I want to explain the Functional Medicine or naturopathic approach to health before we go on to explore health and dietary issues together in further articles.
Seeking the root cause
All Functional Medicine practitioners view your whole person rather than just your symptoms. In other words, we work personally and holistically. Every Functional Medicine practitioner practises root-cause resolution and seeks to understand when and why your ill health arose. We treat most effectively if we can understand and address this.
Addressing the emotional aspect
If your heart issues started immediately after your mother passed away, treating only the physical symptoms without addressing the underlying emotional cause will not restore you to good health. So we view your symptoms as information, not as that which needs treating, but just one piece of the jigsaw puzzle called YOU.
Toxicity over time
Imagine your body as a barrel for a moment. We are born with the toxic load from our parents, above all our mother, from whom we receive 80% of our blueprint health-wise. We receive our mother’s toxins in the womb and then in her milk during breastfeeding. We then face toxins in our environment from chemicals in the air, food, water, and so on.
If we are born with different levels of toxins it makes sense that we have varying degrees of health from infancy on. Our environment then plays a major part. If our parents feed us a healthy diet, we will enjoy better health than a child who is fed a high-sugar diet and processed foods. We also each have our own unique susceptibilities. Often these run in families.
If your mother had diabetes and your father arthritis, you may inherit these. However, you may not. This is where epigenetics comes in. You might have the genetic switches for diabetes and arthritis, but if you take care of your diet and avoid consuming that which turns these genetic switch on, you’ll be able to avoid developing your inherited susceptibilities.
Reaching the limit
We also each have a personal limit. There is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back, a point at which the burden on your body is too great for your immune system. This is when ill health begins. Your body signals to you through symptoms that something is wrong and needs attention. If you don’t listen, then the symptoms are likely to worsen and lead to a more serious condition. You turn on those inherited switches through neglecting your inner environment or epigenetics.
Solving the puzzle
Functional medicine takes your symptoms one by one and begins to piece together your personal jigsaw, the history of your health starting pre-conception. You are a unique puzzle that requires individual treatment. Just like snowflakes, no two of us can ever be the same. We are exquisitely, beautifully individual and need an individualised approach to our personal healing journey.
