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[post_content] => Most people’s health goals could be simplified to something like:
a long life and the good health to enjoy it. And long life we have. The biggest-ever jump in life expectancy, which occurred from around the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s, can be mostly attributed to the reduction in deaths by infection. Infectious disease has been well managed by improved hygiene, better quality of food and water, antibiotics, vaccines, and more effective emergency medical care. Now that infection is a relatively minor concern in the developed world, it’s worth looking at the factors that degrade health in our later years. These factors – things like diabetes, obesity, and the cardiovascular disease that goes along with them – can be dramatically influenced by diet.
Unfortunately, the mainstream medical world is plagued by some very significant misunderstandings about human nutrition, and it barely recognizes the profound psychological factors involved in how we feed ourselves. It’s time for a revolution in nutrition … and luckily, it’s well on its way.
A few months ago, Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating asked me if I would be one of 50 thought leaders to be interviewed for an online conference called The Future of Nutrition. I am honored to be part of this – and in the company of some very impressive researchers. I strongly encourage you to check it out. It’s free.
Note: This is an old article and the recordings of this event are no longer available. However, all of what I discussed in my interview and much more can be found in my online course
How to Eat.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
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One of the earliest inspirations that prompted me to go into medicine was a book called The Science of Homeopathy by George Vithoulkas. Of all the many modalities of mainstream and alternative medicine, few are as widely used – or criticized – as homeopathy.
Most other medical systems are heteropathic or allopathic in their approach. Hetero means other or different, allo means opposite, and pathy means suffering or disease. So, both terms mean producing a condition that is incompatible with or antagonistic to the disease process. Today many people use the term “allopathic” in a negative sense to describe mainstream medicine, but if you take an anti-inflammatory herb such as turmeric for inflammation, or an antibacterial such as garlic for an infection, this is allopathic medicine.
Homeopathy is based on the idea that if a particular substance produces a certain reaction (e.g., ipecacuanha causes nausea and vomiting), minuscule quantities of that substance can treat that condition (e.g., homeopathic ipecacuanha alleviates nausea and vomiting). Homeo means like, so homeopathy means “like the disease” and it’s based on the principle that “like treats like.” Some other examples are the use of homeopathic coffee (Coffea cruda) to treat insomnia and agitation, homeopathic onion (Allium cepa) for red and watery eyes and nose, and homeopathic bee venom (Apis) for stings, swellings, and inflammation.
For what it’s worth, not all remedies work this way. In many cases, homeopathic preparations do the same thing the original substance does. The remedy Chamomilla, for instance, is homeopathic chamomile, and like the herb, it is used for digestive and emotional upset. Sometimes homeopathic versions are safer, gentler, more potent, or have a broader range of application. In the case of Chamomilla, it’s also used for teething, ear pain, and menstrual discomfort.
Homeopathic remedies are created through numerous successive dilutions of herbs, minerals, animal parts and occasionally other substances. When the original substance is diluted in ten parts of a solvent (water or alcohol), this is called an X dilution (X being the Roman numeral for ten). When the substance is diluted in one hundred parts of a solvent, this is a C dilution (C being the Roman numeral for hundred). Each time a dilution is made it is shaken in a specific way to transfer the substance to the solvent, and each successive dilution, though chemically weaker, is considered energetically more potent. I made this chart to explain the process:
Many homeopathic remedies are made from highly toxic substances, like arsenic or deadly nightshade. In these cases, the original substance is so highly diluted that the amount of toxin in a resulting pill or tincture is infinitesimal. Often, it’s unlikely that there is even a single molecule of the original substance in the resulting medicine. This is precisely why opponents of homeopathy argue that it’s worthless and call it pseudoscience.
As a scientist, I completely understand this stance, but in my opinion, what occurs in the preparation of a homeopathic remedy is something we don’t yet have the science to explain. I believe the substance leaves some kind of energetic imprint on the solvent it is diluted in. We know from Masaru Emoto’s research on water that various substances and even human intention are capable of leaving a lasting mark on water molecules that’s evidenced in the different forms of ice crystals it forms when frozen. I believe a similar process occurs through diluting and shaking a substance in water, even when the substance is eventually removed.
I must admit, my own experience with homeopathy has been hit-or-miss. I’ve taken numerous remedies that did nothing perceptible. As to whether I chose the wrong remedy or it wasn’t medicinally effective, I’ll never know. But I have also had cases in which homeopathics were remarkably effective.
This has been especially true with babies and animals, and these are cases we could assume are relatively free from the influence of the placebo effect since the recipients are presumably unaware that they’re getting medicine. In particular, I have repeatedly had the experience of giving homeopathic teething tablets to babies that were inconsolable, and within minutes they were peaceful and sleepy. As a parent, I don’t care what the mechanism is as long as it’s safe and it works.
The safety factor is significant, particularly for children, pregnant women, and elderly or frail people. Not only are homeopathics virtually free of side effects, they also tend to have zero “load” on the system. That is, they don’t make you feel like you’re on a drug. Sometimes this may come at the expense of strength (e.g., homeopathic Chamomilla doesn’t approach the potency of Xanax), but there are cases when the top priority is a clean experience. I find this to be especially true in anxiety, when making someone feel drugged can occasionally intensify the anxiety.
Have you tried homeopathy? What did you think? Share with us in the comments section. I would love to hear about your experience.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
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When Samuel Thomson (1769-1843) was four years old, he happened upon an herb called lobelia growing near his New Hampshire home. Curious about the seed pods, he chewed some and promptly threw up. “Afterwards,” he later wrote, “I used to induce other boys to chew it, by way of sport, to see them vomit.” By “afterwards,” he meant for the next twenty years.
In his early twenties, he was out mowing a field with a group of men when he was happy to spot some lobelia. He tricked one of his coworkers into eating it, and the man immediately turned pale and began sweating and trembling. As he puked his guts out, the man told Thomson that he believed he was about to die. But after taking a nap, he ate lunch, did a full afternoon of labor, and, “told me that he never had anything do him so much good in his life; his appetite was remarkably good, and he felt better than he had felt for a long time.”1
Thomson went on to become the founder of a system of natural medicine based largely on using lobelia to purge the body of toxins. It had great appeal to the gritty, anti-elitist, and sometimes puritanical sensibilities of many early Americans.
While it may sound trendy and modern to hear that a certain celebrity is “doing a cleanse” it’s actually an old and enduring tradition. About 70 years after Thomson’s death, Arnold Ehret published the acclaimed Rational Fasting, with a similarly empowering do-it-yourself and clean-yourself-out message. 1939 brought Jethro Kloss’s Back to Eden – often regarded as a kind of bible of natural medicine – also focusing chiefly on the idea that disease comes from too much garbage in the body. Such philosophies have even older roots in Europe and Asia.
It’s an attractive idea to consider: maybe you can simply undo all your crappy eating habits. Maybe you don’t need supplements or surgery – you just need to get the evil out of you. Maybe you’re not lacking anything – you feel ill because of something bad that you’re carrying around or keep exposing yourself to. And maybe there’s some crossover with your religious upbringing – you need to repent for your sins and perhaps this is the way to do it. So, does it work?
As with many D-I-Y health trends, there’s a lot of hope that it’s going to fix everyone. But sometimes a cleanse is the right thing and sometimes it’s not; it can be difficult to discern. I’ve had patients report that all their symptoms – pain, insomnia, digestive upset, skin problems, fatigue, ADD, anxiety, depression, and more – disappeared when they did a cleanse. Most of the time, though, people say they aren’t sure if anything useful happened. And occasionally, they tell me they felt bad – achy, tired, foggy, depressed, etc. – which could be part of a healing process, or might just mean the cleanse wasn’t ideal for them.
From the perspective of Five Element philosophy, this would be the most appropriate time of year for a cleanse. We’re emerging from winter – the season of storage, rest, and inertia – and entering the “resurrection” of spring. (There’s a reason Easter was combined with pagan symbolism of spring – the “rebirth” we witness after the “death” of winter – flowers, eggs, chicks, bunnies, etc.) It’s a phase of new plans and rapid growth, and there’s a certain shedding that happens now. If you have cats and dogs, you’re well aware of what’s coming. We humans shed our bulky layers of clothing and extra “insulation.” Symbolically, it’s a good time to release an outdated image of yourself – to shed the limitations of your former life even – so that you can create yourself anew. Given these different expressions of shedding, a spring cleanse might take the form of a physical cleaning out, a psychological release, or a spiritual process (or all three).
We usually think of a cleanse as a deliberate expulsion of the unhealthy – an act of purging, scrubbing, or active detoxification – and it can be this, if necessary and appropriate. But more importantly, I believe it should entail a simplification and reduction of what you’re putting into the body (and mind). The body knows how to get rid of waste, but it may have a hard time doing so if it’s continually struggling to keep up with what you’re adding to it. So, as a general principle, aim to consume less and to reduce your consumption to things that will be gentle and easy to assimilate.
Unless you’re doing a more active detoxification or water fast, it’s enough to just supply your body with its nutritional needs in a simple, digestible format while cutting out anything that might be an irritant or harder to digest. The goal is to cause the body to expend a minimum of energy on digesting the food so that its resources can be dedicated to cleaning house.
During a cleanse, it’s also important to reduce your activity level. Again, the idea is to maximize the resources that are available for the cleansing process. The more intensive the cleanse, the greater the need to be really devoted to it. Besides doing less physically, it’s worthwhile to conserve mental energy. Likewise, while limiting physical consumption, it’s also advisable to limit mental consumption – take a break from news and other media so there’s less to digest on all levels.
Always stay well hydrated during a cleanse. Movement in the body occurs via liquid pathways, and the metabolism and excretion of toxins works better with sufficient water in you. Figure out how many pounds you weigh and divide that number in half. Then aim to drink that many ounces of water evenly over the course of each day. Ideally this water should be room temperature. You can drink more if you wish, but don’t have so much at once that you feel bloated or “sloshy” inside.
Next week I’ll discuss some specific kinds of cleanses and common simple diets for cleansing. Meanwhile, if you’re up for a cleanse, I recommend taking some time to ponder and write about what exactly you intend to release (physical and/or mental) and what will be liberated, revitalized, or birthed through the process. Set a clear intention. If you resonate with moon symbolism, you might consider beginning your cleanse with the new moon (the next one is April 5th).
Be well,
Peter
[1] Thomson, S. (1835). A narrative of the life and medical discoveries of Samuel Thomson: containing an account of his system of practice, and the manner of curing disease with vegetable medicine, upon a plan entirely new. Columbus, OH: Jarvis Pike.
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Unfortunately, the mainstream medical world is plagued by some very significant misunderstandings about human nutrition, and it barely recognizes the profound psychological factors involved in how we feed ourselves. It’s time for a revolution in nutrition … and luckily, it’s well on its way.
A few months ago, Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating asked me if I would be one of 50 thought leaders to be interviewed for an online conference called The Future of Nutrition. I am honored to be part of this – and in the company of some very impressive researchers. I strongly encourage you to check it out. It’s free.
Note: This is an old article and the recordings of this event are no longer available. However, all of what I discussed in my interview and much more can be found in my online course
How to Eat.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
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