It is known as serrapeptase, and it’s a natural way to help regulate and eliminate inflammation. It does this in two ways:

1. Helps shrink swelling around injured spots—To break out of its cocoon, the silk moth secretes the serrapeptase enzyme to thin its shell. To regulate inflammation, serrapeptase helps thin trapped fluids that collect around injured muscles and tendons. This helps reduce joint problems.
2. Repairs tissues—Serrapeptase has the uncanny knack for seeking out damaged or dead tissues… blood clots… scar tissue… and a host of other foreign invaders that can trigger inflammation. When it finds the trouble spots, serrapeptase quickly helps dissolve these problems—and removes them from your joints and muscles. The result is fast and effective relief from inflammation pain.

The truth is… serrapeptase is not a new discovery. For more than 25 years it’s been the supplement of choice as an alternative to ibuprofen, salicylates and potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Joint sufferers have hailed its miraculous healing abilities in Japan, Germany, Europe and Asia.

That’s because serrapeptase has been scientifically tested and demonstrated safe to help relieve:

• Joint pain
• Swelling from sprains and torn ligaments
• Post-operative inflammation
• Tissue swelling
• Cardiovascular problems
• Varicose veins

It eats up blood clots, cysts, non-living tissue, arterial plaque and inflammation in all of its forms—and it does this without causing gastrointestinal side effects like many prescriptions and over-the-counter meds.

In one German study, 66 patients with knee surgery were given serrapeptase or a placebo. Just three days after surgery the serrapeptase group experienced a 50 percent reduction in swelling compared to the placebo group.

What’s more, the serrapeptase group reported significant reduction in joint discomforts. In fact, by the 10th day, most of their aches had completely vanished!

Now that’s a big result from an enzyme found in the tiny silk moth. And you can reap the benefits of this safe yet potent remedy—and help rid your body of painfully swollen and inflamed joints—through a high-quality supplement containing serrapeptase.

• Substantial short-term memory or concentration problems
• Recurring sore throat and tender lymph nodes
• Muscle pain
• Pain in several joints without swelling or redness
• Headaches of a new type, pattern or severity
• Feeling tired and unrefreshed—even after sleeping
• Extreme tiredness after exercise or other exertion lasting more than 24 hours

The real challenge is chronic fatigue can result from multiple sources—diet has much to do with it, as does mood, activity level and the health of your immune system. And various antigens—substances that stimulate the production of an antibody when introduced into the body—triggered by medications, virus exposure, vaccinations, heavy metals or environmental toxins all contribute to the symptoms of CFS.

Very few physicians know what to test for to uncover the causes. It takes a detailed history of your physical health, exposures, eating habits, stress, self-belief patterns, emotions and even relationships.

Fatigue and low energy can also fluctuate daily according to the foods you eat. But when you approach eating 50 percent of your food uncooked, you will definitely find your energy level improving. Foods full of refined sugar, high loads of wheat bread, dairy milk, cheese or fatty animal meats can be modified or replaced with nutrient-rich foods, and chronic fatigue states can’t last very long in that nutritious environment.

I also find that much of fatigue has a lot to do with holding one’s self back energetically by one’s own thought patterns. This may be an unconscious pattern such as fearing what others might think, thinking about the terrible “what ifs” that constantly arise or choosing inaction because we don’t feel capable or lovable enough.

For example, when your mind is idle or dwelling on unpleasant thoughts, your life force energy becomes low, which slows and tires your physical body.

Instead, say out loud, “I am a powerful force for good in the life of someone today. I am inspiring and joyful!” Did you notice a shift of more energy come into you as you said these words aloud? It works for me in every case.

This is called the language of “success,” or the language of “increase.” Thinking—and especially saying—such words empower you with energy and passion to do what you want in life. Reach out to others and feel how it can revive you and awaken your soul. And as you experience some sort of reaching out to another, just notice how it feels to connect to them and feel the energy that comes into you.

To sum up, if you discuss your symptoms with your physician, take the time to examine your food habits and improve your positive thinking, then you could be able to shake the symptoms of CFS. This will help you on the path to a healthy body and mind, and get you out enjoying your favorite activities again.

I am a 79-year-old man from Cleveland, Ohio. I used to suffer with terrible back problems. The pain was tremendous. It took half an hour to get out of bed and I could hardly bend over to put on my socks!

—Albert C.

Dear Albert,

It sounds like you found a real answer for your back pain. Yours is a perfect example of immune hypersensitivity from foods as the underlying cause of inflammation. Inflammation or disease will manifest where genetically or mechanically (from prior injury) you are the weakest. Therefore, if foods must be eliminated to quiet the inflammatory process, foods you are eating could be causing a hidden inflammation of your heart, or a genetic aberration leading to cancer that hasn’t surfaced yet. The best answer is to cleanse the body periodically from antigens—which trigger allergy and inflammation—that build up over time in the body. Then all the underlying immune hypersensitivity quiets down.

Another method of cleansing is through sweating. I’ve worked with a Navajo woman who told me she suffered for years with hypothyroidism and recurrent asthma symptoms. She was on thyroid replacement meds and used asthma medication constantly. She followed her Native American tradition of attending a sweat lodge weekly for approximately a year. Since then, she has not needed her asthma medicine or her thyroid replacement, and she was tested normal by her doctor. Sweating can be another powerful way of quieting the immune hypersensitivity that is behind inflammatory conditions—and even hormone dysfunction. So, thank you for sharing!

All the best!
Michael Cutler, M.D.

You might also try a dietary supplement form of sulfur, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), which is an organic compound found in living tissues. MSM can also be found in the lignin—or cell wall—of pine trees. This substance is so safe that one researcher indicated MSM was as basic an element as water. And oral MSM can help relieve the pain, inflammation and discomfort you experience with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and muscle soreness.

In World War II, all children in England were provided with a daily cod liver oil supplement as well as sufficient vitamin A and D—adults took it as well. Even though it tasted terrible, people learned to accept it. Add this to the low fat and low sugar war-time diet, and they had a winning combination.

Today, a tablespoon of flaxseeds is my best recommendation for sufficient eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are the two active ingredients in omega-3 fish oil.

DHA is believed to make up the “building blocks” of the brain, and by weight, it forms 8 percent of the brain. And EPA is vital for brain function and nerve stimulation.

Lets take a look at the different fats, which fall into three main groups:

• Saturated (hydrogenated)—becomes firm at room temperature.
• Monounsaturated—amber at room temperature but gets cloudy in the refrigerator.
• Polyunsaturated—is clear at room temperature and stays clear in the fridge.

Natural oils and fats are really a mixture of all three types of fat in which one makes up a larger portion of the mixture. Our focus should be on polyunsaturated fats because these essential fatty acids are the protectors.

Several papers have been printed showing that the omega-3 oils help relieve ulcerative colitis, an awful inflammatory bowel disease that I experienced for many years before I underwent surgery to have my colon removed.

Americans usually need to supplement these omega-3 oils daily or eat more of the following:

• Eat 3 servings of fish weekly—4 servings or more are even better. Don’t eat deep-fried square fish from fast food outlets—they have no omega-3 oils and are loaded with hydrogenated oils.
• Use omega-3 oils, such as canola oil, in salads and in baking, whenever possible.
• Omega-3 oil supplements are fine. Strive for 500 milligrams of omega-3 oils as supplements each day if you don’t eat any fish.

People have found success through acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, herbal medicine and dietary therapies. Some patients have found relief through homeopathy—or giving minute doses of a drug that in massive amounts produces symptoms similar to those of the disease itself. Other patients have tried hydrotherapy—or the treatment of physical problems under the care of a trained therapist by placing all or part of the body in water.

Since RA is an autoimmune disease, stress reduction and relaxation training are essential to calm and balance the immune system and to reduce symptoms.

Detoxification and support of the digestive system are important because poor digestion can lead to a buildup of undigested materials, which leak through the gut and into your bloodstream. And this may be a contributing factor in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

I recommend detoxification and a cleansing diet which restores colon health, as well as the continuation of a healthy, whole foods diet. Foods rich in essential fatty acids, such as cold water fish, have anti-inflammatory characteristics. There are many possible combinations of herbal medicines you can try to treat RA.

One herbal combination that works for many sufferers is a mixture of tinctures of meadowsweet, willow bark, black cohosh, prickly ash, celery seed, nettle, wild yam and valerian.

There are many anti-rheumatic and anti-inflammatory herbs. In most cases, it is best for treatment to be on an individual basis before trying any herbs on your own. A practitioner trained in herbal medicine can look at your needs and symptoms in order to determine what treatment would be best for you.

Once you have evaluated yourself and your needs, you can decide which of the many alternative methods and treatments will bring you the most relief from your painful RA symptoms.

A poultice is a large homemade band-aid made of soft layers of cloths that have herbs and natural foods intertwined within the fabric, and can be applied for as long as one to 24 hours, or until its benefits are no longer noticeable.

Here are some easy-to-make poultice “recipes” and the health issues they can help eliminate:

• Finely minced onions—interlaced between a minimum of two layers of cloth—can help slow-to-heal infections, sores, boils, abscesses and other skin issues.
• Mustard—between at least two layers of cloth to prevent direct contact with skin—can help relieve inflammation and sore muscles.
• Lobelia and charcoal—speeds the healing of most wounds, including insect bites, and reduces bee sting pain.
• Lobelia and slippery elm—treat blood poisoning and abscesses.
• Fenugreek seed, flaxseed and slippery elm—treat inflammation.
• Chaparral, dandelion and yellow dock—relieve itchy or dry skin, eczema and acne.

All of these herbs for a healing poultice should be found in your local health food store.

Well, what is hyaluronic acid you say? It is a water-gelling molecule (the smallest particle of a substance that keeps the chemical and physical properties of that substance) found in the synovial fluid―the fluid surrounding your joints, cartilage and skin tissues. This fluid cushions your joints so you can easily bend and flex by filling in the space between cells in the connective tissues.

If you’re young, your body has plenty of hyaluronic acid, but unfortunately, as you age, your natural production decreases and you may begin to experience uncomfortable or painful symptoms. So if morning stiffness and nighttime pain… inflamed joints… cracking knees… stiff hands… knotted shoulders and rigid fingers and toes are robbing you of your quality of life, you could be deficient in not only hyaluronic acid but also collagen and chondroitin sulfate!

Because hyaluronic acid can’t do the work alone—your body needs all three of these key substances working together to keep your joints lubricated and healthy.

The collagen in this threesome also plays a key role in improving and helping to restore joint function. It all starts with the amount of collagen in your body, which is the protein found in your body’s connective tissue. There are 14 types of collagen in your body, and for smooth and supple skin, you need Type I. But for healthy tendons, ligaments, joints and cartilage, only Type II can take care of business!

When you add the third amazing nutrient, chondroitin sulfate, which blocks bad enzymes that can damage cartilage, you have powerful, three-tiered protection from bone-crippling ailments. Having enough of this nutrient is like having a healing stream of water flowing into your cartilage.

So, Americans can definitely learn a valuable lesson from the Japanese that can increase their life expectancy and quality of life. To protect your joints and overall flexibility, ensure that you are providing your body with plenty of hyaluronic acid, collagen and chondroitin sulfate—the powerful nutrient threesome that can do the job.

Over the past 10 years, researchers have closely studied the function of fat cells. It is now known that these fat cells within belly fat release certain substances that are the “bad guys” and can cause inflammation. And this inflammation is the very reason that Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease come to call. So these fat cells actually fight your normal tissues and cells!

But the good news is that there are also “good guys” that fight against inflammation. For example, one of the many “good guys” is a protein which fights against both diabetes and that fatty yellow stuff that forms in the lining of your artery walls. Best of all, you can turn ON the “good guys” and turn OFF the “bad guys” just by watching what you eat!

That’s right! By eating more healthy foods and eating less of the unhealthy foods such as refined sugars, oils and junk foods, you can prevent serious illness! But there’s more! Getting rid of some of that spare tire around your middle lessens your chances of having either diabetes or heart disease!

What’s more, it often only takes just a modest weight loss for people with VAT to greatly improve their metabolic profile. Why? Because when the weight is centered around the abdomen, this area of fat is where the weight will come off and that improves your waist-to-hip ratio, which is the distance around your waist in relation to the distance around your hip. And that’s great news since the lower your waist-to-hip ratio, the better your health can be!

Well, is your belly fat really speaking to you? You bet it is and you need to listen! It’s telling you it’s dangerous and it’s going to cause you some real trouble. So now is the time to part company—for your health’s sake!

Here’s a variety of “safe” foods that are NOT likely to trigger your arthritis symptoms:

Starch Carbohydrates
Beets, Grapes, Pumpkin, Rice noodles, Carrots, Lentils, Raisins, Rye crackers, Dates, Melons, Refried beans, Squash (winter), Figs, Millet, Rice bread, Fruit juices, Pineapple, Rice milk.

Proteins
Chicken (lean, range-fed), Cheese (dairy-free), Egg whites (organic), Vegetarian burgers, Halibut, Salmon, Tempeh, Tofu, Tuna (water-packed), Yogurt (dairy-free).

Fats
Almond butter, Olive oil, Walnuts, Cashews (raw), Pumpkins seeds, Tahini, Filberts, Sunflower seeds, Flax seed oil.

Non-Starchy Carbohydrates
Apples, Blueberries, Cabbage, colllard greens, Herbs (fresh and dried), Natural mustard, Pinto beans, Black cherries, Lettuce, Applesauce, Bok choy, Cauliflower, Dried fruits, Kale, Onions, Prunes, Brussels sprouts, Mushrooms, Apricots (dried), Broccoli, Celery, Garbanzo beans, Kidney beans, Parsley, Spinach, Cilantro, Peas, Asparagus, Brown rice, Chard, Green beans, Leeks, Pears, Sprouts.

So when you feel hungry and you know you have arthritis issues, try to stay within this list of foods and you should notice a BIG difference in your arthritis pain!