Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food (Hippocrates)
It is well accepted by medical science that poor and unbalanced diet, sedentary lifestyle and a lack of exercise contribute to development of many health problems and illnesses. An increasing number of people are now coming to realize how modern lifestyle makes them unhealthy and limits their life potential. They also realize that there is much deeper relationship between their eating habits and health which basically means that their everyday dietary choices affect the way they feel, think and perform in in day-to-day activities; however, unhealthy diet is only one of the factors contributing to ill-health.
At some point everyone has probably heard a story of someone who cured themselves of a serious disease, often deemed by medical doctors incurable, just by changing their diet. Perhaps, what really cured them was not the new diet after all. The new eating plan turned out to be so effective simply because it gave the body a rare chance to cleanse itself of debris, waste products, undigested food and toxins stuck inside it for many years and finally repair the damaged tissues. In other words, when we get out of the way and stop harming our bodies with improper diet, smoking and alcohol excess, our bodies can activate an innate self- healing mechanism, so we can regain physical health and mental stability. A positive dietary change also supports strong immune system to neutralize toxins, reduce stress, fight diseases and protect us from harmful bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. Good doctors and healers have known for a very long time that since food nourishes and builds our bodies it also has potential to alter it.
Doctors recognize the fact that avoiding certain foods helps prevent many diseases, however, they tend to disregard the overall idea that food itself can be a safe and inexpensive way of staying healthy as well as can serve as a powerful medicine in the times of need. Conventional medicine has a very limited approach when it comes to treating diseases. Since it perceives the human organism as a sum of its parts, it tends to treat a diseased part chemically or surgically, completely in isolation to its remaining other components which is very often ineffective and has many side effects, generating more health challenges in the long run. Most medical doctors are interested in treating the affected part of the body and remain rather blind to what occurs in the whole body when a disease strikes.
Holistic medicine, on the other hand, highlights that the human body is a complex living system made of other complex living systems and all its parts create a unique ecosystem which functions not only on a physical but also on an emotional, mental, social and spiritual level. It stresses the fact that a disease is not restricted to a malfunctioning part of the body but most of all, it is a warning signal which indicates that there is something wrong with the whole organism, since all cells, tissues, organs and body systems are interconnected and constantly communicate with one another on multiple levels.
Scientists clearly state that our bodies are definitely more than a sum of their parts and that mysterious “more” is an electromagnetic field around them, often called ‘aura’ in ancient traditions. Experiments and studies carried out back in 1920s proved that all living things- plants, animals and humans possess this incredible energy field around them which shapes the form and condition of an organism they belong to. There is nothing mystical about this field. It can be measured by a voltmeter, photographed by Kirlian technique and perceived by aura readers. The energy field is constantly changing, depending on circumstances and our ongoing interactions with the environment. It can be affected by external factors such as food, light, physical trauma, cosmic rays or internal- emotions, thoughts, family patterns or spiritual crisis.
Food as one of the many aspects which can affect our energy field. But what is food? It is basically plants and animals that were once alive. From the holistic point of view food influences the organism not only on the physical but also energetic level. Traditional nutrition science recognizes only the chemical aspect of food and breaks it down into chemical substances such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals which are absorbed by the body during digestion.
However, plants and animals are not only physical matter as science proves but they also have an energy field around them which is retained to some extent after cutting or killing, depending on the preparation methods. Hence, we gain sustenance not only from the nutrients in food but also from plants and animals’ energy fields. The physical micro- and macronutrients feed our physical body and the life force in the form of energy fields present in our food influences and nourishes our own energy field.
It is well worth noting that food connects us to our environment and other living systems around us as plants and animals are living systems or wholes as well. Hence, our food should be wholesome which means as close to its natural form as possible to give maximal nourishment and health benefit. Sadly, before food arrives on our table is most of the time altered to a great extent. This is exactly why partial foods such as white flower, white rice, sugar, canned products, skim milk, meat and many more refined products are not considered wholesome as they have been fragmented and altered at the cellular as well as chemical level. Food processing techniques decrease not only the overall food’s nutritional value but also its vital energetic component and by doing so limit it health-promoting properties.
Various processes used in food handing, storage, preparation and preservation affect beneficial aspects of foodstuffs as well. For example, refrigerated foods have very low energy level since they were stored away from the natural energy fields and when consumed straight from the fridge they may cause sleepiness and sluggishness. Their their energetic value can be raised by heating them up or adding warming spices.
The latest and possibly less known process used to preserve food or should we say ‘immortalize’ it is irradiation which means treating food with ionizing radiation so it won’t ripen, sprout and spoil. At the moment there is no requirement for producers to label irradiated foods so we don’t even know whether
Fruit and vegetables which were overexposed to irradiation can pose a significant health risk for people, in particular to children and women of childbearing age. apart from that, nobody knows how this peculiar method of preserving foodstuffs affects our own energy and life force. Hence, obtaining your food supplies from reliable sources such as organic growers, farm shops or simply growing it your own garden may be a way forward to ensure good health and vibrant energy.
References:
Anne Marie Colbin: Food and healing