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Philosophy of
Health and Wellness
Conventional lab testing is generally designed to help the health
practitioner rule out a disease process. The labs provide
"reference ranges" for the tests performed, and if a result falls
outside of the given range, it is concluded to be abnormal; if
a common group of tests are abnormal, often the doctor will
name a disease associated with these grouped abnormalities.
This type of medicine is most effective in emergency medicine and
surgery.
When the same reference range
standards are applied to chronic ailments, the format is ineffective
at finding the source of the patient/client's problems, and often
leads to care that simply manages the symptoms.
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What is Biological (Functional Medicine)?
Biological medicine can augment patient/client assessment.
Biological or Functional Medicine refers to a collective
philosophy that includes ideas such as:
- Biochemical individuality - each of us has a
unique chemistry that must be evaluated to determine our unique
characteristics.
- patient/client-centered medicine emphasizes
"patient/client care" rather than "disease care," following Sir
William Osler’s admonition that "It is more important to know
what patient/client has the disease than to know what disease
the patient/client has."
- Balance of internal and external factors.
- Web-like interconnections of physiological
factors – an abundance of research now supports the view that
the human body functions as an orchestrated network of
interconnected systems, rather than individual systems
functioning alone and without effect on each other. For example,
we now know that immune dysfunctions can promote cardiovascular
disease, that dietary imbalances can cause hormonal
disturbances, and that environmental exposures can lead to
neurologic syndromes such as Parkinson’s disease.
- Health as a positive vitality – not merely
the absence of disease.
- Promotion of organ reserve as the means to
enhance health span and maximize the natural life span.1
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What Kind of Tests Does Our Lab Offer?
Our testing philosophy is based upon the 3 stages of illness (separated into
six phases by body reaction) as established by the science of
Homotoxicology.
Simply, when the body is exposed
to toxic elements (bacteria, viruses, fungi, heavy metals, inorganic
chemicals, etc), it has 3 stages (six phases) by which it tries to
cleanse toxin(s) and repair the body tissues. If the first phase
(Excretion) can not get the job done, then the next phase
(inflammation) takes over and so forth. (see below for more on how
each phase is different).
Each stage is associated with
specific body (immune) responses and thus, there are different ways
to measure them. Below is a simplified homotoxicology chart and how
our testing corresponds to measuring the body's overall status.
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Excretion Phase - the body
tires to eliminate the toxin(s) by increasing elimination (urine
output, fecal output, perspiration and respiratory rate).
Inflammation Phase - when
the body can't eliminate all or any of the toxins with excretion, it
creates inflammation (white blood cells) to break down the toxins
for elimination.
Deposition Phase - when the
body can't eliminate or the immune system can't breakdown all or any
of the toxicity, it begins to store the toxins, and it will do so
(if it is able to move them) in areas furthest from vital organs
(brain, heart, etc.). Toxins are often deposited in the matrix,
or connective tissues, of the body. This includes joints, muscles
and bones. At this point, the toxicity has not penetrated the cells
of the body, it is still in the fluid outside the cells called the
extracellular fluid.
Impregnation Phase - Once
the toxicity hits a certain level, body function declines and the
cells can no longer keep the toxins out and they move across the
cell's natural barrier called the cell membrane. The toxins
become impregnated into the body of the cells. They have now crossed
the Biological Division as illustrated above.
Degeneration Phase - The
toxins, now stuck inside the cell begin to cause inability for the
cell to function properly. The smaller organelles that exist within
the cells (called organelles) become damaged and the body tissues
begin to degenerate.
De-differentiation Phase -
Here the toxins have not only damaged the inner organs of the cells,
but now they have penetrated the deepest part of the cells, the
nucleus, where all of the cell's genetic material is stored. The
toxins damage the cell's DNA and instead of the cells regenerating
in a normal, healthy manner, hey begin to create weaker, unhealthier
cells. This is often called cancer.
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What is the difference in these tests?
Our Functional assessments
currently consist of:
-
The Body Terrain Test - a system of
simple tests designed to determine general imbalances and dysfunctions
within the body chemistry and to provide feedback on an individual's
progress/improvement. This test primarily reveals imbalances in
body chemistry within the first stage (Humoral) of illness.
-
The Wellness Chemistry Panel - a
unique analysis using conventional blood testing that can look deeper
into bodily function and provide long term assessment of health
and wellness. This test reveals imbalances in body chemistry
within the second (Matrix) and third (Cellular) stages of
illness.
Both tests have some
overlap in assessing the Matrix Stage of illness.
Both tests are geared
towards creating a customized lifestyle program for you to put your
body at its highest potential for health and healing.
Both tests require our two
comprehensive questionnaires (Health Symptom Questionnaire and
Nutrition Profile Questionnaire).
Both tests provide you with
a customized recommended lifestyle program of diet, exercise and
nutritional supplementation.
The Body Terrain
Test
consists of six (7) simple tests done at home, and ten (10) tests performed
in our lab (first morning urine catch) to create a snapshot of our
patient/client's unique body chemistry and their individual needs for
lifestyle modification. This testing is designed to measure the body's
Terrain or Milieu; meaning, the "soil" in which our 250,000
billion2 (250 quadrillion) cells reside.
This terrain is the environment of the
cells: it is responsible for bringing water, oxygen and nutrients to each
cell and conversely, responsible for removing toxins, wastes and carbon
dioxide from every cell. When the environment (terrain) becomes
polluted, acidic and imbalanced (stress, poor diet, poor rest, lack of
exercise and activity, etc.) the cells ability to function properly is
compromised, leading to symptoms (fatigue, muscle and joint pain/stiffness,
headaches, moodiness, etc.).
Initial imbalances in the terrain is not
detectable by conventional western methods of assessment such as blood lab
testing. When the terrain has been imbalanced for prolonged periods of
time, the cells organelles ("little organs") become damaged and function
even more poorly. This can sometimes be detected by conventional
western testing (blood, urine) and may be diagnosed by a medical doctor as a
specific disease process. Left uncorrected, these dysfunctions may
lead to damage of the cells' genetic material and severe illness (i.e
cancer) may present.2
More info on the Body Terrain Test
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The Wellness
Chemistry Panel is designed to measure
more of the internal working of the cell and to help determine how
progressive are imbalances in the body chemistry. This
test requires only a fasting blood draw. Reference range
results are received by our lab and then undergo a functional
assessment to determine a prioritized list of lifestyle
changes necessary to increase health and well being.
The Bio-Terrain Test can be performed as
often as a client would like, but is most effective to use 3-4 times per
year, depending on one's health history, progress ,needs, etc. The
Wellness Chemistry Panel is recommended twice annually.
These concepts can explain a lot to
patients and doctors alike. In simplest terms, they may explain why millions
of people have symptomatic conditions, yet their blood work is considered
"normal".
Biological medicine is a
collection of medical thought and practice that believes in the
importance of evaluating and balancing how the body functions, in
addition to screening for medical diseases or conditions. This can
be a most effective way of treating the underlying cause of disease.2
More info on the
Wellness Chemistry Panel
IMPORTANT NOTE
-
Our products, testing and consultation
services are designed to evaluate an individual's biochemical
function and to assess the need for lifestyle modification.
The results produced by are lab do not ever diagnose a medical
disease. Should significant imbalances be observed, our
clients are made aware of these observation and they are immediately
recommended to seek the help of their local licensed heath
professional.
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References:
1.
What is Functional Medicine, The Institute for Functional Medicine;
www.functionalmedicine.org
2. Homotoxicology, Illness and
Healing through Anti-homotoxic Therapy; H. Recekeweg 2nd ed. 1984.
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