Many times, my clients will tell me that a gluten-free diet did not improve their health in any noticeable way. However, when I ask them a few follow-up questions, I often discover what may be the reason they did not see their negative symptoms improve. One of the biggest reasons for this is that people who go on a gluten-free diet tend to begin eating large amounts of corn.
Corn is in virtually all of the pre-packaged gluten-free foods (they contain corn gluten or corn byproducts). In addition, corn is used in the production of sweeteners, shampoos, soaps, plastics, fuels, etc. On top of that, all of our domesticated farm animals are fed staple diets of genetically modified corn. The only way to avoid eating corn in your beef is to buy grass-fed. It is easy to see why the typical American is eating an over-abundance of corn in their diet.
Since 1978, there have been a number of studies investigating whether or not corn gluten is a problem for patients with gluten sensitivity. There are multiple studies showing that corn has a negative effect on patients with celiac disease. Here is a quote from a recent study:
“Maize is used as an alternative to wheat to elaborate foodstuffs for celiac patients in a gluten-free diet. However, some maize prolamins (zeins) contain amino acid sequences that resemble the wheat gluten immunodominant peptides… “
At this point there is ample evidence to consider corn gluten as a major contributor to gluten related illnesses. Regardless of gluten content, a diet high in corn is not conducive to good healing. A TRUE gluten-free diet eliminates all forms of gluten – including corn gluten.
If you even remotely suspect that you may be sensitive to gluten, I urge you to give the gluten-free diet a try (including the elimination of corn). Sadly, statistics show that those with gluten sensitivity will go on to develop 7 + autoimmune diseases in their lifetime.
In my next post, I will discuss another hidden source of gluten for those attempting to follow a gluten-free diet. Stay tuned.
This is part two of my post about miasms, or the inherited root causes of disease. For part 1 click here.
Below are the symptom manifestations typically seen with the five major miasms.
PSORA
Keynotes of Psora: Skin eruptions, itching, fears about poverty and survival, pessimism.
When there is a Psoric miasm influence, it is common to experience worsening of skin symptoms – with skin eruptions that are itchy and scaly.
There is often mental restlessness and there can be a tendency to overeat due to stress, worry and anxiety.
Body odor indicates toxicity within the body’s inner terrain.
Problems with the digestive processes of assimilation and elimination are common in Psora.
Psora types often experience joint inflammation and arthritic conditions, hay fever, allergies, sinus infections and asthma.
Person will often be fearful and anxious with worries about money, abandonment, business failure, and survival. There is the feeling that there will not be enough – even when there actually is.
Experience chronic over-stimulation of the fight or flight mechanism.
There may be issues with temperature regulation (either too hot or too cold) and climate adaption.
They may have an empty, weak, hungry feeling around 11am and often struggle with blood sugar regulation.
The Psoric person feels worse in cold or open air and feels better from warmth of any type.
Keynotes of the tubercular miasm are coughs, breathing issues and lung problems, respiratory system imbalances, frequent colds and sensitivity to the cold.
The most favorable place for the tubercular person is said to be up in the mountains and in fresh air.
Often have problems with breathing or constriction around the throat.
Weakness in the thyroid gland.
Often struggle with self-expression in some way.
Often frail and sensitive to the heat, but also easily chilled.
They are sensitive to weather changes, environmental toxins, atmospheric and barometric pressure changes.
Children with this miasm may have prolonged bedwetting, frequent nightmares, temper tantrums, and often have an aversion to milk.
They also tend to be susceptible to ringworm, acne, and white spots on the nails.
Experience loss of appetite.
Tendency to have parasites and allergies.
Have a fear of dogs.
They are prone to exhaustion if stressed and may feel as if they never have enough rest.
Desire to travel (or if travel is not possible, the desire to change clothing often and move the furniture frequently).
The tubercular person is better with the sun and warmth.
The Tubercular type has a sense that things could be changed or improved, or that there is something missing.
There is a strong drive for freedom and a resistance to any kind of restriction.
Driven to re-discover and connect with the Divine.
Keynotes of the Sycotic miasm are warts, skin tags, discharges, mucus, tumors (not cancerous), inflammation, blood disorders, emotional cruelty, suspicion, and love of power.
Sycotic people tend to be extremists.
There is too much of everything being produced in the body – too many warts, too much mucous, tumors and growths.
There is also a tendency to urinary and hormonal issues as well as sexual problems. Often early sexual trauma can activate a sycotic miasm.
Individuals who have a Sycotic miasm are susceptible to the shock of surgical removal of skin eruptions such as warts, cysts, moles – which can lead to the activation of the latent miasm.
Swelling in the joints and connective tissues as well as arthritis and rheumatism are common.
Tend to have thick, coarse hair and ridged or thick nails.
This miasm is believed to be responsible when there is a sudden onset of any severe disease.
Areas of vulnerability with this miasm include: reproductive/urinary organs, mucous membranes, connective tissue, and issues with healthy boundaries between self and the rest of the universe.
There is a tendency to form kidney or gall stones, swellings or deposits in the joints.
There are issues with fluid accumulation and sinus congestion.
Emotional symptoms can include: suspiciousness, secretiveness, forgetfulness, and a tendency toward being a workaholic.
The sycotic person’s conditions are always worse in cold, damp weather; better with activity and at the seaside.
The cancer miasm is an equally divided combination of the original three miasms of Hahnemann: Psoric, Sycotic and Syphilitic.
Keynotes of the Cancer miasm are emotional sensitivity and/or repression of emotions like anger, fear, and aggression.
Susceptible to pneumonia, chemical toxicity or multiple allergy syndrome, overexposure to chemicals, and situations where the immune system seems to go into overdrive, reacting to everything.
This miasm is also commonly seen when there are reactions to vaccinations and allopathic drug use.
There can be perfectionist tendencies, depression, and even apathy.
A person with this miasm activated will have the tendency to be over-reactive to many things without the ability to determine what is healthy and what is not.
There is often a history of repeated and severe childhood illnesses and infections, sensitive gums and teeth, growth disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and autism spectrum disorders.
This miasm if likely activated when there are significant challenges with relationships between human beings, specifically with our individual, one-to-one relationships.
The greatest challenge with this miasm is the ability to stay open emotionally and yet feel protected and safe at the same time.
The cancer miasm has a tendency to be too accommodating and agreeable, to one’s own peril – often known as the “doormat syndrome.” When the true self is continually suppressed to the needs or wants of others, this miasm is awakened.
Deep sadness, grief, guilt or anger is also seen with this miasm.
The tendency to be over concerned with others or to go along with others so as not to upset anyone seems to be deeply ingrained in this person.
This miasm is usually suspected in those with a family history of cancer or diabetes.
Working with this miasm will help to improve one’s ability to grow in relationships, will strengthen and balance the immune system and the spleen in particular.
Common symptoms: Chronic fatigue syndrome, colitis, constipation, diabetes, immune system weakness, insomnia, ovarian cyst, PMS, tics, developmental delays, vaccine reactions.
SYPHILITIC
Syphilitic miasm is easier to understand and remember if we think of it as the opposite of the Sycotic miasm. The Sycotic miasm is about over-expansion, over-production, growth … the Syphilitic miasm represents breakdown, destruction and contraction – it is called the miasm of destruction.
From a consciousness perspective, this miasm teaches us not to get too attached to things that we’ve created or accumulated, because everything in nature is transient and changes form eventually.
There are often issues with the eyes including cataracts and blindness, skin diseases that become infected, ulcerated sore throats, ulcers of the ear, nose, urinary system and mouth and heart conditions.
There is often a history of miscarriage, stillborn pregnancies, and sterility.
The Syphilitic miasm is also marked with addictions due to lack of self-worth and self-destructive behaviors such as alcoholism.
Most of the pains or aggravations occur during the winter months or at night.
With this miasm, we often see the deepest depths of depression and despair.
Common emotions can be jealousy, envy, explosive anger and a pessimistic view of life.
Diseases of aging that destroy function and memory such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases are part of the Syphyilitic miasm.
A theme of this miasm is learning to let go.
The miasm may be triggered by severe loss – job loss, relationship loss, the loss of identity.
An emotional keynote of this miasm is the feeling that he/she is on the verge of losing control, when emotions are overwhelming and intense.
The Syphilitic miasm is associated with feelings of being stuck and fears of moving forward.
Common symptoms: bone pains, skin ulcerations, distortions of anatomy (like cleft palates, strabismus), neuralgia, anorexia, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, scoliosis, growing pains.
Stay tuned for part 3 of my series on miasms. In part 3, I will discuss nosodes to treat the five major miasms.
The concept and theory of miasms originated in the field of homeopathy almost 200 years ago. German physician Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, introduced the term miasm in his book, The Chronic Diseases, published in 1828. His miasm theory was the result of 12 years of painstaking work on the most difficult chronic cases in his clinical practice, in addition to his own historical research into the diseases of man.
As are most new and ground-breaking ideas, the introduction of his miasm theory was met with much skepticism. However, over the years the theory has been studied and embraced by healers around the world.
What is a miasm?
A miasm is an inherited weakness or an underlying predisposition to chronic illness. In other words, it is a generational susceptibility to an ongoing pattern of disease.
Miasms are specific energy frequencies that affect the entire person – they affect body systems, emotions, chakras, cells and cell surface receptors.
A miasm can be thought of as a vibrational field or frequency that underlies – or gives energy to — disease patterns in a person’s life.
These underlying energy frequencies perpetuate a pattern of illness (which could be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual) even after all known measures have been taken to correct the individual’s health issues.
Who has miasms?
Miasms apply to everyone – we all carry miasms in a dormant or latent state. They can be activated or awakened in a person’s life through various circumstances such as:
stress
physical or emotional trauma
acute illness
How do people acquire miasms in the first place?
Hahnemann believed that miasms were driven into the DNA (or genetically imprinted) as a result of many of the suppressive therapies commonly used in his day. Hahnemann explained that suppressive therapies drive the disease deeper into the system, allowing for a more chronic condition to be created and exacerbated. Examples of suppressive therapies used today are:
Prescription drugs (antivirals, etc.)
Antibiotics
Steroid creams/shots
To understand this better lets look at a concrete example. Steroid creams are commonly used today to treat skin eruptions such as eczema, poison ivy, or other forms of allergic skin reactions or rashes. However, the nature of steroids is simply to short-circuit the immune response. The root issue – whatever is causing the rash (such as a virus, an allergen, or bacteria for example) – is not eliminated from the body or cured by the steroid. Instead, the body’s reaction to it is suppressed, or turned off.
A healthy body will try to expel a virus through the skin – the skin is a direct exit route on the surface of the body. But when steroids are used, the cause of the skin issue is suppressed and driven deeper into the system. The skin is our largest detoxification organ and will help bear the load of the liver and kidneys when they are over-burdened. However, if a virus for example, is attempting to exit through the skin, what do you think will happen when its exit path is shut down? If the cause (the virus for example) is unable to move upward through the skin, it will have to find a new place to rest in the body.
You see, the skin would be the best way out of the body, but if its pathway is blocked, the virus has to go somewhere else. The virus has no other choice but to go deeper into the system.
One common pattern seen when skin eruptions are suppressed over time is lung congestion. In medical literature, there is a link seen between suppressed eczema and lung problems such as croup, asthma symptoms, and so forth. The point here is that when disease is suppressed, deeper issues are created, and miasms can be activated or created as well.
How many miasms are there?
There are five primary miasms and several secondary miasms. The five primary miasms are:
Psoric
Sycotic
Syphilitic
Tubercular
Cancer
Miasms explained – Part 2
In part two of this post, I will give an overview of what the five primary miasms are, their symptoms, and how treating them can improve your health and get to the root cause of chronic disease.
The nightshades are members of family of plants called Solanaceae. For example, tomatoes, potatoes (not sweet potatoes or yams), eggplant and peppers—this means all peppers including chili peppers, Habanero, cayenne pepper and paprika (not peppercorns). Other nightshades include goji berries, ashwagandha, Cape gooseberries (not normal gooseberries), ground cherries and garden huckleberries.
Who May be Especially Sensitive to Nightshades?
People who suffer from inflammation and joint pain
People sensitive to weather changes
People with muscle pain and tightness and morning stiffness
People with poor healing, arthritis, insomnia and gall bladder problems
People with heart burn or GERD
Why Are Some People Sensitive to Nightshades?
Because overconsumption of calcitriol from nightshade foods can circumvent the kidney’s control and over time lead to calcium deposits in the soft tissues such as the tendons, ligaments, cartilage, cardiovascular tissues, kidneys and skin.
Because of Solanine, a potent poison found in species of the nightshade family (especially potatoes and eggplant). Solanine is poisonous because it inhibits the breakdown of acetylcholine, resulting in increased level and duration of action of this neurotransmitter. What does this mean? It causes prolonged muscle contractions. This is why people who are sensitive to nightshades or eat a lot of them often feel stiff when they wake up in the morning or sit for extended periods. Solanine affects the gene expression of human intestinal cell linings, inhibits proteolytic enzyme activity, and destroys human liver cells.
Nightshades contain nicotine, which is why they can be addictive. A large body of research shows that nicotine consumption inhibits proper healing.
Are Nightshades Causing Your Medical Problems?
Try removing all nightshades from your diet for at least six weeks. Many people notice an improvement in their pain; sometimes it goes away completely.
If you avoid nightshades for six weeks, yet your pain has not decreased, do a “nightshade party day”: salsa and eggs for breakfast, tomato and eggplant for lunch, potatoes for dinner. Eat as much as you can in one day and then watch for symptoms over the next two days. Often there is a delayed onset reaction.
Bottom Line Recommendation:
Even if you are one of those lucky people who don’t seem to have trouble with nightshades, it’s a good idea not to overdo.
Avoid having nightshades with every meal. Vary your diet. Sweet potatoes, yams and parsnips are good substitutes for potatoes. You can steam cauliflower and mash it with butter and cream. As a substitute for chili pepper, use wasabi, horseradish, mustard powder, ginger, or freshly ground peppercorns. There’s no good substitute for tomatoes, so learn to use them sparingly.
Cooking reduces the solanine levels in potatoes somewhat, and may even help reduce other toxins. So if you are eating nightshade foods, cook them in butter or poultry fat—this is a synergistic combination because these fats provide vitamin K2. And you’ll end up eating less of the nightshade foods because when you cook in good fats, you are more quickly satisfied and end up eating less.
For those who are sensitive to nightshades, the best strategy is to avoid them completely for a long time, until you can completely heal.
My Thoughts:
I know, for my clients, it is especially hard for them to give up tomato sauce. Here is a link to a recipe for “tomato-less” tomato sauce. Also, there is a company that sells tomato-less tomato sauce. Their product is called Nomato.
