Healing With Food Instead of Medication?

I always thought I knew what kinds of foods were "healthy" and which were "bad" because I'd taken several nutrition courses in college and was always aware of and listening to what the "newest" research was on nutrition.  However, our society's health-care (and education system regarding health) is based very heavily on the concepts of Western Medicine, which as I'm learning, are becoming very outdated.  Don't get me wrong... Western Medicine definitely has its' place, there are a lot of advances and some treatments that are very good and necessary.  HOWEVER, the main flaw is that Western Medicine refuses to acknowledge the mind-body connection and only treats the symptoms of disease, instead of working to find out what the root cause of the issue is, and then starting the healing from there.  There are no "magic pills" that cure what ails you.  Even if a pill makes your pain "go away" or seemingly heals your disease, 9 times out of 10 it's actually just suppressing your symptoms and then causing another imbalance, elsewhere in the body.  I can't even count how many times I've had a doctor prescribe me a medication simply to "take care of" the side effects of another medication that was prescribed. 

Usually, the side effects of a lot of medications are very slow to manifest, which is how they are approved by the FDA.  There isn't enough time to do really long-term research on the effects of most drugs.  The long-term test ends up being on the consumer, and then it is usually too late or is contributed to something other than the actual medication.  I took birth control pills for 7 years for the extreme PMS symptoms I had early in college, recommended of course by my doctor.  As far as everyone knows, birth control pills are very benign.  The side effects are very mild and for most people the risks don't outweigh the purpose.  Then one day I started having a really sharp pain in my right side, just below my ribcage.  After 2 CT scans and an MRI, I found out I had lesions on my liver. The specialist attributed them to the birth control pills.  I wondered why no one told about this when they were first prescribed, or why I had never even heard of this risk with taking birth control pills.  One of the many reasons is probably because pharmaceuticals are a GIANT business in our country. If the public actually knew what a lot of medications can do to the body, they wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole. 

Again, there are times when prescription medication is appropriate and may even be the only thing that works, however, I am a firm believer in the concept; EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.  I took anti-depressants for 4 years and truly believe that they helped me to understand what it was like to actually not be depressed.  BUT.... taking them forever is NOT a solution, it's avoiding the problem.  There is a reason for everything that occurs in the body (and mind).  Your body exhibits pain because it's trying to tell you something and listening to what it has to say might not always be the easiest thing and dealing with it is probably going to be very difficult, but in the end/long-term, it will ALWAYS result in the eradication of what is ailing it, or perfect healing. 

The methods for utilizing "perfect healing" are very profound, intense and usually ancient and simple.  The concepts from my last post about "The Journey" and myofascial release are a giant part of the healing, but food, diet and nutrition are the true key to healing the body long-term and actually preventing disease in the first place.  These three doctors taught me a really solid jumping-off point to begin to bring my health back and heal the disease in my body, permanently.

Dr. Craig Jace:  http://www.jacemedical.com/nutrition.html

You eat all the best foods, take only the finest quality supplements, you exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle. Yet you still can't loose the weight or get back the energy you had when you were a kid. You believe in nutrition, but you've given up on it. It's impossible to make sense of the confusing and contradictory information flooding the market.

ONE MAN'S FOOD IS ANOTHER'S POISON!

Your body's biochemical makeup is as unique as your fingerprints!  For genetic reasons, we're all very different in the way that our bodies process foods and utilize nutrients. Throughout man's evolutionary history, people all over the world have been forced to adapt to widely varying environmental circumstances—including very different climates and food supplies.  The tests Dr. Jace does are  based on Biochemistry and Eclectic, ancient concepts. Different people have different nutrient requirements for their body to produce energy efficiently and to perform all its other functions efficiently. Foods play a significant role in health and disease.  You are self medicating with foods everyday so it is important to know the foods that will help to correct your condition, not exacerbate it!

Some people don't do too well if they eat too much red meat, yet some become incredibly weak without red meat. Testing the body can tell which is the ideal food for each person. Some people might desperately need a calcium supplement, yet there are others who will take excess calcium and get sick and weak.  Some calcium forms (there are nine) will work fine with some and cause more problems for others. For some people calcium can contribute to osteoporosis, not prevent it!  Our poor health is a direct result of serious dietary deficiencies and imbalances. These problems persist because we have lacked the technology necessary to evaluate and correct nutritional problems on a case-by-case basis. Dietary solutions need to be tailored to individuals, because what works for one person may have no effect on another person, and may make a third person worse.

OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH BY CUSTOMIZING YOUR DIET!

By going through Dr. Jace's two-hour nutritional program, testing blood sugars, urine and saliva pH, blood pressures, urinalysis, indican, and other modalities, he determines what is best for your unique chemistry.  The extraordinary technology he uses represents the combined efforts of some of this century's leading medical researchers—people who are well known for pioneering achievements in nutritional science.  He will teach you how to select just the right "body fuel,"—foods, food combinations and nutrients—that will enable your body to function at its peak efficiency. Utilizing the dietary technology he offers, you can expect to prevent and reverse chronic illness, optimize your physical energy and your mental clarity, lose weight naturally and maintain your ideal weight, strengthen your immunity, slow down the aging process, enhance your athletic performance and overcome mood swings and depression.


Dr. Warren King:  http://warrenking.com/

"There is a divine intelligence in us that continually seeks wholeness. This inner light wants to create in us a healthy body, balanced emotions, clear mind and strong spirit. By utilizing what nature has provided and our inner wisdom, as well as the ancient and modern wisdom of those who have pursued truth, we have all the tools we need to heal ourselves: physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually."

Warrens background, Training and Methods:

While I’ve gained knowledge and expertise in many different modalities of healing, a major pillar in the foundation of my practice is a background in Chinese and Oriental Medicine.  I have been a licensed acupuncturist since 1991.  My training and expertise include methods of Oriental diagnosis such as pulse testing, and tongue and facial diagnosis.  I have studied Chinese, Japanese, and Korean forms of acupuncture.  I also have extensive training in both Chinese and Western Herbology, as well as homeopathy.

Traditional Oriental Medicine has always recognized the role of substances such as foods and herbs in healing.  But, unlike Western medicine, Eastern medicine has also understood the vital role that energy – or qi – plays in creating health.  The energy that keeps us alive is also what the body uses to heal and repair itself. When energy flow is disrupted or out of balance, vitality decreases, symptoms appear, and eventually diseases develop.

In my practice, I make effective use of herbs, supplements and homeopathic remedies.  When I treat patients with acupuncture, I can opt to use needles, heat or moxibustion, laser, or electrical stimulation, and even tuning forks or gemstones.  All of these can be used to favorably alter the flow of energy in the body, creating balance where there are imbalances, and removing blockages that prevent the normal flow of energy.  Once the energy is balanced and vital nutrients are provided, the body has a real chance to heal itself.

In addition to the use of these therapies, I also employ a system of healing called “drainage”.  This is the use of remedies or techniques that improve the function of or  “open up” the organs of elimination – the kidneys, liver, intestines or skin – so that the body can detoxify through the normal channels of elimination. Certain high quality remedies can actually cause elimination of stored toxins at the cellular level.  This is essential to get results with normally hard-to-treat cases like autoimmune diseases.  The “opening up” of the organs of elimination through the use of drainage therapies greatly reduces the incidence of what is known as a “healing crisis”.  When a healing crisis occurs, a patient will feel worse before beginning to feel better.  While this is something I normally try to prevent, I do find that, in some cases, a patient will actually benefit from the awareness gained when they consciously experience some of the detoxification as it takes place.

Oriental Medicine has provided a solid foundation for my practice, and drainage therapies have provided a highly effective method for eliminating toxins with a minimum of detoxification symptoms.  But it is my specialty in Auricular Therapy that has provided me with an unusual degree of precision and accuracy in both in finding out what is causing health issues and in their treatment.

WATER THE ROOTS AND NOT THE LEAVES

This ancient saying in Chinese Medicine says that we must treat the cause (the root) and the symptoms (the leaves) will resolve themselves. If the warning signs are not heeded, but suppressed, then one day those annoying symptoms may resurface, but this time as more serious illness.  Many of the symptoms that we experience are in reality the body’s attempt to keep us balanced, and communicate to us that something needs to be corrected. They are like a smoke alarm, warning of a fire smoldering in the basement. Suppressing symptoms is like rolling out of bed, half asleep and cutting the wires to the alarm, instead of rousing ourselves, going downstairs, and extinguishing the cause.  Our bodies have an incredible intelligence with which to keep us healthy. When the life force is allowed to flow without impediment, vibrant health is in evidence. Oriental medicine and true natural healing use many methods to identify and remove the blockages to the body healing itself, supplying all raw materials it needs to get the job done.
Warren King has developed an ability to communicate directly with the innate intelligence of the body, and to use that information to apply the appropriate techniques and remedies for balance and healing to occur. Symptoms are alleviated when the cause is corrected.
Most important of all, you are given the keys to your own health that you might be self-sufficient in the care of your body.

Warren's website is a WEALTH of information on nutrition.  There is A LOT of info and it may take a bit of time to get through it all, but I HIGHLY recommend reading all of it.  It goes hand in hand with what Dr. Jace and Dr. Grace do/talk about and there are so many resources, recipes and even grocery shopping lists that you can print out and bring with you to the grocery store to help you pick out the most appropriate foods.  Warren is also very intuitive and does a lot of his diagnosing and healing according to his intuition.  On the "About" page, you will learn all about how he does this and why.  It's very interesting!!! 

Dr. Grace Hamiester:  http://www.docnextdoor.com/private/index.html 
                                    http://www.pitch101.com/

"In this new age of health care, drugless, non-surgical options to optimal health are now the standard, rather than the exception. Dr. Grace believes in, and will provide you with, superior services which focus upon a proactive, rather than reactive approach to your health care. Her knowledge and experience will quickly augment your ability to achieve peak physical performance, experience less stress and pain, and sustain a greater over-all sense of health and well being."

Grace focuses on three main areas in her treatment of patients: detoxification, nutrition, and making sure the body's neurology/alignment is in tip-top shape.  My favorite tool is the Percussor;-)  which is a portable hand-held mechanical adjustment unit with a unique "Galvanic Wave" action head. It's purpose is to radically release superficial myofascial tissue. It is an amazing tool that can be used to aid in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions like TMJ and plantar fascitis, adhesions and scar tissue reduction, carpal tunnel syndrome, lymphatic stimulation, trigger point therapy, and much more. It is the only thing I've found that relieves the immense pain I have on a daily basis from my fibromyalgia.  She also uses uses a cold laser or low level laser and something called CCT.  The laser is used for expediting the  healing of wounds, neurology, bones and myofascial tissue.  I've gone to see her with a cut on my finger and after using the laser on it, it is usually perfectly healed after 2 or 3 days.  The CCT is a gentle detoxifying system that was developed to pull unwanted toxins out of the body. It works via a bioenergetic ionic exchange system that surges positive ions through the body, then negative ions (charged atoms). Depending upon the chemical composition of the impurities that are being stored in one's body, the toxins will be extracted, like iron pulled to a magnet, out of the body's lymphatic system, then the blood stream, and finally from the body, through osmotic pressure at the skin of the feet.  Consistent treatment with the CCT will restore the body's energy and balance, create a more cellular-efficient alkaline environment within the body, and aid the body in it's natural detoxification and healing processes.