God’S Grand Design for Health

By James Darnell

In his inspiring new book, Dr. Darnell teaches you the basics of good cellular health and the importance of reducing inflammation in order to prevent chronic diseases. This book will guide you through the evolution of the American diet and its impact on our health, along with the many factors that cause the cells within the body to become diseased. Understanding these factors and following the guidelines to wellness provided in this book may lead you to a healthier life and pain-free longevity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512786422

James Darnell

Dr. Darnell has worked as a practicing chiropractor for 20 years, helping patients create a wellness lifestyle through regular chiropractic care, proper nutrition, exercise and appropriate supplementation to create optimum health. He is master certified in B.E.S.T. (Bio-Energetic Synchronization Technique) and is licensed in the states of Ohio and Colorado.

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Copyright © 2017 James Darnell, D.C.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The information, ideas, and suggestions in this book are not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. Before following any suggestions contained in this book, you should consult your personal physician. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising as a consequence of your use or application of any information or suggestions in this book.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8641-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8640-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8642-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017906814

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/26/2017

CONTENTS

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

1.     Health: Where Are We and Where Are We Heading?

2.     An Objective Comparison of the United States to Other Nations

3.     The Disconnect between Science, the Public, and the Food Industry

4.     Understanding Cause and Effect

5.     Inflammation and Its Impact on the Cells

6.     The Diabetes Epidemic

7.     Dietary Toxins

8.     Environmental Toxins in Everyday Life

9.     Methylation: The Key to Detoxifying the Body

10.   pH: A Vital Link to Better Health

11.   Conclusion

Notes

FOREWORD

You, the reader, are about to embark on a journey through a quarter century of consummate research and clinical application that’s been proven to help people regain optimal function. The author’s application of that knowledge has resulted in countless miracles and saved lives!

Having a foundational philosophy that we are all energy is of paramount importance in understanding the true origins of health. The author owns and lives that truth and eloquently shares it for the benefit of you and your loved ones in the pages that follow.

In order to truly shift our paradigm in health care, we must start with the fact that we are spirit first, mind second and body last. The body-mind-spirit adage needs to be stood on its head, and the truths in these pages do just that.

While this book emphasizes proper nutrition and the toxins to which we are exposed, it most importantly has the necessary foundational understanding of acid-alkaline pH balance. It will teach you the primary disruptors of that delicate pH balance and the impact on the cells if that balance is disrupted.

This brilliant compilation of golden nuggets of truth in the arena of proper nutrition starts with a frank, eye-opening look at where the United States stands as a nation in health care. World Health Organization statistics for 2015 shows the US ranking thirty-fourth among all industrialized nations in life expectancy. The United States Central Intelligence Agency shows US life expectancy ranked at forty-second in life expectancy for 2016, reflecting a less than stellar grade in the performance of our health-care system. If forty-one countries are doing a better job at healthcare, something is grossly missing in our approach. Our nation is literally dying to hear the truths that are revealed in the pages of this book.

Prepare to have your paradigm shifted. You, the reader, will anxiously await this book’s sequel, as I do, to further enlighten us about better health, optimizing our lives.

—Kreg D. Huffer DC LCP

PREFACE

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

—Alvin Toffler

The contents of this book are a summary of things I have learned over the course of a twenty-three-year career as a practicing chiropractic physician. This book would have looked completely different if it was written even ten years ago. Life is a journey, and we are all on a path of learning and evolving with our newfound knowledge. My hope is that you, the reader, will find tidbits of knowledge that you can use on your journey as well.

I could not complete this book without giving credit to the many influences I have had along the way. Among them are my friend and mentor Dr. Kreg Huffer, whose friendship and guidance have kept me on the correct path more times than I care to mention, and my wife, Sheryl, whose love and support through the writing process has made this all possible.

And finally, to the many colleagues and instructors who have influenced my life in a positive way, a big thank-you. Two in particular, Dr. Dan Murphy and Dr. Brandon Lundell, unknowingly inspired me to press forward with my research and desire to write this book. It is extremely difficult to sit in seminar after seminar, seeing all this data flash before me, knowing that our society is not receiving the message. Yes, I can and do talk to patients in my office, but that is such a limited sphere of influence. To get the word out to the masses, I realized more needs to be done even if it means spending an entire year researching, compiling data, and putting it all in print.

My training as a chiropractor is heavily weighted in prevention of disease rather than curing illness. In fact, it is woven through every fabric of my being. It’s not just something I do; it’s part of who I am. Prevention is a core premise of chiropractic as well as other holistic professions like acupuncture, homeopathy, and naturopathy.

My primary goal of writing this book is to raise awareness of the need for a preventive lifestyle and preventive health care. As the rate of chronic disease continues to escalate, the health-care picture becomes cloudier and cloudier. Statistics indicate that more Americans are becoming interested in prevention and are more inclined than ever before to buy supplements and natural products. Even in my clinical practice I have noticed a similar trend with many of my patients. However, there are still patients who have resisted active measures of prevention, even after attending health orientation classes in my office and seeing the importance of it firsthand.

The common resistance is you have to die sometime. Why should I waste my time and money on supplements and adjustments if it’s not going to change the outcome? To me the answer is simple. The Bible says in the book of Ecclesiastes, To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. This includes a time to be born and a time to die. They are right in their argument to a certain extent. The deeper issue is quality of life. Jesus says in The Gospel of John, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV) It’s difficult to have a full, abundant life when you’re battling a chronic illness. God can work out his purpose for your life even in the presence of illness, but it’s much easier to take care of the temple with preventive measures now, so we can enjoy the benefits of it and be a light for his glory. So, on a deeper level, getting started and sustaining new habits seems to be a major hurdle for some people.

What comes to mind when you think of preventive health care? The younger generations will more than likely associate preventive health care with some form of technology. After all, the gold standard for health care in America involves advancements in medical technology. Mammography, MRIs, CT scans, and high-tech pharmaceuticals and vaccines are on the cutting edge of medical advancements. While these are all very positive improvements, when I step back and look at the big picture of twenty-first-century health care, I see a picture that has carried us away from the foundation of where health truly begins. A mammogram can detect a tumor in the breast, but it does not address the factors that created the tumor. It has even been suggested that mammography leads to over-diagnosis and overtreatment.¹

The same is true with MRI and CT scans. They can see tumors and other pathological changes inside the body, but they don’t address the factors that created the pathology. High-tech pharmaceuticals can target tumors, regulate blood pressure, suppress an overactive immune system, and provide therapies for just about any condition. But every one of these interventions implies that the body is already broken. What about addressing the factors that create the broken body in the first place before they become pathological? Where does prevention fit in twenty-first-century health care? Vaccines can prevent the onset of many infectious diseases, but even this method of prevention comes at a high cost to those who are vaccinated. Allergies, autism, and autoimmune disorders are just a few of the documented secondary effects of vaccinations that frequently show up later in life. These issues and many others reveal the shortcomings of relying exclusively on the technology model of health care.

Can true prevention of disease really be achieved in the twenty-first century? I emphatically say yes. Yes, it can be done. I’ve seen it in my practice with my own eyes. The caveat is I don’t think we can get there exclusively through the technology model. In fact I’m convinced of it. Natural forms of prevention like proper diet and nutrition are the very foundation of health, which we seem to have lost sight of in our fast-paced modern lives. Proper diet and nutritional supplementation can be very effective in preventing disease if used properly. Yet this seems to be in indirect opposition to where a large portion of our culture seems to be heading.

I am boldly suggesting that our approach to health care needs to be modified if we are going to address the true underlying cause of the diseases of the twenty-first century. We have to get back to basics, starting with proper diet and working our way down the list of preventive measures, such as exercise, stress reduction, and taking time to smell the roses. As we reorganize our priorities, we can begin by slowing down the pace of our lives so that eating quality foods and exercising becomes an achievable goal. We hear about dental hygiene from the dentists—cleanings twice a year to prevent cavities. The spine is the control center of the body. What about proper spinal hygiene through regular chiropractic care? What about connecting with our creator through prayer and meditation? These things are enough to create a significant change in the health of our culture. The question is can we get there in our fast-paced society?

I have had the good fortune to learn from very intelligent people who are not afraid to challenge the existing reality. These great minds are the catalysts that sparked my desire to learn. We can learn lessons from our experiences, as well as from the experiences of other people. There is value in taking a long, hard look at where you’ve been, where you’re at, and where you’re headed. A good dose of objective reality can keep you heading in the right direction (as long as you don’t get stuck there). Knowledge is power; sharing that knowledge is even more powerful.

The pages that follow are full of facts that give a true picture of where we, as a nation, stand on health care. It’s an alarming picture of where we are heading if we don’t change course. If this book does not present an overwhelming case for a change in direction, I don’t know what will. The data is not provided to overwhelm you; rather it is provided to get your attention.

Why? Because if more people understood these concepts, there is no question in my mind we would have a healthier society. The only way that will happen is if more people start writing about it and educating all who will listen.

INTRODUCTION

Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.

—Anne Ritchie

Making healthier choices is an empowering process, a process that involves knowing what things to avoid that can cause illness, as well as knowing what things should be part of your life that will enhance your health. Where do you start?

Building a house requires a blueprint. Traveling to an unfamiliar destination requires a map. Being healthy and staying healthy are no different. The caveat in the discussion of health is that the blueprint is more complicated. It’s not a straight line. It involves a large number of variables. One thing is certain: it is hard to live to your full potential if you’re not healthy. That’s why living a healthy lifestyle should be everyone’s number one priority. It’s easy to let other things take higher priority until you experience a health crisis. A health crisis has a unique way of reorganizing priorities. I have seen this scenario many times during my twenty-three years of practice. People often take their health for granted until some form of crisis strikes. For some, the first crisis is severe, such as a heart attack or a cancer diagnosis. Will you be included in that life-changing statistic?

What does living to your full potential mean to you? For most people, it probably means having a good job, a nice home, and a family. For some it means becoming the next great scientist, maybe even the future president of the United States. I hope living healthy is included somewhere in those lofty goals.

I firmly believe with knowledge comes wisdom. Knowledge is worthless if it is not shared. Teaching and sharing information has always been a central theme of my practice. As time has passed, teaching has become even more critical. Why? As a nation we are slowly getting sicker and suffering from chronic diseases at younger ages. There is a wealth of great information available on health and wellness topics in print and on television.

As my colleague Dr. Dan Murphy says, The people who have published some of this information are really smart dudes.

From my perspective, he’s right. Never in the history of humankind have we understood so much about health. If that is true, why are we still experiencing an explosion of chronic illness? Is it because the information is still only reaching a limited audience? Is it because the information is too