Homeopathy & Nutrition
Homeopathy
Homoeopathy is essentially a therapy which assists the natural ability of the body to heal itself. Effective and scientific, it is a holistic therapy, treating the individual as a whole as opposed to the disease.
For example, we could look at a case of migraine. The orthodox route would be to use powerful pain killers, which may mask the pain but will not cure the patient’s susceptibility to actually suffering them in the long term. Homoeopathy takes a different approach. Homoeopathy actually means “similar suffering”; we would give the patient a minute dose of a substance which in larger doses might cause migraine-like symptoms in a healthy person, for example coffee, which can reduce the symptoms dramatically in an acute migraine attack.
For longer term treatment, we would look to give what we call a “constitutional” remedy. This means that you will be given a remedy that, in its therapeutic action, matches the personality of the patient as closely as possible. For example, if you have a child that is gentle and quite clingy but generally sweet natured, although prone to ear infections, he or she may need a few doses of Pulsatilla to help clear the infection and aid the removal of the susceptibility to the infections. Alternatively, if your child is somewhat fearful and quiet, has a taste for indigestible things (paper, chalk etc.) and has a tendency to asthma and/or eczma, then it may be that Calc carb could be the answer.
Length of treatment can vary, often depending on how long the patient has been suffering. It is fair to say that a long term complaint is unlikely to disappear immediately, although some improvement may be experienced quite soon after taking the remedy.
Nutritional Therapy
Nutritional Therapy is a holistic therapy which addresses disorders on all levels – mental/emotional and physical.
Nutrition is geared to the individual – important because no two people utilise nutrients in exactly the same way. What is nutritious for one may cause ill health to another – and it will show in your skin, your eyes, your hair and your general vitality.
We all react to foods in a difference way; biochemically we will all use nutrients essentially differently. This is termed bio-individuality.This is one of the reasons why blanket regimes and diets don’t work for everyone. Furthermore, those foods deemed ‘across the board’ good for you, may actually be contributing to your condition. For example:
- Fruit – could be feeding a yeast overgrowth
- Vegetables – some vegetables could be contributing to a stomach disorder or inflammatory condition
- Water – too much or at inappropriate times, could be contributing to indigestion or skin problems
- Dairy – may worsen inflammatory disorders
- Wheat – can be a common culprit in intolerances
- Polyunsaturated fats – toxic if heated beyond a certain temperature
Conversely, some things that are considered bad for us can be beneficial – in moderation!
- Alcohol – a glass of wine a day (particularly red) contains anti-oxidants which fight free radicals (NB I would not recommend more than one glass per day)
- Caffeine – can aid concentration (again, restricted to the equivalent of one coffee per day)
- Fat – the “good fats” found in avocados, nuts, seeds, cold water fish are excellent for mood, energy and cholesterol levels. They are also anti-inflammatory and helpful in balancing hormones. They may even aid weight loss.
- Chocolate – research now suggests that chocolate high in cocoa (more than 70%) may have anti-oxidant properties.
These lists are by no means exhaustive – and it is a matter of balance – but I hope it demonstrates that the important thing is that you find out what is right for you, the individual, before embarking on a regime that could compound any problems you may have.
To this end, there are several tests that may be carried out to determine any possible underlying causes for a particular complaint.