Nutrition & Diet Therapies

Herbal medicine is amongst the most respected of the ancient natural therapies, and has stood the test of time, despite the introduction of the modern medical science. Herbs are compatbile with the chemistry of the human body which has adapted over thousands of years to assimilate them.

Today there is an enormous resurgence of interest in all things herbal, and a rediscovery of the traditional use of medicinal herbs. Treatment with herbs can often provide a gentle and safe alterb¡native, or complement, to modern drugs and other orthodox medical treatments.

Over the centuries we have developed an enormous wealth of information on the uses and efficacy of herbal medicines. Passed down from generation to generation, it has survived until the present day, when (the World health Health Organisations informs us) 85% of the world´s population still use herbs as their main form of medical treatment. And this is very fortunate, for in the late 1970s, after worldwide surveys by international health agencies, the Director General of WHO stated that to achieve and maintain adequate healthcare for the world by the year 2000, we need to encourage and develop the use of traditional systems of medicine, for Western orthodox medicine alone will not meet our medical needs. Even industrialised countries, such as the USA and Japan are looking to herbs and their potential for primary health care.

Nutrition is part of wholism. "You are what you digest and absorb". These are common maxims in the world of nutrition. These simple adages refer to the belief that the human body is governed in almost every way by the food which is consumes and utilises. This belief has expanded to such an extent that it has almost become a revolution. There are more positive relationships in scientific literature documenting nutrient deficiencies and nutrient restoration in the etiology and treatment of disease than there are for the drugs used by allopathic medicine to treat disease.

History tells us that changes in the beliefs and practices of medicine usually take a minimum of 40 years from their discovery until their general acceptance and use by practitioners. This is partially due to the difficulty in changing curriculums in medical schools and the reticence of practitioners to engage in an active review of new approaches when they are comfortable in their old methods, However, there is now a growing awareness among the general public as well as nutritionists, scientists and doctors that eating a "healthy" diet, which contains adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients our bodies need to function effectively, can help promote and maintain good health, both physically and mentally, and prevent disease.

Nutrition & Wholism

Those who extol the benefits of nutritional awareness have an eager audience willing to participate. This is rooted in a revolution in information and thinking, one in which more and more people feel empowered to exert control over and take more responsibility for their own health. Nutrition is central to all of this, including food choice awareness, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, phytochemicals and herbs. The public is discovering that through the manipulation of nutrition not only can we prevent disease but we can also treat many of the ailments known to man. This is diametrically opposed to our prior concept that whenever something affects us or our wellbeing, we immediately go to the doctor who then dispenses drugs which only he has knowledge of.

Allopathic & Alternative Medicine

We must define medicine as to its diverse applications. The use of drugs, and the use of surgery and radiation as treatment modalities have been referred to as "allopathic medicine". The western world has elevated these treatments into the primary healing category and has more or less defined the term "medicine" to mean allopathic medicine. The majority of the world does not employ allopathic medicine as their primary healing art; instead they engage in a variety of practices which range from acupuncture to shamanism. Careful examination of the results of such practices brings forth the astounding fact that these other healing practices may sometimes produce results comparable to and sometimes even better than allopathic medicine in chronic degenerative disease.

In no way should such facts deter us from the remarkable advances in surgery which allopathic medicine has specialised and honed to unbelievable heights. But they should bring us to the realisation that the term "medicine" encompasses a whole realm of healing practices, and this includes nutrition. In order to bring some kind of direction to nutrition, several groups have attempted to set up organisations to create ethical standards and to provide on-going education for the practising nutritionist. This has led to guidelines and parameters which are followed quite widely by most nutritional consultants.