Planting the seeds of health: Part II
In Part I of Planting the Seeds of Health, we were talking about how the miracle of plant life parallels the miracle of human life. To have healthy plants, we have to address the soil and environment that may be stressing it. We too need to have our “soils” evaluated.
Typically, we use lab tests to determine if we are heading for, or in, a health crisis. Our body “soil” can be stressed in many ways.
If we are consuming an excess of acid-producing foods, for instance, and our pH is too low as a result, some “soils” just don’t do well. Too acidic or too alkaline can mean trouble. If our blood is too thick due to excess glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, dehydration, excess protein or blood cells, it is not unlike the stress plants undergo when the conditions are not optimal for supporting healthy plants.
Stress kills.
It is no different in our plants as it is in the human body. When a plant is stressed, it sends out a chemical message that attracts insects. The insects then prey on the plant, weakening it more, unless someone comes along with a remedy. If that remedy is chemicals, that may reduce the insect population, but it does nothing to correct the stress that caused the insects to invade in the first place. The body is quite similar. When the body is stressed internally or externally, the immune system is less effective at keeping bacteria and viruses in check. The more stress, or if the stress isn’t relieved, the unwanted microbes proliferate and disease results. Throwing chemicals at it (drugs) doesn’t address the reason for the stress, even if the microbes are annihilated. The problem will still exist.
What about nutrients? Just as a plant needs a healthy array of nutrients to survive and thrive, so does the human body. Throwing nutrients at it randomly, due to eating garbage “foods” without creating the right conditions is like throwing seeds in the wind. We need a plan. A daily plan. Three good, solid, meals per day is a plan. Not processed, hope-the-nutrients-stick, eat-and-get-going foods, but real, balanced, fresh foods. Every day we are building soil. We are either building healthy soil internally, or we are building weak, disease-prone soil. Every day, every meal, makes a difference in our disease susceptibility.
When sick, we research like crazy to find that perfect pill, perfect diet, or perfect exercise to heal the condition. While this is great and can be quite helpful, finding the causative elements still get largely ignored. Then a theory is conjured up and whatever magic pill fits the symptom gets taken. Many times it works out great symptomatically, but was the problem ever addressed?
This is where you really need a health detective. What’s wrong? Is it a soil problem? Nutrients? Water? Sun? A good health detective is going to look at all the factors, and not just the symptom, such as the bug. Then a good strategy is put into place for growing the seeds of health. Then and only then will you be truly healthy and vital!
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Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with nearly four decades of experience. Carling is a “Health Detective,” she looks beyond your symptom picture and investigates WHY you are experiencing your symptoms in the first place. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d’Alene clinic. Visit Carling’s website at www.vitalhealthcda.com to learn more about Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Carling can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.