‘Medical professionals of today do not understand the vital roles of water in the human body: medications are palliatives. They are not designed to cure the degenerative diseases of the human body.’ (Dr.Batmanghelidj)
Dr. Batmanghelidj studied medicine at St Mary’s hospital, London University. He practiced in Iran until 1979 when along with many other innocent middle class Iranians he was dragged into prison to be shot during the violent revolution that overthrew the Shah.
Awaiting trial Dr Batman (as he is often referred) although a qualified Doctor was not allowed his kit bag of medication and pain killers. Many prisoners turned to him for help as they experienced various illnesses and discomforts. When a prisoner dying of acute stomach pain turned to him Dr.Batman prescribed 2 glasses of water every 2 hours and the prisoner became pain free after the 3rd hour and fully recovered.
‘I realised that my destiny as a healer had brought me to this ‘human stress laboratory’ to teach me a new approach to medicine and to reveal many other secrets about the body.’
‘During nearly 3 years of my captivity, I cured over 3000 ulcer cases with only water in Tehran’s Evin Prison…all thanks to water. Plain, simple, cost-free medicine for everyone. Water that we take for granted! Water that the medical profession has dismissed as unworthy of research!’
What a wonderful realisation for Dr.Batman. I am thankful he has helped to bring the importance of water to our consciousness.
Some things to consider:
With proper hydration the body and brain can feel and act as it was meant to…in total harmony!
Immediate Signs of Dehydration:
So how much do you drink?
A step we can all take immediately is to commit to drinking 2 litres of water a day. If you do not feel thirsty that is because your thirst signals have been turned off for so long your body no longer recognises when it is thirsty.
Give it 2 weeks of disciplined drinking you will probably urinate more to begin with, but you will eat less and feel more energetic. Depending on where you are at with your health it could be the missing link in your quest for ultimate health in 2008!
Fran’s Tip: Drink room temperature water or boiled water for quicker absorption. Cold and iced water means your body has to warm it up first!
You can do it!
Let me know how you get on I would love to hear.
In health love and 2008 Joy
Fran
Dr Batman’s book is truly enlightening and very easy to read see this excellent website for a link and more information on the true healing powers of water.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_mp6VLhqXY&rel=1]
Feel bloated after bread, pasta and other wheat products?
Most people eat wheat 3 times a day so as a Naturopathic practitioner and as a client it really deserves our attention.
The refining problem
The problem is not the wheat. In actual fact the wheat grain in its purest form is incredibly nutritious. The problem is more what we have done to the wheat grain in the refining process to make it last longer, taste lighter and appear purer!
Starts with the seed
Even before planting the wheat seeds fungicides and pesticides have been added to ensure pests are killed.
Chemicals in Storage
Did you know if there is one live insect per quart of sample of wheat fumigation is initiated? The goal of fumigation is to “maintain a toxic concentration of gas long enough to kill the target pest population.” The trouble is the toxic chemicals penetrate the wheat as well!
Too hot!
Much of the wheat is damp and is dried at temperatures too high denaturing it and robbing the grain of its nutritious value.
Milling and refining
Over the years wheat has become hybridised to meet the demand of the manufacturers, producers and the public. The heavy dense bread we were once ate hundreds of years ago has become a light, refined and chemical laden loaf.
The gluten load
Through hybridising the wheat the gluten content has increased dramatically causing celiac disease in many and celiac type symptoms in others. Gluten has also been linked to Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Autism, (Hadjivassoliou M. et al 2001). And in these cases where they ate gluten free diet these diseases dramatically improved. For more information and some great recipes see ‘Wheat Free, Worry Free’ by Danna Korn.
No longer a complex carbohydrate
Whole grains such as wheat (in its whole form) are complex carbohydrates whose job is to provide glucose, the energy fuel of the body. However, refined wheat (wheat as we know it today) is no longer a complex carbohydrate and is devoid of fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Diabetes Risk
Little digestion is needed for processed wheat such as white bread so it is absorbed very quickly. This means that glucose is floods our body and cells and if it is not expended as energy quickly we store it as fat! This hyperglycaemic state can lead to obesity, diabetes and low blood sugar.
Additional Nasties
Apart from anything else bread contains up to a teaspoon of salt per slice and sometimes sugar and other preservatives. You may see it has healthy vitamins and minerals on the ingredients. This is because all he naturally occurring nutrition has been destroyed and now the manufacturers have to add it back in!
Phew. No wonder our bodies feel bloated and tired after a big pasta meal or doorstep sandwich. Quite simply, our body does not recognise what we are feeding it.
But it’s everywhere! I hear you say.
It absolutely is. And I commend the wheat industry and contracts they have made with supermarkets to dominate the shelves with refined wheat products. But remember their agendas…they are not the same as ours.
On a very basic level I seek to feel energetic, clear minded, passionate and on the ball on a daily basis. There are many ways I can feel this and food is one fantastic way. Wheat is wonderful but not in its current form.
So what are the wheat alternatives?
In natural health you are your body’s expert. No one else can tell you to eat a certain super grain, only you know what you feel good on.
Experiment with Spelt (how we used to eat wheat), millet, rye, rice, maize, oats, quinoa and buckwheat. They all have very different flavours and most are wonderfully light compared to wheat. All are available in health food shops and most large supermarkets stock a good whole grain selection.
For a bread alternative try a large romaine lettuce leaf with all your favourite ingredients to keep you feeling light and energetic throughout the day.
For some wonderful alternative recipes and insights into why we should steer clear of wheat for optimal health see ‘Cooking Without’ by Barbara Cousins. http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Cooking+Without&Go.x=3&Go.y=10
Once you have your alternative recipe ideas in place I challenge you to take wheat out of your diet for 1 week. Notice how you feel on a physical and emotional level. I would love to hear how you get on.
In health
Fran
In essence Naturopathy (or natural health) is a system or philosophy of healthcare with a multi-disciplinary approach encouraging the body’s natural self-healing process.
It is distinguished from conventional healthcare as we know it in this country which is known as Allopathy or orthodox medicine.
6 Basic principles of a Naturopath;
Nature is the cure. The Naturopath believes that given the right conditions the body can heal itself.
Treat the cause not the effect. The presenting symptoms are usually not the problem. The Naturopath will seek to understand where the imbalance is and how to rebuild it.
Do no harm. Symptoms are often a sign of the body’s attempt to heal itself. The Naturopath therefore does not suppress the symptoms but gently supports and encourages the body to restore health.
Treat the whole person. The Naturopath works with you as a whole person instead of just a set of organs. We are trained to identify physical, mental and emotional factors that may cause the disease. For this reason every client is considered completely unique and treatments and recommendations will differ accordingly.
The Naturopath is also a teacher. The Naturopath to educates and empowers all of their clients to take responsibility for their own health. In this relationship between Naturopath and client healing can take place.
Prevention. Naturopaths are prevention specialists. The emphasis is on building health, not fighting illness.
As a Naturopathic practitioner I use a variety of diagnostic methods and treatment modalities to prevent ill-health wherever possible or to guide my clients back to optimal health and vitality. These include nutritional therapy, flower remedies, breathing techniques, hydrotherapy, life coaching and personal training.
Did you know that our current ‘medical model’ or allopathic approach to health all stems from one mans view?
This person was Louis Pasteur (1885) who created the ‘germ theory,’ the idea that germs are floating around in the air and will attack us if we do not protect ourselves with pharmaceutical substances.
Pasteur, like many of us, wanted to be successful and prove his theories about dangerous germs were the cause of all human disease. Unfortunately he had an intelligent opposition named Antoine Beauchamp who completely rejected Pasteur’s ideas and put forward that the biological terrain of the being is the cause of disease, not the germ itself. Beauchamp believed that germs and parasites will only survive in acidic and unfavourable conditions and therefore mere exposure to germs is not enough to get sick.
Beauchamp believed,
“The primary cause of disease is in us, always in us.”
Antoine Beauchamp, 1883
As is often the case one man had a lot more support than the other at this time and this man was Louis Pasteur. His theory seemed to fit, people didn’t need to take responsibility for their own health any longer and the solution seemed easy enough to rectify, plus it would improve the economics of the country and provide thousands with new careers in the manufacturing, marketing, production and promotion of pharmaceuticals.
Have you ever wondered why only a few people get a cold after coming in contact with someone that already has one?
If Pasteur’s theory was right surely we would all ‘catch’ a cold with no exception?
See a fantastic cartoon created by Dr. Mercola around this idea.
http://www.mercola.com/townofallopath/index.htm
On his death bed Pasteur is in fact reported to have admitted that Beauchamp’s theory was right and that all disease starts with the condition of the body.
For those of you that are interested there is much more information about the history of medicine and recommended books at
http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/terrain/lost_history_of_medicine.htm
So this is not a way to blame one person for the state of our current thoughts on health, however once we open our eyes to the bigger picture we see there were perhaps more important agendas than our country’s health at the time these two scientists came head to head.
I fully support Beauchamp’s theory and believe entirely that our body’s internal environment will ultimately determine our health…no matter whom or what we are exposed to.
Stay tuned for a link on ways we can change our internal environment to maximise our chances at a full and energetic life. A great book for concepts on inner terrain for you and your family is ‘Sick and Tired’ by Dr Young.
http://www.amazon.com/Sick-Tired-Reclaim-Inner-Terrain/dp/1580540562
May this post challenge, inspire and excite you.
I look forward to reading your comments
In health
Fran