In 1978, I was working as a Realtor in my family's 100 year old business. I "had it all"; of course all but happiness. I believed strongly in holistic medicine, herbs, vitamins, etc. I ran the Lafayette to Crowley, La. 26-mile marathon twice. I owned one of Mississippi's first health and natural food stores. There wasn't an ounce of fat on my body. I could pass for a movie star. A day didn't go by that gorgeous women did not ask me out. I was emotionally, spiritually and physically a mess.

I ran five to ten miles a day. I had a successful business. I read all the books on vitamins, minerals, herbs, became a vegetarian, and everything one can do to be "superhuman". I was in a deep depression and after each marathon would become very ill for months; a feeling that could only be described as to how I've heard mononucleosis described.

I learned from whom I thought were the best literary health masters in the world, from top health food salespersons, and any workshop I could attend. I drank only spring water. I was dying inside.

Fast forward 23 years. I suffered a major heart attack. This time, I had an extra tool. The Internet. I told myself (in the hospital) "Rick, if you recover from this, you are really going to find out the truth about health foods and nutrition."

What I would discover in my research astounds me until this day. How could I have been so wrong? How could I have been a misled lemming on my way off a cliff? If it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone. Even a so-called "master".

In fact, now when I hear the word "master" in regards to health or "guru" I run the other way. I know there is hype coming and they have something to sell. And there is one beneficiary, generally in this win-lose proposition.

At least I had the raw foods part right in my early quest.

As far as herbs. I might as well have been eating junk. I had no idea most of them derived from third world countries, sprayed with dysentery-infected water, causing more harm than good.

Many were not even wildcrafted much less certified organic (though the company names had the word "organic" and "natural" on them as a ploy. And the ploy works.

In addition, they were processed into tablet or capsule form. I was surprised to find out even if grown in a controlled clean environment, this structure of herb has little if any medicinal value. Just buy garbage. It is cheaper.

Tinctures are the real medicinal herbs; at least 1:2 ratio but preferably 1:1; that means one part herb to one part of whatever else is in the potion. And it is best that they are grown in western countries, or at least countries that have regulatory rules and regulations as to how the herbs are raised. Otherwise, one is bound to get something that has been infected with something in the growth process.

And as this was not information-overload, even the finest herbal tincture cannot get to the diseased organ(s) without the help of cayenne tincture (the hotter the better...I take 200,000 heat units mixed with every other herb). Cayenne, in addition to having healing powers of its own, acts as "a taxi herb" taking other herbs immediately to the diseased organ or organs, so very little is wasted.

So now we know the score on herbs. What about vitamins and minerals? Again, for the most part, a waste of money, whether synthetic or organic. Why? The way they are processed.

Flash dried fruits and vegetables with live enzymes is what the body craves, what "sparks" life. There are only a few companies out there that use a process called "flash glancing". This leaves us with a live food enzyme that is the "spark of life". Without it, your toilet wins out in the vitamin mineral game.

Ok, I know that articles like this don't make me Mr. Congeniality. But if this valuable information sinks in to just one person, does it really matter what someone else thinks of me and my discoveries? As long as one person who was misguided like me now has a chance at a healthy life, why not take the chance and say it. There, I just did.

Oh....my favorite herbal tinctures? People often ask. If I had to pick any two they would be cayenne and cat's claw (una de gato) which I take daily. There is a rare form of Cat's Claw known as Samento that is 1000 times stronger than regular cat's claw. I prefer it. It is also known as TOA-Free Cat's Claw. I think you'll see the difference. As an immune booster, Echinicea, Ginseng, Pau D' Arco, and the rest don't hold a candle to cat's claw or it's more potent form Samento. I like a lot of the medicinal mushroom tinctures, hawthorn berry (for the heart) and ginkgo (which is amazing when taken with cayenne), only mediocre at best when taken alone.

May you be healthy and prosperous.