NATURAL MEDICINE

First thing to appreciate about natural medicine principles is PATIENCE! WHY??

Natural medicines do not operate like drugs.  Here's why:  Simplified, drugs can turn switches in your brain on/off, turn the pain off, but the problem may still exist, really it's possible! If I sit on a nail and take enough painkillers, I will not feel the nail! Seriously, is this insane or what! How did we ever buy into this concept?! Well, the advertising, lying by ommision maybe>?  Ok this is my opinion and not a medical fact, so please don't sue me!

So we're sitting on a bed of nails taking painkillers? NOW WHAT?

THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE!  GET RID OF THE NAILS!  

We have to address the root cause of the issue. In this example I'm using the nails, so let's pull the darned things out!  Give me some penecillin for the infection and allow my body to heal itself!  If I feed my body the nutrients it needs to make repairs, they will be done automatically. 

 PATIENCE plays a role in the process because natural medicine works in a synergestic building  sequence. A saturation level is reached and at some magical point a physiological change will start to occur.  This 'point' will vary by person because we all have different levels of absorption and assimilation capabilities. A 200 pound person may have a higher dosage requirement to reach this point vs. a 100 pound person. This process is often referred to as 'loading' in the initial weeks of the onset of a new supplement routine.

WE'RE LIKE PLANTS. If you want a plant to grow, water it, fertilize it, give it sunshine.  HUMANS need all these elements too!  Hydration is critical to us, water is the carrier of nutrients, it holds vital electrolyte minerals intact.  These minerals are catalysts for muscular and neurological activites.

An excerpt from www.merckmanuals.com Minerals are necessary for the normal functioning of the body's cells. The body needs large quantities of calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphate, potassium, and sodium. Bone, muscle, heart, and brain function depends on these minerals.The body uses electrolytes to help regulate nerve and muscle function and to maintain acid-base balance (see Acid-Base Balance: Introduction) and fluid balance. Electrolytes, particularly sodium, help the body maintain normal fluid levels in these compartments (called fluid balance), because how much fluid a compartment contains depends on the concentration of electrolytes in it. If the electrolyte concentration is high, fluid moves into that compartment. If the electrolyte concentration is low, fluid moves out of that compartment. To adjust fluid levels, the body can actively move electrolytes in or out of cells. Thus, having electrolytes in the right concentrations (called electrolyte balance) is important in maintaining fluid balance among the compartments. The kidneys help maintain electrolyte concentrations by filtering electrolytes from blood, returning some electrolytes, and excreting any excess into the urine. Thus, the kidney help maintain a balance between daily consumption and excretion.

I am going to introduce you to another term used in conjunction with natural medicine practises, FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE.  Please refer to this link for an enlightening look on 'how' natural medicine approaches differ from conventional medical practise.  http://functionalmedicine.org/about/whatis.asp

Basically, we are unique biological beings.  No 2 people will get diabetes for the exact same reason. So how can there be one generic approach to remedy this or any condition??? FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE approaches are ethical and respectful approaches on addressing each person's unique circumstances.  For example person 1 may have developed diabetes due to over consumption of refined foods.  They may have been depressed and using sugar and carbs to medicate themselves.  Person 2 may have incubated diabetes due to mal-nutrition or lets say alcohol addiction. Would we treat them the same>?  NEVER is the correct answer!

SYNERGY of nutrients is the magic we are looking for to produce results.  Nothing works alone.  It is far more effective to have a formula of herbs in small doses to support the liver, vs. just a pile of milk thistle.  Nutrients work on a buddy system.  For example all minerals require hydrochloric acid secretions in the stomach to be assimilated further down the intestines. 

If you have poor digestion, gas or bloating, taking supplements will only make this worse and you will absorb next to nothing! Ever had nausea from taking supplements with your coffee in the morning? That's an indicator of poor HCL (hydrochloric acid) secretion. Absorption is rooted in digestive enzyme secretion. Magnesium for example also needs vitamin B6 to be present for enhanced absorption.  If you did not get any in the meal you just had, that limits your ability to absorb.  These co-factors, like B6 for the magnesium are required for optimal bio-availibility of nutrient assimilation.

More is never better, we only have so many receptor sites to absorb anything. It's more effective to take small doses 4 times a day vs. 1 or 2 mega doses of anything. 

SUFFERING IS OPTIONAL

Often people live their entire lives and never bump into the possibility that their experience of suffering is optional. What if the worry, fear, guilt or emotional pain you’re experiencing right now (if you’re aware of it) is truly a moment to moment choice that is constantly being made. If suffering is optional, that means happiness is also a choice. There are many things that people assume are true in life, and one of the most prevalent beliefs human beings have is that they don’t have the power to simply choose another experience.   read more:  www.mindovermatter.com