I have been reading more and more articles that indicate Western Medicine is beginning to learn what the Chinese Doctors knew hundreds of years ago, that a disease is much more than its symptoms. In an article by Dr. Mark Hyman, "5 Steps to Kill Hidden Bugs in your Gut that make you Sick", Dr Hyman tells us that many illnesses from chronic sinusitis to autism may be caused by parasites in your intestines. He even tells us that in the West, "Doctors are trained to identify diseases by where they are located." and that "As we come to understand disease in the 21st century, our old ways of defining illness based on symptoms is not very useful".
Hurrah!
On of the oldest medical theories in Chinese Medicine states that most diseases of the modern day (and for them that was the 13th century), originate in the digestion. The theory was called the Spleen and Stomach Theory [pi wei lun] and they directed physicians to heal the gut of their patients and they would heal many disparate illnesses.
Many people today in the 21st century have been harmed by antibotics either from medicine given by physicians for illness or by our foods such as the non-organic meats in our stores. These antibotics kill off the natural baterias in our colon. This natural bateria act as a secondary immune system by eating such things like candida albicans (harmful yeast), mold, and e coli. In addtion, nearly everyone I meet in my clinic are taking some form of antacid medication. Most people do not realize that the acid in our stomach has an important function. And that function is to sterilize the food we eat so that harmful microbes do not enter into the deepest part of our bodies: the small intestine. As a result of the lowered acidity of the Stomach most people have irritablity and inflammation in their system originating from parasites and fungii in their intestines. These parasites can cause many other problems far from their home in the intestines. Chronic illnesses such as sinusitis, obestity, depression, anxiety, food-cravings, auto-immunity, recurrent colds, etc., all have to take the gut into consideraton in order to trully heal the person.
So this is why I always treat the digestion when I begin acupuncture care for my clients regardless of their 'chief complaint". As the Doctors of old tell us, "If you start with the gut then you can heal many diseases."
A few things you can do to aid your gut:
- Take probiotics daily
- Eat fiberous foods such as vegetables, whole grains, and nuts
- Limit your sugar intake
- Stay away from "Fat Free" products they contain lots of sugar
- Always have a bowel movement every day
- And of course, see your acupuncturist and take your herbal formula.
-mike
