Everyone I know who has arthitis has discomfort. My grandmother treated hers 50 years ago with accupuncture. It might have helped but it didn’t make it go away. My strengths as a Plant Based RHN are: analysis/detective work (I always loved Sherlock Holmes), and compassion with a dose of thinking outside the box. Nutritional Science afterall, is a science. I like to look at the possible causes of a disease or condition and then consider which ones might be reversed, in whole or in part, without the use of drugs or surgery, if possible. The basis of Holistic Nutrition is to look at the Body, Mind and Soul as a whole. Let Food Be Thy Medicine. I have observed that Diagnose, Operate and Medicate seems to be the default in our standard medical system. I believe that diet and Lifesyle are a huge factor in this equation and yet it seems to be extremely over looked by mainstream doctors. If I were to have a formula, it would look something like this….
Arthritis = inflammatory foods -anti-inflammatory foods + (pesticides in food, water and air) - (food source heavy metal chelators such as spirulina, barley grass and cilantro) + (pathogens & Viruses) - (removing the foods from our diet that pathogens feed on such as: soy, corn, eggs, dairy, pork, mercury in fish and seafood, poultry, and msg) + stress - meditation + (xenoestrogens, flouride, inhaled and ingested plastic particles, SLS, and PVCs) - filtered water - (inhaled fresh air: clean oceanside air & mountain air) + alcohol - (green time in a park) + exposure to EMFs - (consistent light exercise) - (positive social interactions with other people +/- animals) - (joyous activities which increase seratonin such as: listening to your favourite music, playing an instrument, watching a funny movie, going bowling or having a friendly games night of scrabble with friends) + (overeating + obesity) - (prayer and spiritual contentment) + (approximately 5-15% genetic pre-disposition) + (exposure to radiation/x-rays and nuclear contamination) + (contaminants and dormant diseases contained in vaccines we’ve received) + (physical injury from accidents and overuse of specific joints) + (chronic lack of adequate restful sleep) + (chronic nutrient deficiecies and dietary excesses and macronutrient imbalances) + (an overburdened and inefficient liver)….
My list is not even inclusive as I’m sure I’ve missed a few things. Thats a pretty LOOOOONG equation but I think it needs to be long because we all grew up in different environments, ate different foods, have different stress levels, get varying amounts of exercise and have different physical and mental experiences. What does your doctor say when you ask what caused your arthritis? Is any of the above referred to? What do you think of that formula? What does your gut say about it? What about your common sense? Do you think you have a deficiency of anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers or could you possibly be a little kinder to your body and make some changes that did not involve medications?
All prescriptuion drugs have negative side affects but everyone I’ve talked to who is taking presecriptions for R.A. doesn’t seem to be aware of the long term negative health affects on the liver, the immune or other body systems. Obviously someone in pain does not have a deficiency of pain killers but that seems to be the treatment for many people. Do you want to treat your condition by masking it or maybe try somehing different, something Holistic that might reduce your symptoms naturally? Have you ever had an analysis of your diet by a RHN? Do you know what nutrients you may be deficient in and what you may be consuming in excess to the detriment of your health? In the field of holistic nutrition we acknowledge that we work with allopathic practitioners not against them. So why is it then, that most R.A. patients have not had a conversation with their doctor about the variables in my above equation?
If you or someone you know suffers from arthritis and wants to try a different approach, please contact me for a new perspective.
Kendra B Corttni, RHN, VLCE,
