Such a great read!!!
Cracked open this awesome read not too long ago, and these pages pertaining to skin health really stuck out at me. It further affirms that detoxification and changing your lifestyle to a healthier more nutrient dense one is the only way to go to heal up the gut, internal organs and in turn, the skin. I’m still in the middle of it, and will follow up with more key points that stood out to me. This book is such an oldie (published in 1965!) but such a goodie! Definitely a must read!
Henry Bieler, MD, in his book “Food is Your Best Medicine” said that he always explained to his patients that their pain and illness is the result of their dietary mistakes and intake of drugs. He said that when the normal chemistry of digestion is upset because of unhealthy living habits, toxins are stagnated in the blood which can impair the filters and eliminative organs, chief of which are the kidneys, liver, bowels, and skin. He explained that skin problems like eczema is a “terrific attempt” by the body to get rid of toxins since the normal channels of elimination such as the liver are no longer functioning normally. If the bile poisons in the blood come out through the skin, we get the various irritations of the skin and itching is one of these irritations. The itching is necessary so the poisons can come out of the skin. “Thus, the skin is substituting for the liver, or a vicarious elimination is occurring through the skin” (Bieler, pg. 43).
He describes eczema as a hyper secretion of the thyroid gland. “This gland, located at the base of the neck, controls all functions of the body’s three layers of skin: the outer skin…, the inner skin… and the middle skin. The normal function of the outer skin is to exhale gases, sweat out water and certain toxic salty substances and oil itself and its hair with special oil glands. The vicarious elimination, which results from forcefully exuding gases, acid sweat, and toxic oils and greases through the outer skin has supplied names to enough diseases to fill a large dermatology text book. Chronic eczema, ichthyosis and psoriasis are common examples. Skin diseases, which are really signs of toxic irritation, respond well to a treatment, dietary and local, directed to the neutralization and elimination of the offending poisons. This brings the hyperthyroidism under control.” (Bieler, pg. 46).