1. History & Philosophy of Naturopathic Medicine Flashcards
Definition of naturopathy
System of healthcare which encourages and promotes the body’s own self-healing mechanisms
What are the 5 naturopathic principles?
- The healing power of nature
- Treat/support the cause, not the symptom
- Treat/support the whole person
- Prevention is preferable to a cure
- Education
Explain what is meant by the ‘healing power of nature’
The body can heal itself given the right conditions and treatment
How can good health be stimulated?
Fresh air Sun Clean water Healthy diet Fasting Detoxification
The question is not what the disease is but…
- Why is it there?
- Where did it come from?
- What is the cause?
What are the principles behind ‘treat/support the whole person’?
Recognising individuality
Take into account the whole person - physical, mental, genetic, environmental, social factors
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach
What is the principle behind ‘prevention is preferable to a cure’?
Most diseases linked to diet, lifestyle and environment so important to address these in order to prevent disease
What is behind the principle ‘education’?
Educating patients to have a better understanding of their health
How to attain health
How to maintain health
How to avoid creating an environment where disease can result
Empower them to take responsibility for their own health
What is health?
The best possible physical, mental and emotional state
What is a naturopathic nutritionist?
Follows the naturopathic principles knowing that every person is an individual that requires a personalised nutritional approach to health
What does a naturopathic nutritionist focus on?
Understanding the cause of a patient’s symptoms
The constitution of the patient using TCM, Ayurveda, Homeopathy
Using whole/organic food as medicine
Detoxification
What is a nutrient?
A substance which provides nourishment
What is nutrition?
Providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth
What is nourishment?
Food or other substances needed for growth, health and good condition
What is food?
Any nutritious substance that people eat or drink in order to maintain life and growth
What is whole food?
Food that hasn’t been processed or refined
Free from additives or artificial substances
What is organic food?
Food free from fertilisers, pesticides, GMOs, growth hormones and irradiation
What are superfoods?
Highly nutritious foods containing all, or nearly all, the vitamins, minerals and trace elements a body needs
Examples of superfoods
Sprouts
Wheatgrass
Algae
Bee pollen
Why should superfoods not be consumed on their own?
They don’t work in isolation
What is junk food?
Substances which aren’t natural
Have been altered
Not suitable to maintain health and growth
Why is junk food detrimental to health and growth?
They hinder cell communication
Is microwaved food junk food?
Yes
What was Hippocrates renowned for saying?
Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food
What was Hippocrates’ philosophy?
Food is the primary source of medicine, health and healing
Use food first, then herbs, then intervention
What do Ayurvedic Medicine, Chinese Medicine and Ancient Greek Medicine all have in common?
All seek to harmonise the health of an individual with nature
What was Sebastian Kniepp renowned for?
Hydrotherapy
What is hydrotherapy?
Use of water as a healing agent
What is involved in hydrotherapy?
Cold water - decreases circulation and numbs the area
Hot water - relaxes muscles and increases circulation
(stimulates blood flow, increasing O2 and nutritional supply to cells)
Examples of hydrotherapy
Compresses
Foot baths
Steam baths
Saunas
What is water treading?
Alternating hot and cold water treatment
What are the effects of water treading?
Strengthens immune system Promotes circulation Lowers blood pressure Relieves headaches Promotes parasympathetic activity Enhances sleep
What was Dr Max Bircher-Benner renowned for?
Raw food diet with emphasis on fruit to maintain nutrient profile in food
Bircher muesli
What was Bircher-Benner’s philosophy?
Good gut health is necessary for proper growth of cells and tissues
What was Dr John Harvey Kellogg’s philosophy?
90% of diseases are due to improper functioning of the bowel
What was Dr John Harvey Kellogg renowned for?
Importance of the intestinal microflora
Shredded wheat and granola biscuits
What was Henry Lindlahr’s philosophy?
The accumulation of morbid matter [toxins] is the primary cause of disease
What was Henry Lindlahr renowned for?
Term Nature-Cure - defined his approach to recovery
Healing Crisis - get worse before you get better
What was Dr Max Gerson’s philosophy?
Toxicity and deficiency are the two planks underpinning health
What was Dr Max Gerson renowned for?
Alkalising the body with fresh organic vegetable juices
Detoxifying with coffee enemas
Gerson therapy for cancer patients
What was James C Thomson renowned for?
Advocating fibre to keep gut clear
unrefined grains, raw fruit/veg
What was Dr Bernard Jensen renowned for?
Bowel-cleansing as the most important aspect in maintaining health
Chlorophyll enemas and colonics
Sensations in a certain part of the bowel corresponding with condition elsewhere in body
What was Dr Bernard Jensen’s philosophy?
Every tissue is fed by the blood which is supplied by the bowel
What was Louis Pasteur renowned for?
Germ theory of disease
Pasteurisation
What is Pasteur’s Germ Theory of Disease?
Disease occurs from outside the body - bacteria, viruses, fungi
What was Antoine Bechamp’s philosophy?
Disease occurs from within the body due to an acidic, low-oxygenated terrain
Bacteria and viruses are the after-effects, rather than the cause of disease
What did Bircher-Brenner, Kellogg, Thomson and Jensen have in common?
All advocated the importance of gut health
Definition of allopathy
Uses drugs/chemicals to treat the symptoms
Views symptoms as the disease
What does treating a symptom do?
Suppresses a symptom/disease
Drives the disease deeper into the body
Definition of homeopathy
Cures Like with Like
Treats the whole person
Views symptoms as an expression of a disease - not the disease itself
What ‘law’ did Samuel Hahnemann formulate?
The Law of Similars (Like with Like)
How did Samuel Hahnemann discover Like with Like?
Took China [bark] which produced malaria symptoms
Then gave China to malaria patients and their malaria disappeared
Examples of Like with Like treatment
Bee venom for bee stings
Coffee for insomnia
Onion for watery eyes/runny nose
Snake venom for snake bite
Applications of Like with Like
Fever (hot) - dab lukewarm water on person’s skin
Sunburn (hot) - apply warmth, drink
something warm
Burns (hot) - apply something warm
Frostbite (cold) - rub foot with snow. Warm up slowly
Hangover - sip or smell alcohol
What is suppression?
Getting the symptoms of a disease to disappear without having healed the illness
What happens if symptoms are suppressed?
The body finds different ways to express itself
Drives the disease deeper into the body
Examples of suppression
Suppressing emotions Suppressing natural body secretions Topical applications Surgical removals Suppression of recurring infections Suppression of fever/pain Suppression of natural immunity
How can emotions be suppressed?
Through anti-depressive drugs
Hypnosis
What can the suppression of emotions lead to?
Deep-seated anxiety
An unhappy individual
Diseases
Why shouldn’t body secretions be suppressed?
Body’s attempt to detox
What can excessive sweating under the arms be a sign of?
Liver weakness
Over-reacting circulatory system
Why is it better to use natural deodorants?
Free from toxins and aluminium
Allow toxin secretion
Examples of suppression using topical applications
Corticosteroids
Coal/tar/zinc creams
How can corticosteroids cause suppression?
Compromise the immune system
Weaken adrenal function
Inhibit waste elimination through skin
What can steroid creams for eczema cause?
Asthma - waste is eliminated through the lungs instead causing inflammation
How can coal/tar/zinc creams [for eczema/psoriasis] create suppression?
Can incite skin eruptions to spread
Can push the disease state deeper
Causes anxiety, candida, allergies and asthma
Examples of suppression using surgical removal
Tonsillectomy
Warts/cysts
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
What can a tonsillectomy result in?
Chronic throat infections that can become chest infections, digestive disorders or heart problems
What can the removal of warts or cysts result in?
Formation of benign tumours and growth elsewhere deeper in the body
e.g. fibroids, intestinal/nasal polyps
What can fever-suppressing drugs result in?
Disease to spread
Delay recovery
Why shouldn’t painkillers be used?
They only mask diseases
How often do brain cells renew?
1 year
How often do blood cells renew?
3-4 months
How often do liver cells renew?
6 weeks
How often do skin cells renew?
30-40 days
How often does the stomach mucosa renew?
5 days
How should be body’s self-healing abilities be supported?
Healthy diet
Natural therapies
Avoid suppression
What can negatively impact the body’s self-healing abilities?
Drugs
Toxins
Vaccines
What was Constantin Hering renowned for?
Hering’s Laws of Cure
What are the principles of Hering’s Laws of Cure?
- From inside out
- From more serious organs to less serious ones
- The mind gets better before the body
- Symptoms disappear in the reverse order to when they arrived
- From above to below
Example of Hering’s Law of Cure: From inside out
A boil formation clears toxins from the inside to the exterior away from more vital organs
Example of Hering’s Law of Cure: From more serious organs to less serious ones
From the lungs (asthma) to the skin (eczema)
Example of Hering’s Law of Cure: The mind gets better before the body
Anxiety starts improving before IBS does
Example of Hering’s Law of Cure: From above to below
RA patient starting with finger pain/inflammation, then wrists, then elbows
Following treatment, elbow pain ceased, then the wrist pain, then the fingers
Naturopathic approach to coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis
Correcting diet and lifestyle that caused the problem
Decreases or even removes the plaque
Allopathic approach to coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis
Removing plaque through surgery
Using drugs to prevent further plaque formation
Ignoring the cause of the disease
Naturopathic approach to T2 Diabetes
Comprehensive dietary changes (and supplements) which naturally lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance
Exercise/stress reduction production
What are the effects of an naturopathic approach to T2D?
Improved cholesterol
Improved blood pressure
Weight loss
Reduced cancer risk
Allopathic approach to T2 Diabetes
Drugs that decrease insulin resistance and/or lower blood sugar levels
Minimal dietary changes
What are the effects of an allopathic approach to T2D?
Weight gain Increased cholesterol Increased triglycerides Increased blood pressure Increased risk of CVD
What is the basis of the Chinese Body Clock?
That each organ functions at its optimum capacity at certain times of the day
What can the Chinese Body Clock be used for?
Determine organs involved in pathology presentation based on time
(guideline only)
Principles of TCM
Individualised (patient-centred)
Emphasises stimulating the body’s self-healing mechanisms
Holistic - looks at the person as a whole
What is the primary aim of TCM?
Maintain health
Principles of modern western medicine
Standardised approach
Based on medication and procedures
Reductionist - looks at the structure and functions of individual parts
What is the primary aim of modern western medicine?
Manage disease
Where does yin and yang originate from?
Chinese medicine
According to Chinese medicine, what should a healthy meal consist of?
A balance of yin and yang
Examples of yin foods
Cold and cooling foods Wet foods Sweet foods Raw food Refined [blended, juiced, ground] food Foods that grow in spring and summer
Examples of yang foods
Warm and warming foods
Foods with higher calorific value
Foods that grow in autumn and winter
Are noodles yin or yang?
Can be either depending on whether they are rice noodles (yin) or wheat noodles (yang)
Are the yin and yang labels for each food fixed?
No, it depends on what the food item is paired with
e.g. fish is considered yin but not in relation to more yin foods like raw vegetables. Fish then becomes yang
Or the label can change within a food group
e.g. Sweeter fruits are more yin than bitter fruits
How can cooking methods alter the yin or yang of a produce?
Water has a cooling influence
Steaming/boiling won’t add yang properties
Fire/baking/roasting will make foods more yang
Juicing/blending/grinding/processing increases the yin of foods
What are considered to be yang conditions?
Acne
High blood pressure
Migraines
(caused by excess of animal products, hot spices or alcohol)
What are considered to be yin conditions?
Lethargy Anaemia Feeling cold Some eating disorders (caused by excess of sugar, raw foods or not enough foods)
What is the macrobiotic diet?
Based on Chinese principles of yin and yang
Health can be achieved by balancing your diet with foods that are closest to the balance point (neither extreme yin or yang)
Chewing food properly
Not microwaving
What is the constitution of a yang-type person?
Can eat all of the yin food without any ill effect but may get a nose bleed from a bit of yang food
What does a yin-type person need more of?
Needs boosting or nourishing types of food (more yang)
What is the constitution of a neutral-type person?
Generally healthy
Will only have strong reactions after over-consumption of certain foods
What are the polarities of yin/yang foods?
Hot/cold
Wet/dry
Heavy/light
Examples of cold foods
Fish, crab, prawns
Rice (as grows in water)
Cucumber, watermelon, sprouts, celery, cabbage, broccoli
Apple, orange, pear, mango, almonds
(Sedate the metabolism and relieve excess heat)
Examples of hot foods
Lamb, beef, duck, walnuts, sunflower seeds
Chocolate, tea, coffee, alcohol
Black pepper, ginger, chilli, onion, garlic
Wheat (as ripens in the sun)
(Stimulate the metabolism)
Examples of wet foods
Milk/dairy products Bananas Avocados Coconut (Rich, oily, moistening)
Examples of dry foods
Bean, soybeans, chickpeas Pomegranates Asparagus Dried fruit (Either physically dry or aid the organism in eliminating excess fluids)
Examples of light foods
Rice cakes
Popcorn
Sunflower seeds
(they produce lightness/alertness in the body but in excess they can lead to light-headedness and weight loss)
Examples of heavy foods
Meat Wheat Greasy fried foods Aubergines (can give strength to the body but they can produce sluggishness, heaviness, drowsiness and are difficult to digest)
