“Have you got any more wild blueberries?” That’s what I heard behind me in an aisle of a Whole Foods store. Having just put several packs into my own cart, I was curious about who else might be a fan, so I turned around—just in time to hear the clerk say, “No, I don’t think so” to a very disappointed woman. I let the woman know that there were, in fact, still more and offered to show her where they were. As we walked, I asked if she was looking for them because she was following the Medical Medium. Her face excitedly lit up. “Yes! I’m visiting for a few days and can’t be without my Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie!” My encounters with people whose lives have benefited from the Medical Medium’s information are becoming more and more frequent, and each one continues to make me smile. Several times a week, I hear from patients, colleagues, friends, and neighbors about the hope, knowledge, and healing tools that Anthony William has given them through his books and online presence. One of my favorite examples is a sign I recently saw in the local health food store: “Due to the high demand for celery, the price has gone up.” 

Why the high demand? Simply put, it’s because more and more people are going beyond just talking about improving their health and are actually taking steps to do so. As a physician, I’ve always been driven by the idea of proactive prevention, and I encourage my patients, as I do with my own family, to learn as much as they can about their own health, become their own advocates, and be open to both traditional and nontraditional approaches. This means not giving up or waiting around for a condition to get worse. It means looking beyond a medication-only treatment, with the goal of understanding and addressing the root causes of a health concern. It means incorporating impactful, natural healing options with fewer potential side effects. And it means learning about therapies that may not be mainstream or well documented by researchers yet, but that are still benefiting people on a widespread level. A preventative mind-set takes action early. Anthony’s approach has resonated with me from the moment I was introduced to his work, first from his books and then as we collaborated on several treatment plans. I initially wondered if I was drawn to his advice because of my love for fruit, which, rather than vilifying, Anthony values highly and encourages people to consume. But it goes much further than our shared admiration for apples. To me, his insight makes sense. 

If you’ve been following him, you know he has been prolific in bringing to light the health burden from chronic infections (such as viruses) and chemical exposures (such as heavy metals). His tools to address these concerns have been a game changer in what I’ve been able to offer to my patients as part of a treatment plan. As a specialist in the field of Physiatry (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) and Functional Medicine, for more than 25 years I have focused on improving the lives of people who have lost their optimal function due to injury, illness, or trauma. It starts by understanding each person’s own unique and often complex story of how they got to their current state of health. Then it’s recognizing, within those complexities, what kinds of root causes may be contributing to their story. There are essentially four major root cause categories that contribute to the majority of health conditions, and most of them are well within our power to address. They are: infections, toxic exposures, stress/trauma (both physical and psychological), and severe deficiencies (malnutrition, dehydration, sleep deprivation, isolation from nature or from others, immobility). And when the body is constantly on guard trying to repair and protect itself from these factors, it goes on high alert, and we feel it. 

The result could be pain, inflammation, fatigue, or any of the many symptoms that leave us feeling that something’s wrong. Looking at a problem from this perspective explains why many chronic illnesses don’t get better, even when patients have tried a variety of medications or surgeries. Having a plan that includes removing or reducing the root causes and risk factors, along with strategies to help the body heal and increase resilience, is when people start to reclaim their health. Selfcare approaches play a big part in this kind of plan. Now, here’s where the dilemma lies. A self-care plan is often the part of the medical prescription that gets forgotten. And even if it is addressed, questions often arise. Where do you start? What’s important? How extensive an approach or how radical a change is needed to make a strong impact? How do you implement it so it fits into your daily life? That’s where Cleanse to Heal comes in. As you read through Cleanse to Heal, you’ll be amazed by the amount of information Anthony William shares. He starts with a detailed explanation about toxins, what they are, where we’re exposed to them, how they affect us, how our body is designed to effectively deal with them, and why it often fails to do so. He then delves into what it means to cleanse, which is like a chance to hit a reset button and start at a fresh, new physiological baseline. He also discusses other popular philosophies and how they compare and contrast with his.