Jack M. Larmer, N.D.

Doctor of Naturopathy
PO Box 3572
Nashua, New Hampshire 03061-3572
Voice Mail: (888) 273-3316

Question and Answer Session

Q: Dr. Larmer, before getting into the "how" and "why" of your practice, tell us briefly what is Naturopathy?

A: Naturopathic medicine dates back to the fourth century BC, to the time of Hippocrates, considered the father of modern medicine. Hippocrates is referred to frequently by naturopathic scholars, probably because of a famous statement he made to his many students on the tiny island of Cos in ancient Greece: "Let thy food be thy medicine." Since the domination of conventional medicine by the pharmaceutical industry, with a few exceptions, the notion that food should be your medicine has vanished from conventional medical thinking. Naturopaths, however, know that simple dietary changes can make a huge difference between disease and wellness. To illustrate the opposition to food as medicine in this society, I refer to a phone conversation between me and a very large, prominent health care payment provider just about a year ago. When I described my remedial protocol she said, "We can't cover those things, because they are considered food, not medicine." Naturopathic medicine combines the remedy wisdom -- homeopathic, herbal, dietary, etc. -- of the past with modern medical knowledge. Naturopathic doctors see each person as a complex whole, made up of body, mind, emotions and spirit. During Orientation Appointments, I tell my patients that we are spiritual beings, living in a chemical body, stimulated electrically and motivated emotionally. It is from this perspective that my entire program emanates. Basically, when people live in harmony with their body and environment, accept and practice dietary and exercise principles consistent with vibrant health, they are likely to remain healthy long into their sunset years. When they become out of balance because of stress, fatigue, dietary indiscretions, industrial and pharmaceutical poisoning, environmental pollution, electromagnetic pollution and emotional trauma, they may become ill. Naturopathic doctors believe that, just as the body can produce symptoms, it can also heal itself. I'm sure as we go on this will become more clear.

Q: Why do you think, Dr. Larmer, that so many people are seeking alternatives to conventional medicine for their health problems?

A: In a word, dissatisfaction! People are fed up with being sick and tired of being told, "Our tests show that there is nothing wrong with you." They're tired of hearing that they need to see a psychiatrist because there is no western titled disease to match their symptoms. Indeed, their doctors tell them, the problem must be psychosomatic. People are fed up with having the prescription produce more symptoms than the original illness. They're tired of having to take one drug after the other to counteract each one's side effects. In most cases, they have no clear understanding of the potential harm the drug interaction is doing to the chemistry of their bodies. People no longer tolerate being treated discompassionately, like they were a number at the deli counter. Also, because I see so many cases of serious disease - people who have been told to put their lives or estates in order because there is no hope for them know that a large percent of these people no longer accept this prognosis. They look for another approach, because they have learned that people all over the world are alive and well, simply because they refused to accept the limitations of conventional medicine. I applaud these people because, with their life on the line, they look for medical help from sources very unfamiliar to them. This goes back to my quote of experience by Matthew Wood, in which he explains that true knowledge cannot be gained through consensus opinion. And so, life or death does not have to be because of consensus opinion.

Q: Why then do so many people die who might not need to, or have serious symptoms for years on end?

A: The complexity of this question leaves room for many answers. Basically, I feel that the people in our society have grown up with the concept that you never call the doctor unless you feel with some degree of certainty that the condition isn't going to go away by itself. To simplify it, you see the doctor, get a prescription, "kill" the symptom and say, "Thanks, doc. See you again when I get sick." For most who have ever gone to the doctor this approach works. It may not resolve the underlying reason why the symptom occurred, but for most, feeling better, removing the blemish or reducing the fever will satisfy. For some, this is like cutting the wire to the warning light on the car dashboard. No light, no problem. In reality, no light, problem grows without your awareness of its' existence.

Q: And so, Dr. Larmer, why do you think so may people are sick these days and how do you address this issue?

A: We are all born with a genetic predisposition to be sick in a particular way. Some call it susceptibility. Others refer to it as genetic risk factors. What it means is that we are all conceived with a life-force acquired from the health or disease potential of each parent. This life-force quality is not limited to just your parents, but also to their parents and the parents before them and so on back to a period beyond record keeping. This potential, introduced at conception, is modified up or down depending upon the quality of food, air, stress, habits and other factors in your mother's life during the nine months gestation before your birth. After birth, and until you leave and go out on your own, your life's habits, of all kinds, are nurtured and developed by your parent's wisdom or lack of it. And so, there you are, starting out in life, carrying with you all the learned dietary, moral, ethical, and medical concepts which will keep you well, make you a statistic, or burden you with medical problems all your life. Genetically you may have susceptibility, but whether or not it manifests itself is largely up to each of us. I discuss genetic predisposition at the Orientation Appointment. I also explain that my work is a process, not an appointment. It has a definite beginning time, but the conclusion depends upon acceptance, commitment and understanding that getting well is no less a process than getting sick. It takes time. My usual time period with a patient is from six months to two years. Those who have accepted and committed to this program have done exceptionally well. At the Orientation Appointment I also emphasize the critical initial need to remove the encumbrances from the humors (fluids) of the body. This is accomplished by a specific program designed to rehydrate the tissues, reoxygenate the blood, remove stagnation, balance the body's electrical forces and rebuild the tissues that have lapsed into a state of degeneration. I also talk about a person's faith in God. Nothing can happen in the physical body, without addressing the spiritual body. Remember I said initially, that we are spiritual beings living in a chemical body, stimulated electrically and motivated emotionally. This means our true nature is spiritual. If the spiritual issues are not addressed, true healing will never occur. Time constraints don't permit a full explanation of how I have restored health to so many who have never given up, who knew a successful resolution to their health problem existed "out there, somewhere." This understanding is best accomplished at orientation.

Q: What type of case do you usually see, Dr. Larmer?

A: For many years it seems cancer cases predominated. Today, I see an equal number of people suffering from: chronic fatigue, leaky-gut, irritable bowel, fibro-myalgia, PMS, chronic sinusitis, and atherosclerosis. More and more people are becoming aware of the term, Oral Chelation. It differs from Chelation Therapy in that Oral Chelation doesn't have the attending risks of Chelation Therapy. I have used enzymes very effectively without the least worry about demineralizing the tissues or overloading the kidneys. I feel that Oral Chelation will be prescribed more and more by Naturopathic Doctors.

Q: What type of results have you had over the years?

A: It goes without saying that over the many years, I have had my share of successes and failures. Success is always high when the patient understands that getting well is a process -- that taking full responsibility for following the reasonable requirements of the program is tantamount to getting better. When the patient and I are able to walk together through this process, success is, and should be expected. I have with me a few letters from patients to illustrate their feelings about my work. I'll present them in the data that follows.

Q: Are you taking new patients at this time, Dr. Larmer?

A: Before I accept a prospective patient, I ask them to attend an Orientation Appointment. We go over all that I have presented here today, plus many other things. After I have listened to the patient -- a rare practice today -- I make it clear that a successful case requires full support from family members, especially spouses. When the patients family expresses opposition to my degree, work, philosophy or protocol, either openly or tacitly, the case has a poor chance of success. When support is strong, a vital component is in place. It must be understood that I will see the patient every other week for an undetermined period of time. Six months to a year is common. It must be understood that insurance does not cover my work and that at the end of a year a person might have invested seven or eight thousand dollars in a program to renew their life.

I, personally, provide all supplements and remedies. I have spent years learning what works and why. Some products have my label on them. Some come of Europe. All are 100 percent live-enzyme natural, a claim not many products can make. I provide a combination of live (enzyme-containing), nutrient-dense supplements which, as dietary adjuncts, help restore most synergistic food factors missing from the typical refined, processed and devitalized diet. Accordingly, my supplements are multiple sources of vitamins, enzymes, coenzymes, minerals, trace minerals, bioavailable and complete protein, phytonutrients and other known and unknown nutritives. It is also important for me to supply the nutrients to monitor patient usage. In every successful case the patient made the effort and took the responsibility to fulfill the requirements of the program.

When I, and the patient, can agree that this is what we both want and need, then yes, I am taking new patients.

Dr. Larmer is a licensed naturopathic doctor in the state of New Hampshire. He is the president of The New Jersey Association of Naturopathic Physicians and The Homeopathic Medical Society of New Jersey, a society incorporated in 1953 to advance the art/science of Homeopathy through practice and education.

If you wish to consult with Dr. Larmer or schedule an appointment, email him at jmlarmernd@aol.com

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