This is a fabulous example of why it is better to look at the whole person rather than individual segments. Psoriasis is my example here but this could be changed to virtually any problem, hormone issues, digestive problems, thyroid activity or even weight loss. Psoriasis is a great example as it’s visually seen as a skin condition and the first thing to grab for a skin condition is a topical cream. Often the cream is simply used to stop itching and not even looking to help fix the underlying issue. Giving symptom relief to skin conditions is, of course, important as it can be irritable and the main source of the discomfort for the patient. Topical treatments have their place in breaking a cycle, however, let’s look deeper at the other sources where this skin problem may originate from.

Psoriasis is known to be one of the autoimmune type diseases, meaning the body has for some reason exaggerated it's defense system and is attacking itself. An autoimmune response can be triggered by a number of factors. I will briefly look at some of these to illustrate how a holistic approach can be used.

Stress

The stress response is well known to trigger an exaggerated autoimmune response. The initial stress response of the body is beneficial and protective hence the use of steroid creams such as cortisone, which are based on the actual hormone cortisol that the body produces. However, the effects over the long term can be very detrimental. This also goes for the long term release of the natural stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Therefore, in looking at a trigger for psoriasis (or virtually any other problem) we would want to look at the hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenals and thyroid organs to see if they are over or underachieving as they all play a role in the stress response and surprising of the immune system to allow psoriasis to flare.

The Gut

Each part of the gut should be investigated in all conditions. The stomach for digestion, the small intestine for “leaky gut” and food sensitivities and the large intestine for good/bad bacteria balance. If food isn’t being correctly digested and is absorbed through a damaged small intestine wall an autoimmune response is set up in the blood which can then roll over to other organs; the skin in this example. Then, when certain foods are eaten, they trigger an inflammatory response towards your body. This leads us down the route of also checking any food intolerances in the holistic approach to a patient.

Hippocrates “All Disease Begins in The Gut.”

Infection

The gut can also host numerous different overgrowths or infections, such as too much “bad” bacteria, candida or parasites. All of these can trigger immune responses in the gut on a daily basis which then overflow to other organs. In our psoriasis example, the skin can also harbour a degree of infection and more natural creams or foams can be used to help keep the skin clean whilst the internal environment is helped.

Deficiencies

A very basic place to start with any condition is to make sure there are no deficiencies of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, healthy fats or other nutrients. Any past stresses or strains on the body can speed the use of nutrients and if they aren’t replenished sufficiently can lead to deficiencies which lead to illness. A common example I see in the clinic is the fatigued mother who is depleted after having a baby and looking after them through the early months. They are depleted from growing the baby, lack of sleep, and aren’t REpleted due to eating poorly as a new mum rushing around. Another common deficiency in recent times is the lack of meat eaten leading to low levels of nutrients only available in animal foods, such as B12 and other fat-soluble vitamins.

Toxicity

It is virtually impossible in the modern world to live without exposure to toxins. It is well known that toxins have numerous detrimental health effects. Some toxins we know about and are easily visible, such as smoking, others are less understood and are invisible, like mobile phones or Wifi frequencies.

There are a number of easy ways to start detoxification; simply not eating foods wrapped in plastic has been found to significantly decrease the toxins from plastic in the bloodstream after only a few days. Eating more fibre is known is drag toxins out the gut. It is amazing how the body can repair itself if given the chance and there are many natural supplements that can speed and aid detoxification.

Constipation is a great example of how the liver can be over-burdened. The bowel should be extracting beneficial nutrients from food and passing the unwanted toxins out in the stool. However, if the food transit is slow through the bowel there is more time to absorb toxins. These toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream and the next stop for them is the liver.

The Avatar

This is a brief look into how Christian Bates looks at a person as a whole and not just the problem they are coming in for help with. Christian has the advantage of using an EAV device called the Avatar to look at the energetic health of all the organs quickly and non-invasively. Over 30 points are checked, including stomach, liver, kidneys, adrenals, thyroid, hormones, lymphatics and many more. It’s an incredible device for helping guide where appropriate nutritional help is applied to the CAUSE of a condition.

Learn more about the Avatar here:

http://www.theperrymount.com/avatar.html

You can book an appointment for the Avatar with Christian Bates HERE