What is Naturopathy? Seven Core Beliefs

What is Naturopathy? Seven Core Beliefs

Naturopathy is a philosophy of disease and healing built up as a result of many years of client investigation and research into the nature and cause of disease.

It is based upon a conception that realizes that disease is something which arises in the system solely as a result of the body’s attempts to rid itself of obstacles to its proper functioning. Disease is regarded, therefore, as being something directly connected with the life and habits of the individual concerned. It is the direct outcome of these same ways and habits of living, and not something apart from, or foreign to them.

The power to prevent and reverse disease is taken to reside always and only within the body and spirit of the client and will manifest itself as soon as the practices which have hampered its activity in the past and obscured its presence have been rectified. In other words, the body and soul of the client possesses the power to heal itself once the obstacles to health have been removed.

Seven Core Beliefs of Naturopathy

As a naturopathic center and online source of information on naturopathic medicine, there are seven core beliefs that guide our recommendations:

Core Belief #1: Do No Harm

The first core belief is to do no harm. As naturopathic practitioners, we are concerned with the health and healing of our guests first and foremost. Therefore, we must not and we do not base our decisions or implement therapies that lead to a deterioration of health or weaken the body’s ability to heal itself over time. Furthermore, we will not employ a therapy that brings about short-term symptom suppression at the expense of long-term health and healing. Our job is to remove the obstacles to health and support the body so that it is in tune with nature’s laws. This brings us to our second belief, and that is the healing power of nature or Vis medicatrix naturae.

Core Belief #2: Believe in the healing power of nature

This is a profound belief that the body possesses the ability to heal itself if given the proper opportunity. The body is believed to have an innate intelligence that is always striving for health. It maintains that the morbific agent, such as bacteria does not directly cause the symptoms accompanying disease, but rather, that the symptoms are the result of the body’s intrinsic response or reaction to the agent and the body’s attempt to defend and heal itself. Symptoms, then, are part of a constructive phenomenon that is the best choice the body can make given the circumstances. In this construct, the role of the doctor is to aid the body in its efforts, not to take over the functions of the body. To do this, one must identify and address the causes of the diseased state, which brings us to our third core belief.

Core Belief #3: Identify and address the cause

Fundamental to our philosophy is that if we identify and adequately address the root causes of disease or dysfunction, thereby allowing the body to heal, the body will do so. To do this, we use several assessment techniques that allow us to determine which systems within the body are working properly and which ones indicate signs of dysfunction. Oftentimes, a breakdown in one particular system in the body can manifest as different clinical responses in different people. Therefore, we are not so much concerned with the name or label placed on a diseased state, as we are with the underlying root causes the labeled disease connotes. Once we determine and begin to address these root causes, our job is to teach the client on how to cleanse the body of toxins, rebuild the body using food and therapy and maintain health once all the systems in the body are working optimally. This is the fourth principle – the doctor as a teacher.

Core Belief #4: See the doctor as a teacher

The word ‘doctor’ is derived from the Latin word Docere, which means “teacher”. We believe therefore, that a fundamental aspect of our job, indeed the most important aspect, is to educate our clients about the natural laws governing health and how they can obtain and maintain a state of optimal wellness. We teach our guests how and what to eat for their particular condition, instruct them in the use of various forms of hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, relaxation and emotional release, among others, so that they can take control of there health care by taking a proactive role in it. We do NOT want our guests to be dependent on us for care; we want them to know what they must do and we motivate them to take the steps necessary to obtain and maintain their health. This brings us to the fifth belief and that is that we must address the whole person.

Core Belief #5: Address the whole person – body, mind and spirit

It is becoming a familiar concept that our physical health is dependent on our mental, emotional or spiritual state of being. There is no refuting the fact that if we are emotionally upset for instance, our physical health suffers. Likewise, it is well documented that a high degree of stress over time leads to a deterioration of health. As we are trying to locate ALL the underlying root causes of dysfunction, we must address not only the physical factors, but also the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects that are affecting our client’s health. Truly optimal health can only be achieved if we heal each of these aspects AND have balance between them. Therefore, we address each of these aspects from the first day a client walks through our doors and we incorporate different therapies to address these areas as the client progresses toward greater health and wellbeing.

Core Belief #6: Use first the therapy that requires the least force

The sixth core belief is that we begin with the therapy that uses the least amount of force for the greatest benefit. Health is a process of gradual cleansing, rebuilding and repairing the body. We cannot circumvent this process in the long run by using heroic methods of healing when they are not called for. We always start with the simplest and least invasive approach and use more complex and detailed approaches only when necessary. The simplest form of therapy is prevention, and this is the seventh and final fundamental belief in naturopathy.

Core Belief #7: Practice prevention first and work towards that as the end goal

If we can help our guests from becoming ill and manifesting disease in the first place, we have done our job adequately. Prevention is the perfect embodiment of the first six core beliefs – we do no harm if our guests maintain vibrant health. The body, through its innate intelligence, does what it needs to in order to thrive in and adapt to the wide range of environments and stresses placed upon it. As we have taught our guests what they need to obtain and maintain optimal health, they know what the core things are they need to do and they have the knowledge and the tools to follow through and experience the benefits of following nature’s laws. This includes addressing all aspects in their lives – body, mind and spirit – and they can address these areas with the least amount of discomfort and the greatest reward.

At Natural Solutions for a Healthy You, our job is to promote health and well being through the scientific application of natural healing methods with the ultimate goal of optimal health through education and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.

Prevention is the end goal, and one that we can help our guests achieve for themselves and their loved ones.

Alternative Therapy for Migraines

Alternative Therapy for Migraines

Anybody that has experienced a migraine knows first-hand how devastatingly painful they can be. During a migraine headache, blood vessels in the head go through a cycle of extreme constriction followed by rapid dilation. This process is thought to be due to nerve pathway changes that cause inflammation in the blood vessels. The end result is the extreme pain, visual disturbances, fatigue, confusion, sensitivity (to light, sound and/or odors), tenderness and other symptoms of a migraine headache.

Researchers and scientists have searched for years to determine what causes these changes to occur in the nerve pathways to create such a viscous cycle. Many common triggers have been identified, including environmental changes (e.g., weather, altitude, and time zone changes), interrupted sleep patterns, hunger, fasting and/or long periods without food, alcohol (especially red wine and beer), food additives (e.g., monosodium glutamate (MSG), nitrates), hormonal changes in women (i.e., menses, birth control, HRT) and stress, amongst others.

Interestingly, a common thread uniting these triggers has been identified, and that common thread is an alteration of key brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. Fluctuations or imbalances in several important neurotransmitters – including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine – are known to cause many health conditions, including migraine headaches. This breakthrough in brain chemistry may hold the key for migraine sufferers to not only reduce, but eliminate their migraine headaches using an extremely effective alternative therapy for migraines.

Neurotransmitters 101

Neurotransmitters are a class of chemical messengers in the body that help regulate, either directly or indirectly, most of the other systems and functions in the body. You may have heard of one or more of the more common neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine (also known as adrenaline).

Whether you realize it or not, anyone taking a triptan medication (like those shown below) for the treatment of migraines is also taking a medication that acts to alter neurotransmission.

Triptan Medications

Generic name Trade Names
Sumatriptan Imitrex, Imigran, Migriptan
Rizatriptan Maxalt
Naratriptan Amerge, Naramig
Zolmitriptan Zomig
Eletriptan Relpax
Almotriptan Axert, Almogran
Frovatriptan Frova, Migard, Frovamig

 

Triptans work by mimicking serotonin in the blood vessels of the brain (causing their constriction) and subsequently inhibit the inflammation that can cause or exacerbate a migraine. For most people suffering from migraines, these medications are the only way they can find any relief. Unfortunately, that relief is short-lived, because although these medications can mimic serotonin, they don’t do anything to help the body make or rebalance a person’s neurotransmitter levels over time. In other words, what triptan medications don’t do is address the cause of the problem.

Alternative Therapy for Migraines

Since neurotransmitter imbalance is the underlying cause of most migraine headaches, a common sense approach would be to (a) determine a person’s neurotransmitter imbalance(s) and (b) correct them. We have used this alternative therapy for migraines with thousands of people with an 85% success rate (i.e., elimination of migraine headaches). It is a remarkably successful approach because it gets to the root cause, which is neurotransmitter dysfunction.

Test, Don’t Guess

The chances of a person determining the correct combination and dose of amino acids they need to optimize neurotransmitter function are extremely low (i.e., approaching zero). Luckily, you don’t have to guess; clinician’s trained in the proper use of amino acid therapy have several specialized tests at their disposal to help them determine the exact combination of nutrients each individual needs to achieve optimal neurotransmitter function.

For some, the process can lead to the complete elimination of migraine headaches within days to weeks; others may take a few months to achieve the balance necessary to eliminate their migraines. No matter how long it takes, achieving proper neurotransmitter function through targeted amino acid therapy is the only known way to provide a long-term solution to migraine headaches.

To learn more about amino acid therapy or to find a practitioner near you visit:

www.naturalsolutionsformigraines.com

www.amino-acid-therapy.com

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Dietary Solutions for Migraines

Dietary Solutions for Migraines

There are many common triggers for migraines, with diet playing a major role for many people that suffer from migraine headaches. Some of the most common foods that can trigger a migraine are:

  • Chocolate
  • Citrus fruits
  • Alcohol (especially red wine or beer)
  • Meats preserved with nitrates (ham, bologna, luncheon meats, etc.)
  • Pizza
  • Aged cheese
  • Caffeine (especially while cutting back or eliminating), including coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, over-the-counter and prescription medications that contain caffeine (consult with your physician before changing or discontinuing any medications)
  • Nuts
  • Fermented, pickled, cured or marinated foods
  • Foods prepared with monosodium glutamate (MSG)
  • Foods high in tyramine, including aged meats, avocados, bananas, beer, cabbage, canned fish, dairy products, eggplant, hard cheeses, potatoes, raspberries, red plums, tomatoes, wine, and yeast

This is a long (and by no means all-inclusive) list of foods for a person to try and avoid. However, keeping a food journal and completing food hypersensitivity testing can help each person determine their exact triggers to make avoidance more manageable.

In addition to avoiding foods that can trigger a migraine, there are a number of foods that can help improve the production of key neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine. Eating these foods daily can help maintain proper neurotransmitter function.

The pesticides, herbicides and insecticides used on many foods can also disrupt proper neurotransmitter function. Buying these foods organically or substituting them with foods that are lower in chemical exposure can be a great help. To learn more about dietary solutions for migraines, click here.