Restoring health
Dr. Holly Carling | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years, 10 months AGO
Being healthy means being energetic, alive and having a sparkle in our eyes. It is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, but a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing. When we think of restoring health, we have to think back to what we used to feel like. Then, want it so bad that we'll do whatever it takes to be well. But there is an order to things.
First of all, handling digestive health is a must. That sounds odd to most people, however, health practitioners agree that unless and until the digestive system is functioning properly, you will always be chasing tails to get well. This is because if you are unable to utilize the nutrients in your foods or supplements, the organs being fed, well, aren't. Every organ in your body needs nutrients (especially minerals) in order to function. All tissues in the body breakdown daily and rebuild themselves daily - a few hundred thousand cells per organ per day ongoingly throughout your life. If they don't have the raw materials daily with which to rebuild, degeneration (defined as something which breaks down faster than it rebuilds) occurs. Healthy digestion is the first target.
A healthy eliminative system is also crucial. If the body is overloaded with trying to deal with deteriorated cells and other metabolic wastes, health is hampered. When overloaded, this overloads the immune system as well. Most people think their immune system is OK if they rarely get sick. The immune system takes on the load of other systems that are not functioning well, and illness isn't always a great indicator of its ability to handle everything it has to do effectively.
The endocrine system, the system responsible for all hormonal functions, must be balanced. If you are fatigued, are carrying around excess weight, have blood sugar problems such as hypoglycemia or diabetes, or have male or female hormone issues, your endocrine system is out of whack. The endocrine system is the director of all organ function in the body, and because of its incredible interdependence of one gland to another, if even one gland is stressed, the whole system tries to compensate, creating a whole range of illnesses.
Don't neglect other systems such as the cardiovascular, nervous system or musculo-skeletal systems, because they too are equally important. In fact, there is not a single organ in the body that isn't a part of this highly refined, incredible system we call the human body!
To be healthy we must restore function, bring balance and eliminate physiological stressors. There is much we can do to take the burden off the body, and supply the nutrients necessary for the body to call on its innate ability to heal itself.
Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with more than 32 years of experience. Dr. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d'Alene clinic. Visit Dr. Carling's website at www.vitalhealthandfitness.com to learn more about Dr. Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Dr. Carling can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.
• This is a paid advertisement.
MORE IMPORTED STORIES
ARTICLES BY DR. HOLLY CARLING
Alternative treatment for Lupus
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (aka: Lupus or SLE), is an autoimmune disease that effects the body as a whole. It is a connective tissue/inflammatory disorder that can harm multiple systems such as the joints, muscles, digestion, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, skin, blood vessels, and nervous system. It is a condition of hyper-reactivity to something by the immune system and is typically treated by conventional medical doctors by suppressing immune function. This may cause it to go into "remission," where symptoms are not so pervasive, however, it does not address why the immune system is responding that way.
Are you weary or cheery?
Most people today answer weary more than cheery. Fatigue, brain fog, lack of mental clarity, depression, weight gain, and other complaints far outweigh cheeriness, happiness, confidence, and a general satisfaction with life.
Do you have thyroid problems?
I am often asked what the symptoms are for thyroid disease. There are many. It is important to note that any of the symptoms we will discuss here can apply to more than one condition. Fatigue, for instance can mean anything from thyroid or adrenal deficiency to infection, cardiovascular disease, blood sugar instability, insomnia, immune disorder and probably no less than 1000 other conditions! So it is important to look at the symptoms as a whole - the more of these symptoms you possess, the more likely it is that you have the condition. But that, in of itself, is not a diagnosis. It is imperative that the proper testing be done. Having said that, it is estimated that based on today's common testing, that more than 13 million people are running around with undiagnosed hypothyroidism - and that was a finding in February 2000. It is estimated to be significantly higher than that now.