The loss and regaining of homeostasis
I read this morning of a pharmacist who has embarked on a learning process to discover the hidden causes of her illness. Dr Izabella Wentz is publishing an excellent, free, daily nine-part documentary called The Thyroid Secret, explaining the solutions for thyroid conditions. (The first part of the documentary was shown on the morning of 2nd March here in Australia, and available online for 24 hours).
About ten years ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, identified as “probably” Hashimoto’s disease. The specialist offered one solution - Thyroxin. I took it for a week, didn’t feel any difference, and stopped taking it. I have never gone back to it, but instead have sought alternative solutions through nutrition, Ayurveda and bioresonance. A series of doctors and specialists, blood tests and ultrasounds, insisted that Thyroxin would eventually be the inevitable solution, and, ultimately, removal of the thyroid. I don’t believe this to be the case.
The Ayurvedic doctor agreed with the doctors I had consulted with over the years - that my body was catabolic (breaking down energy molecules) rather than anabolic (building larger macronutrients required by the cells). That was probably the only point of convergence between the two systems.
During the past year under the prescription by my Ayurvedic doctor, I have embarked on a rather extensive program involving yoga and meditation, early to bed and early to rise, daily exercise, fasting for one day per week, rehydration with water and green drinks (spirulina, chlorella and drumstick tree or moringa), and almond milk tonics with a herb and spice mix. Raw honey and ginger are key ingredients, as they carry the nutrients to the cell to enhance absorption, as does ghee. The spices include black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric as well as the ginger. The almond milk tonic drink includes raw cacao, maca, the spice mix and Kapikacchu, an Ayurvedic herb.
Emphasis for my particular needs is on a range of seaweeds daily with vegetarian food, a wonderful relaxing Ayurvedic herb called Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and coriander (“my best friend”, according to the practitioner). There have been dietary conditions that involved learning to see food as medicine, and two bitter spice mixes to be taken with honey or ghee for before and after meals. I also avoided gluten, having read that with thyroid autoimmune diseases, an absence of gluten can alleviate almost all, if not all, symptoms.
It is an exacting routine! and with the business of daily life, I confess to not having followed it 100% - especially the whole day of fasting! However, during this year I have followed through with the best intentions and (mostly) considerable discipline, and the results have been clear. The range of symptoms I was experiencing have mostly disappeared, though they do recur when I lapse.
And during this past week I lapsed. I had a full weekend planned, and when I was offered a ticket to Cirque du Soleil, I threw caution to the wind, knowing that it would be difficult to provide my usual diet over the three-day period. Three very late nights, a number of meals out, restricted access to pure water, adding caffeine, gluten and dairy, and generally indulging in the delicious treats around me, have taken their toll!
The result was a respiratory infection that had shown up in the bioresonance scan in a mild form before The Big Weekend, but which had a rapid onset in the two days following, along with a dreadful feeling of unwellness, and the return of some of my old symptoms. I have been amazed at the effect of the weekend, and it shows that my work this year has really cleansed my body, such that it can no longer tolerate what was previously not a big deal .
It’s clear that my Big Weekend put my body under stress. My favourite Anatomy and Physiology book refers to a potentially harmful stress response to “phsychosocial stressors” (Sherwood, 2013, p. 704). Our ancient stress response releases energy to enable us to flee or fight in a situation threatening our survival. It causes body cells to be broken down and fluids and salt to be retained, which may lead to disease production including cardiovascular problems. Hyperactivity can cause chronic anxiety, which can result in high blood pressure. This is an area that needs further research. Could it be true that stress leads to the strengthening of pathogens (invading bacteria and viruses), triggering a heightened immune system? That was certainly my feeling earlier this week, as my body struggled to restore homeostasis, or a state of balance.
The question remains; what value do we put on the health of our minds and bodies? And can we each do to effectively increase our levels of the mindfulness that clearly assists in maintaining a healthy state?
Reference:
Lauralee Sherwood's book Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems (8th Edn.), Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning, 2013, Belmont, CA.
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