It is true that the body has countless ways of manifesting sickness. The reason diseases seem so many and varied is because -

· Each body breaks down at its weakest link - and in each individual that weakest link will be determined by heredity (genetic factors) and nutrition (eating habits);

· Each individual experiences toxins or stresses peculiar to his or her own lifestyle (e.g. cigarette smoke, asbestos fibers, timber treatment chemicals or whatever). These toxins and stresses can produce different effects on the system.

When one realises that our categorized diseases are simply varied manifestations of an imbalance in the body chemistry, it becomes easier to understand what holistic medicine and treatment is about.

Body pH and Organic Nutrients

Body pH is the indicator of the acid-alkaline condition of the blood. It is the most important single factor to be corrected before healing can proceed. This can be achieved in a number of ways, but primarily by avoiding acid-producing foods, correcting mineral deficiencies, and supplying the correct balance of healthy foods.

The following foods are the worst culprits in producing acid reactions in the body and are the cause of much illness and disease in the western world: white flour, white sugar, common salt, soft drinks, artificial colorings and flavourings, over-consumption of red meat and animal fats, hydrogenated fats, deep-fried fats, alcohol, and cigarette smoking.

Consider the average western diet and you will realise why illness and disease are rampant killers in the west, where many people's daily food consumption comprises almost exclusively the above products. Consider also that in many third-world countries the introduction of the western diet has been followed by a rising incidence of western disease.

Rebuilding and Healing

The holistic approach to healing starts by avoiding all foods that produce acid conditions in the body. Many of these foods are so lacking in nutritive value that they deplete the body’s vitamins, minerals and enzymes. The body has to dig into its own store to find the elements necessary for digestion, and very often, because of the poor state of our food today, that store has reached rock bottom.