Nutrition
A whole-body approach to musculoskeletal pain and inflammation has to consider diet and the environment.
The Intestinal Wall -
A healthy gut is an important protective barrier against disease and
other environmental factors. Molecules need to cross the walls of the
intestines only in the right size and shape, and broken down to the
right form to be recognized by enzymes, immune system cells, etc.
Proper gut function requires that the mucous membrane lining the gut
along with its population of beneficial micro-organisms is kept in good
health.
The Liver - The second great filter in our body
is the liver. While the intestinal wall filters the flow of nutrients
into the bloodstream, the liver filters the bloodstream itself.
Primarily responsible for cleaning up the waste products of metabolism,
it also supplies various substances necessary for bodily functions
(bile, cholesterol, triglycerides, coagulation factors), and plays a
number of important roles in metabolism.
Poor Diet and Toxins - Processed
foods, refined foods, foods high in fats and sugars, alcohol, coffee,
drugs and medications interfere with digestive processes and contribute
to breakdown of the gut’s mucous membrane. In this environment the
digestion of critical nutrients is altered. The population of
protective organisms is depressed and viruses, bacteria, fungi and
other opportunistic micro-organisms take over the mucous walls of the
gut so that it no longer functions correctly. Poor diet and toxins also
affect the liver, both by compromising its health and by creating an
overload of toxins for it to process. The result of this break down in
the body’s filters is that many toxins are not eliminated and wind up
stored in tissues, notably in fat cells and in the brain. In addition,
molecules which should not be roaming the bloodstream stir up the
immune system. Consequently the body develops a chronic background
state of inflammation which can express as joint pain, asthma, inflamed
gums, inflamed membranes in the trachea and throat (possibly causing
sleep apnea), or pain from other abnormalities in mucous membranes.
Genetic Tendencies -
Many illnesses that are pegged to genetic factors do not have to
express themselves in us, but opportunistically express by exploiting
the weak links in our constitution. There is a growing awareness that
shoring up one’s system by returning to whole, unprocessed foods, by
following a balanced diet, and where necessary by following a
detoxification diet, can do much to countervail genetic tendencies
towards heart disease, Chrone’s disease, diabetes, etc.
Diet and Wellness -
This model of wellness and disease requires a paradigm shift in how we
see ourselves: we are a continuum of flux with our inner and outer
environment. “We are what we eat”, or to use a quote from the ancients,
“Let food be your medicine, and let medicine be your food”. This truth
is becoming more widely appreciated today. There is no question that we
can now address many low quality of life issues by attending to our
diet, by tending our inner soil.
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