Beginning With Alternative Health

How would one take control of their health and maintain a sound mind, body and spiritual health?

Let's take a quick glimpse of life and how we subject ourselves to toxins on a daily basis. In order to have the best health, one must first have a “homeostasis” environment to heal and promote longevity. In our daily lives we are subjected to stress, environmental toxins, poisoned air, dirty water, poor diet, foods laced with preservatives, toxic cleaners, and personal hygiene products with carcinogens, EMF waves, dental factors, genetics, heavy metals, and emotional instability. Some of these danger zones are intentionally put in our path; others we ignorantly subject ourselves to due to a lack of knowledge.

Understanding the body and how it functions is the first step in empowering yourself to make wiser choices. The body's systems are covered in the following chapters: Musculoskeletal, Immune, Lymphatic, Detoxification, Gastrointestinal, Endocrine, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and the Reproductive. Having knowledge on these systems alone can improve one’s health quickly. Therefore, if you are undergoing some stress or know one part of your body is under duress; simply changing your diet or adding a supplement can equipped that part of the body with armor to fight off viruses, bacteria, and molds. Unattended stress influences are unhealthy in a large way, something we should become more aware of, and practice modalities that give us outlets to reduce and relax from stress.

Dr. Hans Selye, M.D. developed the “General Adaptation Syndrome” (GAS) to best explain how the body handles stress. In the initial acute stage, signs are develop according to the “GAS” model. There are 3 phases in Seyle's model. The “Alarm Phase” is when the body is over worked and experiences tired muscles. This phase usually last for a few days and will go away on its own provided you don't re-stress the muscle. The second phase is “Resistance Stage”. This occurs when a muscle is stressed for long periods of time. It can be viewed as chronic due to its ability to last several years. Depending on the body's ability to maintain will depends on the nutrients that are available. Since the muscle will adapt to the resistance its not always noticeable, and it will continue to try to repair the damage.

Some individuals can go longer than others during the Resistance Stage. The exhaustion of the muscle can begin to show signs depending on genes, surgery, trauma, medications, nutrition, vitamins and environmental fluctuations. One person might meet the challenges while another completely collapses into a serious illness. The last and final stage is the “Exhaustive Stage”. This last phase can result in a “horizontal effect” that Western Medicine seems to prey on. Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D. speaks of the “Vertical Ill Health” where the patient is not sick enough to lie down. Some doctors have been known to send people home until you seek the horizontal phase.

Conventional medicine is usually sought after at this time due to experiencing acute pain. A specialized doctor is called for treatment. This type of thinking stems from “Cartesianism” where the whole person is now viewed as a singular body part. The Individual is no longer taken into consideration and the failing part/organ is what the focus is. This type of medical training began back in 1596 with Rene Descartes. To further explain, Western medicine is usually best viewed appropriate for acute, life threatening, emergency injuries, certain “progressed” bacterial infections, and of course surgery. The “horizontal patient” has now reached that goal.

A smart patient will know that Conventional Medicine is inadequate in the areas of disease prevention, management of a chronic disease, and improvements in immune system functions. Another point needs to be noted: not only do you get “last minute” type treatment but you will also pay more and get less. The “system” has made unhealthy people which can explain why chronic disease is now 85% of our national health care bill. According to American Association of Naturalpathic Physicians, we wait for the illness and invest nothing in prevention. Even the former Surgeon General C. Everett in a 1988 report on National Health pointed out that dietary imbalances are the leading and preventable contributors to premature death in the USA. However, there is very little training and knowledge on what the balance of nutritional needs are, and the medical establishment keeps people in the dark and confused on how to maintain a healthy body.
The Hippocrates oath was about teaching, educating, maintaining hygiene, proper balance in mental and nutritional needs. He also concluded that we needed to live in harmony with the forces of nature. This makes more sense. Our bodies are organic living organisms and treating it with live living products would logically be better, and easier for the body to utilize for harmonious health.

Dr. Chaitow advises on behaviors that promote good health. This includes, (commons sense if you ask me), eating nutritionally, quality sleep, regular exercise, breathing fresh air, getting a good intake of sunlight, proper hygiene, regular detoxes, being aware of the bodies imbalances, learn how to manage stress, and dealing intelligently with emotional and mental processes. Regular observation from the individual and recognizing a problem occurring before it gets to a hazardous situation; is smart and logical. With the insight of nutritional needs and living life wisely; one can obtain optimum health because our bodies are designed to stay healthy.

Giving the body proper treatments and focusing on the “individual” is a wise paradigm shift for all those who want to be empowered to live longer and look younger. If the “self” takes partial responsibility of maintaining health, the chances are greater of achieving said goal. When working with people that are ill or have a symptom of poor health, we must all remember to treat the individual and not just the individual symptom. Focusing on the “whole” will ensure more success than isolation and monitoring a drug while keeping your fingers crossed that something will miraculously work.

Dr. Roger William from the University of Texas points out that there is as much as a 700% difference from person to person with the same symptoms. Illnesses can be contingent on stress, environment, mental processes, diet, and coping skills. Therefore, there is not one uniform prescription that will work for everyone. The focus needs to be on the uniqueness of the person contrary to the idea of one magic bullet for all.

How the body works is broken into 10 systems. The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and chemical messaging service that works throughout the whole body. The brain of course, has the right and left hemisphere that is housed in the cerebellum. They float in a fluid that is known as the cerebrospinal fluid (benefits from healthy cholesterol) that protects and nourishes the brain, all of which is protected in the hard structure known as the skull. The central nervous system (CNS) is the brain and spinal. The atomic nervous system (ANS) controls the involuntary functions of the body like the digestion and glandular functions. Lastly, the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) connects to the CNS to all body tissue and voluntary muscles. Due to the amounts of high fructose syrup, and aspartame substitutes added to foods, its important to monitor the mercury levels that you digest. These food substitutes can prove to be problematic for the nervous system in many ways.

The musculoskeletal system consist of bones, joints, muscles, connective tissue, supports nervous system and vital for optimum health. In most cases, if the neck or another area of the body is over compensating from an injury it can throw the whole muscle system off balance. Therefore, it is recommended to have proper body work, chiropractic care, craniosacral therapy, osteopathic medicine, and yoga to keep the body in its proper alignment. Chronic issues can lead to emotional tension, digestive problems, hormonal imbalances and toxicity. One can usually tell by the way they walk, stand, sit and hold their head if they are aligned properly. Wellness and well being comes from feeling good in your skin, and helping to promote the rest of the body's proper functionality.

The Immune system is made up of specialized organs, cells that work with the body as the first defense against illnesses and diseases. The immune system focuses on viruses, bacteria’s and a wide variety of fungus that we come in contact with every day. There are three types of defenses and these include the skin and gastrointestinal tract, blood stream, and inflammatory tract. The primary organs of the immune system include the stomach acid, pancreas enzymes, bone marrow (infant stem cells), spleen (housing cells to manufacture antibodies), liver (filters waste), thymus gland (has thymus hormones), lymphatic system (drainage system), and the skin which works as a barrier to harmful toxins. When healthy the immune system will keep the body clear of viruses, bacteria and fungus and removes the dead and dying cells. The B cells formed in the lymph nodes, T Cells in the thymus gland, and the NK cells (lymphocyte) all work together to keep the individual healthy and free of toxins.

According to Joseph Pizzorno, N.D., founder and president of Bastyr University, and “Total Wellness”; Immune Dysfunction occurs from intake of sugar, concentrated carbohydrates, food allergy, obesity, excessive alcohol, nutrient deficient, heavy metals, pesticides, drugs, toxic chemicals, excessive exercise, stress, inadequate rest, frequent exposure to infectious agents, Candida, excessive fish oils, air pollution, vaccines, severe trauma especially surgery, chronic antibiotic use, and hormonal imbalance. Some of these harmful things can be eliminated by choice however; some of the more severe protagonist is unavoidable.

The detoxification system includes the liver, intestines, lymphatic system and eliminates toxins from the body in a safe and distressful manner. However, when you have a break down in the system you can experience poor digestion, poor assimilation of nutrients, constipation, bloating, immune dysfunction, reduced liver function, and degenerative diseases. There are 2 lines of defense and that includes specific organs that prevent toxins from entering the body and the other will neutralize the toxins. The nose and nasal passage way will stop a lot of toxins from entering the body, and the organs (like kidney and liver) will diffuse the toxins and wash away toxins with the help from the various T, B, and NK cells. All of which allows the body to function properly and having a highly functioning cleaning crew to keep the poisons out of your system.

The thirty foot tube called the alimentary canal absorbs the nutrients that you eat, and this is part of the gastrointestinal system. The alimentary canal plays an important role for the organs to stay healthy and energized with the enzymes, vitamins, and nutrients it absorbs. It also plays a big role to help keep toxins out of the system with microvilli, tiny hairs that sift through the partially digested particles of benefit. There are three steps involved in the GI process. The first is the nerve controlled muscle response to push food through the canal. The second is the gastric juices that secrete to break down food. This is part of the stomach, pancreas and liver function. Third, process is absorption of nutrients. It should be noted that digestion first begins the moment food enters your mouth and the chewing process releases enzymes to break down the food. That is why so many nutritionist advise people to take small bites and chew as much as they can before they swallow their food.

The brain and the nervous system release hormones into our body for balancing and this is known as the Endocrine System. This would include the pituitary, pineal (producing melatonin), thymus, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, adrenal (producing DHEA), and sex glands. This process is carried out through the kidneys, lungs, heart, intestines, and blood vessels. When imbalances occur one can experience, but not limited to, weight gain, yeast infections, fibroids, and breast cancer. With age some of the hormone production slows down. DHEA is one of those hormones and if the adrenal gland has been mass producing due to a stressful event, then one should look into replacing DHEA as a supplement.
The Circulatory system is known as the Cardiovascular System. It includes the Aorta (largest artery), arteries, arterioles, capillaries (smallest arteries), venules, veins, vena cava. This system is easy to understand and grasp the importance of eating foods that will help with processing oxygen but also increase the oxygen flow. Some of these natural products would include sea vegetables, chelated magnesium, and flaxseed. Since our body also slows down on the production of QC Q10, These supplements will help with the removal of plaque (chelation) and also keep the heart to beat stronger so that it can keep the rest of the body full of oxygen.
The next system, Respiratory, is becoming more of a concerns now that we have new poisons being sprayed from secret airplanes. (www.aircrap.com ) What is being sprayed is a heavy dose of metals that affects our respiratory system like barium. Dr. Ivker says, “America's first environmental epidemic of respiratory disease”. He might not be aware of the chem-trails causing the problem, like most doctors. However, it is affecting the nose, sinus, larnyx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs; all part of the respiratory system. This system is very important for the body’s wellness due to is ability to provide oxygen to every cell but also to expel the carbon dioxide. This is accomplished through the 2 types of respiration: one is the external (breathing), and the second through an internal mechanism, cellular, where glucose and other small molecules are oxidized in order to produce energy. The mucous membrane, mucosa, is the first line of defense against toxins. With the use of microscopic hair like filaments the Cilia can help to keep the outermost lining of the respiratory tract free of poisons that enter through the nasal passageway. Starting from the nose and continuing through the larynx and down into the lungs are all part of the Respiratory System.

Lastly, the final system to be studied is the Reproduction System. The female’s body consists of the ovary, uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix, urinary bladder, urethra, clitoris, vagina, and rectum. The male’s body includes the vas deferens, bladder, prostrate, seimal vesicle, urethra, corpus cavernosum, and epididymis. When the woman reaches 48-52 years of age, approximate, then she will experience menopause. I have found supplements like Maca powder, DHEA, and Yellow Doc Root to be very helpful in eliminating the discomfort caused by menopause. Dr. Gary S. Ross, M.D. from San Francisco, CA. suggest that males also experience their own version of menopause. This is when the levels of hormones in the body, reproductive system in general, become out of balance. This is known as Androgens. Men can benefit from pumpkin seeds, Saw Palmetto, DHEA, and organic NON-GMO soy. This will help to regulate hormones like a thermostat. There are other natural supplements that help with these processes and will be discussed in later papers.

Many countries have and do consider medical care to be the whole person approach and can be found in Japan, China, India, Africa, and Greece. Many philosophies have been passed down their holistic principles through the ages like Nostradamus. However, since the United States is ruled by greed and corruption, the pharmaceutical companies have bought off and infiltrated the alphabet soup agencies like the FDA, USDA, FCC and the Medical Industry itself.

In conclusion, just like Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) recognized the inherent flawed premises of conventional medicine because it was a “System based on Approach” and not the entirety of the unique individual, environment, and nutritional needs to help sustain a homeostasis, balanced, body. Looks like the Sages and Physicians of the 5,000 B.C.E were correct and the only thing we learned was to ignore the self, and focus on lining the pockets of complete strangers. Now that the pendulum is swinging back to the “allopathic medicine” approach the Ki or Prana will also be valued and analyzed as an important factor for health care ideologies.