The Importance of Nutrition

Many times in the treatment of chronic disease, we have great expectations that the homeopathic remedy will inspire a cure, if not at least palliation of symptoms. When the best remedy is given and the results are minimal, we often believe we have made a mistake because the client is not improving as we would expect. But sometimes the mind and the body cannot heal because the building blocks for healing are not present in the person.

Even with obesity on the rise, there are many, many cases of nutritional starvation that we are treating. The advent of monocultural farming methods with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides have rendered our soils very depleted and toxic. This combination of food quality, as well as poor diet, have brought the modern man to a very nutritionally challenged place.

Years of poor diet have rendered many of our clients living in starvation. When the foods we eat have no nutritional value, we often consume more to try to stave off the nutritional deficiency. This with an abundance of carbohydrates in the modern diet leads to carb overload that the body then stores as fat. This raises insulin levels and is the leading cause of syndrome X, a pre-diabetic state, and diabetes.

If you are treating your client, it is a good idea to inquire about their diet. I often skip this if the person has good color and seems relatively healthy. I am not a nutritionist. But if the disease is chronic and the person does not have the building blocks to heal, then it is of paramount importance to improve their diet. Believe it or not, this is the biggest hurdle for most people. They are happy to take a pill, but change their diet or lifestyle to treat their illness is sometimes asking too much of them. If they resist, it is their choice.

In addition to an organic diet rich in leafy green vegetables and vegetables that are highly colored, quality meats or fish from organic sources or the wild are preferred.  Personally, I use vitamin and mineral supplements rarely. The reason is, if I am getting a good diet, all of the essential nutrients should be available from food alone. Food is medicine. The best way to get all of the nutrients from vegetables in a more condensed and easily digestible way is to juice them raw. Cooking destroys many of the vital nutrients in vegetables.

I use supplements when I feel the need. They are processed, extracted, and condensed so they do not provide the same easily absorbed nutrients as real food does. The uptake of vitamins and minerals from food happens when other vitamins and minerals are present. Food has a perfect balance if grown organically. We don’t need to take supplements to get what nature has already provided. But when we are depleted, it is sometimes necessary to supplement. When given in proper dosages, they can make a big difference in providing our bodies the needed building blocks.

There are a couple of superfoods that can be added to the diet along with vitamin and mineral supplementation to really help your client. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and antioxidants that can help repair damaged cells. It contains nutrients including B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma-linoleic acid. This is an essential fatty acid.

Spirulina has been proven to boost the immune system, help protect against allergic reactions, and has anti-viral and anti-cancer properties. Spirulina is made up of 62% amino acids, the building blocks of protein used in cellular repair. The supplementation of spirulina does not replace the need for protein in the diet as it would take very much to equal meat, poultry, or fish. But these amino acids are easily metabolized and is part of what makes spirulina a superfood.

Another superfood I like is brewers/nutritional yeast. This is non-active yeast that is very rich in the B vitamins, chromium, selenium, and potassium. It is a complete protein with nine essential amino acids. It has a nutty flavor and is easily added to foods. I really love the flavor of nutritional yeast mixed with orange juice.

An essential nutritional source of essential fatty acids, necessary nutrients that help the body function normally, is flaxseed oil. Flaxseed oil is very high in Omega 3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids help support heart health, healthy cholesterol levels, joint mobility and bone density, energy and endurance, healthy blood glucose, and skin, hair, and nails. Because this is such a nutrient-dense source of essential fatty acids, I take this more often than vitamins or minerals.

The last vitamin that I take as a supplement when necessary is Vitamin C. Vitamin C is not produced by the human body and the only source is from food or supplementation. Vitamin C is an incredible antioxidant and helps fight all infections, whether viral or bacterial. It is easily absorbed and is water-soluble so any overdose is immediately passed from the body. You will know you have reached your limit when the bowels become gassy and diarrhea is next. The proper dose for Vitamin C depends on the individual. Sometimes I can take 20,000 mg and not have a problem. Other times, I can take 5,000 mg and it will be too much. So experiment with dosing. Start with 3-5,000 mg several times a day. If it is too much, then back off. It will help with most colds and flu. There are even cancer therapies based on Vitamin C. It is good to take some Pantothenic Acid along with Vitamin C as it helps the body metabolize it better.

None of this is intended to be nutritional advice. It is to remind us that we are physical bodies that must have the proper building blocks to heal. Yes, all dis-ease comes from a disturbance in the spirit-like vital force. But if on the physical side of the vital force’s expression the person is starving nutritionally, then it is a big expectation to ask the body to heal. Dr. Terry Wahls cured herself of multiple sclerosis with food. She has an amazing story and much to share about food as medicine. Here is a link to a TED talk video of her lecturing about food as medicine.

Learn more about nutrition. When you have a client that has a degenerative chronic illness, always ask about their diet. Sometimes doing just a little in addition to their normal diet can make a big difference. And above all do good homeopathy also. There is no better way to inspire healing.

Keep the conversation going! I would love to hear your thoughts and questions below!