Understanding how our biological heritage affects our behavior!
An interview with Dr. Alan Goldhamer
By
How did you first get interested in
Natural Hygiene?
When
I was 16 years old I was exposed to the philosophy of Natural Hygiene through
the writings of Herbert Shelton. I was also influenced through my interaction
with Dr. Gerald Benesh, of San Diego. I was
fascinated by the concept that health and disease were understandable and
predictable phenomena.
You are a licensed doctor. Where did you
do your training in Natural Hygiene?
After
I graduated from Western States Chiropractic College in Oregon, I had the
privilege of completing a residency program at the Arcadia Health Centre in
Australia under the instruction of Dr. Alec Burton.
When did you open the Center for
Conservative Therapy?
After
returning from Australia in 1984, my wife, Dr.
Including you
and Dr. Marano, there are now nine doctors associated
with the Center For Conservative Therapy, all
certified by the International Association of Professional Natural Hygienists
for fasting supervision. That is quite an accomplishment.
The
Center set out to attract doctors with specific skills that complement each
other. No one individual can have all the skills necessary to provide optimum
care. In addition to his broad hygienic knowledge, Dr. Sultana is a board
certified family physician, and an expert in helping patients
evaluate and, when possible, eliminate unnecessary medication and
medical treatment. Dr. Isabeau is trained in sports
medicine and fitness. Dr. Kim, Linzner and Dina supervise the
day-to-day activities
Having so many
hygienic physicians in one place brings benefits to patients and doctors alike.
Because the doctors can easily consult with one another, they can make their
combined experience and expertise available to patients.
People have raved about some of your
recent talks, where you have emphasized the importance of understanding the
genetic influences that affect our behavior.
I
think it helps people better understand some of their eating tendencies and
cravings, especially with their desire to eat concentrated foods-such as meat,
fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, oils and processed refined foods.
We
are made up of trillions of electrochemically interrelated cells. Each of our
cells contains 46 chromosomes which are in turn made up of millions of genes.
The gene is the basic unit of heredity and determines much of who we are. For
example, the genes contain the information that determines the color of our
eyes and skin, how tall we can grow, even how intelligent we can become. Genes
are responsible for our strengths and weaknesses and influence virtually every
part of our lives, including our behavior tendencies.
Genes affect our behavior?
Our
genes determine which of our cells become muscle, bone, nerves, organs, etc.
They control the growth and replacement of cells. The gene represents
accumulated adaptive information that has been selected over biological time.
Genes that promote behavior and characteristics that favor survival are passed
on from generation to generation.
Genes
survive by promoting behavior that favors survival and reproduction of the
individual. To the individual, survival means getting enough to eat and not
getting eaten.
In addition to
passing the adaptive traits through our genes, human beings have developed
another powerful means of passing on accumulated knowledge-language.
Not getting
eaten implies not only avoiding being eaten by other animals trying to survive,
but also avoiding bacteria, viruses and other entities that would be more than
happy to try to make you their supper. Not getting eaten, in the broadest sense
of the term, also means avoiding cars that might try to run you over and other
dangers of modern life.
How does this tie in with human eating
behavior?
Most
animals spend virtually all of their time trying to get enough to eat and avoid
being eaten. Human beings, owing to our sophisticated mastery of language, have
been able to gain control over our environment such that, at least in the
developed countries, we have been able to get enough to eat and still have some
time left over. But we still have a natural craving for concentrated foods,
foods that have high amounts of fuel or calories. We crave the tastes of sugar,
salt and fat.
In
a natural setting this desire to eat as much concentrated food as we can get
serves us well. Animals whose genes promote feeding behavior
live to reproduce. In a natural setting, there are no chocolate chip
cookie trees or candy bushes. There are no heated, beaten, treated, refined
foods. But in many countries today, these processed foods are everywhere, and
they are designed to appeal to our genetically driven instincts. They fool our
natural senses.
Some of my
patients tell me that some junk foods have even learned to speak. In fact, I've
had many reports that some flavors of ice cream (the ultimate combination of
sugar, fat and salt, all in one) will actually learn to speak their name. At
night the ice cream will call out to them begging to be eaten. Sometimes they
have to eat it just to shut it up.
I know you are just kidding about the
talking ice cream. But it sounds like since we can't change our genes, we'll
have to change our environment?
If
we wish to survive and live happy, meaningful lives, we must adopt a strategy
for achieving happiness that compensates for the changes we have created in our
environment.
People
often confuse happiness with pleasure. Pleasure is a response of our nervous
system to specific stimulation. Food, sexual activity and even drugs can
stimulate our nervous system in such a way that we experience pleasure.
Happiness is a
word we use to describe a mood that occurs spontaneously when we perceive the
balance of our experiences as highly positive.
Many people
mistakenly assume that if they are not happy, they must lack pleasure in their
lives. They assume they have a pleasure deficiency and go about trying to
stimulate their nervous system.
Cocaine
addicts are an excellent example. They will flush their entire lives down the
drain to induce the pleasurable response associated with the use of cocaine.
Some crack addicts have reportedly sold their infant children for a few rocks
of cocaine. But no matter how much cocaine the addicts use, they will never be
happy.
To achieve happiness requires a happiness strategy. It means being able to delay gratification and not being driven solely by short term, instant gratification, pleasure seeking behavior. We need to understand the difference between happiness and pleasure.
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