"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" — Hippocrates
Samuel Hahnemann [the originator of homeopathy] was very aware of the importance of food and referred to the significance of diet in various aphorisms of the Organon. He examined the effect of foods on the progression of chronic disease and on the process of healing, stressing the importance of a simple, nourishing diet.
“... the careful investigation into such obstacles to cure is so much the more necessary in the case of patients affected by chronic diseases, as their diseases are usually aggravated by such noxious influences and other disease-causing errors in the diet and regimen, which often pass unnoticed.” (Organon §260)
“The most appropriate regimen during the employment of medicine in chronic diseases consists in the removal of such obstacles to recovery, and in supplying where necessary the reverse: innocent moral and intellectual recreation, active exercise in the open air in almost all kinds of weather (daily walks, slight manual labor), suitable, nutritious, unmedicinal food and drink, etc.” (Organon §261)
Hahnemann also stressed the role of diet in the development of disease:
“ Those diseases are inappropriately named chronic which persons incur who expose themselves continually to avoidable noxious influences, who are in the habit of indulging in injurious liquors or aliments, are addicted to dissipations of many kinds which undermine the health, who undergo prolonged abstinence from things that are necessary for the support of life. ... these states of ill-health, which persons bring upon themselves disappear spontaneously, provided no chronic miasm lurks in the body, under an improved mode of living, and cannot be called chronic diseases.” (Organon §77)
“While inquiring into the state of chronic diseases, the particular circumstances of the patient with regard to his ordinary occupations, his usual mode of living and diet, his domestic situation and so forth, must be well-considered and scrutinized, to ascertain what there is in them, that may tend to produce or to maintain disease, in order that by their removal the recovery may be promoted.” (Organon §94)
I believe there are several questions we need to ask ourselves as homeopaths:
- How many cases of apparent chronic disease could be corrected by improvements in diet?
- If we repertorize the symptoms in these cases and treat them with a homeopathic remedy, do we, in Hahnemann’s phrase, “clearly perceive what is to be cured”? (Organon §3) Or are we treating with a remedy something that should be corrected by removing the maintaining cause, i.e. by making dietary changes?
- If we correct the dietary imbalances, will we then observe more clearly the genuine, chronic (miasmatic) disease symptoms?
- What should we recommend as a healthy diet, likely to support good health and recovery from disease?
Food confusion
Food is key to health, so why is there so much disagreement about what constitutes a healthy diet? Up until about 100 years ago, there was little debate about what to eat — most people ate what was available locally, and what their families had always eaten. With the advent of refined, processed foods, traditional diets were displaced by the convenience of industrially-produced goods that could be stored and transported over large distances. Commercial interests overpowered cultural wisdom. Unfortunately the processed foodstuffs lacked many essential nutrients. This is still a problem today for the vast numbers of people eating prepared oven- or microwave-ready foods. Some nutrients are added back in, but the range and amounts do little to compensate for what is lost by not eating a whole food.
If we were to investigate the diets of our clients, we would find that many of them eat what is termed the Standard American Diet (or SAD). It typically includes refined carbohydrates, starches and sugars (average annual consumption in the USA: over 140 pounds of sugar per person), processed meats, unhealthy sources of fats and low amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. This has led to an epidemic of obesity and the increasing incidence of diabetes and other chronic degenerative diseases.
What should they (and we) be eating? Where can we find reliable information about what foods to eat? There is a lot of contradictory information circulating, so no wonder people throw up their hands in confusion and head to McDonald’s. Two helpful approaches are to look at traditional diets around the world and their impact on health, and to look at the nutritional needs of the body and how it absorbs and utilizes nutrients.
The wisdom of traditional cultures
The seminal research on traditional foods and their impact on health was carried out in the 1930s by an American dentist, Dr Weston Price. Alarmed by the decline in dental health of his pediatric patients, Price hypothesized that the increase in processed food consumption was to blame. To test his theory, he traveled the world in search of remote cultures that were still eating an entirely traditional diet that contained no refined foods. He found groups of people in remote mountain areas of Switzerland, in isolated Scottish island communities, and in both polar and tropical regions. They had the following in common:
- They had virtually no tooth decay
- They had no orthodontic problems
- They had virtually no degenerative diseases; cancer and heart disease were almost non-existent
- They had a high resistance to tuberculosis
In contrast, cultures that had begun to eat sugar and refined foods started to show degenerative conditions one or more generations after the dietary change, including:
- Greatly increased tooth decay and loss of teeth
- Narrowing of the jaw and consequent orthodontic problems
- Increased levels of chronic disease
- Increased incidence of tuberculosis
Price found that the traditional diets he investigated were very varied; however they shared certain characteristics:
- All the groups he studied consumed a mix of cooked and raw foods
- All the diets included fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) from animal sources
- All foods were prepared to enhance nutritional content and minimize anti-nutrients. Preparation techniques included soaking, sprouting and fermenting
- No refined foods were eaten
- All the cultures consumed animal products, some of which were raw (e.g. unpasteurized dairy products)
- Compared to the American diet of Price’s day traditional diets were four times higher in minerals and ten times higher in fat-soluble vitamins
- Enzyme content was higher
- The amount of fat consumed varied from 30% to 80% of total calories; just 4% of this was polyunsaturated
- Amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids were equal
- Natural salt was used (containing naturally occurring minerals)
- Bone broths were consumed regularly
Price admitted that his greatest disappointment was that he did not find a traditional culture that was totally vegetarian. It is interesting to note that certain of the health impacts Price recorded have what we as homeopaths might recognize as miasmatic characteristics: bone and teeth deformities and susceptibility to tuberculosis. It is also significant that the health consequences of poor nutrition affect subsequent generations, as demonstrated by a contemporary of Price, Dr Francis Pottenger.
Pottenger carried out research into the effects of diet on cats. He compared groups of cats fed a cooked diet of meat scraps, vegetables and milk with other groups fed on raw meat, vegetables and milk. He noted that the groups fed a cooked diet suffered dietary deficiencies that manifested in increasingly severe health problems in successive generations. By the third generation, the offspring of cats fed cooked food suffered from physical deformities, social stress, aggression, behavioral abnormalities and infertility. Taking these cats and feeding them a raw food diet, Pottenger started to reverse the changes. However, it took four generations to return the group of cats to health.
How much of an impact is the Standard American Diet having on the health of children and adults today? How many of today’s health challenges, including degenerative diseases, behavioral issues, violence and fertility problems, are at least partly caused by nutritional deficiencies in our supposedly well-nourished society?
What the body tells us
The way the body utilizes food and assimilates nutrients can tell us a lot about what we need to eat. For the last fifty years or so, we have been encouraged to reduce cholesterol and fat consumption, particularly animal and saturated fats, and to eat more carbohydrates, especially whole grains. Food products now abound that are “low fat.” Unfortunately these are often highly processed foods that contain large quantities of refined starches. A low fat, high carbohydrate diet has some unintended negative consequences, due to the body’s blood sugar regulation mechanisms. All carbohydrates, whether refined or whole grain, are digested to form glucose, used as fuel for cells. Eating large amounts of carbohydrates causes blood sugar levels to rise rapidly. In order to keep this within healthy parameters, the pancreas releases insulin, which functions as a glucose storage hormone, transporting glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells. Once the capacity of the cells to accept glucose is reached, a limited amount of remaining blood sugar is converted by the liver to glycogen and stored for future energy requirements; any surplus glucose after this is stored as fat.The more carbs we eat, the fatter we tend to become. Many years of eating high quantities of refined carbohydrates and sugars can ultimately result in morbid obesity and the development of Type 2 diabetes.
If, on the other hand, we eat more healthy fats with a meal, this slows the digestion of carbohydrates, reducing blood sugar and insulin spikes. The body does not have to work as hard to maintain an optimal blood sugar level. And there is less excess glucose to be stored as fat. The truth is that fats don’t make us fat — too many carbohydrates do.
Dietary fats have other key roles. Fats provide us with a sustained source of energy. The structure and integrity of our cell membranes, manufacture of hormones, inflammation management, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and immune system function are all dependent on dietary fats. In particular we need the correct balance of essential fatty acids, Omega-3 and Omega-6. Unfortunately, our modern eating habits can result in an excess of Omega-6 fatty acids from over-consumption of vegetable oils, leading to inflammation.
It turns out that cholesterol and animal fats are not the enemies that we once thought they were. Cholesterol is essential to the body: it is involved in vitamin D and sex hormone production, is important for the structure and integrity of cell membranes and repair of inflammation. Did you know that sesame oil and lard contain a similar percentage of mono-unsaturated fat? And that butter is the richest dietary source of butyric acid, a key molecule in nourishing and healing the gut? It seems there is a reason why our species craves fat — it’s good for us, as long as we eat the right type.
What should we be eating?
In addition to healthy fats and moderate amounts of unrefined carbohydrates, what should we be eating? It’s crucial that we build our diet, and that of our clients, around nutrient-dense, unprocessed whole foods, organically grown where possible. Bear in mind that everyone is different; just as we have individuality in personality, we also have individuality in our biochemistry, so there isn’t a “one size fits all” diet. However, we should focus on including the following food groups:
Fats
- We need a mix of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Butter from pastured cows, raw if available
- Animal fats such as lard, chicken fat and duck fat. These are much more stable in cooking than vegetable oils, which oxidize easily.
- Omega-3 fatty acids from cold water fish. Vegetable sources such as flax seed or borage oil can also be used, but not everyone can metabolize them efficiently. Most people already consume more than enough Omega-6 fatty acids.
- Nut and seed oils, such as sesame and walnut can be used as dressings, but should not be heated. Cold-pressed oils are preferable, stored away from heat and light.
- NO hydrogenated fats!
How much dietary fat should we eat? This varies from person to person. A good place to start is to have around 30 - 40% of calories from fats and oils. It can be adjusted up or down according to metabolism and activity level. Don’t worry about dietary cholesterol. It has little to no impact on our blood cholesterol. A bigger negative effect is seen from refined carbohydrate and low activity levels.
Protein
Protein is essential for growth and tissue repair, and for the production of hormones, enzymes and antibodies. An optimal diet should derive approximately 20 - 30% of calories from protein, although again there is room for individual variation. Sources of protein can be a contentious issue — should we eat meat, fish and cheese, or should we opt for nuts, legumes and soy? From an anatomical and physiological perspective, as well as from an examination of traditional diets, it would appear that we have evolved to eat an omnivorous diet. However, when we eat animal protein we should be mindful of where it comes from — choosing wild caught, sustainable seafood, pastured eggs or grass-fed beef means that not only is the nutrient content of the food optimal, the animals it comes from have been reared in the most natural and humane way. We should also honor the animal’s sacrifice by eating “nose to tail.” We are somewhat squeamish in this country and tend to discard everything but muscle meat. Organs such as liver or kidneys from grass fed animals are packed full of nutrients and should not be thrown away.
Consideration of the ethical and environmental aspects of meat consumption versus vegetarianism or veganism is outside the scope of this article. See the Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith for a passionate discussion of this topic.
Carbohydrates
As discussed above, we should avoid refined carbohydrates, sugar and fructose. The best sources of carbohydrates are vegetables, which provide vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fiber. Grains, even whole grains, can cause problems when eaten in excess; the incidence of gluten sensitivity appears to be rising and is associated with a wide range of health problems including IBS, joint pain, poor concentration, low energy and depression. Selective breeding of wheat varieties has resulted in higher levels of gluten. Traditional societies often used slow sourdough fermentation methods to make wheat gluten more digestible, reducing its ill effects. Eat a mix of raw and lightly cooked vegetables. Carbohydrates should comprise no more than 40% of our calorie intake, less if we want to encourage weight loss.
Vitamins and minerals
The typical American diet is much lower in minerals and vitamins, particularly fat-soluble vitamins, than the traditional diet our bodies evolved to use. This a function partly of food processing, but also of food production: due to industrial agriculture and chemical fertilizers, soils now contain a fraction of the mineral content they did 100 years ago. Some vitamins, such as B12, occur in significant amounts only in animal food sources. Zinc is an essential mineral that can be found in some vegetable sources, but is not easily absorbed in this form. The solution is to eat a variety of fresh, organically grown, locally sourced, nutrient-dense, minimally processed whole foods, including some animal-sourced foods.
Water
Finally, don’t forget that we need to drink healthily and have sufficient fluid intake! Water, preferably filtered or spring water, is the best source of fluids. Mild herbal teas, green tea or kombucha can also be healthy drinks. Hahnemann railed against coffee, black tea and strong alcoholic drinks as being overly stimulating and damaging to health. Many of us choose to ignore his advice, but we may end up paying a price.
Suggestions for your practice
It can be helpful to ask prospective and current clients to fill out a food journal, listing everything they eat and drink over the course of three days, along with any reactions they notice. Not only does this give you useful information regarding their dietary intake, but it can also provide valuable general symptoms. Note if there is a balanced intake of macronutrients: are they eating enough fat, protein, healthy carbs, fruits and vegetables? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is there a nutrient they are missing?
- How much sugar are they consuming?
- What is their water intake?
- How much caffeine and alcohol do they drink?
- Do you notice that they have a repetitive diet?
- Are there any clues as to cravings?
Stress that you’re not going to judge their choices, and there’s no pass or fail! You are giving them advice that they can use as a foundation for their long-term health. You can use the information in the food journal to coach them towards healthier food choices, remembering that we all have different metabolisms.
The importance of individuality in nutrition
As homeopaths we know the importance of individuality. This principle applies to diet as well as to remedies. Each of us is genetically and biochemically unique. There is no one diet that will suit everyone; however by applying the principles outlined above and fine-tuning them, taking account of metabolic individuality, we can go a long way to improving our health and that of our clients. This is a long-term foundation for improved well being, with or without the use of homeopathic remedies.
“A universal diet, like a universal medicine, is an idle dream” — Samuel Hahnemann Samuel Hahnemann [the originator of homeopathy] was very aware of the importance of food and referred to the significance of diet in various aphorisms of the Organon. He examined the effect of foods on the progression of chronic disease and on the process of healing, stressing the importance of a simple, nourishing diet.
“... the careful investigation into such obstacles to cure is so much the more necessary in the case of patients affected by chronic diseases, as their diseases are usually aggravated by such noxious influences and other disease-causing errors in the diet and regimen, which often pass unnoticed.” (Organon §260)