Category: The Animal’s Key

Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational purposes only and reflects a Natural Hygiene (Terrain Model) perspective on health and nutrition. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any condition, and does not constitute veterinary or medical advice. The views expressed are independent of the conventional medical or veterinary industry, and all decisions regarding animal care or personal health care are the responsibility of the owner/individual.

“The proper way to study disease is to study health and every influence favorable or not to its continuance. Disease is perverted health. Any influence that lowers nerve-energy becomes disease-producing. Disease cannot be its own cause; neither can it be its own cure, and certainly not its own prevention.”  Tilden, Toxemia Explained

Understanding our nerve energy and its functions is one of the most important keys to maintaining and recovering our health.   Without nerve energy our bodies cannot function.  Every cell and every elimination and cleaning process relies on nerve energy.  

Nerve energy is commonly squandered in modern life due to our lack of understanding of the importance of conserving our nerve energy.  Modern life promotes the constant misuse of this precious resource resulting in colds and flus and then chronic disease.  If we want to recover our health we have to adapt our habits away from the enervating habits taught to us by society and into habits of conservation.  

What Is Nerve Energy? 

Nerve energy is a form of electricity measurable in millivolts.  It is the electrical impulse that runs through our nervous system, allowing for the communication of every cell in our system with every other cell in our system.  Nerve energy is central to the cleaning and healing processes of the body and when it runs low our body’s ability to clean up after itself becomes impaired.    

“Demonstrating that nerve energy is electrical is easy. If you mashed your finger, a message would immediately go to the brain and back would come a command to remove the finger from that which applied the pressure. Moreover, the brain would command the entire balance of the body to cooperate in the extraction of the finger from the offending pressure. Only electricity is capable of such speedy transmission. No chemical process or circulatory process is capable of this dispatch. It occurs only through a network of nerves with conductive abilities, and electricity is the only form of energy it can conduct. 

If you take a weak voltage and hook up to it while holding someone else’s hand, the other person gets a shock immediately when you touch the live electrical source. I don’t think anyone can doubt that we do generate electricity, and that is the form of energy we use to conduct our physical and mental activities. Sensations are transformed into electrical stimuli and forwarded to the brain. The brain interprets these and sends out commands based upon the interpretation. Thus, if you put your finger to a hot object, the finger is commanded in a flash to withdraw from it.”  – T.C. Fry, The Life Science Health System

Why Is Nerve Energy Important To Our Health? 

“All diseases have an element of nerve derangement. Indeed, we must have enervation before any disease can develop and enervation may be brought about by anything–any influence–that uses up nerve energy.” – John Tilden, Impaired Health Vol. II

Diseases can be caused by any improper life practices, but generally are caused most by dietary indiscretions.  The primary mechanism that causes disease and root of all illness is reduced nerve energy.  Reduced nerve energy results in reduced ability of the body to eliminate the normal by-products of cell building and cell destruction.  

“In the process of tissue building— metabolism—there is cell building— anabolism—and cell destruction—catabolism. The broken down tissue is toxic and in health—when nerve energy is normal—it is eliminated from the blood as fast as evolved. When nerve energy is dissipated from any cause—physical or mental excitement or bad habits—the body becomes enervated, when enervated, elimination is checked, causing a retention of toxin in the blood or Toxemia. This accumulation of toxin when once established will continue until nerve energy is restored by removing the causes. So-called disease is nature’s effort at eliminating the toxin from the blood. All so-called diseases are crises of Toxemia.”  – John Tilden, Toxemia Explained

Toxemia/toxicosis may arise from many different sources: diet, water pollution, air pollution, injections, drugs, herbs and other poisons.  The toll toxemia takes and the reason we manifest disease symptoms when we are experiencing toxemia is because of insufficient nerve energy to eliminate the cellular wastes.  

“Obviously, to remain free of burdensome accumulations, both physical and chemical in nature, the body must have full use of its eliminative faculties. If these faculties are impaired by lack of nerve energy, if they have been disabled by toxic materials or if ingestion of toxic matters exceeds ability to cope, then elimination is likewise impaired. Accumulations further vitiate the elimination process until the body must undertake an eliminative crisis (disease) to free itself of its morbid load. – T.C.Fry

As nerve energy lags the body falls further and further behind in its elimination of cellular waste and this in turn further impairs the body’s ability to generate nerve energy.  The more nerve energy we squander the less we are able to generate until we crash. 

“…the body is primarily an organism that works on the amount of electricity it generates and which it has in its reserves. If this supply is depleted or otherwise insufficient to cope with the needs of the body, then body functions become impaired, including the processes of elimination of both endogenous metabolic wastes and exogenous poisons introduced into the body. This impairment begets further impairment including diminishing the body’s ability to restore depleted nerve energy.”  – T.C. Fry

This can be clearly evidenced in the individual who consumes coffee.  They quickly become dependent on having coffee every day, often multiple times per day because each cup of coffee makes their body more exhausted then the previous cup.  They begin to rely on the stimulation in a vicious cycle of fatigue and stimulation which drains their nerve energy and impairs the creation of nerve energy.

As we drain our nerve energy we build a backlog of waste that the body falls behind on eliminating.  Eventually the body must force a healing crisis to eliminate this cellular debris and at this point we experience a cold or flu healing event.  

“Due to unnatural practices or influences, humans frequently accumulate toxic substances in their bodies beyond normal capacity for elimination. When the accumulation becomes intolerable within the context of residual vitality, the body will preempt its nerve energy and redirect it to the task of extraordinary elimination or cleansing”  – T.C.Fry

Squandering Nerve Energy Leads To Disease  

The word toxemia means blood poisoning. Toxicosis refers to any disease brought on by poisoning.  In the normal daily processes of life our cells themselves produce toxic byproducts.  In a normal functioning body these toxic substances are rapidly eliminated from the area and the cell’s function is unimpeded.  However, when we squander our nerve energy the body’s ability to eliminate these normal byproducts of cellular metabolism becomes impaired.  The body becomes less able to eliminate, which then impairs the body’s ability to generate nerve energy, which then impairs every other function in the body. 

“Nerve energy is required to digest food; nerve energy is required to keep up secretions and excretions; nerve energy is required to prepare enzymes for digesting our food intake and keeping up a normal resistance to environmental influences as well as those that are autogenerated. 

When this nerve energy is up to the standard, we are poised–or balanced, as it were, with our environments–and we can eat a maximum amount of food, and take care of it. This being true, it should be obvious to those who care to reason that any influence which uses up nerve energy lowers the digestive powers of the body, and that an amount of food which can be utilized when the nerve energy is up to standard must necessarily be too much when the energy is used up in work, play, or sensual indulgence.

It should be obvious to any reasoning mind that a full dinner taken into a tired body cannot be digested properly; that a full meal, or any meal at all, eaten by one in great mental anguish over some great trouble, cannot be digested. And, when food is not digested, it becomes a poison.”  John Tilden, Impaired Health Vol I

“Using nerve-energy in excess of normal production brings on enervation. Few people waste nerve-energy in one way only. Food is a stimulant. Overeating is overstimulating. Add to this excess one or two other stimulants—Coffee or tobacco—excessive venery, overwork and worry, and one subject to that amount of drain of nerve-energy will become decidedly enervated.

Elimination falls far short of requirements; consequently toxin accumulates in the blood. This adds a pronounced auto-toxin stimulation to that coming from overstimulating habits, and completes a vicious circle. This complex stands for a disease-producing Toxemia, which will be permanent except as toxin crises—so-called acute diseases—lower the amount of toxin, again to accumulate and continue until the habits that keep the body enervated are controlled. Perfect health cannot be established until all enervating habits have been eliminated.” – John Tilden, Toxemia Explained

The more nerve energy we waste the less ability our body has to clean out the cellular waste and debris that build leading to disease conditions.   As the body becomes more fatigued the disease conditions build and we move from minor discomfort to major chronic disease. 

How Is Nerve Energy Created? 

Sleep and rest are the only way that we can regenerate nerve energy.  When our sleep is disturbed or we ignore our bodies’ need for more sleep we set off a cycle of degeneration. 

“Enervation can be caused by depletion of nerve energy in any of hundreds of ways. Sleep regenerates nerve energy. Obviously, insufficient sleep will not supply us with our needs. It will not fully recharge our batteries. We need sleep to regenerate nerve energy for the brain and nervous system. Rest and total abstinence from food, liquid and solid, and reforming all enervating habits, will restore nerve-energy; the elimination of toxin through the natural channels will take place, and full health will return.”  – Tilden Toxemia

“Sleep is the condition under which the brain generates nerve energy with which to conduct body activities. The deeper the stage of sleep into which the body enters, the more efficiently can nerve energy be generated. There are five stages of sleep if we include the R.E.M stage, popularly called the dream stage, when there are rapid eye movements. Other stages are named after the brain wave frequency. The threshold stage of sleep is the alpha stage and the deepest stage is delta wave sleep. As nerve energy is the spark of vitality for vigorous activity and high level function generally, adequate sleep is very essential to well-being.”  – T.C. Fry

Closing our eyes and resting on the couch for a few minutes periodically throughout the day can also help to regenerate our nerve energy and allow the body to clean out and improve its efficiency.

“While sleep regenerates a fund of nerve energy, rest enables the body to restock physical stores as well as to “clean house.”” TC. Fry

Sleep is controlled naturally, your body will only sleep when sleep is required.  If you are tired and you force yourself to stay awake and push through you are only impairing your body’s ability to clean and heal.  When your body tells you it needs rest, obey it and it will pay you back in health and comfort.   Disobey and pain and suffering will be the end result. 

“We become sleepy when sleep is needed. If we don’t fight it off by taking pep pills or coffee, we naturally drop off into a state of unconsciousness when our bodies need sleep. And we will remain in this state until our nerve energy is sufficiently recovered— unless our sleep is prematurely put to an end by a jangling alarm clock or other disturbing influence. It is impossible to sleep if we do not need sleep. Sleep cannot be “stored up” for future use. – T.C. Fry

It can be tempting to just push through and use those stimulants to make it through our day, but by doing so we are selling ourselves short.   The rest we take today will pay us back in abundant energy.  The stimulant we take today will pay us back in erratic, nervous energy that makes us less efficient and less effective and will cost our energy for the rest of the day and the rest of the week.   

How Is Nerve Energy Wasted?

Sadly there are a great many ways in which we are wasting our nerve energy each day.  When we look at the list we must marvel at how well our body maintains some semblance of normal functioning with all of the mistakes in living that we throw at it each day.  Here is a list of just some of the ways that we squander our nerve energy:

• Cold and heat – “Extremes of temperature require the expenditure of nerve energy to adjust to changes” – TC Fry   “If a person spends all his nerve energy in keeping warm, he has none left for taking care of food. All other influences work the same way. Anything that reduces the nerve energy lowers the digestive function. When any part of the nerve energy is used up in keeping warm, there is just that much less for digesting and assimilating food.” – John Tilden   “Deliberate cooling or heating of the body is exhausting of nerve energy and lowers the body’s functional abilities.”  -TC Fry
• Seeking pleasure excessively  – “this condition may be brought on by exhausting the nerve energy in seeking pleasure–wearing out the nervous system enjoying, so to speak. Instead of taking a moderate amount of pleasure in going to the theater or picture shows, dancing, etc., the nerve energy is worn out taking these pleasures in excess.” John Tilden, Impaired Health Vol II
• Excessive eating
• Imprudent eating – “In processing food for use, we expend two kinds of energy. We expend metabolic energy, which is the chemical and mechanical energies expended, and we expend nerve energy. For instance, we use very little nerve energy in digesting watermelon. But, in processing foods to which we are not biologically adapted, an enormous expenditure of nerve energy is occasioned. Meats may cause nervous exhaustion due to the body’s frenzied activities in dealing with proteins, uric acids and other toxic substances in them. Though we may feel exhilarated while expending nervous energy just as we feel “a pickme- up” when taking coffee (which really drains nerve energy), the stimulation occasioned by eating unsuitable foods such as meat is an indication of the inefficiency with which the body handles it.” T.C. Fry
• Eating wrong combinations
• Fermentation
• Consuming stimulants – Coffee, tea, chocolate and drugs all drain the body of nerve energy
• Eating foods that are artificially prepared
• Eating cooked and processed foods 
• Eating excess proteins – “neutralization and elimination of the toxins of protein degeneration (putrefaction) uses up vast amounts of nerve energy which, though stimulating at the time, exhausts and debilitates the body.” T.C.Fry
• Eating starches instead of fruits – “A larger amount of the body’s limited supply of nerve energy is used up when starches are used for fuel than when fruits are used because starches are, as you know, polysaccharides and must be broken down (digested) into monosaccharides before the body can use them. Fruits contain a preponderance of monosaccharides, which, as you also know, need no digestion at all. Therefore, fruit eating leaves more of the body’s energies available for other activities. This explains, in part, why people feel so “light” when they eat fruits and so heavy when they eat beans or bread.” T.C.Fry
• Overwork 
• Worry and fear 
• Excessive emotions and outbursts
• Arguments with loved ones
• Stress 
• Lack of discipline 
• The use of stimulants of all kinds 
• Carelessness in looking after the functions of the body
• Any influences that will produce overstimulation, intoxication, enervation, or imperfect elimination
• Overstimulation – Social media, television, even reading a book can be a source of nerve energy drain if done to excess, or to upset.

As you can see there is a wide range of ways that we can drain our nerve energy.  Some of these are behaviors that are required, like eating or enjoying ourselves, but when taken to a place of excess, like gluttony or lust, they become a negative habit, while in moderation they provide health.  Other habits are purely nerve energy depleting, such as consuming stimulants or watching negative television news or scary movies.  These are ways in which we trap ourselves in draining experiences.   Relationships can also be another form of energy drain, fighting with a spouse or child instead of having a calm and reasonable discussion can run us down leading to impaired function of our body.   Some of these things can be avoided while others we have little control over.  But the more aware we are of the various drains on our energy, the more we can adapt our lifestyle to meet the needs of our body through the healing process. 

“Intoxication occurs when we overload the body with toxic materials from the outside, or we fail to observe our capacities, and overwork, get insufficient sleep, or are subjected to great stress, or when any number of other factors deplete the body of nerve energy or prevent its sufficient regeneration. For instance, stresses, emotional shocks, or traumatic experiences can drain our bodies of nerve energy very quickly.” – T. C. Fry

The more we take charge of our life experiences the better we can mitigate the drain on our nerve energy.   

How do we conserve nerve energy as best we can?

“Insufficient nerve energy arises from dissipation, stress, overindulgence, excess or deficiency of the normal essentials of life, or pollution of the body with substances not normal to it. Accordingly, recovery from sickness can be achieved only by discontinuing its causes and supplying conditions favorable to healing.” T.C. Fry

“Find out in what way nerve-energy is wasted, and stop it—stop all nerve-leaks,” etc. I am appalled at my stupidity in saying to a patient to stop enervating himself, and allowing the matter to end by naming one or two gross enervating habits; for example: Stop worry; stop smoking;  stop stimulants; control your temper; stop eating too rapidly; stop allowing yourself to become excited. Stopping one enervating habit benefits; but dependable health brooks no enervating habits at all.” John Tilden, Toxemia Explained

As with all things health the answer is fairly simple but the implementation becomes more complicated.   The goal is to eliminate as much of the stimulation that is draining away our energy to make room for enjoyable activity that we can partake in because of our abundant energy.   The largest drain to our energy every day is digestion.   If you eat far removed from your natural foods the body will struggle in digestion and eat up nerve energy.   Correct the diet and a large improvement will occur.   

Next we must look at our sleep and rest habits.  Improve upon the quality of your sleep by getting to bed earlier and minimizing disruptions to your sleep.   Incorporate a nap into your routine, particularly after a meal or if you cannot nap at least close your eyes and sit quietly for a period.