Richard Heft

Autoimmune Illnesses, Diet, Nutrition and Traditional Chinese Medicine



Posted: Sunday, October 03, 2010

by Richard Heft
R. G. Heft

The following is based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the questioning and counsleing of thousands. TCM is based on the observation that everything, including the body is an ongoing balance of opposites: (yang (hot, building) and yin (cold, cleansing), many of which we control through diet.

Autoimmune illnesses are chronic (long-term) in nature. They do not happen overnight, but istead progress in stages. You cannot cure the latter stages without curing the first stage.

Stage 1 is cause. Most disease is caused by poor diet. Poor diet tends to weaken digestion (Stage 2) elimination (Stage 3), blood (Stage 4), circulation (stage 5), and months, years later, organ disease, autoimmune illnesses (Stage 6).

You do not wake up one day, and all of a sudden develop an autoimmune illness. First, you eat poorly for weeks, months developing in succession the following stages, symptoms.

Stage 2: abdominal bloating, gas, burping, heartburn, nausea

Stage 3: loose stools, diarrhea, and constipation

Stage 4: weakness, fatigue,

Stage 5: circulatory problems, pain, inflammation, arthritis, etc.

Stage 6: autoimmune illnesses

Most AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESSES (Candida Albicans, Fibromyalgia, Epstein Barr Syndrome, Lupus, Crohn Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc.) tend to SHARE SIMILAR SYMPTOMS: fatigue, abdominal bloating, gas, loose stools, diarrhea, constipation, mucous, phlegm, swelling, edema, arthritis (pain in joints, bones, ligaments, muscles, etc.), etc.

1. LUPUS has the following symptoms: arthritis, red rash over cheeks and nose (butterfly rash), skin lesions, fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue, skin rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation.

2. CROHN DISEASE has the following symptoms: pain in abdomen, right lower quadrant, appendix, diarrhea, nausea, fever, fatigue and or weight loss.

3. FIBROMIALGIA has the following symptoms: chronic, achy muscular pain, dizziness, fatigue, Irritable Bowel syndrome (abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation and or anorexia), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, etc.

4. CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME has the following symptoms: extreme fatigue, aching muscles and joints, headaches, low blood pressure, fever, loss of appetite, upper respiratory infections, nasal congestion, mucous, phlegm, Candidiasis, intestinal problems, depression, anxiety, etc.

Most autoimmune illnesses also tend to affect WOMEN, more so than men.

The answers, cause, cure (treatment) are very easy if you know basic biology (structure, function disease, diet, nutrition, etc.).

The body DIGESTS food and transforms nutrients into BLOOD, structure and function. There are only two kinds of foods, nutrients: BUILDING and CLEANSING.

The correct balance produces the correct amount of blood, structure and function where the body, brain, nervous system can thrive. Any amounts, greater or less, in the extreme, tend to cause disease, via TOO MUCH or TOO LITTLE blood, structure and function.

Poor diet (1) weakens and slows (2) digestion, movement of food (abdominal bloating, gas, burping, nausea, vomiting, sour, musty body odor), (3)elimination (loose stools, diarrhea, constipation)and (4) absorption of nutrients, decreasing, thinning the blood, including circulation (5) In the extreme, thin blood (blood, protein and fat deficiency) tends to cause: fatigue, pallor, pain, numbness, inflammation, weight loss, etc.

Weak digestion increases waste product, as all food, nutrients, non-nutrients, not digested, absorbed become waste, sent, and moved down into the large intestine, for temporary storage and eventual elimination. All waste products, especially animal protein and fat, are poisonous, toxic (Ama). Daily elimination is necessary; otherwise, re-absorption of wastes poisons into the bloodstream and lymph system may occur.

Weak elimination (3) increases the amount and likelihood of toxins in the large intestine reabsorbing back into the blood and lymph. In the extreme, autointoxication, weakening of the immune system (6), producing antibodies that attack healthy tissues and other body materials.

Long-term low protein, low fat (milk, yogurt, soft cheese, ice cream) and high carbohydrate diets (salads, tropical fruits, juices, sugar) tends to thin and weaken the blood, which then thins and weakens all structure function, digestion, elimination, immunity, circulation, etc.

(4) Blood, protein and fat deficiency (thin blood and or reduced circulation), in the extreme, tends to cause fatigue, pallor, pain, numbness, inflammation, weight loss, autoimmune illnesses, skin lesions, rashes, etc.

High carbohydrate diets (bread, salads, tropical fruits, juices, smoothies, cold drinks, etc.), in the extreme, tend to dilute and weaken digestion, reducing nutrient absorption, blood, while increasing watery wastes.

Autoimmune illnesses in general tend to attack women more than men. Many women tend to eat low protein, low fat (milk, yogurt, soft cheese, etc.) and high carbohydrate (salads, tropical fruits, juices, smoothie, etc.) diets. They also menstruate lose blood regularly, three to seven days every month for thirty plus years, from the first menses to the last, menopause.

The combination of diet and menstruation tends to make women more susceptible to blood deficiency, weak digestion, elimination, immunity, etc. Autoimmune illnesses are generally cold, deficient (under-built, over-cleansed) in nature. Drugs, surgery and chronic illness may also be a factor. The middle diet, meal plan, adjusted accordingly is recommended.
Richard Heft, Acupuncture Physician (FL 1992-2002); Owner, operator Food and Thought, health food store, Hollywood, FL (1984-2001); Author, Permanent Health and Happiness, A Simple Guide to Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western Nutrition and Philosophy (c) 2011; chi gung practitioner 24 years daily outdoors, WEB: www.permanenthealth.net EMAIL: rgheft@netzero.com FREE Ebook upon request
This Article has been viewed 964 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.