Symptoms Are Warning Signs!

From runny noses to indigestion, headaches to strained muscles, symptoms are our body's way of warning us that something is wrong.

Regardless of what YOUR symptoms are; how they manifest themselves ; symptoms are signs; the body's way of warning you that it is not coping. YOU need to address the issues - to give your body a helping hand.

Ignore your symptoms at your peril!

Homeostasis

The human body is a complex machine. It is designed to adapt to knocks, be they emotional, physical or environmental thereby maintaining a healthy balance (Homeostasis).

Human beings are 75 - 85% water. The body maintains homeostasis by keeping these bodily fluids moving. Mountain streams become murky ponds, open to disease, when the water becomes static … usually because blockages have appeared along the path of the river. It will force its way through wherever possible, but the end result is a trickle, no real flow.

The human body is in constant change … ideally, we should be ebbing and flowing like the tide. We breathe in oxygen, which nourishes organs, muscles and underlying tissues via the respiratory system, and a process of gaseous exchange takes place where the used oxygen is passed out of the body via the arteries on an exhalation of breath. Hence the importance of good quality breathing. Most of the patients I see who present with back and neck conditions, digestive or respiratory problems combined with a variety of emotional symptoms - I would say, without exception, ALL shallow breathe.

Gaseous Exchange - The Breath of Life

There is no doubt in my mind that the process of shallow breathing changes posture. Shoulders go up, and "round" to the front and we more or less start to curl up, almost into foetal position, a protective posture which we adopt, albeit subconsciously, under stress.

The rib cage, which is basically a bony box designed to protect the heart and lungs, restricts the action of the lungs in this posture. The action of the lungs is to act like a pair of bellows in order for us to take in the most oxygen in any one breath to feed and nourish every cell, tissue, muscle and structure in our body. If the action of the bellows is restricted, we absorb less oxygen, and then don't distribute what little oxygen there is to the rest of the body.

Shallow breathing restricts the transportation of oxygen to the thoracic area of chest only (upper body). Ask the person next to you (better still, do it yourself) to take in a deep breath. I bet the majority will take in a BIG gasp of air and then expel it from the throat. Do it again, and this time hold it for 3 seconds before you breathe out…. just experience how this FEELS in the chest and neck. You might even feel dizzy. VERY similar to a panic attack. Would you be surprised that shallow breathers ALWAYS have neck and back pain ?

Observe people who sigh a lot. It is another sign of shallow breathing and the body under stress. They may not FEEL stressed but the body is definitely under stress. The sigh is where the body has gone into remote control, enforced a deep breath … the sigh is the exhalation, the relief.

Now try a calming breath and experience the difference.

Start by breathing OUT .. don't hold onto your tummy, let it puff out. Hold for 3 seconds. Now take in a DEEP breath … SLOWLY, breathing in through the nose to the count of 10 and take it all the way down to the pit of your tummy and fill it with air. Hold for 3 seconds. Now slowly breathe out by gently BLOWING slowly through your mouth to the count of 10. Feels COMPLETELY different doesn't it? Your body will say a BIG thank you.

It's not necessary to breathe every breath in such an exaggerated way but if you practice it, ESPECIALLY when you are feeling stressed or in pain, it will help.

Basically, when the body is starved of oxygen it begins to think there is a crisis going on, the brain will think it is dying and it will take dramatic action to try and rectify the problem.

It will adapt to ensure that the MOST important organs gets its share of oxygen first, ie heart and brain. This means that the least important organs (in terms of life and death) will get the least amount of oxygen, ie muscles and skin. Straight away, there is conflict but a clear indication of why so many suffer the aches and pains in their muscular and skeleton system for no "apparent" reason.

Whichever organ is affected will have a knock on effect throughout the rest of the body. No organ can function without or with a shortage of oxygen in the long term … the WHOLE body will eventually be under stress and so if this situation remains in the long term, eventually, SOMETHING has to give. And that "something" will produce symptoms. It will be a SIGN - the body telling you that something is wrong. YOU need to do something to help the body do the job properly. And that "something" in this case, is to BREATHE !!! NOT to take drugs or pain killers.

It will depend on your lifestyle, your personality as to what that SOMETHING is. In other words, whichever part of your body is the most stressed will fall apart first !! All of us have "weak" spots. And those weak spots will be hit first.

How does Oxygen travel around the body ?

To confirm the "domino effect" …. Oxygen travels around the body in the blood. Blood is pumped through veins and capillaries via the circulatory system (the heart). Oxygen helps to clean the blood and after the process of gaseous exchange, "used" oxygen is transported in the blood through arteries and breathed out. Hence another good reason to inhale and exhale properly !!

The body utilizes the liver, gall bladder, kidneys and bladder to eliminate waste products thus keeping the body "clean" and free from diesease.

Infection and "invaders" are fought by the Immune system (lymph). Lymph also travels in the blood acting like a waste disposal system. Digesting the food we eat, and transporting nutrients to every cell is done via the digestive system, From the moment food enters our mouths, chemicals and enzymes are being produced to break down food into molecules of amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, etc that the body can utilize. Our systems need to be 75% alkaline and 25% acid in order for this job to be done thoroughly.

High protein diets turn reverse this condition. Our systems become 75% acid. So whilst they may be advantageous in terms of losing weight in the short term, diets such as this are detrimental to the system as a whole in the long term. The results of which can lead to hiatus hernia, ulcers, inflammatory conditions throughout the body, particularly in the joints and skin problems.

The small and large intestines (colon) has the job of eliminating the natural waste resulting from the digestive process. Kidneys & bladder have the job of eliminating fluid bodily waste.

If we think of our body as an orchestra, the Endocrine System (hormones) are the leaders. The Endocrine System also involves the Spleen and the Pancreas which are paramount in relation to blood sugar levels. Hormones play an integral role in the homeostasis of the body and should ALWAYS be balanced. It is interesting to note that Hormones are not just something that women have to deal with once a month or at the menopause !! They play an integral part throughout men's lives and also AFTER the menopause.

It only needs one musician to play wrong notes for the whole piece of music to be affected.

In order for our "mountain streams" (bodies) to be flowing well … all these functions of the body need to be FULLY operational at all times throughout our lives. Operating at "half cock", ignoring symptoms, (SIGNS that the body is not functioning properly) HOPING by some miracle that all will be well in the morning, will not only make us feel ill. Because of the domino effect, it will have a detrimental effect in the long term. Taking drugs to ease the pain, only helps us to bury our heads, it suppresses the symptoms and drives the problem deeper into the body.

Any hiccup in the functioning ability of the body, ie initial indication, first sign of a SURFACE condition, be it lack of oxygen, (breathing problems), postural changes (muscular and joint aches and pains), emotional disturbances (work or relationship stress, panic attacks), inability to eliminate waste products, (constipation, bladder/kidney infections, headaches, migraines, sinus, catarrh, allergies).

A permanent feeling of lack of energy, inability to sleep, constantly catching one infection after another. Taking anti-biotics long term. (Anti biotic means anti life). ALL of these conditions HINDER the body from healing itself, ALL affect it's ability to keep you free from disease - you will be out of balance. Take responsibility … own your body … if you don't take care of it and use it properly - you WILL lose it, perhaps sooner than you hoped. You ONLY get one shot at life !

What aspects of life interfere with the body's natural mechanism ?

If we can monitor what we put in our mouths and ensure that we give our bodies a sound nutritional status that must be a good place to start. After all, every cell in our body is manufactured from the food we eat (preferably free from chemicals and hormones !), the fluid we drink (again free from chemicals, fluoride and sweeteners) and the air we breathe.

Certain foods and lots of water, (tea and coffee and caffeine drinks do not count) will stimulate internal organs, muscular and skeletal structures and processes to eliminate naturally occurring toxins and will promote and restore normal bodily functions. Keep things moving ! Remember the analogy of the mountain stream - when the stream becomes static, it turns into a stagnant pond and a stagant pond in the body means disease and illness.

Processed foods, be they from a packet, out of a tin, the fridge, freezer ALL contain additives and chemicals. They HAVE to in order for them to have a shelf life. If it's fat free, sugar free or anything else free, manufacturers have taken something out BUT added in a lot more in besides to make it palatable !! We lose our ability to taste through the excess use of sugar.

Some everyday myths

These days, sugar is added to EVERYTHING - bacon, ready cooked ham, chicken ALL sorts of products - if you like the taste of it, you will buy more and if you buy more, SOMEBODY will make huge profits. Most manufacturers have now "cottoned" onto the market for specialist diets but we do need to be aware, because their products are not always what we think.

Why do we give our babies sugar ? When they enter this world they have no concept of sugar or sweetness but from the word go, we fill their bottles and food with sugar-laden products in the mistaken belief that we are doing them good.

I've heard of people giving their newly weaned child home prepared food but adding apple sauce to it to make it more palatable - why ? that is educating your baby that food is not good unless it tastes sweet. We introduce them to tea but we put sugar in it to make it taste nice ? If it tastes horrible without it, why give it to them in the first place ? To my mind, sugar is the root of all-evil.

When we have excess sugar, the body doesn't eliminate it, it stores it away for future use. How ? by turning it into fat. It's the sugar in our diet that makes us overweight - NOT fat. We should be more concerned about eating sugar free foods than fat free. Our body NEEDS fat, but the right kinds of fat. Essential fatty acids NOT animal fat. Beware of sugar free processed foods and drinks because though they do not contain sugar, they will saccharine which is even MORE dangerous - they contains cancer causing carcinogens.

Another side effect of excess sugar in our diets is Late Onset Diabetes which can be directly attributed to the pancreas spending a lifetime of pumping out insulin in order to bring down high blood sugar levels - in the end it gives up, can't cope any more and lo and behold we suffer all the negative effects of Diabetes.

I cringe when I see young Mothers pouring Coca Cola into a 12 month baby's bottle. Babies do not need sugar and certainly not saccharine. Ever tried dropping a two penny piece into a glass of Coca Cola for a couple of days to see how it comes up squeaky clean - WHAT is that doing to a vulnerable 12 month old's body ? By the time that child finds out, it will be too late, the damage will already have been done. Sugar does NOT give us energy. It is not natural UNLESS you are eating it in FRESH fruit AND vegetables and they need to be washed well in a solution of vinegar and water to wash off pesticides and herbicides - organic or not.

We do not need dairy products for calcium either. How much calcium do you think an elephant needs to survive ? When have you ever seen them eating cheese and drinking milk ? It's a myth - propaganda - put out by the Government and the Farmers after the War to help farmers get on their feet. Food was short but there was no shortage of milk. Take a look at the website www.notmilk.com if you don't believe me.

Some of our bodies have not evolved fast enough to be able to metabolise (digest) some foods and certainly we are not designed to digest chemicals, pesticides and oestrogens in food. Be warned, Oestrogens (female hormones) are not only in food - they are also in packaging (plastics) etc. I can't remember whom or where but at a Conference last year, I heard one speaker suggest that oestrogens in foods and products COULD be a contributing factor to (what appears to be) increasing figures in relation to Gay Men. This may or may not be true but I felt it was an Interesting concept ? Certainly, it IS true that in some Third World Countries young girls have been shown to be going through early puberty and developing breasts at the age of two years old.

To fast food or not?

So if your diet is 90% fast food and by fast food, I don't just mean, fish and chips, pizza, MacDonald's, I mean ANYTHING which you have not cooked from fresh yourself. If this rings true for you, you must be prepared for digestive and other problems which could manifest themselves as physical or emotional symptoms (depending on your weak spots) and not necessarily your digestive system in the beginning. Because of the ingredient lists and packaging related to fast food, eventually, your body will NOT be able to cope with the overload. Your cup will runneth over in one form or another.

Become an avid label reader. It will be an education for you. Depending on quantities, manufacturers don't necessarily have to list minor ingredients. So you can't always be confident what's in a product. Some cheap brands of coffee, white pepper and many other products for instance include flour. Not a problem unless you are gluten intolerant - in which case, this can make you very ill. Why do manufacturers and some restaurants do this ? because it makes the product go further. That's why they can afford to sell it cheaper.

It's not just food we need to be careful of either. We think of our skin as a safe barrier. This as in, nothing can enter through the skin. This is another myth. Yes, the skin can act like a two-way valve system and water and other similar molecules will not enter BUT if something is of a molecular structure smaller than the molecules of the skin, it can enter. That's how nicotine patches and HRT patches work. These chemicals are slowly distributed directly into the blood stream through the skin.

In fact, if you want to get something into the system fast, use the skin. It goes directly into the blood stream and is not "digested" by the body at all. Therefore the body has no defence mechanism from the chemical at all because this system is "side stepping" the normal processes of the body. The body has no means of neutralizing the effect of the chemical.

What does this mean ? It means that we must be careful what we put on our skin and we should be careful what we put in our mouths in relation to toothpaste and mouth washes etc. Especially the mouths of our babies. MOST toothpaste, deodorants, creams and all sorts of other lotions and potions on the supermarket shelves contain chemicals that are found in diesel….and not always the cheap brands !

Maybe these ingredients are only there in small doses, but how many times a day, week, month, year after year, do we brush our teeth, apply deodorant and creams, lotions and potions on our hands, face, arms and legs. Over a period of time, SOME of that stuff IS getting through to do long term damage in our bodies. Study ingredient lists on products and maybe think, if I wouldn't eat it, do I want to put it on my skin ?"

Organic isn't always what you think. I read a list of ingredients on a tin of "Organic" Baked Beans recently. The list of "ingredients" was longer than on a normal tin !! If it isn't immediately obvious what an ingredient is, rest assured - it is a chemical or additive and ask yourself - do I want to put that in my body ?

Pure isn't always what you think. Most people think essential oils are safe. I have a particular bee in my bonnet about this subject. Essential oils contain "natural" chemicals but they ARE chemicals. These chemicals have therapeutic properties … and are said to affect changes in the body. If members of the public have access to (what I believe) are very powerful remedies with no knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology or the chemicals contained in each oil, surely it is possible for the oils to be misused.

I know from personal experience that if I use more than 3 drops of the essential oils that I use, in a bath, the effect when I step in is a feeling of "prickly heat" in the nether regions. If the quality of the oil is not so good, 10 drops might need to be added to get that effect. Synthetic oils won't have any effect at all. The chemicals in synthetic oils are there to imitate the "aroma" of the essential oil. They are NOT pure essential oils. They have no therapeutic properties. But how can the general public tell the difference ?

It concerns me that people use essential oils on babies. A baby is unable or unlikely to tell you that he/she has uncomfortable, prickly feelings in the nether regions ? or any other symptoms of over use. Trust me, this will not be doing your baby good. Putting Chamomile in your baby's bath in these circumstances will do anything BUT relax and calm him/her. No surprise then that a few hours later, you will be there walking the floor having no idea why your baby may be screaming.

There are far too many different outlets - far too many different levels of quality - synthetic essential oils, organic essential, pure essential oils ? How do you know the difference ? Yes, essential oils are safe, but that's where they are dangerous. One drop in the bath in the mind of the unitiated CAN'T do any harm can it ? and shouldn't - the danger is though, that the uninitiated might feel that one drop couldn't possibly do any GOOD, and so 10 may be tempted to add up to 10 or more!! Essential oils to my mind are not taken seriously enough. They are powerful used in the right hands and appropriately. Otherwise, LESS is ALWAYS best.

Is exercise important ?

Moderate exercise is also a must. It aids circulation. Circulation is life - when circulation stops - life stops. Sluggish circulation impedes elimination processes and turns "mountain streams" into "stagnant ponds". When this occurs, our systems are unable to function at optimum levels and the body becomes a breeding ground for disease.

Apart from anything else, exercise internally massages organs and structures, as well as toning muscles and thereby enhances all the natural processes of the body as well as helping raise the emotional spirits. It is normal to feel energized after exercise.

Emotions are paramount considerations - Does stress play a role ?

Busy lifestyles keep us on the go. Pressure of work, job dis-satisfaction, bereavement, life crises, financial worries, excess intake of drugs, (prescribed or otherwise), poor nutrition (it's not what we eat, it's how our bodies absorb it that counts), lack of exercise and environmental issues - all play their part in burdening and altering the natural structure and function of the body.

Emotions are powerful and therefore cannot be ignored in the equation. Extra burdens whether emotional or physical not only impedes the body's normal functioning but also affects our relationships with family, friends and colleagues. Again, it isn't the stress - it's the way we deal with it that counts but we can change the habits of a lifetime.

Unless we do, eventually we are unable to cope - the body goes into red alert. We can't "let go" even when we want to - nerves feel jangled, tempers frayed - sleep patterns are disturbed and mental and emotional tiredness adds even more burdens to an already overloaded body.

Gastric juices produced by persistent "Butterfly" stomachs can turn into ulcers, full blown panic attacks, respiratory and/or digestive problems. When we wake up one morning with a stiff neck and shoulders - we ought perhaps to be looking at our lifestyle or our state of mind for a cause, but instead , we say we slept funny because we aren't imagining the symptoms, they're real, there can be no doubt about the extent of the pain.

Feeling emotionally nurtured figures quite high in the equation also. If you don't feel good about yourself, hate your job and the people you spend most of your time with, have no hobbies etc. It's extremely difficult to have a feeling of joy in your heart and glad to be alive.

If you wake up every morning with a feeling of dread of going to work, or having to spend the rest of your life with someone you don't actually like, never mind love, any more … there's a part of your psyche which will try to help and actually provide you with reasons for not going to work or not to spend time in someone's company. What easier reason could there be for having a day off when we are genuinely unwell ?

If you are hurting emotionally, no one can see that, which equates to no support emotionally or physically. If you are visibly in pain or physically sick, you are more than likely to receive the attention, sympathy, empathy and full support you so desperately need.

Be careful what you wish … you MIGHT get what you asked for. Positive thought is imperative at all times if you are to remain in healthy balance, emotionally and physically. Burying your head and pretending to yourself (and everyone else) that things are good in your world, just doesn't work. If you're sad, angry, and bitter - it can eat into the expressions in your face, it can be heard in your voice. It will eat into your body too. On the other hand, if you are happy, and at one with the world - in the words of Dr Robert Cass - "let your face in on it". Too many of us walk around as if are sucking lemons or drinking vinegar !! If you smile, it might raise a smile in someone else and that could change your whole day !

Drugs

Living a drug free life is also preferable (prescription and leisure), smoking and excessive amounts of alcohol included. Our bodies just were not designed to deal with this level of toxicity.

What's the point - eventually we're going to die anyway?

Life is a constant cycle of reproduction. A cell is released, fertilized, reproduces and the process has started and continues until death. Just as we shed skin, old cells from EVERY organ in the body die (on a weekly or monthly basis) and new ones are produced over and over again. like photocopies churning out one after another. This time next year, you won't have the same body as you have now. Each organ will have been replaced several times over that period.

Just as with a photocopy, it is important that EVERY time you take a copy, you start with the same GOOD quality original, otherwise when you take new copies of a bad copy and copies from the bad copy and so on, the quality gradually gets worse until you can hardly read the words on the page.

In the body, as cells are produced it is important that new ones are reproduced in just as healthy a form (or as close to) the original. Cell damage (bad copies) produces even weaker reproductions … the end result is serious disease and ultimately death. Poor reproduction of cells in this case would be as a result of poor nutrition, toxic overload, lack of exercise, oxygen, water and light. For healthy cell production we have to ensure our body receives the building blocks it needs in the form of good nutrition.

This way the body will receive all the amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids etc in it's most natural form. The body then is not dealing with the added burdens of environmental chemicals and additives. Then when "attacked" by viruses, bacteria, parasites or metal toxicity, we wouldn't need anti-biotics , drugs or painkillers.. The body would have the VERY best chance of fighting because it would be re-vitalized and re-energised by those foods and all the other aspects of a positive and healthy lifestyle and attitude of mind.

Yes we will all die eventually from degenerative cells - that's life. But there is no real need for us to die before our time and to have such poor quality of life that many people experience.

Our health IS within our control. So many of us spend our time taking care of others. It's time we started taking care of OURSELVES. We need to nourish the cells we are natural and constantly producing and ensure better a quality to OUR life. If we all took care of ourselves, there might not be any need to take care of each other !? Then what would many of us do with ourselves ????

Are there any warning signs ?

Yes, all too many that we ignore - at our peril.

They range from persistent disturbed sleep, leading to feeling tired all the time, continuous coughs, colds, sore throats, catarrh, sinusitis, headaches, migraines, digestive problems, constipation, alternating diarrhea, unexplained sensitivities (mostly attributed to foods but in reality, rarely food connected as causative). Peculiar twinges or symptoms of one kind or another, muscular aches and pains, joint pains, skin conditions, irritability, aggressive behaviour, general mood swings, over-emotional, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, high blood pressure etc. These are the body's cries for help - warnings that something is wrong - signs that we ignore at our peril. Basically, ANYTHING which means you don't feel 100%. Not able to function as you would wish. DO NOT be put off by messages from your friends, family or your GP that "it's all to do with your age". It rarely is.

For some reason, (and we all do it) we think that by some miracle, it will all be OK in the morning. Of course it isn't and over a period of time what first appears to be "nuisance" symptoms (something we may feel we should not be troubling our GP's with), can lead to a variety of degenerative diseases. This process is known as Homotoxicosis (Dr Hans Heinrich Reckeweg 1955) and he documents that there are 6 different phases from wellness to the degenerative stage and subsequent death.

What are the phases ?

Phase 1 : EXCRETION : ELIMINATION is the key to well being.

When elimination is hampered by sluggish circulation, natural waste and toxins remain in the blood stream and become "allergens". This is effectively poisoning the whole system. The body (because of it's natural propensity to "normalise" and fight anything in the blood which shouldn't be there) will attempt to cleanse the blood and collect/ dump and sometimes store this waste in fat, tissues and various nooks and crannies of the body. In other words, the body becomes a variety of depositories. The results of which will create "symptoms" like pain, stiffness, inflammation, discomfort and sometimes allergies.

In the eliminatory process, the digestive system is the first port of call, when that becomes blocked or sluggish, the body will try another avenue, say respiratory, this is when we start to get sinus problems, catarrh, chest infections, sore throats - the body is desperately trying to eliminate. This process continues and the body will eliminate through any orifice it can. The last but not least place for elimination is the skin. This may be the FIRST time that we are aware of a problem but it is the LAST place the body tries with regard to elimination. By that time the body is struggling.

If you think about the storage of waste in ANY aspect of life, you don't want to hang on to it. It smells bad, looks bad - causes infection and disease - waste, whether it is in your dustbin or toilet, is UNHEALTHY. Therefore, it is IMPERATIVE that the waste disposal systems of your body (ALL of them) are functioning correctly. Your body is the house in which you live. If you don't want your normal household waste remaining in the house, why would you want your normal bodily waste remaining in your body ?

If the body is unable to eliminate through normal channels, ie intestines, kidneys etc, because those systems are blocked - constipation, insufficient intake of water to eliminate, as already stated, the body will find other means of elimination via the skin and other orifices. This may manifest as perspiration, sebum and even earwax. We might suffer inflammation in the joints, persistent colds or coughs, lactic acid build up in muscles, problems with menstruation, kidney/bladder problems etc etc.

All the above symptoms, most of us, assume on a daily basis are simply a "nuisance" and there's nothing we can do - we just take a pill if things get too much and carry on. We don't consider ourselves to be on a downward spiral into progressive disease or that the body is having a hard time of things.

The body at this point will go into crisis management. Every organ in the body needs water to function effectively, if we don't take enough on board, it will go into crisis management and start to store what it has. This may be "used" water - probably not the healthiest but it is fluid. Any surprise then that we start to display the signs of water retention, puffy ankles, and swollen joints - the body is becoming a breeding ground for disease.

When joints and muscles become stiff or hurt, we tend to "accommodate" the pain and stiffness by adapting our posture, which pulls other muscles and joints out of alignment and so pain then radiates out to other areas, including the head and extremities (arms, hands, legs and feet).

This often results in immobility, inflexibility and rigidity in the neck, shoulders & lower back, headaches, migraine, sciatica, inability to sleep. Then we may start to take painkillers tablets, which will further exacerbate the problems of elimination because drugs SUPPRESS (literally drug the body so that it is unable to function and drugs also DEHYDRATE the whole system.

A lack of water increases the chances of constipation also. MOST people consider if they defecate once a day - that's. Ideally we should eliminate after each meal !

We should be drinking at least 2 ½ LITRES of water daily - what we pass through the bladder and kidneys should be the same colour coming out as going in ?

Many of us sit cramped in front of a computer screen for most of the day, bad posture, shallow breathing, insufficient water … people will say, "I can't drink that amount of water otherwise I'll keep going to the toilet" - YES - that's the general idea !! Keep things moving remember ? We do not want the body to turn into a stagnant pond - better to aim for the "mountain stream".

PHASE 2: REACTION - The Acute Phase where the illness/symptoms are reasonably new.

At this stage if elimination/excretion is not possible, then the body's reaction is to create an inflammation in an attempt to pathologically deal with the problem. Tissues become inflamed and there will be concentration of body fluids in particular areas. Examples of symptoms in this may be skin conditions, like psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, stomatotis, rhinitis, sinusitis, herpes pharyngitis, enteritis, abscess, tonsillitis, nephritis, and muscular rheumatism. ANYTHING that ends in "itis" is inflammation. The body is REACTING - giving yet another indication that there is a problem, doing everything in its power to cope.

PHASE 3 : DISPOSITION - Absorption of Xenobiotics (means "foreign to life")

During this phase, the body will be trying to de-activate whatever is causing the problem but the danger is that absorption of the toxins is starting to take place, ie being deposited in connective tissue. Connective tissue is a deeper layer in the "depository" of the body than the skin. At this level, nasal polyps or warts may have developed, constipation becomes a much more serious problem, gout, oedema, obesity, varicose veins, thrombosis, swollen lymph glands, dropsy, ovarian cysts and rheumatism also may be some of the symptoms experienced.

During the above three phases, known as "The Regressive" (Recovery) Stage the body is still in the self-healing mode and it is said that any prognosis is favourable.

In other words, it is still not too late the kick-start the body into action. It needs active participation by the patient though. Relying on drugs at this stage will only serve to drive the symptoms deeper.

There is a Biological Division between these stages and the following three. When any illness lingers and crosses that division, it can move into "The Progressive" stage where the trends are towards serious deterioration and degeneration.

PHASE 4 IMPREGNATION

These are the chronic stages (longstanding, lingering illnesses) where damage to cells starts to take place and the body is now unable to heal itself or function optimally. The cell "photocopies" is starting to get weaker and the body is not able to rectify it. The DNA in the cells (the memory of what should be going on is lost) and so cell damage is unavoidable. Examples are asthma, duodenal ulcers, liver damage, virus infections, numerous 'flu viruses and the preliminary stages of tumours.

PHASE 5 DEGENERATION

At this stage one or more organs may become "increasingly and irreversibly damaged". And some organs in the body will now begin to dysfunction. Therefore any disease will be irreversible. Examples would be Cirrhosis of the liver, Pernicious Anemia, Lupus Vulgaris. (See the Energetix College of Advanced EAV Clinical Training for more information).

PHASE 6 : NEOPLASM - Malignant phase

This is where cancers show up as a result of carcinogens and other extremely toxic poisons are being laid down in the tissues and cells at a very deep level, thereby damaging the body beyond repair and to the point of degeneration and malignancy.

What can you do ?

There is well researched evidence that all the treatments offered by Bromley Health Management can play a vital role in bringing about an awareness of what is going on in our body and alerting us to the process of disease. It can also help in switching off the red alert established by the nervous system and all the other organs, when the body is over taxed, which creates the inability to sleep. Sleep is an extremely important factor in health and well being.

Treatments act like a "parachute" which allows us to float slowly down to earth, lifting some of those extra burdens in the process, enabling us to truly relax on a very deep level. When we relax in this unique way, the brain is switched off. Because the mind is no longer in control the body is given the opportunity to heal itself in the same way that a baby grows whilst it sleeps. In other words our conscious mind stops fighting which gives the sub conscious mind and the physical body a chance to do their job. We generally drive our bodies too hard. It needs a break !

The best news is that these processes continue long after the treatment. To begin with over a period of days, gradually building up to weeks and eventually months - which is why it is recommended that a package of treatments is sought for long term (chronic) conditions. Rome was not built in a day! The body heals from inside out and from top to bottom. The last symptom to appear will be the first to go. And the first to arrive will be the last. Treatments allow the "layers of the onion" to be peeled one at a time. Depending on the patient, and the length of time the problem as been in the system, it is not always wise to do too much too soon.

The body is like any machine, it needs a helping hand from time to time to correct its' flight path and to keep it in good running order.

EAV testing with equipment like the B.E.S.T System can give useful information about the body is functioning and alert patients to progressive stages of disease, which empowers them to DO something - take responsibility - own their bodies before it is too late.

Methods of Testing/Screening - how can they help?

The BEST System (BioEnergetic Stress Test) is the most sophisticated EAV (ElectroAcupuncture according to Voll) System in the world.

EAV Testing measures the energetic flow in the body - it relates to physics by looking at the FUNCTION of all the components in the body and how they relate to and communicate with each other. The results are not a medical diagnosis as you would get with a blood, saliva or urine test.

However, blood tests can not give indication on the health of a cell, what it does is give a sense of what is going on within a cell.

EAV screening gives an insight, a sense of what is going on in the physiology, biochemistry and pathology of an individual, the WHOLE person. There is an old Chinese proverb, which states that "when a man is pointing to the moon - the fool looks at the finger while the wise man looks at the moon." We should try to be wise !!

EAV testing is qualitative NOT quantitative medicine. It gives a better understanding of the whole body. Being in receipt of information of how your body is FUNCTIONING - how it is COPING - should be the FIRST step in owning responsibility for your well being and offering a helping hand if your body is crying out for assistance

How does EAV work?

In the 1940's, Dr Reinholt Voll, MD, using an OHM meter, discovered that the flow of electricity could be measured very easily through metal, it appeared not to offer the level of resistance as was found with other materials, like wood and rubber, ie they were not conductive.

In his studies, Voll also discovered that when testing human beings, generally there was a HIGH level of resistance EXCEPT when testing at Acupuncture points. Here the flow was more conductive. Measuring electrical conductivity in the body gives an insight into the health status of the Acupuncture Meridians, which is the Energetic System. Whilst it is accepted that there is no electricity in the body we can use electricity to measure this Energetic System. The B.E.S.T System takes readings from specific Acupuncture points on the hands and feet which are all control measurement points for all the Meridians.

Meridians are said to be connected to all the organs and structures in the body either because they pass through or close by those organs, testing these control measurement points therefore gives a picture of how say, the Liver, Heart, Large Intestine MERIDIANS are functioning.

Using the Universal Baseline of a scale between 0 : 100. If the flow readings are high, ie above 50, this generally indicates inflammation … ie a sign that either there is a problem in that Meridian, or the body is trying to fight what it sees as "an invader" somewhere in the body.

The EAV (in this case the B.E.S.T System) is able to measure inflammatory conditions because of the concentration of body fluids not only in the tissues but around the acupuncture points which means there will be greater conductivity - therefore higher readings. OR if the readings are low, ie below 50, that the problem has been there for a longer period of time ; the energy is low and the body is not responding or that the problem is chronic and has been there for some time. The body therefore needs help because the xenobiotics (foreign material in the body) have been driven deeper into the cells, probably into Mesenchyme (connective tissue). When readings drop significantly from high to low this also gives information that this is an area of weakness or there is a disturbance/imbalance in that Meridian, the patient is often low in physical energy. This is often seen as readings reaching say 50, but do not have the "energy" to maintain that level and so drop.

The most important factor in EAV testing is the ability of the practitioner to produce reliable results. At Bromley Health Management the practitioner who conducts B.E.S.T Screening is Edith Maskell. Edith is one of only 30 people in the UK who have studied and trained in Advanced EAV Techniques and Protocols with Dr Robert Cass of the Energetix College of Advanced and Clinical Training (Atlanta, Georgia, USA). Dr Cass is at the forefront of BioEnergetic Medicine. He says that "you can put a scalpel in the hand of any medical school student and tell him where to cut, how deep and the length of the incision. But the difference, which qualifies a top surgeon, is, in part, due to his sense of how to cut which can only come from the experience of the cutting.

For more information on the professional background of Edith Maskell, see ABOUT BHM.

Testing for Remedies

Again, it was Dr Voll who discovered that through EAV testing it was possible to search for a remedy which would bring the body back to "homeostasis", ie give it a helping hand in the elimination, detoxification and healing process.

Remedy testing is very simple. When a meridian is "out of balance", ie a reading is above or below 50, a remedy can be tested on the plate, the patient can hold the remedy or remedies can be scanned (from the inbuilt library) for an appropriate remedy and if, when tested, it is "favourable to the meridian" the reading will change ie come closer to the ideal, ie 50.

The B.E.S.T System is a computerized EAV System which has the ability to save, compare data and organize information and well as test thousands of remedies (almost 30 000) within it's library.

Most of the remedies in it's library are based on the principles of Homeopathy which is that if "something is harmful to a body in its raw form, then if you dilute the substance to a minute concentration, it can be beneficial in reversing the harmful effects of the original substance". Homeopathy means "treating like with like". It is possible to stimulate or sedate the body using homeopathic remedies and this process is known as "Hormesis".

Dr Cass tells us that "the puzzle of what is going on with a patient may be locked deep within the cells. An example may be pesticide toxicity causing liver disorders. A standard blood test and urine may give a medical doctor some indications of pesticide toxicity, but IT IS DOUBTFUL that the indications will point specifically to the liver. With an EAV test, unfavourable readings MAY indicate a DISTURBANCE in the area of liver" and we can then look deeper by testing for pesticide poisoning. The BEST System can then go on to identify WHICH pesticide or pesticides and from that information, we can go on to provide a homeopathic remedy to "treat like with like". Not only can we test for a remedy the B.E.S.T System can test a homeopathic remedy to identify which potency will be appropriate, the dosage and how long the remedy should be taken for.

Whether testing what we term "Full Body Screening", Vitamins and Minerals, Hormones, Allergies or other sensitivities. Consultations and treatment programmes always include advice on nutritional supplementation and dietary changes.

A return to a health body is NOT about taking a pill to make you better. YOU have to make changes. Because you have symptoms - it DOES not mean that the condition is irreversible. BUT "if you insist upon always doing what you've always done - you'll ALWAYS have what you've got". Make no mistake about it - this way, you are CHOOSING what you've got.

You CAN choose something else but changes HAVE to be made in your attitude if you are going to improve and maintain the biological terrain of your body. Unless you are mentally and physically prepared to make those changes to your lifestyle, nothing will change with respect to your health and well being.

Better Health Management through complementary and alternative medicine is essential because good health is the most valuable thing there is - without it life can not be enjoyed.

References
Reckeweg, Hans-Henirich, MD, Homotoxicology-Illness and Healing through Antihomotoxic Therapy, Albuquerque, Menaco Publishing Co, Inc. 1980
Dr Robert Cass, Energetix College of Advanced Training 2002, Advanced EAV Training and Protocols

Sunday, 1 February 2004

© 2004 Bromley Health Management