Illness & Dis-ease

Yesterday I said that I believed there are predispositions to illness but that dis-ease is created. And in the middle of the night I felt I needed to clarify in case someone who doesn’t already know me reads any of my words. First I’d like to say that you’ll see me noting disease as dis-ease. For those who have a health situation that can be naturally managed  or put into remission (albeit in time) I see as a lack of ease within the body..thus dis-ease. That being said lets speak on illness.

Yes, there are serious illness issues and life threatening diseases that establish themselves without effort of partnership from it’s “host”. But even in those cases I also know to be true that our dietary choices can expedite the power of onset or keep it slow. It can ease the process of healing or hinder. Our choices can allow for a comfortable passing or an uncomfortable and speedy one. I have seen this first hand with a young man who passed from cancer before 40. A dear man who adored someone I held dear as well. His diet before and during treatment was full of processed foods and sugars from every direction. And I often wonder how the quality of his final time here would have been had he enjoyed a healthfully supportive diet.

But my writing this virtual diary is for the support of those like myself who have a diagnosis that is manageable to the point of remission. Allopathic  medicine (your traditional physicians) are no longer schooled in nutrition. They will quote the food pyramid…and lets not get me started first thing this morning on that. Medical schools have lost their connection with their point of origination…. food. Food by way of crop and herb. And they put all the focus on management. They preach multi vitamin and Omegas of course but anything else seems to have no clout. Maybe they think those standard suggestions open them up to being perceived as being more knowledgeable about vitamins and nutrition than they are. But give a go at having a serious conversation about nutrition and/or supplemental use….Go ahead – try. No testing they say… but there is testing. Thing is, the testing is so much smaller than the big pharma trials that they don’t get the attention they well deserve. And lets face it- there is easy money in pain and disease “management” and not so much in healing and maintenance.

Today we have the fortune to combine the paths of allopathic and holistic (functional and integrative medicine) to manage our symptoms while we heal the root cause. To use traditional medicine as a crutch until we heal is not common though. Unfortunately our culture has adopted a view that our traditional doctors are healing them with all the medicines scripted out… and I know it can certainly feel like that. When those medicines match up well to the issue your symptoms can often be eliminated and you feel healed…. I’ve been there. But one day, their power weakens and in time the power is gone. And you are reminded that the issue remains..it was there all along, hidden.

What if we choose to look at things differently?  What if we take the time to dig in and learn about the root causes of what ails us and begin to take action with our own health instead of taking the powerless position of following the scripted direction of a physician who no longer takes the time to learn the details that would enable individual care?

Claiming that power is where we learn what choices we made that allowed the predisposition to activate. This is where we learn what choices we make that exacerbate our dis-ease. Is it gluten? Dairy? Are you working too many hours in a job you adore? Or one you don’t? Do you have a high sugar diet? Do you realize the carbs you eat are sugar? Do you focus on low fat eating thinking that fat will make you fat? Do you work out too hard? Do you sleep? Or do you not? These are some of the very first things that are important to become aware of for a healing journey. But this step is where you begin to see how much power you have to contribute to your own personal health.  This is what I was speaking to when I stated that dis-ease is created.

Go ahead. Dig in and be open to be amazed by how much there is to discover. And to how much impact you are capable of.