COVID-19 fear exposes our beliefs about diseases, what causes them, and how to prevent them. Are we fearful or confident?
I, for one, am confident. I know I have informed beliefs about disease and I’m using my four pillar method to keep my family and myself well.
Whenever you read my blog or hear me speak, you will always see me refer to my Four Pillars Method. Each one of us must individually and collaboratively address Structure, Nutrition, Environment, and Emotions because there is never one clear path to healing. Then, throw in a bit of history and understanding of belief systems, and you will have a toolbox of solutions to remain calm when the news begins its annual fear fest of whatever new virus is coming to destroy us all.
Science vs. Medicine
Let’s start with the history lesson. Follow me back in time to the late 1800s with two French men, Louis Pasteur and Antoine Bechamp. Louis Pasteur, a French biologist, championed the theory that a microorganism or germs would invade the body and be the first cause of all diseases. To combat these germs, we needed drugs and other outside mechanisms to kill them outright. What is no longer taught is that he was fiercely debated by many. One of his loudest critics was French researcher and biologist, Antoine Bechamp, M.D., who believed that that the health of the host is what determined the ability of these microorganisms (he called them microzymes) to cause disease (or not) within the host. He stated that you must look at food, environment, and sanitation to improve or maintain the host’s health. Robust health was the groundwork and meant little opportunity for the germ to grab hold of something to cause disease. In fact, germs (microorganisms) are the result of disease (scavengers of dead cells) rather than the cause thereof.
Dr. Hans Selye (“The Stress of Life” (Mc Graw-Hill, 1956)), the foremost authority on stress and its effect on the human system, writes: “Let me point out here parenthetically that Pasteur was sharply criticized by many of his enemies for failing to recognize the importance of the terrain (the soil in which disease develops). They said he was too one-sidedly preoccupied with the apparent cause of the disease: the microbe itself.”
Germ vs. Host
The big difference between the two is this: If your garbage piles up in your home for weeks or years, you will invite pests, rats, cockroaches, mice, ants…all sorts of unfavorables to your home. The Germ Theory states we need to continually bring something in to kill the pests, while the host theory states, “Hey, how about we take out the garbage?”
Dr. Julian Baldor, a surgeon, in a speech before the Florida League of Human Progress, talked about Dr. Bechamp as one of the greatest scientists of all time. He said, “Dr. Bechamp proved that our bodies become hosts to a germ only after chemical and mechanical changes have damaged our system and that as long as our bodies and tissues retain a high vitality and resistance, a germ, infection or disease will not make progress. Furthermore, the disease organism will not survive after its entrance into a healthy organism. For example, we see flies on a manure pile, and other parasites also. Some of these parasites may be dangerous and capable of producing disease under favorable circumstances. If, however, we remove the pile of manure, the parasites disappear at the same time. Which do you think is the more intelligent: To fight disease by swatting flies or removing the pile of manure?”
Pasteur was better connected, more well-spoken, and wealthier than Bechamp. When it came down to it, these proved to his advantage when their two scientific papers went up against each other. Pasteur won out, paving the way for the Germ Theory to gain in popularity. Bechamp fell into disfavor and his books were listed on the Index of Librorum Prohibitorum (the index of books prohibited by the Catholic Church).
Interestingly, these were some of Pasteur’s last words: “Le microbe n’est rien; le terrain est tout.” The microbe is nothing; the terrain is everything.
Today’s Theory
We know there are fatal flaws to both theories, and instead, a nice blend of the two would be AWESOME. A prime example of why the Germ Theory fails is when people in the same home don’t come down with the same disease from the same germ with the same severity. Why does one person develop a childhood disease and pass it easily, and yet another child dies? Because each of them has different levels of health, therefore they will have different responses to the same germ. So, ultimately, it is YOUR body that defends, fights, and wins against any germ, bacteria, or pathogen present.
The presence of germs does not constitute the presence of a disease.
Now, here we are at the beginning of 2020 with COVID-19 fear and so many scary stories. Truthfully, there has been a ton over the last decade of whatever new (old) germ is now being released to destroy us. What can you do about it? Plenty.
Action Steps
In my practice, preparing the body to be a strong, healthy host is foundational. I teach my patients the Four Pillars Method of wellness: Emotional, Nutritional, Structural, and Environmental. If you take care of all these pillars simultaneously and equally, you’ll achieve a level of wellness that can take on almost any germ with which you come into contact. Let’s get started with the steps you can take to strengthen each.
Emotional Pillar. Oddly, one of the most essential pillars involves your belief systems. What have you been told about your body? Is it weak or strong? If I sneeze on you, will you get sick, or will you go “ew, gross” and go about your day? We are seeing all sorts of disruptions within scientific literature that show even the scientists’ beliefs can affect the outcome of a study. Patients can be handed a sugar pill and told it would cure them, and it does. Why? They believe it to be so. These beliefs are one of the reasons we now have double-blind studies. I don’t know if I am giving you medicine or a sugar pill, and you don’t know if you’re getting medication or a sugar pill. The hope is that this will somehow disrupt the “belief” on both the practitioners’ and patients’ parts.
Now, don’t think you’ll achieve your wellness goals if you only believe them into being. Let’s remember the other three pillars.
Nutritional Pillar. Look closely at what you are putting in your mouth. We all know what happens when you put diesel or low-grade fuel in a Porsche. You will freeze that beautiful machine and cause massive damage. But somehow, we have been convinced that no matter what we put in our mouths, our bodies will not be affected. We believe everything sold on the shelves is healthy, and we can ignore the contents. But in reality, we’re seeing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes now accounting for 7 out of every ten deaths.
The World Health Organization states NCDs account for 63% of WORLDWIDE deaths, more than DOUBLE the amount of infectious disease, maternal and nutritional deficiencies COMBINED. My point? We need to put to rest the fear of viruses and bacteria as the significant causes of our death process.
Germs do not cause NCDs, but food plays a huge role in their advancement and correction. Why are we not all up in arms over this? To go down this path further, let’s look at two hypothetical patients. If I have one person (40-years-old, in perfect health, weight, BP, Insulin levels, exercises daily, manages their stress) and another person (40 years old, on meds for diabetes, cholesterol, and BP, 30 or more pounds overweight, hates their job and their life), which one do you feel would have a harder time bouncing back from any attack to their health? Whether that be a fall, emotional setback, or illness brought on by a virus or bacteria?
“Human beings, the potentially highest form of life expression on this planet, have built the vast pharmaceutical industry for the central purpose of poisoning the lowest form of life on the planet–germs! One of the biggest tragedies of human civilization is the precedence of chemicals over nutrition,” said Dr. Richard Murray.
To strengthen your Nutritional Pillar, let’s take a closer look at Vitamin A, D, and calcium. Before I do that, let me explain when I reference vitamins; I mean find the herbs or foods that NATURALLY supply these vitamins and eat or drink those. If you need high doses, look for food or herb-based supplementation. If a supplement has the word vitamin on it, more than likely, it has synthetics. That is a whole separate post (it’s a waste of your money. Put it back on the shelf). Studies have shown that Vitamin D above 60iu in the blood leaves you immune to ALL VIRUS. Did you hear me? ALLLLLLL. Children, adults, ALL. Vitamin A and calcium lactate also play a significant role in the body’s ability to combat viral and bacterial exposure. Getting the right supplementation is integral to your success. If you need help, let’s talk.
What weakens the immune system? Sugar. Our current diet averages over 150 grams of sugar a day. Where should it be? Kids should stay under 25 grams a day and adults under 50 grams. Even fruit. Why? Because sugar weakens and delays the action of your white blood cells. According to a 1973 study done by Loma Linda University, when you eat 100 grams of sugar, about as much sugar as you find in a 1-liter bottle of soda, your white blood cells are 40 percent less effective at killing germs, crippling your immune system for up to five hours. Glucose, fructose, and sucrose all significantly decreased the activity of neutrophils to engulf bacteria (neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that help lead your body’s immune system response to fight infection).
The bottom line is this: Eating fresh, non-processed, organic meals is the key to staying healthy. Know your Vitamin D levels. And ditch sugar.
Structural Pillar. Find a great wellness-based chiropractor. There are several types of chiropractors out there, so interview us just like you would interview any other health professional. Staying under regular chiropractic care helps to remove any interference to the communication between your brain and your body, including the immune system. Research shows a significant increase (48%) in your immunity when under consistent care.
Movement or exercise also helps tremendously! Getting out and being consistent is vital. Doing something that gets your blood and lymph systems moving is also integral to your immunity. The time to start this is well before you are ill.
Environmental Pillar. Wash your hands! It’s a great habit, no matter when. Studies show warm water, friction, and REGULAR soap kills a good portion of what you spread and pick up. Look at your phones, purses, wallets, and whatever comes in contact with the outside world and your hands as well. Give them a good wipe down with a cleaning cloth. Try not to put your fingers in your eyes, ears, or mouth when around others. Give it up if you have toddlers: there’s no hope they won’t. Just keep their hands clean with regular soap and water. So many studies showing antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers are causing more issues rather than fixing them.
Hydrogen peroxide in the ears is also a fantastic way to boost immunity and clean out any lurkers there.
Make Changes Fast
So much of what I gave you is prevention and laying the foundation for a superbly healthy host. But maybe you’re reading this and thinking, “I’ve done so very much wrong. I need help fast.” Here are my action steps for YOU.
1. Immediately look at diet changes. ALL sugars need to be under 40g a day. Need help, grab my 90 Days to Clean Eating Course!
2. Boost your immunity quickly with food-based supplementations. (Edited 9/2021) I have a whole protocol that we have used with great success over this last year, you can order yours HERE
3. Look hard at your beliefs on wellness. Where can we help move you toward feeling strong in this battle instead of helpless?
4. Look at the original medicines: food, herbs, and essential oils. They have stood the test of time and are still rocking the researchers in their ability to help boost the immune system’s response to common pathogens.
It is my greatest desire to help you stand tall and with confidence that there is nothing to be worried about when COVID-19 fear (or news of any other new, scary disease) strikes. The best defense is always a prepared defense. Knowledge is power. Continue to learn, my friend.
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