Luc De Schepper - Full of Life: How to Achieve and Maintain Peak Immunity: Combatting Chronic Fatigue and Other Immune-Suppressed Illnesses in the 90’s

This book made available by the Internet Archive.

Dedicated to my wife Yolanda and mom Betty.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A work like this is the result of love and teamwork between doctor and patient. Therefore, all nay patients have contributed to this book. The drawings are the result of the talents of Shay Marlowe and my beloved Yolanda. 1 want to thank the president and vice president of Tale Weaver, Dick Weaver and the late Ron Baron, for believing in this project and for giving their invaluable professional advice. Working with my editor, Gretchen Henkel, was not only a pleasure but also a learning experience. Lucy Mack Bryant with her wonderful insight was my best critic in the most positive way. And David Horowitz (Author of Tfie Kennedy's) was a wonderful support and friend to help me out in any way he could. Without the help of my mother-in-law, Betty, who helped me type the whole manuscript, 1 could not have brought out this book on time.

Anyone afflicted by these diseases should consult a nutritional, holistically oriented doctor. I want to thank my patients for confiding in me, for working with me and showing their confidence and hope. Without them, this book would not be possible. I feel fortunate to have my patients as my friends, for having taught so much about suffering, compassion and love. Hopefully, this book will give hope to millions of sufferers and a return to a healthy, fulfilling life.

Luc De Schepper M.D., Ph.D., Lie. Ac. 2901 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 435 Santa Monica, CA 90403 Tel: (213)828-4480

SECTION ONE

A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF HEALTH AND IMMUNITY

INTRODUCTION

Wouldn't it be great to wake up each morning with energy to spare? Wouldn't you like to feel full of life every day? Of course, we all would. But this isn't just some idle wish. Achieving peak immunity is within your power. Read this book, follow its guidelines, and you'll have more energy than you believed possible.

Some of you already know that things aren't right with your health. Others may suspect that something is wrong, but may be hesitant to say just what they are experiencing. And then there are still others who are certain that they've got nothing to worry about.

What is happening to our health? If you look at national statistics, we are in a health crisis of epidemic proportions. For the last decade, we have watched the unfolding of the AIDS epidemic; in the same period, more and more seemingly young and vigorous adults have been suffering from chronic fatigue, and people on the whole seem more prone to develop viral and other chronic illnesses. Is there something we can do about it? The answer in this book is a resounding YES!

Whether you're perfectly healthy right now, or ill with CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome), you can use the information here to make your life better by achieving peak immunity

This book takes a new look at the concepts of health and illness. When you can see your symptoms in the context of a bigger picture, as signs of how your immune system is working, then you can begin to make the kinds of changes that will be long-lasting. If you are suffering from CFIDS or your immune system is not

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functioning at a peak level, be assured that you can get better. Ultiniatoly, we all need to think in terms of preventing illness rather thcin waitiMi:: until il ha[)[)(Mis to cure it. For some practitioners, this has always been the goal. With the help of this book, it can become your goal too. With the information and therapy plans outlined here, you can become an effective partner in your own health care.

In the "^Os, the physician will become a lifestyle expert and wellness adviser. Patients will be treated as whole beings, not just as collections of symptoms. Non-invasive diagnostic procedures, such as MRl (magnetic resonance imaging) and ultrasound, are tools that have already revolutionized medicine. They will continue to arm physicians with information, allowing them to prescribe preventive measures as well as treatments for latent, undiagnosed conditions. Psychoimmunology, a new medical field which considers the role of the emotions in physical well-being, will become vitally important.

As you will see in the chapters that follow, it will take more than some new "magic bullets" to repair the damage done to the complex systems in your body that protect you from disease. None of the immuno-suppressed conditions discussed here can be corrected without taking lifestyle, dietary and environmental factors into account.

Here is a thumbnail sketch of what has happened, a summary of the changes in the conditions of our lives that have produced this crisis of health:

* In the first place, we have changed what we eat. Take a quick look at the American diet. It is low in fiber, low in high-quality, low-fat protein and high in sugars, simple carbohydrates and fat. If food and drinks do not taste sweet, we add chemicals like saccharin and Nutrasweet . The results of the modern diet are devastating: atherosclerotic heart disease and stroke, hypertension, colon cancer, obesity, dental cavities and many other diseases are rampant.

* Technology has also proved to be a two-edged sword. The introduction of many miracle drugs has aided us in the battle against disease. But others have resulted in addictions, imm.uno-suppressed conditions and a whole array of new diseases.

* Stress and pressure dominate our lifestyles, lust when we thought that the high technology we created would bring us more free time, more joy and relaxation, the contrary is the case. We

seem to feel obliged to work longer hours. Career goals dominate the household picture and spouses forget how to communicate with each other. Modern living has become high-stress living. Emotional traumas and daily stress are THE triggering factors in the suppression of the immune system.

The key to fighting off disease is a healthy immune system. How do you know if yours is functioning well? You can find out by taking the self-scoring questionnaire in Chapter One. You might be suffering from a pre-condition that can lead to the debilitating Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (1) and/or other immune suppressing illnesses.