History and Philosophy of Naturopathic Nutrition Flashcards
What is the definition of Naturopathy?
Naturopathy is a system of healthcare which encourages and promotes the body’s own self-healing mechanisms.
List 4 naturopathic therapies
Nutrition
Herbal Medicine
Homeopathy
Acupuncture
List the 5 Naturopathic Principles and give a brief explanation.
- The Healing power of nature - Vital Force - fresh air, sun, clean water, healthy diet, fasting, detoxification, natural therapy.
- Treat the cause not a symptom - WHY is it there, WHERE did it come from? WHAT is the cause?
- Treat the whole person - Individuality, The person is treated, not the symptom.
- Prevention is preferable to cure - diet, lifestyle, environment.
- Education - better understanding of health and empower clients to take responsibility for their own health
What is health?
Abundant Vitality -
The best possible physical, mental and emotional state.
What should a Naturopathic Nutritionist focus on?
- Using whole and organic food as medicine
- Detoxification and cleansing
- Constitution of a Client
- Understanding the cause of an individuals symptoms.
Who said
“Whatever disease the body has produced, it is able to revert it”
Dr A Vogel, Switzerland
Define: Nutrient
A substance which provides nourishment essential for growth and maintenance of life.
Define: Nutrition
The process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth
Define: Nourishment
The food for other substances necessary for growth, health and good condtion
Define: Food
Whole food
Organic food
Food - maintains life and growth
Whole food - not been processed or refined
Organic food - free from fertilisers, pesticides, irradiation, FMO’s growth hormones, livestock feed additives
What are superfoods?
Highly nutritious foods containing most of the vitamins, minerals and trace elements a body needs
e.g. Algae, sprouts, bee pollen, wheatgrass
Define: Junk Foods
Substances which are not natural, have been altered or not able to maintain health and growth.
e.g. GMO’s, transfats., sweeteners, pesticides, artificial colourings etc.
HINDER CELL COMMUNICATION
List 5 junk foods and state one nutritious alternative for each
- Crisps - nuts, kale or courgette crisps
- Chocolate bar - 85% dark chocolate, nuts, dates
- Breakfast cereals - overnight oats, with fruit, nuts, seeds, yoghurt.
- Fast food takeaways - homemade burgers/chicken
- Fizzy sugary drinks - Kombucha
Who said “ Let food be thy Medicine, and Medicine be thy food.”
Hippocrates (468-377 BC)
Who is the Father of Hydrotherapy?
Sebastian Kneipp (1821-1897)
Describe the benefits of Hydrotherapy
**Cold water **- decreases circulation and numbs area
Hot water - relaxes muscles and increases circulation
Alternating hot and cold water - stimulates blood flow, increasing oxygen/nutritional supply to cells and wastes out
What is water treading?
March in a bucket of cold water (with warm feet) for 1-2 minutes, then warm up.
Effects: strenthens immune system, promotes circulation, lowers BP, relieves, headaches, promotes parasympathetic activity, enhances sleep.
(not if suffering from UTI)
What is Dr Max Bircher-Benner
(1867-1939) famous for?
50/50 raw diet, emphasis on fruit
Bircher muesil - raw oats, goats yoghurt, fruit soaked overnight
Maintain nutrient profile in food
Dr John Harvey Kellogg (1852-1942)
What did he promote?
“90% of diseases are due to improper functioning of the bowel.”
Promoted: intestinal microflora
When shredded wheat and granola biscuits became commercial, they lost control of the product
Henry Lindlahr (1862-1924)
“the acumulation of morbid matter is the primary cause of disease”
Had diabetes at 35, cured by Sebastian Kneipp
Nature-cure
Healing crisis
Who was Dr Max Gerson (1881-1959)
Alkalised the body with fresh organic vegetable juicies and detoxified with coffee enemas.
Who was James C Thomson (1887-1960)
Scottish naturopath - advocated fibre
Wo was Dr Bernard Jensen (1908-2001)
Advocated bowel-cleansing - used chlorophyll in enemas and colonics. Developed the colon hydrotheraphy machine.
Theory: Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
Germ Theory: Disease occurs from outside of the body.
* Developed pasteurisation
* Suppressing symptoms using drugs
Theory: Antoine Bechamp (1816-1908)
Terrain Theory: disease occurs from within the body
* Bacteria and viruses are the after-effects rather than the cause of diseae
* Most diseases are the result of an acidic, low oxygenated terrain - spawns growth of micro-organisms
John D Rockefeller, Sr. (1839-1937)
Unethical practices - monopoly
Donated to charities to fend off critics - mainly to medical schools in favour of drugs - pharma companies grew as did their influence into politics and research. Uni’s, hosptials, research stared to depend on pharma money.
Law of Similars - Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843)
Homeopathy
* bee venom for a bee sting
* coffee for insomnia
* onion for runny nose and watery eyes
* snake venom for a snake bite
* Fever use lukewarm water-cold suppresses
What happens when symptoms are suppressed?
the body finds different ways to express itself - drives it further into the body.
* suppression of emotions, bodies natural secretions, fever and pain.
* Delays recovery
* Can cause disease to spread.
Discuss the body’s self healing abilities
- Blood will clot, a broken bone will heal.
- Cells are continually renewing themselves
- Fever - a reaction to fight disease
- Diarrhoea - to get rid of unwanted toxins
- Skin reactions - to get rid of toxins
Support the body’s self-healing mechanisms, dont work against them.
What are the Laws of Cure?
Herings Laws of Cure
1. From inside out (boil formation clears toxins from inside to exterior, away from vital organs.
2. From more serious organs to less serious ones - from the lungs (asthma) to skin (eczema)
3. The mind gets better before the body- anxiety improves before IBS.
4. Symtoms disappear in reverse order to when they arrived.
5. From above to below - elbow to fingers
