There is a growing trend to integrate the other therapeutic methods with modern/conventional medicine. With this integration, which is very much supported by our Health Ministry, the patient will gain more. Complementary therapies are also coming under bigger scrutiny, and hopefully will move towards the standards of evidence-based medicine ( see Alternative or Complementary and Regulating TCM in Fit For Life, 11 Jan 2004 ).
Holistic integrated medicine means combining the best of modern, natural, traditional, and complementary health practices in a holistic manner – treating the patient’s health as the sum of all things that affect him; his health problem ( or dis-ease ) as a manifestation of some aberrations within this cosmos; and providing safe, effective ( and reasonably priced ) remedies ranging from natural therapy to cutting-edge technology. The ultimate aim is to heal and cure the patient, returning the body to its original healthy state, and not just to suppress symptoms, as is the case with current drug therapies of most chronic diseases.
BACK TO BASICS & BACK TO NATURE
It is obvious that to remain healthy, we need a healthy diet and lifestyle. We thrive on nutrients and on keeping fit. It is estimated that two-thirds of the chronic diseases are diet and lifestyle related and are therefore preventable.
I have great faith in God’s/Nature’s plan in that since we are from the Earth, most of the materials needed for our health and healing also must come from Mother Earth. Thus, the nutrients we need are all available in the fruits, vegetables, grains, grasses, herbs, nuts, algae, and other plant sources; and from land, sea and flying animals. Even the Earth itself is directly the source of minerals and certain friendly bacteria ( soil-based probiotics ). If we nourish our bodies with sufficient nutrients, and keep ourselves fit, then there is only ill-health from accidents, and some types of infections. We should be able to overcome most infections with a strong immune system.
The only unavoidable health problems are the genetic diseases, and the normal degenerative changes of aging. Unfortunately, most people do not take good care of their health, which is why over half of Malaysians above 40 years old already have one or more of the chronic diseases. Although our life expectancy is now about 75 years, for many, the second half of their lives is spent visiting doctors, popping pills, being sick or hospitalised, and undergoing all sorts of therapies and surgeries.
To reverse disease and regain health, you must do everything necessary to give the body all the oxygen, water, and nutrients it needs, and free it from toxins and poisons, so that its own healing mechanisms can start functioning fully. You must also maintain the ideal weight, manage stress well, exercise sufficiently, and increase the healing energy (qi) in your body.
In the previous articles, I have written about the healthy diet, supplementation, detoxification, and simple exercises that you can do at home (aerobic, muscle-building and Qigong). Today I will reiterate these, and also share my views about the spiritual and mental aspects of health.
SPIRITUAL HEALTH IS MOST IMPORTANT
If you are spiritual ( whether related to religion or not ), you will know that the spiritual existence is more permanent ( even eternal according to some religions ), and therefore spiritual health is more important than physical health. More importantly, spiritual health has a direct bearing on physical health, illness and disease because everything that happens in life has a spiritual basis – your health, disease and death included.
Being spiritually empowered means having the wisdom to understand the meaning of life, health, disease, suffering and death ( and many other things that are part of living ), and thus have the responsibility and discipline to ensure and safeguard the healthiest possible state of spirit, mind and body.
Being spiritual means appreciating that life and good health, among others, are gifts ( from God if you are a believer ) that should not be allowed to deteriorate due to neglect and irresponsible actions.
It is very important that the sick person has the right spiritual understanding of events ( health/disease in this case ) so that he can have full faith in that whatever happens is in accordance with God’s plan ( or Nature’s plan, depending on your belief ). Then, he will be at peace with whatever is the outcome, after trying everything that is humanly possible to overcome the illness. It also results in having the ability to handle stress well. Stress, as we all know, is an underlying factor for reduced immunity and for many chronic diseases.
However, being spiritual does not mean leaving everything to God. As the saying ( of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him ) goes – tie your camel, pray for God’s assistance, and only then leave its fate to God. So if you’re sick, you must nourish your body, seek the best remedy, pray for speedy recovery ( if you are a believer ), and hope for a good outcome.
Taking care of your health (and trying your best to recover from disease) is a religious duty. Only with total health ( of body, mind and spirit ) can you fulfil all your other duties well, besides being able to live life to the fullest, and avoiding lots of expenses and suffering if you were to get sick.
BE POSITIVE-MINDED
A prerequisite to healing is the belief and desire to be healed. The likelihood of doing everything necessary and seeking every possible remedy is there only if you believe that healing is possible. Although not all who believed in their recovery actually recovered, many who could have recovered didn’t – because they did not search or try hard enough.
If the cancer survivors who were “terminal” patients believed their doctors’ predictions of their imminent deaths and did not try other therapies ( including Qigong ), then those predictions would have become self-fulfilling prophecies and they would also become statistics. I believe that all therapies should be tried – modern, natural and complementary – before giving up. There are many documented cases of cancer ( and other chronic diseases as well ) survivors who had tried nutritional therapies, practised Qigong, or other alternative therapies after their doctors gave up on them. Fortunately, they were more optimistic than their doctors!
A positive mind gives a positive attitude and a positive life. The power of the mind is immense. What your mind believes, it can achieve. And since the mind commands the body, the latter will respond positively if all its requirements are made available.
DETOXIFY, NOURISH & EXERCISE YOUR BODY
As a reminder, there are several things you need to do to restore your body’s natural healing ability:
1. Detoxify your body. Stimulate liver function with herbs, teas and by doing regular coffee enemas. Try to empty your bowels twice a day by taking sufficient fibre, fruits, vegetables, water and exercising regularly. A juice-fasting program will help improve your bowels further. Try colon hydrotherapy at least once to feel the benefit. Help your kidneys detoxify by drinking at least 2 litres of purified water daily, and sweat ( by exercise or sauna ) regularly to assist excretion through the skin.
2. Detoxify the air, water and food that will go into your body so that it is not poisoned again. Although it is impossible to eliminate all the toxins, you can reduce as much as possible. There are so many air and water treatment methods you can choose. I strongly recommend ozonation ( using safe methods ) to detoxify the foodstuff.
3. Nourish your body with as much of the required nutrients. A wide variety of nutritious foods must be taken to try to get all the nutrients beneficial to the body. Although the medical community has only recently officially recommended taking vitamin supplements, my belief is that you need many supplements to restore your body’s healing functions. Even a deficiency of a trace element over sometime can be damaging to certain cellular functions, so imagine if you are deficient in dozens of nutrients over many years. Taking a broad-spectrum vitamin-minerals-antioxidants-phytochemicals supplement ( or a combination of supplements ) is the minimum necessary.
4. Aerobics and muscle-building exercises. Daily aerobics exercise ( which may just be brisk walking ) can help you regain youthful levels of cardiovascular fitness within 6 months. For maintenance, try to do at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. Go to the gym at least 2 or 3 times a week to rebuild your muscles. Or, buy the dumbbells and do the home exercises taught earlier.
5. Practise Qigong and other qi-enriching mind-body exercises. You need this healing life-force to sustain life, drive the cellular healing processes, charge your sexual life, and for many, to recover from serious and chronic diseases like cancer.
With this advice, I hope you will seriously take charge of your health. Keep yourself healthy and visit your doctor to maintain and monitor your good health, and not only when you are sick!
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