Basic Principles
Important Health/Disease Principles I Have Learned by Observation
The most fundamental principle in natural healing is Intelligent Design. This foundational principle gives rise to the ‘smart body’ paradigm, that is, the body has been pre-programmed to do what is necessary in order to preserve and continue life, and you had nothing to do with that. Whether it means raising your blood pressure, your cholesterol, your temperature, or forming a boil, or a tumor, or producing diarrhea, excess mucus or other discharges, it is an intelligent response of a ‘smart body’ with these instructions from its Designer. If you truly believe this principle, then your approach to these things will be different than most of the practice of modern medicine.
You would endeavor to assist these processes to a quick and comfortable conclusion. Modern medicine, on the other hand, strives to bring these processes or reactions to a halt, having been taught the ‘dumb body’ paradigm that says that the aforementioned body responses are in err, hapless, genetic defects, or renegade and need external intervention.
I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.
Prov 24:32
1. The ‘Self Correcting’ Principle:
The body heals itself. No one can take credit for that. The body is not like a car that, when it breaks, needs external intervention. No. We have an internal program for self-preserving intervention. For example, you can set a broken bone, but you cannot make it mend.
Consider your own experience. When you cut yourself as a child, did you worry that the cut would not heal? Did it require your conscious effort to heal? In time, it would heal by some mysterious restorative power that worked without your conscious effort. And so where are those wounds of childhood now? Gone, with maybe a slight trace of their history. Could your body pull this off again? I mean, heal itself without your conscious effort? So the design or program is in place. However it may be inhibited or slowed by fatigue, lack of vigor of the restorative force, OR be restrained by stress or a drug. It may be feeble, but it is there, and needs nourishment and calmness.
2. The ‘Dynamic Restorative Balance’ Principle:
Good health requires a robust re-balancing act. This re-balancing act is based on principle #1 which again, is based on Intelligent Design. It is the built-in program to recover from an imbalance and to preserve life. If your body is hot, it sweats in an attempt to cool/ re-balance you, and if it is cold, you shiver in an attempt to prevent heat loss thus re-balance you. Neither of these recovery attempts you initiated or maybe even enjoyed. And there are other healing unpleasantries like a mucus flow, frequent urination, vomiting, pain, etc. These too are attempts to balance or reduce factors causing an imbalance, like exposure to fumes or spoiled food or drugs.
Consider when an irritant affects your respiratory lining, your body creates a self balancing anti-irritant called mucus to (a) stick to the irritant, (b) soothe and rebuild the irritated tissue, and (c) flow the irritant out and away from the area. This preserves your mucosal lining, an important defensive barrier – and again, without conscious effort. Without the mucus action, a more serious inflammation would ensue eventually requiring an infection. If you ‘dry up’ a mucus flow, you are sustaining an imbalance. Better to identify and remove the irritant as quickly and as comfortably as possible. It is important to note that when you act in opposition to your body’s balancing act, you sustain the imbalance and bring on disease ….and …..our next principle.
3. The ‘Disease’ Principle:
Disease is an insufficiency of the self recovery process, or, a lack of vigor of the innate restorative force from principle #2.
If you cannot bounce back from an insult, and a state of imbalance is sustained, the first step towards disease has been taken. Repeated insults without recovery lead to a greater imbalance, and the inevitable symptoms follow. A certain set of imbalances, or symptoms has a disease label attached to it (a.k.a. diagnosis). Stated another way: Disease is simply a collection of sustained imbalances. A vigorous restorative force (unrestrained by stress) results in quickly developing symptoms, often intense, but of short duration. This is a sign of vigor. That is, a well-nourished and calm body addresses an imbalance vigorously and then ruthlessly restores balance.
Some folks have a very strong restorative force in some areas, and, very weak ones in others. Kids usually have a vigorous restorative force (if not damaged/compromised/stressed or drug suppressed). You may be able to eat any amount of any kind of food without apparent consequences, but if you encounter a slight change in atmospheric pressure, your joints or sinuses or head aches. Here your capacity to digest may be vigorous but your ability to regulate fluids is not.
Can the ability of the body to heal itself be thwarted? Yep, by anything that retards or stops your body’s attempt to restore balance. Largely these are stresses, OTCs, or properly prescribed pharmaceuticals. But also, as we age, the restorative force, or ability to ‘bounce back’, slows due to many factors. Sometimes we are missing important nutritional ingredients to mount a recovery. Other factors work by disorganizing the tissues of the body. Stress, radiation, scars, toxins are the general categories of disorganizing agents. Human tissue is like a liquid crystal whose functioning depends on its composition as well as the energetic biofield field in which it resides. Healing requires order; His intelligent design. Somewhere in the return to health, the disorganizing agents need to be removed or overwhelmed with/by ordering agents. Notable re-ordering agents are herbs and the ‘laying on of hands’.
More insights on the purpose of a disease program and the progression of disease are given by German New Medicine. Reading this little summary will show you the benefits of disease.
4. The ‘Personal Vulnerability’ Principle.
From my clients I’ve observed another principle which I will call ‘big potatoes, small potatoes’ or ‘personal vulnerabilities’. Simply stated: What is a big deal problem/ ‘big potatoes’ for you (mercury fillings, EMF exposure, eating whole wheat, sugar, coffee, etc.) may be a small deal/ ‘small potatoes’ for someone else. You need to know your personal vulnerabilities. For example: Don’t assume you need to have all your mercury amalgam fillings removed. I have seen people with a mouth full of mercury and none of the purported damage from it – these people have an inherent invulnerability to mercury. I have also seen a single mercury filling precipitate Tourette’s syndrome in a child. I’ve seen people whose quality of life was greatly diminished after a proper mercury removal procedure, others benefited. Certain sustained imbalances will create vulnerabilities. For example, a congested, dysfunctional or toxic liver will make a person vulnerable to weight gain, or allergies, or sensitive to certain substances that the liver is unable to breakdown.
To continue life and preserve its quality, one must attempt to reduce personal vulnerability by correcting imbalances, some of which may be genetic and need constant attention. In the mean time, it is not necessary to ruin your quality of life by avoiding the endless list of suspected health detractors. How do you know your own vulnerabilities? Likely you already do, but consider that other people can break your rules – you cannot – and vice versa. Muscle response testing can clarify some of these areas for you.
5. The ‘Causation’ Principle.
A statement heard repeatedly in the health field or in the news takes the form: This CAUSES that. An example would be sugar causes cavities. There are generally two types of causation: (1) This substance causes that problem, and then the other is, (2) this problem causes that problem. These categorical statements are not only often wrong, but distort reality and understanding of the simple etiology of imbalance. We do well to not quickly adopt these statements as true.
Let’s first examine (1) ‘substance CAUSES problem’ case by examining this well accepted statement. Coffee CAUSES insomnia. Yes, coffee causes insomnia for people with certain kinds of imbalances, but it induces sleep for people with other kinds of imbalances. How about long debunked but still illustrative statement: Eggs/meat CAUSE elevated cholesterol levels. It may in a small minority of people – a small minority. But Dr Atkins routinely lowered cholesterol levels of his patients AND reversed diabetes on a high protein/fat diet. The underlying imbalance governs what is problematic. This relates back to Principle #4 above, the ‘Personal Vulnerability’ Principle.
The second statement (2) ‘this problem CAUSES that problem’ is also fertile ground for confusion. When we have two concurrent ‘problems’ we assume the proverbial chicken-or-the-egg applies. This ignores or disallows the scenario that both problems arise, not from each other, but rather from the same underlying imbalance. Let’s use ‘diabetes CAUSES neuropathy’. Well, generally, by observation, one can say the glucose dysregulation was diagnosed first, then, after a while (and medical intervention), neuropathy was diagnosed. But actually both of those problems are caused by metabolic acidosis. They are ‘fruit on the same tree’. We wouldn’t say, “This apple caused that apple to form.” No, rather they arose out of the same ground and root system. Another example is the statement ‘diabetes CAUSES kidney failure’. Well metabolic acidosis wrecks havoc with the urinary system which goes largely undetected until after diabetes and neuropathy have been diagnosed. Thus these 3 ‘problems’ are fruit on the same tree, none causing the other to form. In other words, coexistent problems do not necessarily mean their relationship is causative. More likely the coexistent problems arise independently from the same underlying imbalance depending again on personal vulnerability. The unacknowledged culprit (which is why diabetes seems intractable) is a congested liver.
6. The ‘Feeling Better’ vs ‘Getting Better’ principle.
A generally accepted goal of taking supplements is to feel better. If you are in pain, you want to ‘feel better’. If you read my bio, you know that I fully appreciate what this means. To these ends however, I have observed people taking budget-breaking amounts of supplements. But there is a difference between ‘feeling better’ and ‘getting/functioning better’. If you have found great relief for your arthritis from taking Noni Juice, and yet, when you stop taking it the painful disabling arthritis comes back, has Noni Juice addressed the underlying cause? Have you budgeted to take Noni Juice for the rest of your life? Or Thai Go (Mangosteen) or any other natural supplement? Please, I am not into pain and dysfunction as I had debilitating pain for years. And would not talk you out of taking herbal anti-inflammatories but rather encourage continuing your search to address the underlying cause of the pain.
An example of the prevalence of this thinking: (I don’t advertise, so people come to me on someone else’s recommendation and experience with herbs.) I’ve had folks show up for their follow up and,…
Client: “I don’t want to change anything I’m taking.”
Me: “Well, OK. Why is that?”
Client: “I feel good. I like the way everything is working. I just don’t want to change anything right now.”
Me: “Well, are all your concerns resolved? Anything you want me to do?”
Client: “Can I stay on these things forever? Is there any harm to that?”
Me: “Uh, well, uh, no, I don’t think so. Likely you can take less.”
Client: “No, I want to keep everything the same”
Me: (sigh) “Well, fine. Come back when you think they are not working anymore.”
Know this: herbs address imbalances. Imbalances are transitory – they wax with stress and wane with peace. Once diminished, the best use of your money is to greatly reduce your dosage and move on to address what others exist, as you keep working toward the root causes. This brings me to the next very important principle.
7. The ‘Unseen Insult’ Principle.
Why did you get cancer? MS? Diabetes? I know you have been asking yourself that and maybe beating yourself up over your diet, lifestyle, etc. Well, just stop it. Reread Principle #4. Now understand that the kinds of things that imbalanced you are MOSTLY invisible. In the lingo of Principle #4 the ‘big potatoes’ that got you sick you cannot even see. An example: I had a lady in my office who said to me. “The Lord completely healed me of my MS at this church service. Even the doctor’s tests showed I was free of MS. But now (2 years later) all my symptoms are starting to come back. Can you lose your ‘Divine healing’?” My answer? Of course she had been physically healed, but the ’big potatoes’ that created all the imbalances leading to MS are still active forces, AND the verified proof of their existence is the exact same disease manifestation as before. I have seen this so many times that I wrote a self-help book for my clients to help them address these kinds of things on their own. The right herbs can certainly push tissue away from imbalances that lead to disease, but there are sometimes very ‘large potatoes’ pushing back the other way. The largest of which is stress.
8. The ‘Back-Up’ Principle, or ‘Plan B’.
When NASA designs spacecraft that carry people to adverse environments, they include many backup systems in the event that the primary ones necessary for survival become dysfunctional. Yep. This was also part of our Intelligent design. Now every part of our body is important – there are no vestigial (no longer useful) organs. Some may think so because when these organs are removed, we can still function. However, the reason we survive is that there are Intelligent contingency plans put into effect for our survival (Plan B, Plan C, etc). An analogy: When we get a flat tire, we remove it and put in its place the ‘spare’. Now some cars are supplied with a mini spare – which still works. Our car will now run – BUT not as well, and not as long. It really did better with the original design.
The ‘back up’ programs that I have seen most often engaged are mucus flushing cellular debris due to congested lymphatic exits. This makes colds and misery but there are also life-saving Plan B’s, like the endocrines backing up each other and other organs. The thyroid backs up some of the liver functions. The adrenals appear capable of producing all of the body’s hormones – thyroid, male, female, etc. If the adrenals are not exhausted by stress, women have NO problem with menopause as the hormone gap is handily met by well nourished adrenals. I had a client come to me with NO thyroid – not even a detectable slice, who now has a perfect thyroid blood panel, and feels great and is on no thyroid hormones. When he came to see me he kept testing for thyroid supplements, but I only understood in retrospect what he was showing me – that his adrenals (or some other tissues) were the consumers of the thyroid supplements and made all his thyroid hormones from them – in the right amounts and at the right time. That is Plan B. That’s Intelligent design, and a ‘smart body’.
9. The ‘More Now but Less Later’ Principle.
A higher level of herbal dosages are needed to turn a person around and push a person’s tissue out of an imbalance, than are needed to keep them moving out of that imbalance, and less than that are needed to keep them away from that imbalanced state. If the unseen insults remain (see #7) such as stress, emotional traumas or genetic weaknesses, small dosages will need to be continually taken to avoid the degenerative states that they cause (a.k.a. ‘hereditary diseases’). The instructions I give to clients are to ‘reduce dosage with symptoms’ which simply means that if you started with a high dose, and your symptoms go away, reduce your dosage for a few days to see if you can keep yourself balanced at the lower level. If you remain balance at the lower level, continue for a week or so then try reducing again. If the ‘big potatoes’ insult that pushes you out of balance comes back on the scene and the imbalance begins to re-manifest, go back up to the highest dosages for a while to meet the insult, then try reducing again later. You may be able to get down to a 3/week level. After working with folks they can generally see what kinds of dosages of herbs are needed and what physical clues suggest needing more of these herbs.
10. A Symptom Manifesting at Point ‘A’ Rarely Originates There
It is natural to focus on that point of the body where there is pain or dysfunction. BUT that is rarely the origin of the problem (except in cases of trauma). Joint pain, for example, usually comes from nervous contraction of muscles crossing that joint which refer back to a visceral organ dysfunction. Acid reflux has an origin in the liver, as do hormonal imbalances. Neck problems have a stomach origin, usually. All though this site I try to point to some of the origins of common disease manifestations.
11. Infections are NEVER the Root Cause of Disease
They are present to bio-remediate the tissue but are not causative. Treating an imbalance as though the infection is the cause, plunges a person into greater imbalance and it leaves the root cause unaddressed, so the infection will be needed again. If fear has caused you to resort to anti-biotics, give due diligence to restocking your beneficial microbial population. They are your allies in health preservation. Then seek to find the origin.
12. Food Cravings are Indicators of both Therapy and Imbalance
From the ‘intelligent body’ paradigm, cravings are legitimate attempts of the intelligent body to balance itself. They are not evil. The reason a person wants so much and so often is because the balancing strength of the remedy they have found is very small. Herbs are strong foods and strong remedies. I have seen over and over again how food cravings change with the introduction of herbs. What cravings may indicate is found here.
Pat Block ND
Index for this Post
Important Health/Disease Principles I Have Learned by Observation
1. The ‘Self Correcting’ Principle:
2. The ‘Dynamic Restorative Balance’ Principle:
4. The ‘Personal Vulnerability’ Principle.
6. The ‘Feeling Better’ vs ‘Getting Better’ principle.
7. The ‘Unseen Insult’ Principle.
8. The ‘Back-Up’ Principle, or ‘Plan B’.
9. The ‘More Now but Less Later’ Principle.
10. A Symptom Manifesting at Point ‘A’ Rarely Originates There
11. Infections are NEVER the Root Cause of Disease
12. Food Cravings are Indicators of both Therapy and Imbalance
Consider this…..
I have learned more from very sick people than I have from double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over studies. My sick clients taught me how to get them well - things that even my teachers didn't know. I have such smart clients.
** Important Warning **
Nothing on this site is FDA approved. Nothing I write here is intended to be medical advice. Follow my recommendations at your own risk. Results may vary, and blah, blah, blah. So if the required warnings have not scared you away, then you have a chance. I'm reporting here what kinds of approaches actually helped very sick people get well, AND the kinds of things that actually made them sick (and it usually isn't lack of exercise, weight, menopause or smoking - it is the underlying cause of all those things.)
** Important Posts **
► I Went to the Doctor and the Doctor Said…
► THE Technical Info on the Herbs
► Uh oh, what was I supposed to do when I think I’m getting sick?
► Fatigue: The Mother of All Disease
► Childhood Disorders (ADHD, Behavior Disorders, etc.)
► Of Drugs, OTCs and Black Electrical Tape
► Pat’s book – Spiritual Disciplines for Physical and Emotional Healing
In case you were wondering..
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, b=bedtime. Make sure to read What to Expect on an Herbal Program (in the Herb menu) before beginning. Dosages given are about what my clients benefit from. You may be different. Begin slowly and see how each recommendation benefits you.
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would love to meet with you. Leslie from Poquoson speaks highly of you and your program. I am a believer in our lord and believe there must be better ways to treat our bodies when we are sick.
Hey Debra,
Please go to the Client tab and review the MUST READ post. Then give Brenda a call on Tuesday after 1PM (she will ask if you have read it before he sets up an appointment)
Pat
Such great info.
Hi Pat,
You mention that if a person is sensitive in changes of atmospheric pressure, his/her ability to regulate fluids is limited. This is exactly what happens to me. When I dive or even keep my head under water for some time or when the plane starts to come down before lading, my sinuses fill and ache tremendously (while at the same time people next to me don’t have any problem at all!). It is very annoying.
Is there anything I can do to correct this sensitivity/imbalance permanently? Maybe a treatment with herbs?
Hey Steve,
This is a regulation issue which is often well supported by a Chines herbal combination HY-C. 4B, 4D. I’d also pay attention to your blood type diet to keep the inflammation down in your body.
Pat
Hi Pat,
I do appreciate your website! So easy to pass many hours here! I have your neuropathy drink recipe in my files and was searching your website to see if you still recommend it and what you have up about neuropathy. Don’t see the recipe. I’m considering making it for our 91 year old friend who has been suffering with many serious ailments, but, the one presenting with a vengeance right now is neuropathy pain in his hands. Of course, the doc has him on a med and a short term steroid which has helped symptoms, some. (Also, he’s on a long list of other drugs and antibiotics, typical for one his age, in the system!) His tissue acid level must be very low. We thought we were losing him last month with CHF, but, as they called in immediate family, who alternated coming in from near and far, he rebounded! The healing power of love!! Perhaps due to the steroid, his appetite and strength is returning. He has such faith, a love for life and a will to live! For years he has called out nightly, all 30+ family member’s names in prayer, down to his newest great great granddaughter born recently. So precious! Do you think the neuropathy drink might be worth a try for him? We were giving him bone broth for a while, too. Now, he’s back eating regular food. Thanks for any input 🙂
Sorry Becky, this post somehow got buried ;o(
You are right. I did have a neuropathy drink post that I cobbled together from research and testimonies but according to my clients, it wasn’t very effective.
I have, however, successfully reversed many neuropathy cases by rotating liver formulas – kinda on the order of the Gentle Liver Cleanse.
I also recmmend strongly that they do their blood type diet to reduce inflammation.
Pat
Dear Pat, since receiving your response last week when I first reached out about my lung condition, and your response that there was so much inflammation that you wouldn’t be able to even start until I had been on the Blood type diet for several weeks, I was “shaken awake” and began immediately. Yes it’s the Christmas season and “ good” foods abound and I am still preparing them for the gatherings, but with that wake up call, I determined to read the O blood type list and start immediately!
Therefore I have been doing so for 5 days and will eat around the festive foods , only choosing what are “ my blood type foods” because in just those short days I’ve been on it, I can now lie down to sleep again, instead of propped up, am not so out of breath when walking, although endurance weak. I am voraciously reading everything on your site and learning so much about myself and God’ wonderful design. I had considered myself eating a balanced healthy diet, with just a few transgression foods which I craved in spurts.
Today , I am resisting and feeling the difference already. I have had these conditions for my entire life , since age 2 and had lung surgery at age 11. Struggled through my life till 73, with a heap of traumatic experiences, and now I’m brought anew to you , having seen you back in the 90’s . If I had been ready then to read and learn from you I would be better now. Instead of just emergency treatments, I’m in this to be restored to health for the long term .
So , with that said, as O type , I won’t be doing dairy. Then I read that you recommended the Hedwig protocol which requires dairy. I have in past made raw milk kefir at home and will again if you say I should. Guessing cultured milk is an exception for O types, but what about cottage cheese? Is that cultured?
It’s Christmas Eve and I have lots of cooking to do, so wish you a very Happy Christmas, and to all a Healthy NY.
Some really nice stuff on this web site, I love it.