The Power Of Eastern Medicine

Do you often wonder if Western medicine is the answer for you or if it’s the right fit for you? Do you inquire about other ways to heal yourself, for example, through Traditional Chinese Medicine or Ayurveda? There is so much to consider when looking for ways to improve your health. The path you choose to explore will most likely be unique and may involve a combination of Eastern and Western approaches. There are a variety of therapeutic modalities that focus on bodywork, such as energy channeling, physical therapy, cupping or reflexology. All of which I have tried throughout my health journey. Maybe it’s something you’d like to explore!

I have taken so many great courses during my professional career; each one better than the next but there were so many great takeaways from Ayurveda nutrition. I should begin by telling you a piece of my story so you can understand why this course was so important to me. When I was 29 years old, I knew there was something very wrong with my body. I was experiencing severe joint pain, stiffness in my lower back, stiffness in my shoulders and my hips. I went to several doctors and not one of them knew what was happening. They would only commit to saying that I had a connective tissue disease. But that was it? At this point, I try just about everything from pain management specialists, neurologists, rheumatologists, physical therapy, chiropractors and one day I decided I was just about done with doctors. I was going to take control and get my life back! I went to an acupuncturist and he told me to take all flour and dairy out of my diet. My body started to respond to small changes that I was making with my food choices. It made me want to make more changes. Slowly, I became my own advocate and quickly realized certain foods were my poison. I overhauled my entire diet. I began seeing a holistic nutritionist to further enhance my knowledge and together we came up with a food plan, similar to Ayurvedic food combining, to maximize my health journey. It wasn't until years later that I was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid/psoriatic arthritis and celiac disease. My personal health challenges brought me here today wanting to raise awareness, offer strength base support, and help others see that food can be poison or it can be medicine. I began on this path because Western medicine was not the answer for me. It was diet and lifestyle.

While learning about the Ayurvedic disease process, this grabbed my eye the most. It was most relevant to what was happening in my body. During this course, they talked about how western medicine can only detect disease in a laboratory test before it can be diagnosed. This especially hit home for me. When nothing was showing up, doctors looked at me like I was crazy. But I knew there was something going on. Unfortunately, it didn't present itself right away. The Ayurveda disease process makes perfect sense to me. The six stages of this disease process represented my health journey and showed me the points in which the disease moves beyond the point of prevention. If only I could have prevented that with all this knowledge. Accumulation, when one dosha begins to build up and its home (within the body), we enter the first disease state. The second state of the disease process is aggravation. This occurs when the dosha starts to move outside of the tissue of origin. By nature, I believe I am a Kapha and at this stage, Kapha governs the area of bone in the body. I persistently explained to my doctors that my problems felt very deep in my bones. But still they had no answers for me. The third stage of the disease process is dissemination. In this state people complain of mild depression and feeling “off”. I began to feel depressed because no one wanted to help me and I couldn't figure out why I was feeling so terrible. I began to feel very sad about my health condition and how it was regressing. It seems like my condition should have been screaming at the doctors. The fourth stage is localization. The dosha settles into foreign tissue to further localized. At this point in my life, I had one doctor tell me not to worry. Something will eventually present itself. I honestly didn't want it to present itself. I wanted to stop it dead in its tracks and prevent it from even coming out. I believe at this point, I saw an acupuncturist. However it was too late. Stage five, manifestation, the stage where the disease progress is pathological and can be detected in a lab test, had finally presented itself. The inflammation in my body was so great, it showed up in my blood work. Right away the doctor said, “we need to start you on methotrexate, which is a form of chemotherapy, to reduce the inflammation and prevent other organs from being attacked.” The last stage, call disruption, the disease cannot be cleared out of the body. The disease is firmly manifested in the tissues and is beyond preventative care. For me, the methotrexate did not work and they had to add another drug to enhance the first drug to work better. This was exactly what I didn't want to happen and yet my worst nightmare became my reality. This part of the course was a key take away for me. It finally gave me clarity as to how I got to this point in my life. If only the imbalance was found sooner, I may not be where I am today.

Throughout my training and through experience, food combining was a great way to reduce inflammation in the body, which I greatly needed at this point in my journey. There is so much power in the idea of food combining. The way we eat foods definitely impacts the way our body digest them. Learning about Ayurveda or “science of life”, an ancient healing system that supports health through balancing energies, was so powerful. Foods, seasons, activities, and times of the day all have different energies. When energy is balanced, it supports health but an imbalance of energy could lead to illnesses. Ayurveda food combining is rooted in supporting this balance. According to Ayurveda, “when diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.” So when talking about this form of nourishment, a correct diet refers to one that helps balance a persons condition through the types of foods eaten, the way it's prepared, and how it's combined. Specific combinations of food are said to have negative affect on Agni, or digestive fire, which leads to poor digestion and it may leave the body open to disease and/or disorders. There are foods that have a more positive effect on Agni which boosts health and well-being.

Food combining is the idea that how we pair our foods play a major role in our health. But how does the way we combine foods affect our health? That is exactly what I’d like for us to explore together. Eating a variety of foods can be great, but a combination of foods can be even more powerful. Keep in mind, foods should be paired mindfully to best support digestive health, reduce inflammation, and even boost your energy level, helping your overall wellness.

When it comes to food combining, we are beginning to have an understanding that some combinations actually enhance nutrient bioavailability. In other words, eating certain foods together boosts the nutritional value of the individual foods. We call this nutrient synergy. Certain foods work together synergistically to enhance their combined nutritional benefits. Synergistic interactions are believed to stem from compounds known as phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are found in plant-based foods. These naturally occurring compounds suggest they play a huge role in reducing inflammation, boosting immunity, slows the spread of tumor cells and protects you from chronic diseases. Phytochemicals work together with vitamins and minerals to synergistically boost their combined health benefits. For example, turmeric and black pepper. Turmeric contains a powerful phytochemical called curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Black pepper contains piperine, shown to have anti-cancer effects. Both healthful on their own, but together, curcumin’s bioavailability improves 2,000%.

This practice is extremely powerful and has helped me begin to heal myself. I have taken this knowledge and implemented it into my lifestyle, beginning with the one simple idea chew your food until it becomes liquid before swallowing for easier digestion. It all begins in the gut. If we don't take care of the gut, we shift our immune system, where a chronic disease begins.

Now, let’s remember. You are unique and your bio-individuality plays a big role here. This is strictly informational and only meant to make you aware of food pairing and how different foods either work together to increase their nutritional value or work against each other. Feel free to explore these suggestions and see if these useful tips support your gut health, maintain a healthy weight for you, reduce inflammation in your body and/or encourage you to keep a mindfulness diet.