1.2 Principles and Philosophy

Question 1

What are the 12 Naturopathic principles ?

Answer 1

1. The healing power of nature
2. Prevention is preferable to cure
3. Treat the cause, not a symptom
4. The ‘whole’ person is treated
5. Health is more then ‘Absence of infirmity’
6. The person is treated, not the disease
7. The individual is unique
8. Disease stems from imbalance
9. Diseases due to the internal environment
10. Addressing deficiency and excess
11. Ailments should not be suppressed
12. A Naturopath is an educator

Question 2

Naturopathic principles

Explain: The healing power of nature

Answer 2

The body heals itself given the right conditions and treatment.

• Vital force (life force, Qi, Prana - responsible for self-healing), can be stimulated or suppressed.
• Stimulated by fresh air, sun, clean water, healthy diet, fasting, detoxification.
• Naturopathic practitioners promote the flow of vital force using various natural therapies.
• ‘Whatever disease the body has produced, it is able to reverse’ (Dr A. Vogel).

Question 3

Naturopathic principles

Explain: Prevention is preferable to cure

Answer 3

Naturopaths promote the importance of ‘prevention’.
* Most diseases clearly linked to diet, lifestyle, environment.
* Address these factors to prevent disease, rather than reacting after disease manifests.
* Promoting health ultimately maintains optimal vital force at all times.

Question 4

Naturopathic principles

Explain: Treat the cause, not a symptom

Answer 4

The root (underlying) cause of dysfunction needs to be identified and treated, not the branches (symptoms).

Question 5

Naturopathic principles

Expain: The ‘Whole’ person is treated

Answer 5

Naturopaths take account of the ‘whole’ patient (physical, mental, genetic, environmental, social and other factors).
* There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.
* Three clients may present with the same symptoms, but treatment will be different for each of them.

Question 6

Naturopathic principles

Explain: Health is more than ‘absence of infirmity’

Answer 6

Health is much greater, it should be abundant vitality.
* Many people believe they are ‘healthy’ (ie do not have a medical condition), yet they lack of energy and vitality.
* Naturopaths understand when vital force is diminished and use natural methods to help clients achieve a state of abundant vitality.

Question 7

Naturopathic principles

Explain: A person is treated, not the disease

Answer 7

Naturopaths do not only ask what the problem is, but…
* Why is it there?
* Where did it come from?
* What is the cause (root)?

Responses are unique for each patient, therefore, the treatment approach must be individually focused on each patient.

Question 8

Naturopathic principles

Explain: The Individual is unique

Answer 8

The bio-individuality of each person is respected.

• Each person is biochemically unique due to variations in blood types, genes, metabolic rate, age, constitution, etc.
• Therefore, each person has unique nutritional requirements and therapy requirements and will respond to treatment in different ways and at different speeds.

Question 9

Naturopathic principles

Explain: Disease stems from imbalance

Answer 9

All disease starts with disruption to homoeostasis.*
* Therefore, the healing process always involves ‘return to balance’.
* Example, the body becomes acidic, leading to inflammation and toxicity. Healing will involve alkalizing treatments to bring the system back into balance.

*Mechanisms which maintain a balanced internal environment

Question 10

Naturopathic principles

Explain: Disease is due to the internal environment

Answer 10

Ill health is not a product of external influences, but the internal environment of the body.

• Analogy of a sick fish in a dirty fish tank.
• Orthodoxy - give the fish medicine (external influences)
• Naturopathy - change the water (internal environment).
• A fish struggling to survive in polluted water is similar to our cells trying to survive in polluted extracellular fluid.

Question 11

Naturopathic principles

Explain: Address Deficiency and Excess

Answer 11

If a person is deficient (weak), treatment aims to build them up.
If a person is in excess (toxic), treatment aims to break down and detoxify.

Question 12

Naturopathic principles

Explain: Ailments (symptoms) should not be suppressed

Answer 12

Symptoms are there for a reason and are manifestations of nature’s healing force.

• Suppressing symptoms drives them deeper into the body leading to more serious conditions
• Suppression disrupts homoeostasis
• Working ‘with’ the body encourages natural self-healing abilities

Question 13

Give some examples of suppression

Answer 13

* Steroid creams drives disease deeper into the body; instead we need to eliminate toxins
* Antidepressants don’t solve problems; instead we need to ‘process’ experiences and make positive lives changes.
* Removal of tonsils suppresses innate healing responses, making us less able to fight microbes, and at risk of more serious diseases in the lungs, heart and GIT.
* Fever reducing drugs (paracetamol, Calpol, etc.) suppress healing responses. Instead we need to encourage sweating using warm baths and teas.
* Painkillers mask symptoms and can cause GIT bleeding. Instead we need to listen to the bodies warning signs. If the ankle hurts, let it rest and use applications to promote circulation and speed up the healing.

Question 14

Naturopathic principles

Explain: A naturopath is an educator

Answer 14

Naturopaths empower patients to take responsibility for their own health by educating them.

This gives patients:

• A better understanding of their health.
• True knowledge of how to attain and maintain good health (abundant vitality)
• Real awareness of how to avoid dietary, lifestyle and environmental influences that result in disease.

Question 15

Naturopathic philosophy

What is Nature cure ?

Answer 15

Natural healing

• Literal meaning of Natur(opathy) is ‘disorder’ of ‘nature’.
• Naturopathy is the art of restoring order in the mind and body through natural healing
• It is a philosophy that reunites us with nature’s laws.

Question 16

Naturopathic philosophy

Why is naturopathy considered a way of life ?

Answer 16

• Naturopaths understand the vital force of nature (vitalism) and how it applies to all areas of life
• Just using natural therapies or eating organic food is not enough - naturopaths foster a naturopathic philosophy of life

Question 17

Naturopathic philosophy

What is ‘Wholeness’ ?

Answer 17

• Naturopathy is (w)holistic – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
• Orthodox medicine is ‘mechanistic’ – viewing the body as a machine in which the whole equals the sum of the parts. If parts break down, they need to be fixed/replaced/removed from the body to function again.

Question 18

Naturopathic philosophy

What is ‘Uniqueness /Non-uniformity’ ?

Answer 18

Nature is ‘non-uniform’

• Each person has unique genes
• Our bodies and minds continually adapt the environment
• Each of us is different
• Every disease presentation is distinct
• Treatments must be tailored specifically to the individual
• There are too many variables when treating a person and not just the disease
• Non-uniformity makes it difficult to evaluate treatment approaches based on scientific evidence-based criteria

Question 19

Naturopathic philosophy

Why is naturopathy considered an art and a science ?

Answer 19

• For healing to be effective, it must be congruent with nature’s laws.
• Naturopathy is an alignment with nature herself; a harmonious integration with the natural environment.
• We are manifestations of what we eat, drink, breathe, think and believe

Question 20

Hygiene

What is meant by the naturopathic term ‘Hygiene’

Answer 20

General lifestyle changes that support vitality and healing.

For example:

• Wearing clothes that breathe, i.e. wool, cotton, linen or silk.
• Having adequate rest after exercise or illness in order to recuperate.
• Importance of exercise, earthing, sleep, sunshine and breathing.

Question 21

Hygiene

What kind of exercise can be beneficial ?

Answer 21

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

• Cycles of short intense periods of exercise followed by periods of rest.
• Increases endurance, cardiovascular fitness, growth hormone levels
• Slows down telomere shortening
• Example; Warm up, walk for 2 mins, sprint for 10 secs, repeat for 6 cycles.

telomeres protect ends of chromosomes degeneration reduces lifespan

Question 22

Hygiene

What is Earthing (Grounding) ?

Answer 22

Earthing reduces the build-up of electro-magnetic stress by taking up negative ions from the earth

• Walk barefoot on the grass for 20 minutes each evening before bed or walk on dew in the morning (moisture increases conductivity).
• You can get the same effect wearing leather-soled shoes when out walking; especially in wet weather.
• You can also lie on the ground (grass) or on a sandy beach, when the weather is good.

Question 23

Hygiene

Why is sleep important and how can good sleep hygiene be attained ?

Answer 23

This is when the body and mind rest and repair.

• Establishing a rhythm. Go-to-sleep same time each night and rise at the same time each morning.
• Dark room (or eye mask) because light interferes with melatonin release (pituitary hormone that regulates the sleep wake cycle).
• No wireless and computer technology in the room.
• Ideally sleep between 10 PM and 6 AM

Question 24

Hygiene

What can help sleep ?

Answer 24

• Organ functions. If wakingat the same time each night use the Chinese clock to establish which organs need support.
• Don’t eat late (ideally not after 6 PM); this causes certain organs to work hard when they should be resting, affecting sleep.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
• Go for a walk, or go barefoot (earthing).
• Reduce stress (work, family) – resolve issues before sleep.

Question 25

Hygiene

What is the importance of sunshine ?

Answer 25

Essential for vitamin D and melatonin synthesis

• Maximise sunlight absorption by exposing the inside of legs and underside of arms to 15 minutes of midday sun each day
• General rule: if outside and your shadow is the same height or shorter then you, you are getting enough sunlight to make vitamin D.
• Never let the skin turn pink or red.
• Exposure to daytime light (the brighter the better) encourages better melatonin production at night and, therefore, better quality sleep
• Early morning sunshine helps reset the circadian clock

Question 26

Hygiene

What is the imporance of correct breathing?

Answer 26

Increases oxygenation and CO2 removal, activates the parasympathetic nervous system

• Use full lung capacity, especially drawing air into the lower part of the lungs.
• Breath from the belly using the diaphragm
• Breathing exercise: Inhale through your nose for 3 seconds, exhale through your mouth and 3 seconds. Over a few weeks progress to 4, 5, 6 seconds and so on. The fewer cycles per minute, the better.

Question 27

Laws of Cure

What are Hering’s Laws of Cure

Answer 27

Constantin Hering (1800 – 1880) was an early pioneer of homoeopathy these observations of the healing process led to his five laws of cure. These are:
1. From inside out.
2. From more serious organs to less serious organs.
3. The mind gets better before the body.
4. Symptoms disappear in the reverse order to when they arrived.
5. From above to below.

Question 28

Laws of Cure

Give an example of Law 1: From inside out

Answer 28

Boil formation clears toxins from the inside to the exterior away from more vital organs.

• Case study: instead of using antibiotics and roaccutane to suppress acne, time taken with cleansing herbs will initially makes acne worse with improvement following

Question 29

Laws of Cure

Give an example of Law 2: From more serious organs to less serious ones

Answer 29

Inflammation shifts from the lungs (asthma) to the skin (eczema).

• Case study: 16 year old male with asthma (10 years). He used steroid creams (suppression) from 3 to 8 years for eczema.
• Using natural treatment, the asthma subsided, but eczema resurfaced. Over 10 months treatment, the eczema also resolved and the patient has been clear over two years.

Question 30

Laws of Cure

Give an example of Law 3: The mind gets better before the body.

Answer 30

Anxiety starts improving before IBS does.

Question 31

Laws of Cure

Give an example of Law 4: Symptoms disappear in the reverse order to when they arrived.

Answer 31

Case:

• 24 year old male. Frequent diarrhoea, headaches and poor concentration since returning from India where he contracted parasites and took antibiotics (suppressive)
• One month later he got bloating and diarrhoea, then headaches, ‘brain fog’ and mouth ulcers.
• Using natural treatment, first his headaches and concentration started to improve. Progressively his mouth ulcers cleared and eight weeks later, his diarrhoea and bloating also subsided.

Question 32

Laws of Cure

Give an example of Law 5: From above to below

Answer 32

Case:

• 39 year old female presented with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis, which had progressed from her distal finger joints to her wrists and now her elbows (disease travelling up the body
• Using natural treatment, the elbow pain ceased, then the wrist pain slowly began to improve. After two months of treatment, she no longer has wrist pain, the elbow pain has not returned and her finger joints have now started to improve.