The short answer is I don’t know….yet, that is. There are a plethora of reasons why one develops disease processes in the body. We are all unique individuals with a different set of genes, life stories, medical history, lifestyles, and diets as well as environmental inputs. Until we uncover every little bit of underlying reasons why you may be experiencing undesirable symptoms, I can’t tell you for sure what are your contributing factors to disease. I analyze all aspects of your lifestyle and mindset, your symptoms, medical history and often run comprehensive labs to decipher your health puzzle. Each one of us is unique, and so the approach to resolving your health issues should reflect that. I believe that personalized medicine is the healthcare of the future.
Western medicine blames genetics for all disease development, which leaves us basically helpless and powerless. We become victims of our genetic blueprint believing that our health is out of our control. It is true that each person has a unique genetic coding that may in fact predispose us to different diseases. However, our genes are not our destiny. The field called epigenetics postulates that lifestyle changes have an enormous impact on whether our genes will get turned on or off. Not only do our everyday choices have an effect on our gene expression, but we may influence our children’s and grandchildren’s health prognosis as well! How awesome is that! Even better, technological advancements allow us now to find out our unique genetic SNPs and be able to alter our behaviors and make lifestyle choices to prevent those genes from getting expressed. I love utilizing the principles of nutrigenomics in my practice to optimize my clients’ dietary and lifestyle choices.
Now unto the main causes of chronic disease. Firstly, we have nutritional deficiencies. Every function in the body requires specific nutrients: vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids. The trillions of cells in our bodies rely on proper nutrients to generate energy. If the body lacks certain nutrients, it affects its organs’ proper functioning. Since all systems in the body are interconnected, the deficiency that creates a dysfunction in one area, unfortunately leads to problems in the whole system. Without analyzing your diet and the status of your digestion, as well as testing micronutrient deficiencies, it’s very hard to tell what deficiencies you may be suffering from. I find that most chronically ill people are deficient in key nutrients. I always start my work with clients by performing a comprehensive nutritional analysis.
Next up are stressors. This category encompasses a whole list of factors. The stress on the body can be caused by suboptimal environment, poor diet, drug use, chronic inflammation and infections, manmade or biological toxins, negative thoughts and self-limiting beliefs, self-sabotaging habits and behaviors, past and present traumatic events, spiritual and energy blocks, lack of adequate sleep, severe food poisoning, and the list goes on.
Then, we have microbes. Your body is made of trillions of microorganisms. While some of them are associated with disease, others are actually extremely important for all aspects of health. We can have not enough good protective bacteria such as probiotics, or too much of them leading to dysbiosis. Not to mention, the stealth pathogenic bacteria that are attracted to sick bodies as their role is to decompose waste. Ever increasing numbers of antibiotic resistant bacteria may lead to serious infections that need to be addressed, or they can overtake our immune systems. There are also viruses that may set up shop and reside in our bodies unnoticed until the body is stressed and weakened to launch an attack. Microbiome also consists of parasites, fungus, yeast, and mold. Some will be transient, some beneficial, others cause disease. I like to examine my clients' stool tests to determine the health of their microbiome.
Another underlying cause behind chronic disease are allergens. They can be environmental, chemical as well as food allergens. It’s very important to address them because if you spend every day eating foods you’re allergic to, or sleep with your beloved cat that triggers your allergies, you make it very hard for your body to ever heal. The body under constant stress from allergens will not have the capacity to repair damaged tissues.
Lastly, toxins of all kinds will most definitely contribute to disease. These include heavy metals, chemical toxins like fluoride, bromine, chlorine, dioxins, phthalates, pesticides, glyphosate, PCBs, pollution, electromagnetic waves, food preservatives and GMOs. There are also endotoxins produced internally as well as byproducts of our own bodily functions. Toxicants that you have control over, those that come from your own home, car, workplace, places you spend the most time in, have to be addressed if you wish to enjoy vibrant health again!
