March 2005
Natural Remedies Can Supplant Prescription Medicines
by Tracey
Roizman, DC, DACBN
Most of us, if asked, would usually express a
preference for natural remedies over prescription medications. Naturally.
We know that these remedies are kinder and gentler, safer and have fewer
side effects. What happens in between understanding this basic concept and
putting it into practice? How can we make use of natural medicine so that
we can get off the not-so-merry-go-round of antibiotics, steroids,
suppressants, and our general state of over medication?
Natural medicine works by adopting a somewhat, shall
we say, philosophical approach to illness and health, taking into
consideration all of the lifestyle, genetic and circumstantial factors
that contribute to an individual’s state of health and utilizing these
factors to help them regain and maintain their greatest health potential.
This involves an investigative process of thinking backwards towards an
understanding of the what, where, when and how of a problem beyond the
generally accepted concept of, “I
was exposed to the flu so therefore I got it”. What we are more
interested in than who you are around is where is the chink in your
body’s armor. A cold or flu can usually be traced back to some change in
diet, lack of rest, or other basic lifestyle practice, which may not serve
your body’s needs. The question to ask when you get sick is not, who
gave this to me, but how have I been allowing stress and toxins to
accumulate in my body and deplete my health?
As a result, natural health care relies somewhat less on technology
and heroic lifesaving measures and more on replacing bad habits with
beneficial ones, and helping the body to help itself. This is much less
dramatic and exciting than drugs and surgery. In the scheme of our health
and health care, drama is best avoided at all costs. The maxim here is to
strive for the greatest degree of monotony possible, in this way making
more energy available for the many other dramas in life.
GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT USES IN ORDER TO STAY HEALTHY
The body is continually rebuilding and repairing itself. We have a
new body every few months in terms of cell turnover rate. The body
recreates itself using several very important building blocks from the
foods we eat. These are the vitamins, minerals, and certain fats and amino
acids, also known as “essential nutrients”, since we are unable to
produce them in our body’s own chemical factory, yet they are necessary
for life. At the very least this aspect of our existence keeps us
connected to the physical world, a small detail that we often tend to
forget.
In order for the body processed to take place most efficiently, a
finely orchestrated symphony of chemical reactions occurs with each
nutrient relying on the presence and precise quantities of all the other
nutrients and products of body chemistry.
KEEP A SUPPLY OF NATURAL MEDS ON HAND FOR EARLY
INTERVENTION
Next to prevention the best remedy is early action. Some people’s
idea of healing naturally is to “let my body take care of it”. Usually
this means doing nothing, including getting additional rest, until it is
too late and strong drugs are necessary. I would suggest that this
approach is born of a combination of simply not knowing what to do, not
“listening” to the body, and a conditioning that tells us we’re not
really sick until we can no longer force ourselves through our normal
workday. For some this is a desirable state of affairs which,
unintentional though it may be, affords that much needed break from our
too-many-responsibility filled lives, not to mention a little bit of
drama.
DOSE FREQUENTLY WITH NATURAL REMEDIES WHEN ILLNESS
OCCURS
Natural medicines have a gentler, more subtle effect on the body.
In order to achieve a desirable therapeutic effect through utilizing
natural remedies, it is usually necessary to dose frequently so as to keep
the blood and tissue levels of the substances at an optimal level.
Frequently can mean from three to five times a day or as often as hourly,
depending on the supplement being used, the dosage, and your own
individual physiology.
A paradigm shift happens here since we are accustomed to
medications being quite strong and concentrated in their actions and their
effects on the body. Two tablets of vitamin C will not give you the same
relief from symptoms as two aspirin tablets. The aspirin has an end stage,
or reactive effect (the mechanism of which remains a partial mystery to
this day) at diminishing pain and discomfort while the vitamin C is
pro-active and reparative in its effect.
GET AN EDUCATION
An educated patient is a health care provider’s best friend.
Tinker with your diet, exercise, supplementation regimen, etc. You are a
work in progress, always in a dynamic state of change and growth. This is
reflected in your body’s needs as you grow and change. What worked like
a charm for you before might not be the best thing right now. Utilize
different methods of care to find those that work best for you. Many
systems exist and all have their merits. Natural health care options can
be as diverse as we are as individuals.
