Before Doug, I had never heard any health experts actively prepare us for the next ninety days on the calendar. From the early days of Doug’s TV show, I heard him referring to this time of year as the season for fungal overgrowth rather than “cold and flu season.” I think his theory is spot on. Hitting your body with incessant Sugar – as Americans begin doing this month - is like creating a buffet line for fungi.



It all starts with Halloween.



Halloween seemed like a dream to me when I was young. How was it that I could go to total strangers’ homes, dressed up like Captain Marvel, and simply ask for candy? It was too good to be true.



On Halloween night, I would sort through the mountain of sweets, reveling in its glory. I would even generously give away the suc***s and the chewy black and orange mystery candies to my dad. The spirit of the season was upon me.



Unfortunately, the spirit of the season came in like a lamb, but turned into a raging bear.



The candy lasted only a day or two. I had no sense of self-control, and no qualms about sneaking it from whatever hiding place mom had. Massive, uninterrupted Sugar gorging never left my tummy feeling bad, but it clearly wiped out my immune defenses within forty-eight hours of the feast.



For me, the same effects emerged every time: asthma and upper respiratory infections. The lungs have historically been fungi’s preferred target of attack in my body. Even today, if I ever get off track with the diet, I will start wheezing before any other symptoms pop up.



Dr. Yates did not help matters. He smoked a pipe, and he would light up right there in the exam room. Then he would exacerbate the problem even further with his treatment of choice: Antibiotics .



If you are new to Doug Kaufmann’s philosophy, you need to know why this was a mistake. The Mayo Clinic published an article in 1999 demonstrating that virtually all upper respiratory infections are actually caused by fungi rather than bacteria. This means that Antibiotics , which kill only bacteria, are not appropriate for these kinds of infections. (Go to Mayo Clinic today, however, and you will probably still get Antibiotics . Old habits die hard.)



Here is where the whole process replicates itself, and why many kids are put on the conveyer belt of conventional medicine, constantly becoming ill, and inadvertently given therapies which ensure that their illness will remain a chronic problem.



Picture this: Halloween = Sugar. Sugar depresses the immune system and feeds fungus. Doctors do what they have been taught by drug companies and dutifully prescribe antibiotics, which are actually fungal poisons. Any bacteria you have in your body – good or bad – dies off. Then, in the absence of any good bacteria, the yeast that lines your intestinal tract reproduces and grows to alarming levels.



Eventually, you get over the symptoms of your infection. (The joke is that it takes seventy-two hours to get over the infection if you do nothing, but only three days if you take antibiotics. If you are not laughing, read it again.) But though the “volume” of symptoms is turned down a bit, the underlying problem (fungus) is silently growing, becoming the dominant microbe in the body, quietly taking root, throwing off the immune system, assuming a normal place in our physiology, and effectively hybridizing with us.



It is the perfect microbial strategy.



The Halloween illness goes away. Sort of. Sure, you have the sniffles all the time, and you are a little more constipated in the winter, and you cough a bit more, and you are not quite as energetic as you normally are; but hey, it is “cold and flu” season, and this is just what you have to deal with this time of year. Right?



Those “small” symptoms persist, and throughout November and December, you feed into them over and over.



Trick? Or Treat?



I am a guy who lived this way most of my life. When the little symptoms become a normal feature of life, then it is not a huge leap to another series of symptoms, such as Depression – or “Seasonal Affective Disorder” as we call it in the winter months. This hit me when I was only in fifth grade, but some prescriptions kept those symptoms from overwhelming me.



Then new ones may pop up here and there. Headaches. Insomnia. Restless Leg Syndrome. Hyperactivity. Psoriasis. Weight gain. Chronic fatigue. Each symptom is added to the other, little by little. Each drug you take to hide the symptoms belies the fact that you are becoming a physiological train wreck.



One day, you wake up to find yourself completely overwhelmed by health woes. Then, when something serious such as diabetes, heart attack, or cancer hits, the consensus is, “Well, this is to be expected. After all, grandpa had it, too. We have a history of ______________ in our family” (fill in whichever disease you like).



This is tragic. It is a self-replicating pattern, and it plays out in families all across America. Thank goodness Doug has identified the pattern and created a strategy for escape.



What is the plan, Doug?



Ah, you guessed it. Phase One Diet, antifungals, immune boosters, probiotics, fish oil, colostrum immune factors, clean air and water, exercise, etc.



But what about the holidays?



Denying yourself every single treat is a recipe for eventual failure. We were not put on earth by our creator with a law that says, “No sweets. Ever. Have fun!” Instead, we have to get a grip on what we are doing each and every day. Then, when a treat day comes, we can enjoy a little. A LITTLE! Self-control is not talked about enough, but it is required with committed people. With Doug, Denni, and Kristin continuing to find ways to enjoy guilt-free treats, it will be even easier to maintain.



[I should say something about those of you who are in a serious health battle. One day, the reward for your efforts will be terrific health, along with the promise that you can occasionally enjoy a treat every now and then. But while you are in the heat of the battle, do yourself a favor and let the treats pass for now. Just hang on while you are recovering. It will not be forever, but the day of recovery is postponed if we are dipping into the candy jar all the time. Get over what you are dealing with, and you will get to celebrate sooner. Enjoy something with xylitol or stevia, like Yes to Cookies. You will thank yourself for it the day after Halloween, and your family will thank you when you have completely recovered.]



Treats become Tricks very easily. They feed fungus, and fungus creates food cravings and eventual addictions. Conventional therapy virtually assures that the cycle is repeated over and over again. Get off this merry-go-round of chronic illness and “Treat” yourself to the habits and strategies that guarantee health success.