This is a journey of self-discovery and ultimately, better health. It is not enough for us to wait until we are sick to get healthy or until we have a symptom to go to the doctor. We were not born with a little instruction book that told us how much should we eat or what kind of food, vitamins and exercise would suit the body best.
We are living in very exciting time in medicine, a time of transformation. We are now beginning to understand how the body works and how to use that information not only to treat illness, but to help people improve their health.
In the past, human societies were plagued with infectious disease. When penicillin was discovered in the 1920s, doctors had a weapon to wield against microbes. Once a doctor diagnosed the disease, the cause of the disease was known and the disease could be eliminated with a single agent, a drug like an antibiotic. This “magic bullet” technique worked well for acute infections. But what if the illness is not caused by a germ? Many chronic illness falls into this category, and without a magic bullet, they are difficult for doctors to treat.
Chronic Problems include amongst others: Constipation, Excess Weight, Heartburn, Bloating, Joint Pain, Diarrhea, Muscle aches, Bad breath, Psoriasis, Acne, Fluid retention, Arthritis, Eczema and many others.
These are the kind of chronic complaints for which magic bullet therapy has little to offer. The promise of this book by imparting awareness of wellness is to treat these chronic problems in an entirely new way by just not suppressing the symptoms, but helping the body to heal itself. When you have high blood pressure and you take a
Moving toward high-level Wellness will involve the three steps of awareness, education, and growth. This book is designed to get you moving. It is an invitation to you to consider illness and health in a bigger context: that of your connection with other people as well as with the entire planet.
Most of us think of Wellness in terms of illness; we assume that the absence of illness indicates Wellness. There are actually many degrees of Wellness, just as there are many degrees of illness. The Illness/ Wellness Continuum illustrate the relationship of the treatment paradigm to the Wellness paradigm.
Moving from the center to the left shows a progressively worsening state of health. Moving to the right of center indicates increasing levels of health and wellbeing. The treatment paradigm (drugs, herbs, surgery, psychotherapy, acupuncture, and so on) can bring you up to the neutral point, where the symptoms of disease have been alleviated. The wellness paradigm, which can be utilized at any point on the continuum, helps you move toward higher levels of Wellness.
The wellness paradigm directs you beyond neutral and encourages you to move as far to the right as possible. It is not meant to replace the treatment paradigm on the left side of the continuum, but to work in harmony with it. If you are ill, then treatment is important, but do not stop at the neutral point. Use the wellness paradigm to move toward high-level wellness.
Even though people often lack physical symptoms, they may still be bored, depressed, tense, anxious, or simply unhappy with their lives. Such emotional states often set the stage for physical and mental disease. Even cancer can be brought on by excessive stress that weakens the immune system. Negative emotional states can also lead to abuse of the body through smoking, over drinking alcohol, and overeating – attempts to substitute for other more basic human needs such as acknowledgment and respect, a stimulating and supportive environment, and a sense of purpose and meaning.
The Illness/Wellness Continuum
Moving toward high-level Wellness will involve the three steps of awareness, education, and growth. This book is designed to get you moving. It is an invitation to you to consider illness and health in a bigger context: that of your connection with other people as well as with the entire planet.
Most of us think of Wellness in terms of illness; we assume that the absence of illness indicates Wellness. There are actually many degrees of Wellness, just as there are many degrees of illness. The Illness/ Wellness Continuum illustrate the relationship of the treatment paradigm to the Wellness paradigm.
Moving from the center to the left shows a progressively worsening state of health. Moving to the right of center indicates increasing levels of health and wellbeing. The treatment paradigm (drugs, herbs, surgery, psychotherapy, acupuncture, and so on) can bring you up to the neutral point, where the symptoms of disease have been alleviated. The wellness paradigm, which can be utilized at any point on the continuum, helps you move toward higher levels of Wellness.
The wellness paradigm directs you beyond neutral and encourages you to move as far to the right as possible. It is not meant to replace the treatment paradigm on the left side of the continuum, but to work in harmony with it. If you are ill, then treatment is important, but do not stop at the neutral point. Use the wellness paradigm to move toward high-level wellness.
Even though people often lack physical symptoms, they may still be bored, depressed, tense, anxious, or simply unhappy with their lives. Such emotional states often set the stage for physical and mental disease. Even cancer can be brought on by excessive stress that weakens the immune system. Negative emotional states can also lead to abuse of the body through smoking, over drinking alcohol, and overeating – attempts to substitute for other more basic human needs such as acknowledgment and respect, a stimulating and supportive environment, and a sense of purpose and meaning.