The Wellness Formula reminds us that lasting health comes from balancing four areas: your individual constitution, the stressors acting upon you, daily health-promoting habits and appropriate treatment or support.

Definition

Physical activity includes all movement: walking, gardening, household tasks, active transport, play and sport. Exercise is planned movement intended to improve fitness, strength, mobility or endurance.

Current guidance recommends that adults gradually work toward:

• 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous activity.

• Strengthening the major muscle groups on at least two days each week.

• Less prolonged sitting, replacing it with movement of any intensity.

Importantly, every movement counts. Even modest increases in daily steps are associated with health benefits; there is no requirement to reach exactly 10,000 steps. Any movement is better than none.

Constitution and Stressors

Your ideal movement plan should respect your constitution.

Age, previous injuries, joint structure, chronic illness, disability, sleep quality and baseline fitness can all influence what feels safe and sustainable. Genetics may also contribute to differences in muscle performance and exercise tolerance.

Exercise can also influence how genes are expressed. Research suggests that regular activity may affect DNA methylation pathways involved in metabolism, inflammation and immune regulation - an encouraging example of lifestyle interacting with constitution.

Movement itself must remain balanced. Common activity stressors include:

• Sitting for long periods.

• Repetitive movements at work.

• Doing too much too soon.

• Exercising through pain or injury.

• Insufficient sleep, nutrition or recovery.

• Following an exercise program that feels punishing or unsustainable.

Both inactivity and excessive training can stress the body. The goal is regular, varied movement followed by adequate recovery.

Biochemistry Imbalance and Symptoms

When muscles contract, they increase their demand for oxygen and fuel. This encourages the body to improve circulation, mitochondrial energy production and glucose uptake.

Regular movement can help:

• Improve insulin sensitivity and blood-sugar regulation.

• Strengthen the heart and respiratory system.

• Maintain muscle mass, bone density and joint function.

• Support intestinal movement and regular elimination.

• Improve mood, sleep, memory and stress regulation.

• Stimulate circulation and the muscle-driven movement of lymphatic fluid.

Inactivity has the opposite effect. Over time, prolonged sitting and inadequate muscle use may contribute to stiffness, reduced stamina, loss of strength, poor metabolic control, low mood and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and premature mortality.

Health Promoters and Wellness Habits

The best exercise is the movement you can perform safely, enjoy and repeat consistently.

Build your week around four types of movement:

Walk and move: Walk outdoors, use stairs, garden, dance or cycle. Brisk movement should make you breathe faster while still allowing you to speak in short sentences.

Strengthen: Use squats to a chair, wall push-ups, resistance bands, weights or other activities that challenge the major muscles.

Mobilize: Move the neck, shoulders, spine, hips, knees, ankles, hands and wrists gently through a comfortable range.

Play: Swim, hike, dance, practice tai chi, join a class or play a sport. Enjoyment improves the likelihood that movement becomes a lifelong habit.

Break up long periods of sitting with one or two minutes of standing, stretching or walking whenever possible.

Your Practical Step: The 20-Minute Move Stack

Try this once today:

10 minutes - Walk
Walk at a comfortable-to-brisk pace. Begin with five minutes if you are currently inactive.

5 minutes - Strength
Complete two comfortable rounds of:

• 8-10 chair squats.

• 8-10 wall push-ups.

• 10-15 calf raises.

• A 20-second supported balance on each leg.

5 minutes - Mobility and breathing
Gently circle the shoulders and ankles, move the spine and hips through a comfortable ranges, and finish with slow diaphragmatic breathing - in through the nose and out the mouth.

Repeat this most days, but keep at least two dedicated strength sessions in your week. Increase time or difficulty gradually - not all at once.

Naturopathic Treatments to Consider

Supplements are optional support tools. They cannot replace movement, sleep, hydration or good nutrition.

1. Tart cherry - Symptom control

Tart cherry juice or concentrate may support selected aspects of recovery after unusually demanding exercise. A 2026 review found possible improvements in some strength-recovery and inflammatory measures, but results were inconsistent and the certainty of evidence ranged from very low to moderate. It is best viewed as short-term recovery support rather than an everyday requirement. Choose unsweetened products for best benefit.

2. Creatine monohydrate - Organ-system improvement

Creatine supports the rapid energy system within muscle and may enhance strength gains when combined with resistance training. Creatine monohydrate is the most studied form; 5 grams daily is commonly used without requiring a loading phase. It is most useful for strength, power and repeated high-intensity efforts rather than replacing aerobic exercise.

3. Protein - Biochemistry support

Protein provides the amino acids required for muscle repair and adaptation. Prioritize eggs, fish, lean meat, dairy, legumes, nuts and seeds. A whey, pea or blended protein supplement may be helpful when food intake is insufficient, particularly after strength exercise. Research shows that protein supplementation can modestly enhance gains in muscle and strength when combined with resistance training.

Consult your doctor or pharmacist before using supplements if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have kidney or liver disease, take regular medication, or are being treated for a chronic condition. Choose independently tested products where possible.

General Self-Care

• Wear appropriate footwear and use safe surroundings.

• Warm up gradually before harder activity.

• Hydrate according to the weather, duration and intensity.

• Allow recovery between demanding sessions.

• Stop if an exercise causes sharp or increasing pain.

• Seek urgent care for any symptoms such as; chest pressure, fainting, severe breathlessness, a new irregular heartbeat or sudden weakness.

• Obtain professional guidance before starting vigorous exercise if you have significant heart, lung, neurological or musculoskeletal disease.

Recommendations on Next Steps

Choose one enjoyable movement and schedule it for the same time on three days this week.

Begin with a dose that feels achievable - even five or ten minutes. Record how your energy, mood, sleep, stiffness and confidence respond. Once the habit feels natural, add either more time or a little more challenge.

Small, consistent movement builds resilience. Your body does not need perfection - it needs a regular reminder to stay vital.

Wellness Formula: Movement strengthens your constitution, reduces unnecessary stress, practice this health-promoting habit and use evidence-based treatment when needed.

Curated by Dr Chase Webber
Based on The Wellness Formula framework

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Your mind is not separate from your body. Every worry, expectation and emotion can influence breathing, muscle tension, sleep, digestion and stress hormones.

Mindfulness helps you notice these responses earlier—creating a valuable pause between what happens and how you respond

Definition

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment with curiosity and without immediate judgement.

It does not mean not thinking, emptying your mind or forcing yourself to feel positive. It means noticing the random thoughts, emotions and physical sensations without automatically reacting to them.

A 2025 meta-analysis found that mindfulness based interventions produced a moderate reduction in perceived stress among generally healthy adults. Benefits vary however person to person as mindfulness is a skill that develops rather than being a quick cure.

Constitution / Stressors

Your response to stress is personal.

Inherited biology, early-life experiences, previous trauma, health history, sleep quality and learned coping patterns can all influence how sensitive your nervous system is to stress. Genetics may create susceptibility, while life experiences and environmental stressors can influence how that susceptibility is expressed.

Common mental and emotional stressors include:

• Work and financial pressure

• Relationship conflict or loneliness

• Information overload and excessive screen time

• Poor sleep

• Pain or chronic illness

• Stimulants such as excessive caffeine

• Repeated worry, self-criticism or emotional suppression

Mindfulness does not remove every stressor. It helps you recognize which stressors are affecting you and choose a more deliberate response.

Biochemistry Imbalance & Symptoms

When the brain detects a threat, whether physical, emotional or imagined; the sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for action.

Heart rate and breathing increase, muscles tighten and stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline become more active. This is useful for short-term danger, but repeated activation without sufficient recovery may contribute to:

• Anxiety or irritability

• Racing thoughts

• Poor concentration

• Muscle tension or headaches

• Digestive discomfort

• Fatigue and disturbed sleep

• Emotional reactivity

Mindfulness may help by changing how we interpret and respond to stress. It can support emotional regulation and make it easier to notice tension before it becomes overwhelming. Current evidence suggests benefits for stress, anxiety and depression, although some research remains preliminary or inconsistent.

Health Promoters & Wellness Habits

Use mindfulness alongside the six Wellness Habits:

Air: Slow your breathing and allow the abdomen to expand gently.

Water: Pause before drinking and notice your body’s signals of thirst.

Food: Eat one meal without a screen, noticing taste, texture and fullness.

Move: Walk for five minutes while paying attention to your feet and surroundings.

Mind: Name the thought or emotion without judging it: “This is worry” or “I am noticing frustration.”

Rest: Create short moments of quiet during the day instead of waiting until bedtime to recover.

The aim is not perfect control. It is greater awareness, acceptance and choice.

Your Practical Step: The 3-Minute Mindful Reset

Use this once or twice daily, or whenever you feel emotionally activated.

Minute 1 - Notice

Ask: “What am I thinking, feeling and sensing right now?”

Name the experience without trying to change it.

Minute 2 - Breathe

Breathe deeply through your nose into the abdomen. Allow the exhalation out your mouth to be slightly longer than the inhalation. Do not force or hold the breath. Do 3 deep breaths.

Minute 3 - Choose

Ask:

• Is this thought based on what is happening now, or on what might happen?

• What does my body need?

• What is one helpful action I can take next?

Finish by identifying one thing you appreciate or one small opportunity available today.

Naturopathic Treatments to Consider

Supplements do not create mindfulness and should not replace sleep, movement, counseling or appropriate medical care. When stress or anxiety remains troublesome, these three naturopathic options are worth discussing with a qualified practitioner.

1. Standardized oral lavender oil - Symptom Control

A specific pharmaceutical quality oral lavender preparation has shown potential for reducing anxiety symptoms. Evidence is more convincing for the standardized oral product than for general aromatherapy.

Only use a product specifically manufactured for oral use - never swallow ordinary lavender essential oil. It may cause digestive symptoms and can interact with sedating medicines.

2. Ashwagandha - Stress Support

Standardized Withania somnifera root extracts may reduce perceived stress, anxiety and cortisol in some adults. However, studies have generally been small and short-term, so it is best considered an adjunct rather than a primary treatment.

Avoid without professional advice during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or with thyroid, autoimmune or liver conditions. It may also interact with sedatives and several prescription medicines so check with your Doctor beforehand.

3. Magnesium - Biochemistry Support

Magnesium contributes to normal nerve signaling, muscle relaxation and energy production. Supplementation may help anxiety or sleep in some people, particularly when dietary intake is low, but the clinical evidence is mixed.

Food sources: leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains should come first. Supplemental magnesium can be helpful in the short term to increase levels, discuss with your practitioner for a highly absorbable formula.

General Self-Care

• Begin with three minutes of sitting quietly and as you are comfortable allow for longer meditation sessions.

• Attach mindfulness to an existing habit, such as morning coffee or bedtime.

• Notice difficult emotions before trying to replace them.

• Amplify positive moments through gratitude, connection and creative activity.

• Reduce caffeine if it worsens tension, palpitations or sleep.

• Practice consistently; small changes maintained over time create resilience.

Mindfulness can occasionally intensify distress, traumatic memories or feelings of unreality. If this occurs, stop the exercise, orient yourself to your surroundings and seek support from a trauma-informed mental-health professional.

Recommendations on Next Steps

Practice the 3-Minute Mindful Reset daily for seven days.

Before and after each practice, rate your tension from 0 to 10. At the end of the week, review:

• Which stressors occurred most often?

• Where did stress first appear in your body?

• Which response helped you recover?

• What small habit can you continue for the next month?

Mindfulness is not about controlling every thought. It is about noticing what is happening, accepting the moment and choosing your next response with greater awareness.

Wellness Formula: Strengthen your constitution, reduce unnecessary stressors, practice mindfulness as a health-promoting habit and use evidence-based treatment when needed.

Curated by Dr Chase Webber
Based on The Wellness Formula framework

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The Wellness Formula - eBook

I would welcome any questions or comments and look forward to creating a wellness community based on real effective methods and strategies to improve health and wellbeing.

Yours in health

Chase

This episode I want to share with you my core framework on why some people heal and others don’t.

Too often people focus on symptoms and medicines but do not understand the crucial elements of their own Constitution, the Stressors in their life that cause the imbalances to start and what to do next.

Here I go through the most important parts to the Wellness Formula framework:

1. Constitution - your genetic and epigenetic susceptibility to disease and imbalance.

2. Stressors - the different stressors of life that challenge and create imbalance.

3. Health Promoters - the different wellness habits necessary to strengthen the Constitution and return balance to your system.

4. Treatment - the crucial role treatment can have to control symptoms, correct the underlying biological imbalance and reset the system.

If you are interested in watching the video version from YouTube:

If you are interested to discover my Wellness app:

Apple App Store

https://apple.co/4jBS1q0

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“Healing occurs when you have a Map that leads you to Healing Behaviors!” – CHASE WEBBER

This is the worksheet for my book, if you need any details on a particular section to understand further please go to the relevant chapters.

Step 1 - Identify Your Constitution

To determine your Constitution and Susceptibility, it is important to analyze your genetic risk acquired through hereditary processes.

Each individual inherits genes that predispose the body to certain sensitive/weak structural or functional body systems or strongly constituted body systems.

Check your Grandparents and Parents health for any of the main genetic predispositions such as:

• Cardiovascular Disease - YES / NO

  • ____________________________________

• Diabetes - YES / NO

  • ____________________________________

• Cancer - YES / NO

  • ____________________________________

• Auto-immune Disease - YES / NO

  • ____________________________________

• Respiratory or Lung Disease - YES / NO

  • ___________________________________

• Digestive Diseases - YES / NO

  • ____________________________________

• Bone or Muscle Diseases - YES / NO

  • ____________________________________

• Hormonal Diseases - YES / NO

  • ____________________________________

• Other Diseases that show up in both Grand Parent & Parents - YES / NO

  • __________________________________________________________

Ask yourself - How would I classify the Health of my Grand Parents & Parents in general? Note which Grand Parent or Parent and look for a tendency.

• Strong & Resilient - lived to 80 plus with little health issues

  • ____________________________________

• Sensitive - lived to 80 but often tend to health issues

  • ____________________________________

• Reactive - lived to 80 but tend to Acute & Chronic Diseases

  • ____________________________________

• Weak - frequent health issues or Chronic Diseases

  • ____________________________________

Genetic susceptibility however is not certain and normally requires additional factors to activate such gene expressions, so it is important to check how YOUR body has been expressing its health from birth up until your current age and to control the risk factors for any genetic disease.

Go through your total health history and identify which areas, organs or systems tend to show up frequently. Note ONLY those that show FREQUENTLY or as a Chronic Problem:

• Age 0 - 7

  • ________________________________________________________

• Age 8 - 16

  • ________________________________________________________

• Age 17 - 33

  • ________________________________________________________

• Age 34 - 67

  • ________________________________________________________

Important events are injuries, type and frequency of childhood illnesses, type and frequency of illness or disease up to date.

Identify areas and organ systems that show as Sensitive / Reactive / Weak where you need to be careful and what you need to strengthen with wellness habits.

Strong genetic diseases and family trends will also give you guidance as what to be careful of or avoid.

Step 2 - Identify & Control Your Stressors

Stressors can be viewed in different categories. Note down any which NEGATIVELY affect you and which part of the body normally reacts:

Environmental Stressors

• Quality of Air

  • __________________________________________________

• Amount of Sunshine

  • __________________________________________________

• Wind

  • __________________________________________________

• Dampness / Dryness Heat / Cold Pressure / Climate

  • __________________________________________________

Immune Stressors

• Pathogens (Bacteria, Virus, Parasites)

  • __________________________________________________

Chemical Stressors

• Pollution /Chemicals / Drugs

  • __________________________________________________

Nerve Stressors

• Type of occupation and work pressure

  • __________________________________________________

• Financial pressure

  • __________________________________________________

• Relationships with others and oneself

  • __________________________________________________

• Shock Anger / Hostility / Hate / Grief / Depression

  • __________________________________________________

Activity Stressors

• Sedentary life

  • __________________________________________________

• Over-Exercise

  • __________________________________________________

• Overuse of certain muscles

  • __________________________________________________

• Injury to tissues

  • __________________________________________________

Nutritional Stressors

• Deficiency or Excess of : Carbohydrates Sugars Fats Proteins Vitamins / Minerals Enzymes

  • __________________________________________________

Reduce the stressors that are applicable to you in a most consistent way or plan over time a steady reduction.

Step 3 - Apply the Wellness Habits

To strengthen the Constitution & Healing System apply the relevant Wellness Habits. Which ONE are you forgetting about or not doing?

Make a change that is possible to maintain for 1 year, small consistent changes are better than radical change that's not sustainable. DON’T be PERFECT rather be CONSISTENT.

• Air - Health Promoting Environment Deep Breathing & Fresh Air Sufficient Natural Sunlight

  YES / NO

  • __________________________________________________

• Water - External & Internal Hygiene Effective Hydration & Fresh Water Internal Cleansing

  YES / NO

  • __________________________________________________

• Food - Healthy Nutritional Habits Essential Nutrition Functioning Digestion and Assimilation Effective Elimination

  YES / NO

  • __________________________________________________

• Move - Healthy Exercise & Activity Regular Movement Balanced Exercise Play

  YES / NO

  • __________________________________________________

• Mind - Healthy Mind & Attitude Good Mental Approach Emotional Acceptance

  YES / NO

  • __________________________________________________

• Rest - Healthy Recuperation Good Deep Sleep Adequate Rest & Relaxation

  YES / NO

  • __________________________________________________

Go to the relevant chapter on Wellness habits and implement some changes that are sustainable for at least 6 months to 1 year. Remember small consistent habits result in big results long-term.

I have a Wellness app on the Apple App Store that can give you a big help in this area where you can learn more about the wellness habits and set goals for each.

Step 4 - Effective Treatment

Treatment options need to be considered based on good evidence & research with a well experienced physician.

Seek out a physician in your area, check to see the success and experience on treating similar problems or condition that you have so that you are choosing a treatment with the best evidence of success.

There are many types and forms of treatment:

• Modern Medicine

• Nutritional Medicine

• Natural Medicine

• Physical Medicine

• Immunological Medicine

• Environmental Medicine

The primary aim of treatment is to complete the equation of the healing formula, with a targeted approach.

True healing requires the full Wellness Formula be applied, to encourage the body in healing. Treatment needs to always be focused on 3 key objectives:

• Symptom Relief

• Correct Biochemistry

• Reduce Stressors

Consult a well experienced physician to prescribe the correct treatment for any current health problem you may have. Always select a physician who is careful to treat you as an individual, remains open to new developments in medicine and views your health in context with your lifestyle.

CONCLUSION

“Wellness is a skill, the more your practice it, the stronger it becomes” – CHASE WEBBER

I hope through the process of this book it has become clear that the framework to optimize your healing system is to create an equal focus on the 4 key elements of Constitution, Stressors, Health Promoters & Treatment.

The combination of these 4 essential elements leads to the Constitution becoming more resilient, Stressors are controlled as needed, Health Promoters & Treatment support and correct biochemistry to encourage healthy wellbeing & your inherent healing system to function best.

As a follow on from this book I will be taking the top 10 health problems and discuss them within the framework of the Wellness Formula.

Stay tuned for the next post…

I have a Wellness app available on the Apple App Store if you are looking to improve your wellbeing.

My full book is available on Amazon with this link but if you would like to follow me through this journey here on substack I would welcome you.

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This episode I wanted to share with you my personal top 5 wellness habits that I have found the most effective both in my own life, as well as with clients over the last 30 plus years.

Too often people over complicate health and wellness, but the biggest improvements come from the small easy consistent changes you make to your life.

Here I go through the most important hacks in each area:

1. Sleep - Be sure to get to sleep 1 or 2 hours before midnight - this helps to reset your circadian rhythm in line with nature.

2. Protein - Be sure to choose protein as the first thing in your meal so you get enough - hunger is determined by protein levels. If you don’t get enough you will stay hungry and end up eating the wrong foods.

3. Easy Exercise - Find an enjoyable movement and activity that you can easily do every day - walking, gentle mobilization, yoga any easy movement daily.

4. Breathing - Take 5 - 10 minutes every morning to do Deep Diaphragm Breathing into your belly - get to know your breath.

5. Mind - Start to nurture your Inner Carer within your thoughts - create a balance so your Inner Critic is not dominating your thoughts.

If you are interested in watching the video version from YouTube:

If you are interested to discover the my Wellness app:

Apple App Store

https://apple.co/4jBS1q0

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This first episode I wanted to give you my take on why I decided to write my book on The Wellness Formula and the Get-Real Wellness app. I hope you enjoy, I look forward to getting to know all the other people out there passionate about improving their health & wellness.

If you are interested in watching the video version from YouTube:

If you are interested to discover the my Wellness app:

Apple App Store

https://apple.co/4jBS1q0

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It is very seldom that we focus on the importance of sleep and relaxation in promoting health.

The body has two fundamental processes by which all of its parts are governed, these are anabolism and catabolism.

Anabolism is the building up, repair and maintenance of our cells, tissues and organs. Catabolism is the breaking down and utilization of energy to run the body processes, as well as discarding of any old or damaged cells to make way for the new.

During our waking hours we are involved in activity after activity, both physical and mental. This activity requires vast amounts of energy and thus for most of the 24 hours our body is in the mode of catabolism.

It is only in times of relaxation and sleep that the body can switch over to the anabolic mode and start repairing the tired cells, tissues and organs. It is during this anabolic phase that the body’s vitality is restored. For this reason sleep and relaxation have been called Nature’s rejuvenator.

The primary purpose of sleep is regeneration of nerve energy. All the processes and functions of the body are under the overall control of the brain and nervous system. We must remember that there are about 300 trillion cells in the body.

All of these living cells are continually sending information and messages to the nervous system, that need responding to. The brain and nervous system are at any one moment receiving, analyzing and sending appropriate responses back to the cells. Billions of signals are flashing through the nervous system which monitors the status of the internal environment (blood chemistry, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, temperature) as well as the external environment with its stimuli (activity, mental tasks, emotional interactions, stress).

Nature utilizes the night hours which have less external stimuli to rejuvenate the body with sleep. With less light, noise and activity the brain and nervous system can place its full focus on the balancing and functioning of the internal environment.

The muscles and limbs are resting during sleep and therefore require little energy. The energy is diverted and utilized by the internal vital organs to repair, replenish, re-energize and prepare for the renewed activity of the next day. Cells are healed and restocked with nutrients, and tissues are repaired.

It has been shown that cell reproduction occurs at twice the rate during sleep than during the waking hours. The liver in particular uses the restful sleep to effectively clean the blood without the demands of digestion being present.

Relaxation is the process by which the body, emotions and mind are promoted to switch over into the restful state that enhances sleep.

Many urban people do not know the art of relaxation, and try to just sleep. This sleep is not as beneficial as when the body’s environment for sleep has been prepared for by progressive relaxation.

Progressive relaxation should be part of our daily life whereby through the process of the will, each part of the body is visualized as becoming free of tension, warm and easy; from the toes to the head.

This will encourage the body into the relaxation response :

• the heart rate is reduced, it beats more efficiently and blood pressure is lowered.

• blood is shunted towards internal organs, especially liver, stomach, pancreas, spleen, kidneys and intestines.

• the rate of breathing normalizes.

• production of digestive enzymes and secretions is increased, which will greatly improve the digestive process.

• blood sugar levels are normalized.

The sleep of the person will be most productive in improving health.

Another important factor whilst sleeping is the availability of fresh air. There must be an open window for fresh circulation of air. During sleep the body cleanses out all toxic gases from the blood and lungs, it is important that these gases are removed and replaced by fresh air. An accumulation of stale air will result if no fresh air enters the room and will leave the person feeling tired and listless in the morning.

Each person has different needs as to the amount of sleep, depending on activity, age, stress levels etc. A good marker is 7 hours, if still tired in the morning or you don’t wake naturally, increase by an hour until the body gives a positive response.

Ensure that Bed Time is free of TV, Tablets, Phones or any overly stimulating mental activity.

Create a quiet, intimate, relaxing and peaceful environment as a habit to prepare for sleep.

Sleep and relaxation will go a long way in promoting and maintaining good health.

Stay tuned for the next post…

I have a Wellness app available on the Apple App Store if you are looking to improve your wellbeing.

My full book is available on Amazon with this link but if you would like to follow me through this journey here on substack I would welcome you.

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The effect our thoughts and emotions have on our health, have been greatly underestimated.

Today whole new sciences recognize the role the mind has in influencing the immune system, and the rest of the body. Our thoughts and emotions are channeled through the brain which is intimately connected to the functioning of the rest of the body through the nerves and hormonal glands that it controls.

In a study of healthy people, certain key elements show up in regards to their mental and emotional use.

Good mental attitude - healthy people have a pro-active and self empowering attitude.

• They look for opportunities and are always of the belief that their efforts are benefiting them, even if external events seem difficult.

• They make decisions easily, believing that decisions and actions bring opportunities and success.

I have my own belief in this regard - “success is a result of the anticipation of greatness”.

When we focus our mind to anticipate for opportunity, success, positivity it develops our senses to be more aware of opportunities, successful strategy and our behavior becomes more collaborative toward success.

Emotional acceptance - healthy people tend to accept that they are emotional beings and not always perfect.

• It is important to acknowledge your own emotions and explore how you can use them more constructively.

• Emotional release in the urban environment, or the expression of too much emotion is unacceptable.

Healthy people try to find ways to release pent up emotions with music, singing, painting and other creative ideas. Emotions are linked to our creative abilities and often if we can find something that utilizes this creative aspect our emotions can be released.

Occupation satisfaction - healthy people always strive to be positive in making their occupation a satisfaction in their life.

• If they find themselves in an occupation that they don't like, they will take small steps and formulate goals to making an occupation change to one which they will enjoy.

Financial stability - healthy people tend to be more aware of how they save, spend and earn their money.

• Financial stability does not always imply large amounts of money, rather that the person feels in control of his earning and spending.

• Goals need to be set and achieved in saving, with rewards given as a token of self- nurturing.

Supportive relationships - healthy people first of all support their relationship with themselves, believing that self-love is important to self-esteem and respect.

When you are supportive of your-self, it becomes easier to support others and have them interact with you.

Only in an atmosphere of mutual support can a relationship grow positively.

These key areas will positively influence the health of the body by balancing and optimizing the neuro-endocrine systems with beneficial thoughts and emotions.

If you would like to explore this topic of Mind & Emotion in more detail. I wrote a 2nd book called A Secular Spirituality - Safety Freedom Flourishing which is available here on Substack for free.

Stay tuned for the next post…

I have a Wellness app available on the Apple App Store if you are looking to improve your wellbeing.

My full book is available on Amazon with this link but if you would like to follow me through this journey here on substack I would welcome you.

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Movement is a vital fact of nature, the earth, stars and planets are in continual motion. The seas, rivers and wind currents ceaselessly move to keep the waters and air clean and full of life. All animals in nature walk, run, climb or fly to maintain their survival in searching for food or preventing attack by predators.

The human organism also needs this movement. Blood needs to reach all tissues and cells, lymph needs to be drained away from all tissues, any digestive waste must be efficiently eliminated, and the musculoskeletal structures must be promoted into full function.

It is common that the urban individual does not get sufficient movement of his body during the business activities, therefore we need to create a special plan of action to counteract this negative aspect.

A form of consciously directed movement or exercise, must be encouraged to stimulate good health.

Movement and exercise has the following benefits:

• Breathing and respiration improve, more oxygen is absorbed and more carbon dioxide eliminated.

• Blood circulation is improved. The heart rate and blood pressure are increased temporarily, stimulating blood ow to all tissues, thus cells receive more oxygen and nutrients.

• Lymphatic fluids are effectively drained due to the pumping action of the contracting skeletal muscles. Waste around cells is thus reduced dramatically.

• The tone and movement of the intestines improves, resulting in better digestion and elimination.

• The contraction and relaxation of the muscle improves their strength and health.

A better mind-body link is created due to the consciousness being utilized in directed movements.

The joints are kept flexible and well nourished by the movements taking them through their full range. The bones are stimulated to regulate their density and strength, due to the forces coming through or acting on them.

The sweat glands and sebaceous glands of the skin are utilized and stimulated. This effectively promotes the skin’s eliminatory role.

What form of exercise is best ?

Medicine views any movement as being better than none. Research has shown that even gentle walking and easy full range movements, such as Chinese Tai Chi, are powerful in promoting health.

The power of regular walking has most recently become the focus of a lot of research. It shows that walking has better health benefits than running and other strenuous activities. Walking is man’s natural activity.

Activities such as swimming and cycling are also high on the positive list.

Strenuous exercise, has been shown to not be as good in promoting health. It tends to be too hard on the body. These activities release a lot of endorphins which give the person a lift, but endorphins are normally released in response to body damage, so continually doing strenuous activities can lead to injuries in the long term.

The best advice is find an enjoyable movement that you can do consistently and enjoyably throughout your life. This will have the most benefit.

Stay tuned for the next post…

I have a Wellness app available on the Apple App Store if you are looking to improve your wellbeing.

My full book is available on Amazon with this link but if you would like to follow me through this journey here on substack I would welcome you.

Subscribe now

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The foods we eat, or nutrition, is one of the largest factors that can positively or negatively affect the health of the individual.

Oxygen is the energy liberating molecule, water is the medium in which all biological processes occur, but nutrition provides the raw materials needed to build, repair and maintain all the structural components of the body.

The simplest organelle in the cell, to the most complex tissue and organ structures, nutrition is the vital provider of the molecules needed.

So what molecules do we need?

• Fats & Carbohydrates for energy

• Proteins - for structural building blocks

• Enzymes, vitamins & minerals for biochemistry

The carbohydrates, fats, proteins with the related enzymes, vitamins and minerals all come from the foods we eat.

• Carbohydrates we receive from fruits, vegetables, grains and tubers.

• Fats and protein we receive from the oils and amino acids in nuts, seeds, animal products such as dairy, eggs, fish, chicken and meat.

• The enzymes, vitamins and minerals we get from all foods, but the effectiveness of them is better from nutrient dense foods.

We know that all these foods contain the nutrients needed by the body, but we need to examine which of these foods are suited to our Constitution.

All these foods are available in nature, yet certain animals will only eat certain foods depending on their biological constitution.

Carnivorous animals will eat mostly meats and will seldom or never eat grains or fruits. Buck and other Herbivorous animals will eat mostly grains and grasses, and seldom meats. Omnivorous animals such as some monkeys, will eat fruits, vegetables, tubers, insects and meats.

So where do Humans fit in ?

To understand the human species biological constitution we need to look at our anthropologic history. In archeological and anthropological studies it has been found that since Paleolithic Humans (380000 BC) nutrition developed around the survival principle of hunting and gathering.

Recent archeological findings prove that these ancient people were very healthy. They were tall, had strong bones, muscles, and had body structures much like modern day athletes.

In stature they were very similar to us, yet as long as they survived accidents, childbirth, and infection, their longevity was better than ours, with hardly any chronic degenerative disease.

If we look at their lifestyle, they had regular exercise due to walking, gathering, and hunting for food and survival.

Approximately half of their diet came from fruits, berries, and some starchy vegetable tubers, which provided them with healthy unrefined carbohydrates for energy, seeds and nuts gave them some fats and proteins.

The main part of their diet was from hunted small animals such as fish, fowl and small buck, which provided essential fat and protein. Hunters would place highest value in large animals that would be used for more longer term protein drying the meat and fat and using the hide.

Hunting was highly valued since without this the tribe would not thrive. The focus on hunting for protein and fat is well documented and ensured that they became fit and healthy.

Todays urban lifestyle eating and living habits are in direct opposition to our biological constitution.

With this background in mind, let’s discuss the key components of a healthy diet that supports our body constitution:

• Fruits, vegetables, tubers, and legumes provide essential fibre based carbohydrates necessary for our body’s energy requirements.

• Seeds, nuts will give us the essential fatty acids and proteins necessary for our body’s rebuilding and hormone requirements.

• Approximately 40-50% our diet should come from free-range natural animal proteins such as fish, small wild fowl, and small pasture raised animals such as buck, lamb, pig with occasional large animal meats.

This type of nutrition is often called the Hunter-Gatherer or Paleo Diet since it bases the majority of foods to those similar were we to follow a hunter-gatherer nutrition in todays world. Keep the food selection as whole and natural as possible, limiting highly refined foods to as little as possible.

Stay tuned for the next post…

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The second most important biochemical need of the body is water. Our bodies are composed of at least 60% water.

It is the primary component of all the cells, and fluid systems of the body. Water makes up the intracellular cytoplasm, the interstitial fluid around each cell, lymph, blood, sweat, tears, saliva, digestive juices and cerebro-spinal fluid.

With water being this important to the structure and function of the body, it is therefore the primary liquid that we should consume. Before any molecule can be utilized in the body, it must become absorbed into the waters of the body.

Oxygen of the air needs to be absorbed into the blood and then sent to the cells nutrients of our food needs to be absorbed into the blood and then distributed to the interstitial fluids around each cell, readily available for cell assimilation waste of cell metabolism is excreted into the interstitial fluids and then drained away by the lymphatic system the blood is cleaned by the liver producing liquid bile and the kidneys producing urine.

Every biochemical and biological process occurs in a fluid environment. Without water which provides this liquid, we cannot experience health. Water is this important, yet most people in the urban environment do not drink it sufficiently.

The urban population drinks liquids, but only those that are processed. They tend to believe that because they receive enough liquid, they receive enough water. This is an error as the body does not react to mixed liquids as it does to pure water.

Mixed liquids contain sugars, stimulants, colourants and chemicals; the body has to first process and separate these from the water before it can use it. This effectively means that a lot of organ energy is used to gain access to the water.

If we look at the rest of nature, no other species, from plant to animal drinks anything but water. Humans are the only species that drink liquids other than water. We should take a lesson from the rest of nature and ensure that the first choice of liquid we consume, is water.

The effectiveness and health of our fluid systems in the body depend on it and the functioning of our elimination systems can only improve when we supply the body with fresh clean water. The amount of water supplied to the body must not be excessive or restricted. The delicate balance of fluids from the intracellular, intercellular and extracellular environments must be maintained to provide homeostasis, the body has natural thirst centers in the brain that need to be listened to in determining the amounts of water taken.

Different needs arise according to temperature, activity and condition of the body. A good health promoting habit would be to drink four (250ml) glasses a day:

• one on awakening

• one before lunch

• one before dinner

• one before sleep

Anymore than this can be determined by thirst as the need arises.

You will find that when pure fresh water is taken in this way, the body will start to crave and enjoy the taste of water. This enjoyment of taste is often absent in urban people due to their palates being accustomed to sweet, stimulating beverages.

Once that habit is encouraged, the natural taste for water will return, with an improvement of the health. It is advisable that tap water is firstly filtered and purified, due to the high concentration of chemicals and metals possibly present from the processing for large distribution.

By filtering the water, it is made pure and ready for use as the body needs it.

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A key part of the Wellness Formula is to strengthen the Constitution so that we can become more robust in resisting the effects of Stressors that imbalance our health.

In the earlier Chapter I discussed the modern lifestyle and it’s links to disease so that it is clear that to make lasting change in our health we need to put in place Health Promoters to create a wellness lifestyle.

The word medicine comes from the Latin ‘medicina’ and means thoughtful action to establish order. It is not often that we would think that our lifestyle could be an effective medicine, but in using the health promotors we can learn to use our daily life as a medicine, a way of thoughtful living that strengthens, supports and helps to establish order through the innate healing system.

I have taken the Health Promoters and placed them into 6 key Wellness habits :

Air - Optimum Breathing

Water - Optimum Hydration

Food - Optimum Nutrition

Move - Optimum Exercise & Activity

Mind - Optimum Thought & Emotion

Rest - Optimum Sleep & Relaxation

It would be ideal to go through each of these healthy habits and see which are relevant to you to improve upon. Small but consistent changes are the most powerful, as this has a cumulative and combinable effect.

It is better to make small changes to each of the habits than try to be perfect in one before implementing the next. I encourage individuals to make a change that they can commit to for at least 6 months or preferably 1 year. These type of changes bring the most benefit in the long-term.

Air - Optimum Breathing

On the hierarchy of needs in the body, oxygen is the first. The reason is simple: Oxygen is energy and energy is life.

In the urban environment, people tend to think of food as energy, but food would be useless as a fuel without oxygen. The food is inert, oxygen brings the foods we eat to life, it makes the molecules in the food reactive and the energy released sustains life. Without oxygen, cells become deprived of energy and consequently malfunction or die.

Where do we get most of our oxygen from ? The air, the atmosphere is made up of nitrogen, oxygen mostly, and then small amounts of carbon dioxide, other gases and water vapour.

How do we get this abundant supply of air into our bodies ? Through the process of breathing and respiration. Proper breathing is the first step we can make towards assisting our Healing System.

People have gone without food for 60 days, without water for a week, but if you suddenly hold your breath, your body will demand that you resume breathing in less than sixty seconds. The brain can only last about 4 minutes without oxygen before it becomes damaged.

Proper breathing and respiration provide the following :

• adequate oxygen intake

• adequate carbon dioxide elimination

• internal massage of abdominal organs

• enhances cerebro-spinal fluid circulation

• balances autonomic nervous system

• improves mental clarity

• brings emotional equilibrium

• increases the vital force in the body

Proper breathing is referred to as diaphragm breathing, where the breath is initiated by the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscular sheet that cuts across the midsection, inside the chest cavity, just below the lungs; and above the liver, stomach and spleen.

When we inhale the diaphragm muscle, which is dome-shaped, contracts and flattens downward onto the abdominal organs. This downward movement creates an increase in space in the chest cavity with a resultant low pressure vacuum. The external atmosphere is higher in pressure and thus pushes in to fill this vacuum, bringing the needed air to the lungs. Inside the lungs are millions of tiny grape-like sacs, called alveoli. When the air fills these alveoli the oxygen gets absorbed through their thin membranes, into the blood owing through the capillaries that surround each alveoli.

Once oxygen is in the blood it binds to the red blood cells hemoglobin, which then transports it to the tissues and cells all over the body. In diaphragm breathing, 80% of the lungs are filled effectively bringing plenty of oxygen to the body.

Most people in the stressful urban environment breathe mostly with the chest which results in shallow breathing. Chest breathing only fills 20% of the alveoli and thus a lot less oxygen is available to the body. This leads to low vitality as can be seen by the largest health complaint of urban people being tiredness and fatigue.

Each quantity of blood that reaches the cells, surrenders its oxygen, and replaces it with carbon dioxide waste from the cells. The blood then returns to the lungs and releases the carbon dioxide which is eliminated by exhaling. In shallow chest breathing the problem comes in when not enough oxygen enters the body and not enough carbon dioxide is removed out the body; the first stage of biological imbalance with its resultant accumulations of toxic gases begins.

In diaphragm breathing, the downward flattening action of the diaphragm provides a rhythmical massage to all the abdominal organs, especially the liver, stomach and spleen. This helps in keeping these vital organs free of lymphatic accumulations, and promotes the digestion, assimilation and elimination of the gastro-intestinal tract. Many cases of sluggish digestion, or constipated bowels will improve dramatically through deep diaphragm breathing.

A less known part of the human body is the vital fluid system that surrounds the Brain and spinal cord. This fluid is known as the cerebro-spinal fluid. It is a clear and colourless fluid with many physiological activities such as :

• supports and cushions the brain and spinal cord

• main nutrient provider to brain tissue

• regulates hypothalamus hormone secretion

• harmonises and co-ordinates the functions of the organs

This fluid is continually being circulated around the brain, spinal cord and nerves in the body. It does this by way of the pulsation’s in the brain and by influence from the movement of the diaphragm during breathing. Diaphragm breathing will therefore assist in this important circulation process to keep the entire nervous system healthy.

Diaphragm breathing has a powerful balancing effect on the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system governs all the involuntary activities of the body, heart beat, blood pressure, temperature, digestion, assimilation, elimination. Stress and strain can unbalance this nervous system and impair the function of these vital activities. Diaphragm breathing brings the system back into proper functioning.

With all these positive effects of diaphragm breathing, they spill over to provide mental clarity and emotional equilibrium.

Studies have shown that people who breathe in a shallow, hurried way tend to be nervous and emotional, while those who breathe rhythmically and deeply into the abdomen tend to be more emotionally balanced, centered and less affected by changes in their environment.

The average urban individual who breathes an average of 20 000 times per day, probably does not consider the importance of their breath and the oxygen that animates the body with vital force. Yet every moment deep within us trillions of tiny cells are seeking to be embraced by an equal number of tiny oxygen atoms, each one bearing the gift of life.

We should therefore make full use of our breathing, with daily deep diaphragm breathing consciously to help induce a habit of better respiration.

Stay tuned for the next post…

I have a Wellness app available on the Apple App Store if you are looking to improve your wellbeing.

My full book is available on Amazon with this link but if you would like to follow me through this journey here on substack I would welcome you.

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Health is a dynamic state of balance where all parts of the body cells, tissues, organs, systems function smoothly and efficiently. The body has an inherent capacity to heal and restore function.

Hippocrates referred to the ‘Vis Medicatrix Naturae’ as our inner doctor. It is this inner doctor - or what I like to call the Healing System that we need to learn more about.

How and what is needed so that conditions are optimized for self-healing?

Our body’s healing system is always operational, it’s regulation processes are always trying to restore balance when balance is lost; but the healing system itself has certain requirements, and operates better in certain circumstances. For example a wound will not heal no matter how hard the healing system works, if it is continually being irritated by re-opening the injury or if a foreign body i.e. sand is stuck in the wound.

If the healing system’s ability is in the positive, healing will take place - this means that an appropriate environment for healing must be aimed at to allow the regulating processes time to establish proper function.

The Wellness Formula is a framework to understand and optimize this capacity. I have theorized the formula in the following equation, and illustrated below:

Constitution (C) minus Stressors (S) plus Health Promotors (HP) plus Treatment (Rx) = Healing Response (Hx)

The dynamic state of health is referred to in medicine as Homeostasis and each person's ability to maintain health relies on two initial factors - their Constitution and the level of Stressors acting on the body.

Constitution & Susceptibility

The 1st factor of the Wellness Formula we have to consider is our Constitution and Susceptibility, which is largely determined by genetic inheritance acquired through hereditary processes.

Each individual inherits genes that can predispose the body to any sensitive/weak structural or functional body tissues, organs or systems. On the positive aspect of hereditary would be strongly constituted body systems. In addition to the genetic make-up would be the current health status determined by a persons health history from birth up to their current age.

It is important to note the total health history and identify which areas, organs or systems tend to show weakness frequently. Important events are injuries, type and frequency of childhood illnesses, type and frequency of illness or disease to date.

The genetic and current health status determine the body’s susceptibility to stressors. Each person has certain areas, organs and systems that can be weak or strong and this will aect their ability to respond to the environment externally and internally.

I am sure you have heard examples where some people are very robust and healthy despite living quite unhealthy lifestyles, yet others seem to become ill very easily. The Constitution is what determines this, individuals with a very strong genetic constitution can get away with a lot more before their health takes a downward turn.

This is why it is important to identify your Constitutional susceptibility. Normally the sensitive or weak parts of our constitution react negatively. Strong genetic diseases and family trends will also give you guidance as what to be careful of or avoid.

Life Stressors

The 2nd part of the Wellness Formula is the type and level of stressors present in an individual's life. The reality of life is change, the elements and forces making up and surrounding us are constantly changing.

The body has to continually respond and adjust to the constant change. Energy is required for this, and thus I classify these constantly changing elements and forces = stressors.

At any moment in time any one or a combination of stressors can challenge the Constitution and this will influence the inner biological processes of the body. If the Constitution is vulnerable it can set up a biochemical imbalance.

Stressors can be viewed in different categories:

Environmental Stressors

• Quality of Air

• Amount of Sunshine

• Wind

• Dampness / Dryness

• Heat / Cold

• Pressure / Climate

Immune Stressors

• Pathogens (Bacteria, Virus, Parasites)

Chemical Stressors

• Pollution /Chemicals / Drugs

Nerve Stressors

• Type of occupation and work pressure

• Financial pressure

• Relationships with others and oneself

• Shock Anger / Hostility / Hate Grief Depression

Activity Stressors

• Sedentary life

• Over-Exercise

• Overuse of certain muscles

• Injury to tissues

Nutritional Stressors

• Deficiency or Excess of : Carbohydrates Sugars Fats Proteins Vitamins / Minerals Enzymes

Stressors can over-power the constitution resulting in a biological imbalance, which often shows up as a symptom and change in the optimal function within the body.

Biochemical Imbalance

To understand disease we need to remember that the most important part is correctly identifying the causes. Often when people think of disease they focus on the symptoms of a disease and forget the causes which created the Biochemical Imbalance resulting from the underlying Constitution not coping with particular Stressors.

The symptoms of a disease are purely a by-product of the biochemical imbalance and the body’s response. It is important to always remember that the symptom is not the disease itself.

Symptoms should be noted, monitored and controlled but should not be seen as the main treatment focus. The more important task is to find the cause and bring balance back to the Constitution-Stressor complex. As an example: If an individual’s immune system is compromised by a bacterial or viral infection, they may well have fever and body pain which are symptoms of the imbalance and the body’s response. It will give comfort to regulate the symptoms of fever and pain but it is far more important to remove the Stressor which is the bacteria or virus, and strengthen the constitution through immune enhancement treatment.

The more we can develop or strengthen the constitution the more resistant the individual will become to the environmental pathogen.

Healing often does not occur and leads to chronic disease because this essential step is misunderstood. Individuals may be taking a particular medication which may improve or help with certain symptoms but because the under-lying Stressor is not removed, or the Constitution is not strengthened, or a Health Promoter is not added; the real health cannot be regained.

Health Promoters

The 3rd part of the Wellness Formula are the Health Promoters. The Constitution & Healing System need certain essential factors to function at best to stay strong and resilient against stressors as well as repair from any imbalance:

Health Promoting Environment

• Deep Breathing & Fresh Air

• Effective Hydration & Fresh Water

• Sufficient Natural Sunlight

Healthy Nutritional Habits

• Essential Nutrition

• Functioning Digestion and Assimilation

• Effective Elimination

Healthy Exercise & Activity

• Regular Movement

• Balanced Exercise

• Play

External & Internal Hygiene

• Effective cleansing

• Intact Immune System

Functioning Circulatory and Respiratory System

Healthy Mind & Attitude

• Good Mental Approach

• Emotional Acceptance

Healthy Recuperation

• Good Deep Sleep

• Adequate Rest & Relaxation

These Health Promoters are covered in detail in the chapter on the Wellness Lifestyle where you can review and decide which need more focus in your life.

Treatment

Effective treatment and remedies is the 4th part of the Wellness Formula. This allows for the effective regulation of symptoms as well as targeted correction of any underlying biochemical imbalance.

Treatment options should only be considered based on good evidence & research with a well experienced physician. There are many types and forms of treatment:

• Modern Medicine

• Nutritional Medicine

• Natural Medicine

• Physical Medicine

• Immunological Medicine

• Environmental Medicine

The primary aim of treatment is to complete the equation of the formula, with a targeted approach. Treatment should not be the only active factor, and should not focus only on symptoms. When treatment becomes the only active part of a healing strategy very often symptoms will improve for a time but because the underlying biochemical imbalance is not corrected the problem will not resolve.

True healing requires the full Wellness Formula be applied, to encourage the body in healing. Treatment needs to always be focused on 3 key objectives:

• Symptom Relief

• Correcting Biochemistry

• Reduce Stressors

To approach treatment this way both the symptom and the cause is addressed and healing is optimized.

Stay tuned for the next post…

I have a Wellness app available on the Apple App Store if you are looking to improve your wellbeing.

My full book is available on Amazon with this link but if you would like to follow me through this journey here on substack I would welcome you.

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The technological and mechanistic revolution changed medicine and the way people lived. There was a huge increase in industrialism with a corresponding decrease in agricultural and rural occupations.

It became more financially viable for people to move and work in the big towns or city industrial and business environments. In industry and business, time and its relationship to financial gain, became the most important factor.

All the other factors in a persons life took second place in relation to the pursuit of wealth in this new technological environment.

This had many implications on the living patterns of the individual, especially the physical, nutritional as well as mental and emotional habits.

Physical

The only physical activity “worth” doing was that related to business, because the direct effect of financial gain was linked to the occupation. This meant that most people would be involved in one activity for the whole day, either sitting at a desk, or involved in a repetitive movement.

This use of the body in a predominantly single activity tended to overuse certain muscle groups, yet kept the rest of the body underused or sedentary. Over-used muscles tended to fatigue, increased stress and pain, resulting in many types of repetitive strain injuries and overuse syndromes.

There was also no emphasis placed on other exercise for the body; it was considered a waste of business time, or purely for aesthetic value. Since the medical model of the time also saw no health advantage for exercise, people became more sedentary.

Another factor was that, although in the Urban environment people generally live close to their occupation, the focus on time and technology provided transport by vehicle to and from work. Very few people would walk or cycle to work resulting in even more time being sedentary.

The reduction in physical activity and exercise has serious consequences on the health of the individual. Natural medicine practitioners in the past have always impressed upon people the importance of exercise.

Today overwhelming evidence has linked obesity, overweight problems, cardiovascular disease, lymphatic problems, osteoporosis, diabetes, and psychological problems, to a lack of physical exercise being a major factor.

Fortunately due to this evidence and education more and more individuals are increasing their exercise and activity.

Nutritional

Foods and the nutritional programs of people had to be made to fit into the industrial business schedule. They had to be pre-made, convenient, not time consuming in preparation, easily transported, easily stored, and also “profitable”. The supply of convenience food is big business in our modern environment.

To cater for all these needs, foods had to be refined, pre-cooked, processed, packaged and loaded with additives to prevent spoilage. Most of the basic grains and sugar containing plants were stripped of their fibre and nutrients, leaving the concentrated sweet or starch powder. This stripping of the plant’s nutrients was also due to the “single cause theory” believing that this was what was important in the plant, the rest is useless. The refined powder was then used to make or flavour the convenience foods. Refined starch and sugar have became the two basic foods eaten.

They could make many types of processed foods that could be quickly prepared, easily stored and transported and became very profitable. A quick look at the ingredients list of most convenience food will show these two ingredients at the top.

The “control belief” was also used to turn animals into a profit making business. The industrial farming of cows, sheep, chickens increased dramatically and the methods used do not have health as their objective. Hormones and antibiotics are used as growth factors to get the animal to market quickly.

Fresh vegetables and fruits were not considered good business because of their difficulty in staying fresh without spoilage, in transportation and storage if they were not processed. So very little fresh vegetables and fruits were eaten, they were processed into tins, or made into concentrated juices.

The foods most eaten in the urban environment became, highly processed, low fiber, and low in essential nutrients - hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs, white bread sandwiches, pizza, fried meats, pastries, refined cereals, soft drinks, and other fast- foods, t.v. dinners etc.

There is clear scientific evidence now that cardiovascular disease, dental disease, kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, rheumatism, liver disease and behavioral problems, to be linked to the modern western diet.

Mental / Emotional

The modern urban working and living environment places a great deal of stress on the body. The number of hours with intense mental concentration has a negative effect on the nervous system. Individuals spend most of their working hours indoors, where no fresh air and sunlight can penetrate.

The highly competitive and overcrowded working spaces often leads to emotional buildup of anger, frustration, worry and fear. It is also not socially or politically correct to show these emotions in the working environment, so they are often repressed and never released at early stages.

This stress environment has lead to the widespread use of excess coffee, tea, sugar and smoking, for their stimulating and self nurturing effect. In the evenings after the combination of the high stress and stimulants individuals often use relaxants such as alcohol or if under the medical doctors advice, some form of drug relaxant, to encourage sleep or rest.

The use of these stimulants and relaxants is again directly associated with the “single cause theory”, even if it is a subtle association. The person feels that they need something to give them a lift, or relaxation. The symptom is being focused on and not the cause. This has lead to a very high incidence of addiction in modern society.

The combination of these is further aggravated by the small amount of time that is left to interact and socialize with friends, the family, spouse and children.

This area of one’s life is supposed to be the emotional support system, but with the imbalance coming from the urban career, this support system cannot cope. The incidence of family breakdown and childhood aggression / abuse is far greater in the urban environment.

All of these mental and emotional factors with the high stress, and artificial office environment have now been shown scientifically to be strong causative factors in sick building syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, nervous system disorders, kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, gastro-intestinal disease.

It is clear that the lifestyle of the individual, which was promoted by the modern mechanistic environment, has become an important factor in the disease / health relationship and that the single cause “germ theory” of disease was incomplete.

It is important to realize that to build health or heal disease we need to combine a number of factors and that is what the Wellness Formula is all about.

Stay tuned for the next post…

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Today it is becoming widely known that our modern lifestyle is not beneficial for our health. The question is how & why did we develop this unhealthy lifestyle in the first place?

My observation is that most people have not made a conscious choice to follow an unhealthy lifestyle.

The modern lifestyle developed over the past few hundred years as we migrated from a natural life to an industrialized urban life within a medical framework that until recent times did not see any relationship of disease to their lifestyle.

This stems directly from the mechanistic control viewpoint that governed the western medical system since the days of Descartes. In the seventeenth century Descartes put forth the belief that the human body was governed by very definite principles outside of superstition, this was necessary to effectively break away from the concept that demons, spirits were responsible for disease. His descriptions put in place an idea that the human body operates like a mere machine.

Disease was seen to be the consequence of the breakdown of this machine, and therefore it became the physicians responsibility to mechanically repair the broken parts or get rid of them.

The previous Hippocratic and natural medicine methods that believed in a self-healing, self-repairing ability of the body, did not fit into this new medical viewpoint. It became more the vogue for the physician to actively intervene and fix the body with potions and drugs.

The physicians task was to look for the ‘thing ’that damaged the mechanical workings of the body. Thus the ‘single cause theory’ of disease started to emerge. The physician started to expect that one cause would be found for each disease.

Louis Pasteur in the eighteenth century is credited with the “germ theory” and this gave the physicians an answer to fit with the mechanical model. He identified microbes, bacteria, viruses and parasites in the diseased body and thus felt that they were the sole cause for disease.

This single cause theory effectively separated the patients role in the disease. The germs became the important factor. Germs caused the disease, therefore the physician must find a drug to kill the germ and cure the patient.

The patient’s role was to be passive, the physician had the knowledge and the medicine which would kill the microbes and make him well. One can understand how this would influence the lifestyle of a society who were ruled by this mechanistic belief.

If the physicians who were supposed to be the advisors and respected knowledge holders did not see any relationship of lifestyle or other factors to disease, why would the common person. For many generations it did not seem to matter what your physical activity, nutrition, emotional well-being, mental stress were; so long as you stayed away from germs you would be healthy.

Health became limited to the absence of germs or disease. The main concept of improving health was to keep a clean environment. This is probably the most positive aspect of the germ theory. It created an awareness of sanitation and cleanliness which did more to prevent the spread of infectious disease.

However it changed the publics perception of health, giving the belief that the answer to relieve any illness was only to be found in some drug or medication.

The mechanistic viewpoint with the germ theory disempowered the individual. The responsibility for a person’s health was given over to the medical professional and drug medicine.

Lifestyle was not seen to play a role in the individual’s health so the type of habits adopted in the urban environment were taken up without knowing the consequences.

To be continued….

I have a Wellness app available on the Apple App Store if you are looking to improve your wellbeing.

My full book is available on Amazon with this link but if you would like to follow me through this journey here on substack I would welcome you.

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The history of healing and medicine reveals that there have been many approaches developed by different cultures all over the world. The approaches differ depending on the time in history, technology present, and the socio-political influences but the intention is always the desire to heal.

Early systems of healing & medicine were founded by sensitive individuals who interacted and lived closely with nature, were in- spired by instinct, keen observation as well as a trial and error approach in formulating methods of returning health to the unwell. In these early healing systems the individual was viewed as 'part of nature', a microcosm of the macrocosm; an intelligence that governed healing was recognized and worked with. All the aspects of a persons life were felt to be important factors in the cause of illness, and in the treatment thereof.

This approach is very apparent in systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurvedic Medicine, Greek Medicine and modern Naturopathic Medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine is at least 3000 years old, is still being used to treat millions of people in China and around the world.

Chinese medicine is based on the view that humanity is part of a larger creation, the Universe itself. Each individual is subject to the same laws that govern the stars, planets, trees, animals and soil. Its understanding of health begins with an understanding of Nature and the laws that govern it. To follow the laws of nature is to be blessed with good health, long life, and good fortune.

Ayurvedic Medicine is dated to at least 500 B.C., and is based on the oldest philosophical and spiritual writings, the Vedas. These founders viewed health and healing in context with all other aspects of human life. Health in Ayurveda is based upon one’s relationship with the cosmos. The Cosmos is united through a life force known as Prana. If one’s relationship with Nature is good, the life force animates the body properly and health is the result.

Greek Medicine is largely associated with the time of Hippocrates. He was born in 460 B.C. and founded the first school of medicine dedicated to the scientific understanding of health and the body. He refused to believe that health and disease was either a gift or punishment visited upon humanity by the Gods.

He regarded health and disease as the consequence of “natural” and orderly processes that could be understood. For Hippocrates, all living beings move towards specific and knowable goals. Each living being plays a part in a more grand cycle, which is essentially healthy and constructive. When illness manifests, the body’s natural intelligence acts to heal itself and restore the individual to its larger social purpose. Health is the natural state of the body and illness is also natural, governed by natural laws that make illness follow a specific pattern.

Modern Healing

A modern form of nature based healing is Naturopathic Medicine. It is considered a philosophy, art and science of natural healing. Naturopathic Medicine did not develop in isolation, but rather blended nature based healing methods into a system that focuses on promoting health, preventing disease and treatment accord- ing to time tested principles. Naturopathic Medicine, in common with ancient medical systems, places at its foundation the "Vis Medicatrix Naturae", the healing power of Nature espoused by Hippocrates. Nature is acknowledged to be intelligent and operate in an orderly manner for the entire ecosystem.

How does this differ from the approach of typical Western Medicine?

Western medicine developed during the rise in industrialization and technology, and with this people began to believe that be- cause they could achieve certain accomplishments that 'seemed' to control nature, they therefore thought themselves better than or higher than nature. The feeling of being 'part of' was lost and a sense of being 'the controller of' created.

Western Medicine does not acknowledge the healing power of nature, rather it sees it as random with the physician’s role to step in and correct nature. Although Hippocrates is often cited as being the inspiration of Western Medicine yet it is only in his view that health and disease should be seen according to a scientific viewpoint.

Western medicine is often exclusively referred to as scientific, yet other natural approaches share an empirical science when viewed in terms of the time they have had to test, prove or dis- prove their treatments and principles. During the advent of Western Medicine people began to analyze the chemical components of previous natural remedies, plants or minerals, and felt that they could create a better, more powerful substance. Thus began the creation of chemical, drug oriented medicines. The drug was seen to be better and more effective than nature. Since humanity was seen to be “above” nature they therefore needed special remedies. Natural remedies were seen to be less important, the drug could simply overpower any process, the drug would create the order. Western Medicine believed disease would be controlled with these new drug medicines, and that each disease had a single cause for which a single drug could be created to correct it. This single origin ideology brought forward the “germ theory” in medicine, and humanity assumed that they had found the single cause to disease. The effect of this belief was to ignore other factors involved, such as our relationships to Nature, the environment, and people.

Throughout this time physician’s who continued to work with a healing power of nature view, and learn from this inherent intelligence, were sidelined and degraded to folk/quack medicine. Today however, modern western medicine has begun to realize that its belief relying purely on drug medicine with a single cause is incomplete. More and more evidence shows the importance of working with and addressing the whole life of the individual in the healing process.

We are beginning to see a move in modern medicine back to such terms as Lifestyle Medicine, Integrative Medicine, Complementary Medicine and Wellness Medicine.

The concept that the whole life of an individual plays a role in dis- ease is returning and a growing acknowledgement that the environmental, social, nutritional, emotional and mental factors need to be included in any treatment plan.

Health and Healing occur according to a natural formula, that Wellness Formula is what this book is about.

Stay tuned for the next post…

I have a Wellness app available on the Apple App Store if you are looking to improve your wellbeing.

My full book is available on Amazon with this link but if you would like to follow me through this journey here on substack I would welcome you.

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Share The Wellness Formula

In the beginning of my professional journey in health and healing like most new graduates I focused on trying to get my patients to stick to a particular treatment which supposedly would be beneficial for their diagnosed health problem.

Some patients would respond well and others not. Initially I believed that those individuals not responding had just not adhered as well to the prescribed treatment or medication and thus the poor response.

Over the years and with more experience I discovered that ultimately success was more closely linked to how compatible the treatment or medication was with each individual as well as other factors in their life.

Thus began my quest to more completely understand what underlying differences there were between patients and how best to create an individual approach.

We are not machines, we are not the same; each individual carries a unique constitution created both from genetics as well as from the intimate interactions with the world. We respond to the stress and challenges of life in unique ways and therefore true healing needs to account for this uniqueness.

To seek out healing, rebalancing of the body and mind we need to embrace and match this uniqueness with a relevant and focused healing framework.

This framework is what I call the Wellness Formula and I have used it both for my practice as well as in my own health.

I hope that this book inspires both individuals and physicians to discover the unique nuances of their and the patient’s life so that a more personalized treatment plan can result and bring about true healing.

Yours in health Dr Chase Webber - Naturopathic Practitioner

Subscribe for the next post…

I have a Wellness app available on the Apple App Store if you are looking to improve your wellbeing.

My full book is available on Amazon with this link but if you would like to follow me through this journey here on substack I would welcome you.

Subscribe now

In 2020 my book was published on Amazon but that gives me limited access directly to readers and enthusiasts of wellness.

I decided to bring my content here to Substack to have a more personal interaction and feedback from readers, as well as take the framework of my formula further.

This will be a new refresh and provide easy access for those of you who are interested in improving your wellbeing, learning more about my approach based on more than 30 years in dealing with health and disease to find solutions using natural medicine and wellness methods.

I look forward to connecting here and building a community.

Yours in Health

Chase

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