Our bodies are amazingly adaptable and hearty systems. The human body can take a lot of abuse, malnourishment, poisoning, and general neglect before breaking down because it has built-in systems in place to handle toxins.
The body is incredibly resilient. Until, of course, it isn't.
Although one diet soda is not enough to derail the body's systems, diet soda compounded by every other toxic substance we eat and drink, poor sleep, excessive stress, bad nutrition, chronically elevated insulin levels, chronic inflammation, and more can be enough to cause problems.
Long-term strain on the body's natural healing systems will eventually lead to overwhelm, resulting in the onset of chronic disease and other health crises.
When the body does finally break down, the cause is more than the single event that proved to be "the straw that broke the camel's back." Previous events are important, but they rarely tell the whole story.
This is why the connection between mind, body and spirit is a fundamental principle in holistic healing.
In order to properly diagnose symptoms and develop an effective treatment plan, holistic healthcare providers will often ask questions about events that happened well before the claimed "starting point" of your problems. Chances are, your health concerns began long before the point of crisis occurred. And, there is an equally good chance that these concerns were not just a result of physical strain, but a combination of emotional and spiritual strain as well.
It is silly to assume that something like losing one's job or home, for example, doesn't have a profound effect on a person that extends well beyond the emotional spectrum.
For this reason, holistic healthcare providers will often ask about not only the physical events that occurred before the point of crisis, but the emotional and spiritual happenings as well -- not because they want to play therapist, but because these things likely have a massive impact on the current state of physical health.
While most holistic practitioners are not qualified to treat emotional or spiritual trauma, the treatment programs that these practitioners provide will often simultaneously impact elements of spiritual and emotional health while seeking lasting physical healing.
As a patient seeking better health, it is important to realize that a human is a body and a mind and a spiritual being. The body is a triangle. And, each side of the triangle must be properly aligned to support the other sides of the triangle.
If you are reading this and are dealing with some sort of chronic or stubborn health issues, take a moment to step back and examine all three sides of the triangle. You may uncover a powerful connection that could be the missing piece to your healing.
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*This article includes excerpts from "Made Whole: Regaining the Health Your Body Was Born to Enjoy by Working With the Missing Pieces of Wellness" written by chiropractic physician, Dr. Douglas B. Cook, D.C. To purchase this book, visit the Nutrition Store inside the Oklahoma Health and Wellness Center.
**The information in this post is based on the opinion of the authors and is intended for general consumer understanding. Read our full disclaimer here.