Vaccine update: The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

There is an avalanche of rapidly changing information about Covid vaccines out there and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.  In the mix are also some claims being made that are based on distorted information. Because of this, I felt it was necessary to offer a quick overview in plain language. This is longer than I’d like but I think you will find it useful. 

Claim: We’ve lost the battle the variants are going to get us all.

It’s not that dismal. Variants are like typos made while the virus is making copies of itself.  Most of the changes are minor and the current vaccines are expected to grant protection to them. However, it does need to be tracked so if there is a challenging one we know about it.   

Last Wednesday the Director of the CDC working with Dr. Fauci announced an organized multi-agency attack strategy: 1) slow down the amount of virus in circulation by increasing the public’s focus on their role ie. masking/social distancing etc 2) limit available hosts by increasing the rate of vaccinations 3) increase sampling of viruses across the country to tag and sequence variants in order to respond effectively. A month ago sampling was at 250 a week, now it is at 750 weeks the goal is 6000 a week. 

The UK variant is the most concerning right now and the only way to avoid a fourth deadly surge (and the shutdowns that come with them) is for as many people to be vaccinated as quickly as possible.  Vaccine supply lines have been ramped up and you can expect to hear about FEMA mass vaccinations sites.  

There is a debate about making first shots available to everybody with the 2nd shot distributed as quickly as possible. This will likely spawn more suspicion amongst those already resistant to getting the vaccine. However, I think if people understand the vaccines and how they work they will be more comfortable getting vaccinated as soon as possible.

So here you go, as clean and quick as I can explain it. Please scroll down to the bottom for a link explaining all the vaccine’s effectiveness ratings again the original virus and the key variants.

How vaccines work

The first vaccine was created in the 1790s when a “pox”-like a virus that was not as deadly as smallpox was introduced into people to trigger an immune response.  This was a live virus and likely made people sick but the immunity it left behind meant the smallpox virus was survivable. 

Since then vaccines have always worked by introducing something to the body that was similar enough to the dangerous virus that the triggered immunity response would protect against the REAL virus. The goal has always been to survive a viral attack.  So even if the virus was able to build up enough in your system to trigger symptoms you would not be in danger of dying. 

When you hear Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are rated about 95% effective, this means 95% of the time if infected you will not get any symptoms of the disease. These vaccines come in two doses and the reason for the debate over getting everybody’s first dose complete is because the newest data shows people are at 90% effectiveness after the first dose.  The second dose lengthens the immunity window to six months. 

Some people after the second shot feel the symptoms of illness.  However, these are not Covid symptoms. They have the symptoms anybody would have from fighting any foreign invader.  This is because the vaccine does not introduce the virus’s genetic material into their body. This has led some to make a very confusing claim. 

Claim: The vaccines don’t really give you immunity to Covid

This misleading claim is very much splitting hairs.  Due to the scientific advances of the last 230 years, it is no longer necessary to use live viruses or dead viruses to trigger an immune response.  With genius precision, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use that signature spike on the exterior of the virus as the agent that triggers immunity.  

Technically you are not building immunity to the virus’s genetic code BUT that envelope with the spikes is the part of the virus that gets it into your body and your cells. The proteins that make up the spikes and envelope around Covid is the “corona” that makes it a corona-virus.  

The vaccines are made up of mRNA (a nucleotide that normally interacts with DNA) that has been coded to produce the Covid spike protein once it is in your cell. This has led some to make the next confusing claim.

Claim: The vaccines permanently change your DNA and should be classified as gene therapy.  

If you understand the cellular structure and how mRNA works then you know this is not happening. 

Your genetic code is stored in your DNA.  Your DNA is stored in the nucleus of your cells. mRNA is a messenger nucleotide that copies and carries DNA code outside of the nucleus to have it built inside the cell (the cytoplasm) but outside of the inner sanctum that stores DNA (the nucleus). 

To use scientific wording the mRNA “transcribes” DNA code by making a copy of it and then exits the nucleus to “translate” the messenger code into the necessary protein. When its task is finished the mRNA is broken down. When mRNA moves out of the nucleus it is a one-way trip. 

The mRNA-based vaccines are using mRNA coded to produce the proteins that create the signature spike on the outside of Covid. Once in your cells your body runs the mRNA protocol, as usual, it creates the spike protein and then breaks down the mRNA.  The mRNA from the vaccine never comes in contact with your DNA. 

Your cell produces the spike protein by your immune system immediately recognizes it as foreign and creates antibodies to destroy it.  It’s a genius because your immune system gets trained to defend against the virus without ever introducing the virus’s genetic material into your body. This creates an additional layer of safety when vaccinating against very dangerous diseases. Also as long as scientists can get the necessary code by sequencing variants they can quickly design booster shots to address the more dangerous ones.

However, if mRNA vaccines still make you squeamish there will soon be other options.  

Johnson & Johnson vaccine offers the old-school approach

If you are still not comfortable with the mRNA-based vaccines J&J and the two others cued up to release behind it are using viral genetic material to trigger immunity.  Johnson & Johnson uses the envelope of a common virus (one that causes the common cold) like a Trojan horse. 

Inside the envelope, they have inserted dead coronavirus DNA.  This vaccine is sturdier and one dose is all that is needed. 

If you are trying to do a mass vaccination this is an easier way to do it. This vaccine is rated at 70% effective.  Meaning 70% of the time you would develop zero symptoms of the disease and should you develop symptoms it would not be deadly.  

Which is better?  

In my opinion, all are good because the enemy of my enemy is my friend.  

The UK variant not only spreads faster it now is clear it is a least slightly more deadly. So I recommend you get whatever one is available to you first.  That way whatever variant pops up your immune system will have prior training in how to keep you out of the hospital. 

Already the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been effective against the UK variant and the South African variant to a slightly lesser degree (80%).  Data on the Brazillian variant is not yet available. 

For a complete rundown of the efficacy of all vaccines in use see here How The COVID-19 Vaccines Compare To Each Other

Sources. 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/health/johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html

https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/acam2000-smallpox-vaccine-questions-and-answers#:~:text=The%20vaccine%20stimulates%20a%20person's,exposure%20to%20smallpox%20ever%20occurs.

https://virologyj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12985-019-1182-0

What You Can Do to Help Prevent Coronavirus

There are basically two things you can do to help prevent Coronavirus: Take physical precautions to avoid contamination and make your internal environment as hostile as possible to any virus. Here’s how most of us can help boost our immune systems:

Get plenty of rest.

Get enough vitamin C.

Eat more food with garlic, onions, rosemary, thyme, and oregano, which all have mild antiviral actions.

Keep traditional remedies on hand to increase your barrier to illness if people near you have coronavirus or you need to care for somebody with the virus.

Yes, wash your hands and avoid touching your face. Also wash other items you touch frequently (your phone, door knobs, etc.). 1 part Clorox to 10 parts water is an effective disinfectant you can make at home, if needed. 

If you have symptoms, self-isolate and seek medical treatment only if you begin to have difficulty breathing. Note: key symptoms are fever plus dry cough (a runny nose is not a symptom). 

Try to stay calm, 80% of those infected do not need medical attention to recover. Just being an active alert member of the team effort to keep the virus from spreading will help keep the numbers down and prevent the most vulnerable in our communities from serious harm. 

Honey Garlic Tea and Cough Syrup

The Chinese Material Medica is a collection of natural substances with known medicinal uses. This knowledge has been a collection for thousands of years and the full list totals more than 5000 plant, animal and mineral items. Here in the West, we make use of about 450 different substances and design formulas using herbal medical theory that allows us to synergetically amplify the healing properties of the herbs. BUT many common foods, herbs and spices are found in the Chinese pharmacopia and it’s fun and very useful to be able to create kitchen medicine from these easy-to-find items.

As this year’s cold and flu season drags on, I have some kitchen medicine for you to try: Honey Garlic Tea or Cough Syrup.

Both honey and garlic are known antibacterials, but there is a little more to them. Honey also coats and soothes the throat and works as a cough suppressant. Garlic actually has an antimicrobial effect against bacteria and viruses like influenza. Garlic will also warm the interior of the body and breaks up phlegm. If you have raw ginger around, that would be a nice addition, but almost any kitchen has the two staples, honey and garlic, available at a moment’s notice.

Honey Garlic Tea

4 cups water
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. honey

Boil the water. Peel and crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and put in a container with the honey. Pour the water over the garlic and steep for 10-15 minutes. You can remove the garlic and add more honey if you like. Bundle up and sip.

Honey Garlic Syrup

If you want something prepped and ready to go, you can peel and crush 2 entire heads of garlic and put in a jar with 1 1/2 cups of honey (enough honey to cover the top of the garlic). You can use this in about 2 days, but it will reach full potency after about 4 weeks. At the first signs of cold or flu, dissolve a teaspoon in hot water and you have instant Honey Garlic Tea.

Or, you can take a teaspoon of this by itself as a cough suppressant and to break up phlegm. Studies have shown honey is as good a cough suppressant as OTC products.* Finally, if you are really feeling inspired, eat the garlic.

*Please remember there is always a time and place for anti-bacterials and anti-virals, but using something like Honey Garlic Tea in the earliest stages of an attack can reduce the need for these strong medicines.

5 Ways to Prepare for the Cold and Flu Season

As we are entering the new school year and the hottest part of the SoCal year, it’s odd to think that the cold and flu season starts now. But it does. If you are currently taking a customized formula from me, you already have a better than average chance of not getting sick.

Here are some ways to prepare yourself for in advance to avoid or shorten a cold or flu attack.

Elderberry extract. Those little old ladies that sipped Elderberry wine for medicinal purposes were on to something. Elderberry inhibits a virus’s ability to replicate. So if it is in your system before or at the same time as a virus first enters, you have a good chance of avoiding getting sick. It also tastes good (it is a berry!) and it’s easy to use with a child. You could take it all the time, but I recommend using this as soon as you notice somebody around you is sick. When my son was little, as soon as I heard a child sneeze in his vicinity, out came the Elderberry.

You will want to get an extract for higher concentrations of the good stuff and I’ve found that pill form works better than syrup unless you are dealing with a child. Gaia Black Elderberry is good BUT my hands-down favorite is New Chapter Immune Take Care. New Chapter is what I used and for my kiddo. I would open the gel cap into a cup of bubbly water and he thought he was drinking a berry soda.

Emergen-C Fizzy Drink. Definitely old-school but a large dose, 1000 mg Vit C with Zinc or with Additional B vitamins definitely can give your immune system some ammunition. Drink it warm to help the body absorb better. And with kids again it tastes good.

Use a light jacket or scarf to keep warm. Warning you to keep warm in summer temperatures sounds crazy but going back and forth from summer heat to intense air conditioning can cause a sudden chill. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this can cause a glitch in your immune system and an opportunity for a bug to get the upper hand. Most important is the neck when you feel that chill on your neck -- cover it.

Get plenty of sleep. TCM stresses the importance of “regular life.” This means having a regular mealtimes, worktimes and bedtimes. We all do better with routines, not just children. Having a regular bedtime will help your establish dependable sleep patterns that will keep your immune system strong.

Schedule an appointment. If you know you’re rundown and overstressed, see me for some maintenance care and a custom formula to boost your whole system and increase your tolerance to stress.

If boosting with the vitamins and using the elderberry as a barrier does not keep you feeling tip-top, it’s time to go to you TCM remedies. Your at-home cabinet should have the following:

• Yin Chao – this is the formula for colds that begin with a sore throat

• Gao Mao Ling – this is the formula for colds/flus that begin with an achiness in the skin and muscles

• Hou Xiang – this is the formula for “sudden turmoil disorder,” when the contents of your GI tract are exiting using one or both exits

You can find these online or ask me next time you come in for an appointment.

Disclaimer: Please remember any signs or symptoms that are severe or last longer than two days without improvement should be evaluated by a medical professional.

Podcast Launch: The Five Bodies

I have a podcast! I'm so excited to share news that I have launched a podcast: "The Five Bodies."

My hope is to inspire you to look at yourself and the world in a new way. I will be sharing new ideas on old wisdom regarding life, health and human potential, using my knowledge and interest in global cultures, philosophies, and spiritual practices. Link in profile for the first episode.

Check out “The Five Bodies” on iTunes.

New Workshop: Journey to Joy

We’re all born joyful, excited about life, and eager to engage with it — and, somewhere along the way, we lose that.

Last year, I began the process of finding a way to get that back for myself and ended up putting together a workshop, "Journey to Joy: An Adventure in Self-Discovery." After a beta test run, I'm offering the workshop again in June. There will be meditation, movement, and a shamanic journey that will help you pave the way to creating a roadmap for the next 100 days that is both simple and profound. The June workshop is on Sunday, June 23, 11 am-2 pm in Santa Monica. More details and information about the workshop here.

How to be a Breakfast Ninja!!!

I advise all my patients to eat breakfast.  

Eating breakfast is the universal rule if you want to be vibrant and healthy for years to come. 

Nobody thinks they have time, however, in the time it takes to make toast you can make a breakfast with enough protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and sustained energy to carry you into the afternoon.  Below are four power breakfasts that can be prepared in 5 Minutes or less!! Commit, focus and you can do it!

(As a general rule clean and prep fruits and veggie for rapid use prior to 

refrigerating.  Most fruit and veg do best stored in airtight containers with paper towel

inserted to absorb any excess water.)  

Veggie scramble,  sprouted grain toast with flax seed oil:

1) Leafy greens* chopped and in pan over medium heat, 

2) Pop the toast in toaster; scramble eggs in bowl, 

3) In that wee bit of time  the greens are done; eggs go into pan, 

4) While eggs cook, toast is topped with a healthy oil.  

    If you prefer a wrap, warm a sprouted grain tortilla** while eggs cook

    and put your healthy oil or avocado on the scramble before wrapping. 

EACH OF THESE STEPS TAKE ABOUT ONE MINUTE!! 

* leafy greens cook fast; leftover cooked veggies will heat quickly; if using 

   fresh veg, cut small, throw in a little water and cover to steam  

**breakfast ninjas heat tortillas directly on the burner - Whoo-yah!

 Oatmeal with nuts and fruit:

1) Boil water while you get dressed.

2) Instant Organic Oatmeal* in bowl, throw in a handful of nuts, and raisins

    The nuts increase the protein, raisins are high in iron or banana high in potassium

    or berries are full of antioxidants. Take your pick. 

3) Pour boiled water into bowl - let it set for a minute. 

4) Add butter.  Yes BUTTER!  It is a healthy fat when you don’t fry with it. Healthy fats

make foods more satisfying and are a slow burning fuel that does not need insulin to 

metabolize. 

Note:  If you seriously are jamed for time, Starbucks can supply you with an oatmeal breakfast. 

*Conventional instant oatmeals include artificial flavors and chemicals easily avoid by

using an organic brand; also to increase fiber, protein and omega’s add a tablespoon of flaxseed meal.

Yogurt & fruit with high fiber cereal

1) High fiber cereal, such as, Kashi Original* in bowl.

2) Yogurt** in bowl. 

3) Add desired fruit

4) Sweeten with alcohol free vanilla, or a bit of maple syrup/agave.

* Kashi Original has 14 grams fiber in one  serving; Fiber One is good as well.*

**Check protein levels they vary greatly. Fage 2%, a greek yogurt, has 20 grams of protein in a one cup, and has enough fat to give you a satisfied feeling. Also plain yogurt allows you to control added sugar.

Blended Smoothies - 75% Veggies

If you think you do not have the time to eat breakfast--drink it!!  

A 3-horse-power blender will blend any vegetable to a smooth consistency in one minute.*  

1) Grab bag of prepped veggie from the refrigerator**; put in blender 

2) Cut corn from cob; trim skin of of limes/lemons; but most veg goes in whole.

     All fiber, enzymes, minerals, vitamins and phyto-chemicals are intact.

3) Add protein source: Fage yogurt, protein powder, “So Delicious Almond Plus”

4) Add healthy fat:  Coconut Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Olive Oil or Avocado***

5) Add any “boosts”: like Goji Berries, or Bee Pollen

6) Include the avocado pit to add 9 grams of fiber 

*An effective and more reasonably priced commercial blender is the Waring Commercial Blenders.  At 3.5 horsepower these bad boys get the job and can be found for about $250 online, on sale.  Check out the full array of blenders at www.everythingkitchen.com. 

**Ninja-like speed depends on prep and strategy.  Divvy up veggies into 4-5 bags in advance.  In the morning you grab a bag and blend!

*** Add the avocado pit to your smoothie to gain 9 grams of fiber and a mild peppery

flavor that you may not even notice. 

Look for my upcoming post on how to make certain your smoothies are healthy enough to fight disease butand still yummy!

Final note:  Do not get stuck in a rut! All these approaches have variations and

you can rotate through the approaches to keep breakfast from becoming a drudge. 

5 Life Changes for Greater Health

Less Salt, More Vinegar

Less Rushing, More Breathing

Less Worry, More Action

Less Doubt, More Trust

Less Fear, More Love

Each step makes the next one easier.

Don't feel you must do them all at once. 

What is a Healthy Breakfast

Scramble eggs with a whatever veggies you have on hand, add salsa or some cheese; wrap in a tortilla for robust breakfast.

The Chinese Medicine adage:  "Eat breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Merchant and dinner like a Pauper", is rooted in the TCM theory of how Qi, life-force, circulates though the organ systems. 

Similar to the Western concept of biorhythms, Qi is considered at high-tide in the digestive system in the morning, and at low-tide for the digestive system in the evening. Therefore breakfast should be the biggest meal and as the day wears on the amount of food taken in should decline in volume.  This is opposite of how Americans think of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is regularly skipped or pacified with a muffin.  Even the American ideal of a bowl of fruit, croissant, and glass of juice break down to: sugar, sugar, and sugar.  Fiber and protein slow the transference of sugar into the blood and should definitely be included at breakfast time. Trade the croissant for a fiber-full bread and the juice for eggs and then you you have a breakfast fit for a KING.

Breakfast like a King 

This means a full complement of nutrition in the morning: protein, fiber, minerals, vitamins all in a warm meal. Obviously a King would eat their meal in a comfortable setting.  If this sounds impractical or not worth the effort consider this:  in his book,

Timeless Mind Ageless Body

Deepak Chopra reviews a study of people who lived to 100, undertaken to identify life-habits or attitudes common in this population.   Interestingly, a particular diet consistent with reaching 100 years was not found; however it was found that all the centenarians identified themselves as regular breakfast eaters. 

When you eat a Breakfast like a King, you take in 40-50% of the nutrition you will need for the day in a tight caloric package. However fast your crazy-busy day becomes you can function with sustained speed and clarity well into the afternoon if needed.  This is a clear competitive edge! 

The coffee and muffin crowd will drop into an energetic gutter within hours.  Then they overtax their adrenals by making them fill the energy gap left by improper diet.    Even if it takes Ninja-like skill to insert breakfast into your morning routine, it is well worth it.

Lunch like a Merchant

This acknowledges that this meal will be a simple, functional, and likely hemmed in by work.  Most people eat fairly well at lunch, the bigger problem is eating while stressed.   If you must eat at your desk take this time to turn your attention to your food and your breath.   Put brackets around that fifteen minutes of eating and use it as a break; do not multi-task.  Take a few deep breaths and relax your shoulders and jaw.  Look at that photo on your desk and remember a fun time with a loved one.  Trust that relaxing for fifteen minutes will make you more productive when you resume working.

Dinner like a Pauper 

This means at day’s end you're tired and eat whatever is available (remember junk food did not exist in Ancient China).  If you don’t have the energy to prepare a full meal, why assume your body has the energy to digest one. As the day winds down, eat a small, light meal or throw the meal away entirely.   If you want a muffin as a meal, or lose your wits and want to call popcorn dinner, this is the time to do that. 

Wiring Your Brain For Happiness

Recently science has proven that what you think actually creates the physical shape of your brain. Scientist now know that as a the brain fires off a neural sequence repeatedly over time, the brain cells involved wire together so the sequence can run more efficently.  The upside is this process of hard wiring in the brain helps the brain conduct routine business more efficiently, however the down side is that most people are not actively choosing how their brain, their life, is getting wired to operate. 

An example of an active use of this principle would be an athlete, or a piano player, who enhances his performance by visualizing the sequence he needs to perform.  The necessary brain wiring, or neural sequence, becomes stronger by thinking though the performance because the same neural pathways used to visualize it are used to perform it.

Given that the same thing happens with ALL your thoughts and feelings actively making choices about what you focus on starts to make a lot of sense.  If you are constantly stressed and overwhelmed your brain becomes wired to be very good at being stressed and overwhelmed.  It will then trigger the stress sequence in your body at the first thought of trouble, real or imagined.  

If you began thinking negative critical thoughts about yourself in puberty (and who didn't!) every day those thoughts have run through your mind unchallenged they have become more entrenched and more real.  Ever notice how that Critical Voice in your head speaks with absolute authority, those negative thoughts are deeply reinfored.  

Thousands of years ago the Sages of India knew this was how humans operated and their teachings are full of references to  “mental grooves”,  “patterned thinking” and "conditioned exsistance".  Liberation from this mindless, repeating of sequenced thoughts, behaviors, and/or actions is what meditation is meant to do. 

Beyond the science that supports the existance of "mental grooves", there is a  study out of China  that now shows the oldest brain exercise, meditation, remains the best for maintaining a positive outlook, off-setting stress, and keeping your brain “young” . 

Meditation not only can bring a person to a state of calm, it promotes a more positive outlook.  As time is spent in a calm, positive, state this is what becomes wired into the brain.  Each time you meditate your ability to mindfully, willfully, shake-off life's stresses and return to a state of ease grows stronger.

If you would like to give it a try, check out the free audio down loads of mediations at UCLA’s Mindfulness Research Center.   I recommend you start with the 5 minute Breathing Meditation or the 3 minute Loving Kindness Meditation.  

If sitting quietly watching your own breath sounds like science-fiction consider acupuncture treatment or yoga as a starting point.  If those options are not realistic, please read my post on practicing Gratitude and use that to get yourself moving in a positive direction. 

Or simple set the intention that you want a calm, more positive mind, and know that every mindful breath you take while holding that thought is a step in that direction. 

Acupuncture Proven Effective

Creating a study to properly measure the effectiveness of acupuncture has proven difficult because the gold standard, the double-blind random controlled study, was designed to test pharmaceuticals against a placebo/sugar pill.

There simply is no good way to "fake" an acupuncture treatment.  And even if sham acupuncture could be devised it would be impossible for the person administering the treatment to be "blind" to the knowledge of whether they were giving real acupuncture or sham acupuncture.

However, the tide is turning and different ways of approaching the need to scientifically prove the effectiveness of acupuncture are being found.  In a Georgetown University study, neuropeptide y (NPY) a protein associated with stress, was measured before and after acupuncture treatment.  Findings concluded an immediate and long lasting reduction in the protein measured.

The study is significant because once duplicated, acupuncture will be "scientifically" proven as a treatment for stress.  Since stress is a recognized precursor for so many more serious ailments there is hope that this scientific finding will open the door for a wider acceptance and use of this valuable therapy.

In the meantime, the US Military after performing it's own vigorous studies has recognized publicly the value of acupuncture and  introduced the therapy into both Veteran's Hospitals and combat settings.

Chinese Herbs versus Supplements

The medicinal herbs used in Chinese medicine are categorized as supplements by the Food and Drug Administration, and their production and distribution is overseen by this agency. Herbs are in this category because they, like supplements, are considered safe when taken as directed; so both are equally safe.

About ten years ago, “Bah Humbug!!” lost steam as an argument against alternative traditional medicine when statistics showed that people were spending billions of dollars for this kind of care. Now, Western medicine has begun to admit that there are things they don’t treat well, such as chronic pain, chronic diseases and disease prevention.

For some M.D.'s pharmaceutical grade supplements became the way to address these areas of shortcoming, however, the docs and others who recommend supplements still use a western approach. They still treat symptoms, not the root cause, and they still use a 'one size fits all' approach.  The result is people often take fists-full of expensive supplements with mediocre results.

A custom herbal formula is a customized supplement designed to treat both the symptoms and the root. It is designed specifically for the individual, and because of this, people should expect to feel an improvement within a week. One formula to treat your personal laundry list of issues.

Chinese herbs are safe, effective and have no side-effects.

Western doctors who warn against Chinese herbs do so because they do not understand how a medical system based on sticks 'n twigs, and roots 'n berries can work so well without side effects.