that contain nitrites and nitrates are bacon, cured meats, tobacco products and hot dogs.
Sulfites and sulfur dioxide are also antimicrobials used primarily as preservatives. Sulfites are found predominately in dried fruits and red wine, and sometimes in certain brands of fruit juices. Sulphur dioxide is used in numerous foods. This compound slows the oxidation of fats called lipids. When sprayed on freshly harvested fruits and vegetables, it stops the natural ripening process. These two compounds can cause an allergic reaction in certain individuals and is a known allergen for many asthmatics.
Alginate is a naturally derived compound of kelp, or seaweed, and is used as a thickening agent and foam stabilizer. However, propylene glycol alginate is a chemically modified substance, utilizing algin to thicken foods with a higher acid content such as beer, soft drinks and salad dressing. Alginate is used in milk products such as ice cream, cheese, cottage cheese and yogurt.
Aspartame, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, is one that should be avoided. Aspartame is a combination of amino acids and methanol. This chemical compound may cause cancer and other health-related problems. It is used as an artificial sweetener in diet foods in place of sugar, and used primarily in soft drinks and drink mixes, and many low-calorie, processed fresh and frozen desserts.
Instant noodles are highly processed to bear a longer shelf life. They are low on nutritive content; high on fat, calories and sodium; and are laced with artificial colors, preservatives, additives and flavorings. According to Dr. Sunil Sharma, general physician and head of emergency, Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital, New Delhi, monosodium glutamate (MSG) as well as tertiary-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) - chemical preservatives derived from the petroleum industry - may be present in instant noodles for their taste enhancing and preserving properties and their regular intake can cause severe health issues.
Most processed foods are loaded with not-so-good fats like trans-fats. If one digs deep into food labels and what those terms really stand for, one will realize that edible vegetable oil, sugar, sugar syrup, flavor enhancer and many other agents aren't good for health at all.
Most canned foods have a plastic coating inside the can to supposedly keep the food, vegetables, and fruits fresh. The inner plastic lining is poisonous at small measures, although FDA tells us that the small amounts should not worry us too much. This plastic coating is Bisphenol or BPA for short and it is harmful because humans are not supposed to eat plastic material made from crude oil. BPA kills rats in laboratories even at smaller portions like 1,000 times less than what an average person consumes per meal. BPA is also a toxic chemical that causes hormone imbalances and wide variety of health issues ranging from hypertension, aggression, heart disease, obesity to cancer. No logical, reasonable person would suggest that canned foods and canned fruits and vegetables are as good as or better than fresh foods, vegetables and fruits. It is obvious that fresh is good and retains most of its nutrients.
What most people are unaware of is that most often foods are put into aluminum cans, then sealed, and cooked, supposedly retaining the freshness. Well, it certainly retains the aluminum free radicals after heating and contaminating the contents. Over a period of time, aluminum accumulation in body can cause memory problem like Alzheimer’s disease. Most canned foods like soups, vegetables, chicken and beef broths are made of aluminum because it’s more economical.
Preservatives are substances considered as not drastically harmful to healthy people but they may be harmful to pregnant women, babies, children, elderly or those suffering from a chronic disease.
The risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, nervous system disorder, Alzheimer’s disease goes down by consuming fresh foods that do not have any packaging.
A glass of soft drinks is not a poison but a can ingested daily certainly is. The harmful effects of soft drinks extend beyond weight gain and obesity. They offer no nutrition and yet the high sugar content like high-fructose corn sugar can cause diabetes and cause heart and liver disease. Preservatives as phosphoric acid can cause bone loss and kidney disease. Citric acid causes severe dental erosion. The caramel color and the chemicals in the can containers are linked to cancer.
Caffeine tolerance varies between individuals, but for most people, a dose of over 400 mg per day may produce some initial symptoms: restlessness, increased heartbeat, and insomnia. Higher dosages can lead to increased blood pressure; heart palpitation; anxiety and panic attacks; gastrointestinal disturbance; increased urination; dizziness, irritability, nausea, nervousness and jitters; allergic reactions can include rash, hives, itching, breathing difficulty, tightness of the chest, swelling of the mouth, face, lips or tongue, diarrhea, shakiness, sleeping disturbance, vomiting; headaches and severe fatigue.
There are many, many more chemicals added into the foods, beverages and even in some dietary supplements marketed as “natural”. Read the labels very, very carefully and protect yourselves from their harmful effects. It is very unfortunate that medical schools do not deal much on nutrition in their curricula thus most medical professionals are unaware of the drastic adverse effects of chemicals present in today’s foods and beverages, thus, making them prone to COVID-19 like their patients.
By providing the body with the essential nutrients it needs to maintain healthy cells, and avoiding and eliminating as much “toxins” that damage the cells, the body will be able to develop a healthier and stronger defense system that will fight off various types of pathogenic microbes including the present health menace that has brought horror and panic–COVID-19 naturally.
The Book of Deuteronomy of the Holy Bible clearly states the commandments of God. In Chapter 11:26 is written: “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;” verse 27: “A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day.” (King James Version)
In Chapter 28:15: “But it shall come to pass, if thou will NOT hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: verse 21: “The Lord shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until He have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it”. Verse 22: “The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.”
Today’s pestilence–the COVID-19 pandemic–may be God’s curse, solely due to our disobedience to the Law of Nature which is basically God’s Law. I have cited the two (2) basic violations/sins we commit that make us more prone to disease. Unless we rectify our lifestyles by adopting a healthier one, we cannot build bodies that were created to be the “temple of the soul” and be blessed abundantly, not dreadfully cursed, by God.
“I’m not a body with a soul, I’m a soul that has a visible part called the body.”
- Paulo Coelho