🎙️ Interview Title: “Codex Alimentarius & The Future of Food Freedom”
Guests: Dr. Rima E. Laibow, MD Hosts: Holistic Nurse Erica Carmen & Webmaster Joseph C. Jukic
Erica Carmen (EC): Welcome everyone to Healing Without Borders. I’m Holistic Nurse Erica Carmen, and joining me as always is our brilliant webmaster and researcher, Joseph C. Jukic. Today, we’re honored to speak with Dr. Rima E. Laibow, a pioneering physician and advocate for health freedom. Our topic—one that affects everyone who eats—is the Codex Alimentarius. Welcome, Dr. Laibow.
Dr. Rima Laibow (RL): Thank you, Erica and Joseph. It’s a pleasure to be with you both and to speak about something that’s quietly reshaping global nutrition policy—often without the public’s full awareness.
Joseph C. Jukic (JJ): Dr. Laibow, many of our listeners have heard the term Codex Alimentarius, but don’t really know what it means. Can you explain it in simple terms?
RL: Certainly. Codex Alimentarius means “Food Code.” It’s a set of international food standards created jointly by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It was originally intended to ensure food safety in international trade. But over time, it has become a regulatory framework that can restrict access to vitamins, minerals, herbs, and natural remedies, under the guise of “harmonizing” laws across nations.
EC: So, in your view, Codex isn’t really about protecting consumers—it’s more about controlling them?
RL: That’s right. While the official narrative emphasizes consumer safety, the deeper reality is that Codex can be used to limit natural health options and favor pharmaceutical interests. For instance, certain Codex guidelines classify even essential nutrients as “toxins” at doses above trivial amounts. That’s scientifically absurd.
JJ: Dr. Laibow, you’ve warned that under Codex, high-potency supplements could become illegal or require a prescription. How realistic is that threat?
RL: Very realistic. In fact, the European Union already has versions of this in place—the Food Supplements Directive and the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive. Under these systems, natural substances must go through costly pharmaceutical-style approvals. Codex aims to globalize that structure. Once adopted, national sovereignty over food and nutrition policy could be lost.
EC: That’s alarming. As a nurse, I see firsthand how nutrition can heal—how vitamin D, magnesium, selenium, and omega-3s can transform lives. What happens to holistic practitioners if Codex rules become binding?
RL: It would marginalize them. Practitioners who recommend “non-approved” nutrient levels or herbal combinations could be accused of practicing outside regulated limits. It’s the medical-industrial complex consolidating control.
JJ: So it’s not just about what’s on our plates—it’s about who gets to decide what health even means.
RL: Exactly. It’s a war for definition. If the WHO defines nutrients as “toxins,” then wellness itself becomes a regulated commodity. That’s why health freedom advocates must stay alert.
EC: What can citizens do to protect their right to natural health?
RL: First, become informed. Visit the Natural Solutions Foundation website, read the Codex texts for yourself, and question politicians about their stance on health sovereignty. Secondly, support local food systems, community gardens, and farmers who resist corporate control. And finally, never surrender your right to choose what goes into your body.
JJ: That’s powerful. You’re saying health freedom is the foundation of human freedom.
RL: Absolutely. If you can’t control what goes into your body, then you don’t truly own yourself.
EC: Thank you, Dr. Rima Laibow, for your clarity and courage. We’ll keep spreading the message: education, sovereignty, and health freedom for all.
RL: Thank you both. Stay informed, stay strong, and stay well.
Interview: Joseph Jukic & Erica Carmen Talk with Dr. Joel Wallach about Brain & Mood Disorders
Participants:
Joseph C. Jukic (JJ): Webmaster, technical moderator, introduces listener questions
Erica Carmen (EC): Holistic Nurse, guiding the conversation with clinical / holistic focus
Dr. Joel Wallach (JW): Nutritional researcher / advocate
Format: Each poses questions; Dr. Wallach responds; occasional “listener” or “web question” segments.
Opening Remarks
JJ: Welcome everyone to today’s special broadcast. I’m Joseph Jukic, your host. Alongside me is Holistic Nurse Erica Carmen. Today, we have Dr. Joel Wallach, a veteran in nutritional medicine, joining us to examine some of the most daunting brain and mood disorders: dementias, Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. Thank you for being here, Dr. Wallach.
JW: Thank you, Joseph, Erica. I’m grateful for the opportunity to discuss these critically important topics.
EC: Yes, Dr. Wallach—these are conditions that affect millions and challenge conventional medicine. Let’s dive in gently but deeply.
1. Framing the Problem: Why are these disorders increasing?
EC: Dr. Wallach, from your vantage point, we see rising rates of Alzheimer’s, dementia, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. What is your foundational explanation for that trend?
JW: I see a convergence of factors. The modern age has stripped away many of the elemental supports that human biology requires: depleted soils, processed foods, chemical exposures, chronic stress, lack of essential minerals and micronutrients. Over decades, the brain, which is highly metabolically demanding and exquisitely sensitive, experiences incremental deficits and damage.
Whereas in the past, the margin of safety was wide, now many people live on the “edge” — one further insult pushes the system over. So Alzheimer’s and dementia are, in my view, advanced forms of nutrient-deprivation plus toxicity, while mood disorders reflect earlier, more subtle dysfunctions of neurotransmitter synthesis, antioxidant systems, methylation, and cellular energetics.
2. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: What is really happening?
JJ: Let’s talk about Alzheimer’s and other dementias first. The mainstream model emphasizes beta-amyloid plaques, tau tangles, neuroinflammation. From your perspective, what is the “root cause,” and how would a nutritional approach differ or supplement standard care?
JW: The mainstream markers (amyloid, tau) are downstream phenomena—symptoms, not causes. The brain, when under chronic oxidative stress, inflammation, and deprived of repair components, begins to misfold proteins, accumulate waste, and lose neuronal integrity.
Here’s how I frame it:
Nutrient deficiency: Key trace minerals, vitamins (especially B vitamins, antioxidants, magnesium, selenium, zinc, copper balance, etc.) are chronically low in many patients. Without them, enzymes fail, repair slows, DNA damage accrues.
Toxic burden: Heavy metals, environmental pollutants, pesticides, plasticizers, electromagnetic stress—these impose damage and interfere with cellular machinery.
Energy & mitochondrial dysfunction: Neurons are energy hogs. If mitochondria falter because of missing co-factors, the neuron becomes vulnerable.
Poor waste clearance: The brain’s “garbage disposal” systems (glymphatic, microglia, proteolytic enzymes) need support. If they lag, misfolded proteins, plaques, and debris accumulate.
So the therapeutic approach is to nourish, detox, support energy, and restore repair systems, not just block or clear plaques.
EC: In practical terms, what kind of supplementation or intervention protocol would you use for an Alzheimer’s patient or someone in early dementia?
JW: Here is a general “nutritional neurology” protocol (tailored per patient):
Comprehensive assessment
Micronutrient panels, heavy metal/toxin screen, methylation markers, oxidative stress markers
Cognitive testing, imaging, gut / microbiome evaluation
Core supplementation
Full-spectrum multivitamin / multimineral that includes rare trace minerals
High-dose antioxidants (vitamin C, E, glutathione, NAC, coenzyme Q10)
Methylation support (methyl-B12, methyl-folate, B6)
Choline, phosphatidylcholine, inositol (for membrane and neurotransmitter support)
Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA / DHA) for neuronal membranes
Magnesium (preferably magnesium threonate for CNS penetration)
Minerals like selenium, zinc, copper (balanced), manganese
Over months to years, you aim to stabilize, slow progression, and ideally regain some function where possible.
3. Mood Disorders: Bipolar, Depression, Anxiety
JJ: Let’s shift to bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. Conventional psychiatry treats them with psychotropic drugs (antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics). In your framework, how do these conditions arise, and how might nutrition remediate them?
JW: I view mood disorders as metabolic / biochemical disorders of the brain first, not merely “mental illness” in isolation. Many of the same factors apply:
Be cautious with stimulant precursors. Mood swings or mania may worsen if neurotransmitter precursors are too aggressive.
Stabilizing agents (nutritional & herbal) like inositol, lithium (nutritional levels), magnesium, omega-3 high EPA may help.
Monitor electrolyte balance continuously—imbalances can shift mood.
Monitoring by a clinician is critical, especially if patients are already on psychotropic medications.
Adjust doses slowly; watch for mood switches.
Emphasis on stabilization, rather than pushing peaks.
4. Listener / Web Questions
JJ: We have several listener-submitted questions. Let me read a few:
Caller A:“My mother has moderate Alzheimer’s. Will nutritional therapy reverse her memory loss?”
JW: It depends on how much neuronal loss or brain atrophy has occurred. In earlier stages, yes: memory, cognition, recognition, even structural improvements are possible. In later stages, full reversal may be unlikely, but stabilization, slowing decline, reducing symptoms, and improving quality of life is very achievable. Nutritional healing is not magic but helps the body express its latent repair potential.
Caller B:“I was diagnosed with bipolar II years ago and have taken medications. Can I wean off and try nutrition instead?”
JW: Very carefully, under medical supervision. Don’t abruptly stop medications. First, support nutritional groundwork (minerals, methylation, antioxidant support) while gradually tapering medications under psychiatric supervision. Watch for mood destabilization. Some patients may reduce doses; others may need medication long term, but nutritional support always helps reduce side effects and protect brain health.
Caller C:“Is depression just low serotonin? Why do drugs sometimes help, but often don’t fully resolve symptoms?”
JW: Depression is far more complex than “low serotonin.” It’s a network failure: receptor sensitivity, neurotransmitter synthesis, neuroinflammation, energy deficits, methylation dysregulation, gene expression, and neural pruning all play roles. Drugs that boost serotonin temporarily shift chemistry—but if underlying nutrition, inflammation, mitochondrial health, and repair systems are neglected, the benefit is partial and often temporary.
5. Integration, Risks, and Skepticism
EC: Critics will say that much of what you propose lacks large-scale randomized clinical trials. How do you respond, and what are the risks / limitations?
JW: I am aware of the critique. My response:
Nutritional interventions cannot be patented, so there is less commercial incentive to fund large trials.
Traditional trials isolate single agents, whereas real-world healing is multi-factorial. Nutrient synergy is essential and harder to test in single-variable models.
There are case studies, observational data, patient-reported outcomes; these deserve more weight.
I’m not against trials—I urge integrated, systems-based trials.
As for risks:
Overdosing certain nutrients (e.g. fat-soluble vitamins, trace minerals) can be harmful.
Interactions with medications need monitoring.
Mood disorders particularly risk swings when changing neurochemical environment.
Any detox protocol must be gentle and monitored to avoid “detox reactions.”
Not every patient will respond; expectations must be realistic.
Proper clinical oversight is mandatory.
6. Final Thoughts & Hope
JJ: As a closing, Dr. Wallach, what is your message of hope for people suffering or caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s, bipolar, depression, anxiety?
JW: My core message: Your body is faithful, if given the chance. These conditions are not curses—they are calls for correction and care. No, I don’t guarantee full cures in every case. But I’ve seen people regain clarity, mood stability, memory, quality of life. The road is not easy, it demands consistency, patience, humility, and a holistic vision. But healing is possible, at multiple levels—biochemical, emotional, spiritual.
EC: That is beautiful. Thank you, Dr. Wallach, for your insights and for pushing the boundary of what is medically accepted.
Interview: Holistic Nurse Erica Carmen Interviews Dr. Joel Wallach on MS
Setting: A cozy consultation room bathed in soft morning light. Erica Carmen, wearing a nurse’s tunic embroidered with a caduceus and a lotus, sits across from Dr. Wallach. A chart of the nervous system, and a shelf of supplement bottles and books, lies between them.
Erica Carmen (EC):
Dr. Wallach, thank you for meeting with me today. MS is a condition that terrifies many of my patients—we see demyelination, neurological decline, remissions and relapses. From your perspective, how should we understand MS in a holistic way?
Dr. Wallach (JW): Thank you, Erica. I see MS not as a mystery, but as a signal—a chronic deficiency and a miscommunication in the body’s repair systems. Demyelination is the outward sign; the cause is internal: nutrient deficiencies, toxic burden, impaired detoxification, and unheeded electrical and ionic imbalances.
We must think of the nervous system as an electrical wiring system. The myelin sheath is insulation, and if you short circuit the system by nutrient depletion or interfering toxins, the insulation breaks down, and signals misfire. That’s what we see in MS.
EC: Conventional neurology points to autoimmune attack—immune cells crossing the blood–brain barrier and attacking myelin. How do you reconcile that with your model?
JW: Autoimmunity is a symptom, not the root. The immune system is reactive—it doesn’t attack without cause. When nerve tissue is under stress from oxidative damage, mineral deficiencies, heavy metals, or viral insults, the immune system is trying to clean up debris and repair. But if the repair materials are missing, it mistakenly “attacks” what it sees as damaged tissue.
So in MS, part of what is called “autoimmune attack” is more like cleanup crews gone awry because the building blocks for repair aren’t delivered.
EC: What are the key nutritional deficiencies you see in MS patients?
JW: In my experience, several stand out:
Magnesium: Vital for nerve conduction, mitochondrial function, ion channels.
Selenium: Important for glutathione peroxidase, detox, and protecting neurons from oxidative stress.
B-complex vitamins (especially B12, B6, folic acid): Needed for methylation, nerve repair, and myelin synthesis.
Zinc and Copper balance: Both are required; imbalance can impair CNS repair.
Essential fatty acids (omega-3s, EPA/DHA): Myelin is largely lipid; you need quality fats.
Trace minerals (molybdenum, manganese, chromium, vanadium, etc.): These support enzymatic systems throughout the body, including in the brain.
Choline, inositol: For phospholipids and membrane integrity.
Antioxidants (vitamin C, E, glutathione precursors): To fight oxidative stress in the brain.
All these, when chronically low, degrade the capacity of neurons to maintain myelin and repair damage.
EC: How would you propose an intervention protocol—nutrition, detox, therapies—for someone with early MS symptoms?
JW: Here’s a rough, holistic roadmap (always tailored clinically):
Comprehensive assessment
Blood tests for mineral levels, vitamins, heavy metals, inflammatory markers.
Diet: whole foods, no processed sugars, low toxin foods.
Correct acid–alkaline balance, avoid overburdening the system.
Over months, you would aim for remission, repair, and stabilization. In some patients, I’ve seen improvements in sensation, coordination, and reduction of relapse frequency.
EC: Do you believe reversal of MS is possible—i.e. patients regaining lost function?
JW: Yes—with caveats. The earlier the intervention, the better. If nerve fibers are destroyed beyond repair or large areas of scarring exist, full reversal is unlikely. But I have observed partial recovery, restoration of function, reduction of lesions (in imaging), and improvement in neurological symptoms in many cases when the protocol is followed diligently.
The body is a living miracle, and I believe given what it needs, it will attempt repair.
EC: Skeptics will demand clinical trials, double-blind studies, evidence. How do you respond?
JW: I welcome rigorous science. But the obstacle is this: nutrient medicine can’t be patented the way drugs can. So there is less financial incentive for big trials. Also, trials often test one intervention at a time, while real healing is multifactorial—you can’t isolate one vitamin and expect a cure.
I say: look at case studies, observational data, patient stories. And push for holistic clinical trials that test full protocols, not single agents. Meanwhile, patients with MS need tools now, not waiting.
EC: What would you tell a patient right now facing an MS diagnosis? What is the message of hope?
JW: You are not doomed. Your body is calling you—for help, for partners in healing. MS is a signal, not a sentence. Begin feeding, detoxing, strengthening. Embrace faith, mental resilience, and commit to restoration. Small steps compound. Over time, with consistency, you can reclaim more than you think.
