Steven Litvak, DI Hom

News Release

Steven Litvak is a homeopath, a chef, a teacher, a student, and an entrepreneur. He represents the third generation of the family that created the Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy in 1944. Most days, Steven can be found there, educating individuals, medical doctors, veterinarians, and other health practitioners about the uses and benefits of integrative medicines.

He didn’t start out there, however. Like many young men who are expected to join into the family business, Steven did his own thing for a while. In 1984, he became a chef; in 1986, with two partners, he opened the doors to his dream—Quincy’s Restaurant and Nightclub. The years he spent as a chef built a strong foundation for his future as a healing practitioner. To tweak an ages-old expression: the foods we eat and the beverages we drink are the stuff from which our bodies are made, and they have enormous impact on our health (or lack thereof).

The venture was a success—due in no small part to the help of a banker named Kimberly, who came into Steven’s life through the bank he chose to help him run his business. She turned out to have the same entrepreneurial spirit as Steven. She and Steven became business partners and life partners in 1988. Before they married, Steven sold his restaurant, and he and his wife joined his grandparents and his sister Debbie at the Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy.

Steven set his sights on a new goal within a year of diving into the family business: to become a certified homeopath. In 1990 he entered the British Institute of Homeopathy, and by 1994 he had earned his diploma in classical homeopathy. While there, he had the good fortune to be privately tutored by Dr. Trevor Cook, former physician to Queen Elizabeth, and by Giovanni Boni, a world-renowned homeopathic doctor.

Once home, Steven continued to satisfy his thirst for knowledge by attending health events and lectures whenever he could. In the process, he received numerous certifications in healing sciences related to homeopathy. He became a successful consultant, using basic principles and a deep understanding of the health sciences to help individuals find their way to wellness. He has earned the respect of thousands of clients, and of medical doctors who are coming to appreciate the value of what he does.

Steven gives frequent lectures on supplements and wellness topics, and is often asked to participate in radio shows and interviewed for magazine and newspaper stories. (Many of the journalists who have interviewed him have subsequently become his clients.) He also volunteers his time as an advisory board member at research centers and non-profit organizations.

With his services in high demand, Steve looked to the Internet to help lighten the load of clients trying to reach him at the pharmacy. He now uses the Web to offer in-depth consultations, networking with a group of medical advisors to ensure that each client gets the best possible advice, e-mail him at human@anatomystery.com.

About the Santa Monica Homeopathic Pharmacy

This famous pharmacy, founded in 1944, is a well-respected global resource for alternative solutions for serious (and not-so-serious) health concerns. It is not unusual for people to wait in line for hours there to speak with Steven, who is considered the chief advisor of the many practitioners who currently work there. Anyone who has consulted with him knows why: he generously informs and coaches people towards active participation in—and ultimate responsibility for—their own wellness.

Health Consultation Request

Congratulations. By considering a health consultation, you have taken the first step towards making yourself well. What follows may seem lengthy and, at times, complex, but well worth your time if you wish to make a sound decision on how to take part in the restoration of your own health.

Our team of health practitioners is here to give you the knowledge and tools you need to travel this healing path. Before you move forward, however, it is important for you to recognize that the ultimate responsibility for your own wellness rests in your hands . Taking that responsibility begins with becoming fully informed, and with your commitment to follow the advice you are given in the consultation process.

This page is designed to do two things:

1. To give you the information you need to decide whether you should go ahead with the consultation, and which type of consultation best suits your needs.
2. To help you see what a true commitment to healing requires, and to encourage you to make that commitment.
3. To assist you in getting the proper diagnosis, which without proper knowledge is the toughest thing to determine and the most important thing to have. There is no perfect treatment without a diagnosis.

Let's figure out what kind of disease (Webster's definition: an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning ) you have to contend with, and what might be at its root. In order to understand disease, we must also have a grasp of how the human body functions when it is healthy. Western/allopathic and Eastern/natural medicines view health and disease in different ways.

Disease as War

The Western idea of disease is based in germ theory—the idea that disease is something that invades the body and causes it to become sick. Western medicine views most illness in this way, using metaphors of war—disease attacks the body, we get well by conquering disease, we fight disease, we eradicate illness—to describe the relationship between disease and host. Unfortunately, this kind of war tends to have casualties, in the form of side effects from medications or surgeries. Sometimes this is unavoidable; sometimes it isn't. A consultation will help you to discern whether you can find other, less warlike ways to approach the treatment of your condition.

Disease as Loss of Balance

The Eastern healing arts, along with the arts of homeopathy and naturopathy, see disease as a result of an imbalance within the body. This imbalance might be caused by one or more of a variety of factors, including poor diet, overwork, stress, hereditary characteristics, or emotional issues. Such imbalances create fertile ground for disease to take hold. Rather than viewing disease as something that attacks the body, these healing arts see it as a manifestation of imbalances that reduces our resistance against bacteria, viruses, and other pathogenic organisms that can cause uncomfortable symptoms.

Our bodies hold within them all they need to fight off virtually any pathogen, as long as we maintain proper balance with a nourishing diet, exercise, sleep, and a health-promoting attitude. When we do become ill, we can look to Western medicine to tamp down symptoms with drugs, but in order to truly heal we need to reclaim that balanced state that is our birthright.

The Eastern, holistic view of health and disease is more complicated than the Western view, and it requires more participation and understanding on the part of the patient; but if you are dealing with an illness that Western medicine cannot cure, you will likely find that the extra work is well worth it.

Disease as Communication Breakdown

At its most basic level, the body is a conglomeration of thousands of chemicals, circuits, enzymes, and proteins, all of which constantly strike a dynamic state of balance. That dynamic balance is orchestrated by a remarkable and complex communications system, comprised of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. This communications system is the link between the inner workings of the body and the external environment—the foods we eat, the places we go, the substances we come into contact with. The activities of all of the millions of cells that comprise our bodies are, in the end, dictated by communications from the nervous system.

This concept is an easy one to understand if you have ever been married. In a marriage, open and abundant communications are a must. As soon as one partner starts to keep secrets, aspects of the relationship start to break down. Or, you can compare it to a government, with the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) as commander-in-chief. The President doesn't deal directly with the members of each city council in the nation, but his communications “trickle down” to their level through an intricate network of contacts. A loss of any one of those contacts will disrupt the whole system.

In the body, too, communication lapses—which can be the result of structural issues typically dealt with through chiropractic, or due to organ dysfunction caused by poor diet, stress, or underlying disease—lead to an ever-expanding series of miscommunications that prohibit the body from healing itself.

With natural medicine—also known as integrative, holistic, or alternative—we address this balance throughout the lifespan, helping to maintain it in a world that is usually anything but health-promoting. We nudge it this way or that with homeopathic remedies, dietary changes, or lifestyle changes. Because it is a dynamic balance, and because each person is different, every person's needs are unique and change throughout the lifespan. Western medicine generally fails to take this into account.

To get the most from the consultation process, begin to see your condition through the eyes of Eastern, holistic healing practices. Holistic practitioners categorize patients in a bit more detail than Western medicine's “sick/not sick.” The spectrum of health and disease is much broader than this. A person without apparent disease in the eyes of Western medicine may have low energy, dry skin, digestive problems, or other subtle symptoms that suggest either low-grade chronic condition or the beginnings of something more serious. In simple terms, here is a breakdown of the spectrum of disease. Try to figure out which category best fits your condition:

Simple disease/infection. Examples: common cold, strep throat, insect bite, food poisoning. This category of illness is easiest to understand and to treat. In many instances, a simple disease or infection resolves on its own, especially if the person's immune system is strong and all of his or her organs are working well. A person who is somewhat weaker might have more of a struggle when dealing with these simple infections, and may require temporary antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, or other pharmaceutical therapy. If this person's treatment is not entirely successful—if vestiges of disease remain for more than a few days—the condition may escalate to the next category.

Prolonged disease/infection. Examples: more complex, less readily diagnosable conditions, such as secondary infections like bronchitis or sinusitis, fungal infection, or environmental poisoning by chemicals or heavy metals. These conditions are not “caught” or contracted from others, but are cultivated within body systems in which communications are not clear, where diet and lifestyle choices fail to support the body's natural striving towards healthful balance. These conditions seem to hang on for prolonged periods, up to a month or a month and a half. They are not life-threatening, but they are bothersome and tough to beat.

Chronic disease/disorder. Examples: diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, psoriasis, asthma, allergies, Crohn's disease, or long-lasting, recurring viral, bacterial, or fungal infections. These kinds of conditions are hardest for the medical mainstream to treat, because they have a lot to do with diet, lifestyle, and thought patterns. They may take years to evolve and manifest themselves as symptoms. Some people are more genetically prone to these kinds of conditions. The drugs used to treat chronic disorders are more for symptom control than healing. They often are powerful agents that leave the ill person with major side effects. Alternative medicine is an ideal approach for chronic disorders because it addresses the whole person. It seeks to find the root causes and treats them with natural agents that promote balance and improved communications between the central nervous system and the rest of the body.

Age-Related Diseases. Examples: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other age-related memory loss, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis. These diseases are considered to be a natural part of the aging process, but this doesn't have to be the case. Our bodies change as we age in ways that lead to decreased nutrient absorption and assimilation. Alterations in hormone balance mean that what once kept us feeling fine is no longer adequate for self-care. Natural medicine, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications can make a big difference, pushing off these disease processes and extending your healthy, active lifespan.

Is A Consultation Right For You?

You are most likely to benefit from our service if you have a condition that is prolonged, chronic, or age-related. Simple conditions can also be treated and prevented through natural means, however, and if you tend to have them often, we may be able to help you make some changes that will better fortify your body against recurrent bouts of simple illness.

A consultation is designed to teach you about your condition and its foundation in the day-to-day functioning of your body. We will explain both the Western and Eastern points of view, and how each addresses control or cure. We take into account a great many factors as we try to develop a protocol especially for you, including:

• Diet
• Consumption of liquids
• Digestion, absorption, and assimilation of nutrients
• The quality of the air you breathe
• Exposure to toxins
• Exposure to electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation
• Relationships
• Sleep patterns
• Stress level and coping mechanisms
• Emotional and behavior patterns, mood, thought patterns
• Physical and/or emotional traumas
• Posture and physical activity
• Bowel and breath odors
• Underlying cause
• Genetics or learned behavior

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