Spontaneous Healing

Herewith is a brief summary of the essential concepts and counsels for good health, and for promoting the self-healing potentiality of the human body, as contained in the highly popular  book "SPONTANEOUS  HEALING" by Dr. Andrew Weil  MD.

     1.  Health is a condition of perfect balance, when all systems run smoothly, and energy circulates freely. 
     2.  Body is a whole entity, with all its parts connected. Know the body is a unified functioning system. 
     3.  There is no separation of mind and body. Physical interventions, by their effect on the nervous system, could improve psychological function. 
     4.  There are ways to protect and enhance body's  healing system. These concern: diet, patterns of activity and rest, ways of handling stress, proper use of vitamins and herbs, and putting to use mind-body interactions. Present medical practices are not utilising the healing potential of the body, as the focus, starting with medical education itself, is on 'disease and treatment' rather than 'health and maintenance'.  
     5.  Basic activities of the healing system:  (i) Healing is an inherent capacity of life. DNA has within it all the info needed to manufacture enzymes to repair itself.   (ii) Healing system operates continuously, and is always on call. 
(iii) Healing system not only neutralizes effects of serious injury, but also directs moment-to-moment corrections  that maintain normal functioning.  (iv) Healing system has also diagnostic capability, and can recognize damage. 
(v) Healing system can replace damaged structure with normal structure. (vi) Healing is spontaneous. A natural tendency arising from the very internal nature of DNA. 
     6.  Three main weakening influences on immune system: (a) Persistent infections (b) Toxic injury by matter and energy  and (c) Unhealthy mental states. These can be protected by diet, exercise, and use of vitamins and minerals. 
     7.  Mind has major influence on healing. Can affect immune system, unbalance automatic nervous system, and disturb digestion, circulation as also all internal functions. 
     8.  Lifestyle influences our risks of contracting common diseases, and affecting body's ability to heal. Particularly important are those concerning food, over which we can gain some control, as given below.
     9.  To reduce calories in diet, easiest is to cut 'fat', which has twice as many calories as in carbohydrates and protein. Main natural sources of saturated fat are: beef, pork and lamb (in non-veg), and, whole-milk and products, mainly cheese, butter, cream, and processed foods with palm and coconut oils (in veg). Low-fat milk is better to use.  
    10.  Best veg oils:  Mono-unsaturated are good. olive, canola, and peanut. Extra Virgin Olive oil is the best of all.
    11.  Protein: Needed to make, maintain and repair tissues. Protein deficiency leads to stunted growth. Animal protein is provided by meat,  poultry and fish. Veg protein by milk products, beans, nuts and grains. Body needs at least 60 to 90 gms of protein food per day. However, avoid excess protein. 
    12.  Eggs: White of egg gives quality protein. Egg yolk has fat and cholestrol. Avoid raw, under-cooked eggs. 
    13.  Nuts and seeds: Almonds and sunflower seeds are good. Soy-beans and foods offer protection against prostate cancer in men, and breast cancer in women. 
    14. Fruits and Veg: Offer protection against cancer, heart disease, and common ailments. Also help immunity and healing. Fresh ones better than canned or frozen ones. Peaches, melons, mangoes among fruits,and,pumpkins tomatoes, sweet-potatoes and dark leafy greens, have beta-carotene that prevents cancer.
    15. Fiber: Provides digestive health and bowel movement. Main sources: fruits, vegs, and, whole grains. Always use brown bread made of whole grains. For rice, use  only brown rice. All these help healing efficiently. 
    16. Toxins: Ability to eliminate them depends on healthy functioning of four systems: Urinary, Gastro-intestinal, Respiratory and Skin. For this, drink enuf water, eat enuf fiber, do regular and aerobic exercise. 
    17. Air Pollution: Instal filters in home ventilation system. Consume fresh fruits and veg, vitamins C & E 
    18. Contaminated water: Boiling and filtering more economical than bottled water. Use home water filters. Avoid water that has taste of chlorine which reacts to give carcigens, bad for heart and healing. 
    19. Food toxins: Wash well veg and fruits before eating, and before cooking. Buy organic fruits and veg. 
Avoid processed foods especially with chemical dyes and artificial sweeteners. 
    20. Microwave ovens: Can alter chemistry of protein-containing foods cooked for long time. Never use containers other than glass or ceramic. Never use plasticware. Use microwave for just heating, not cooking. 
   21. Tonics that promote health and vigor:  1. Ginseng: Many Asians take it for more energy and vitality.  2. Garlic: Has healing properties. Has sulphur-containing compounds. Lowers BP, cholestrol,triglycerides and blood-clotting. Acts as antiseptic, antibiotic, anti-cancer agent.  Eat fresh garlic. Best tonic for healing. 3. Ginger: Stimulates digestion, sets right upset stomach, relieves aches and pains, tones circulatory system and has anti-cancer effects.   4. Greeen Tea: Has catechins (destroyed during conversion to black tea) that lower cholestrol, improve lipid metabolism, and has anti-cancer and anti-bacterial effects. 
    22. Activity and Rest:  Appropriate exercise and sufficient rest help spontaneous healing. It also fights depression and improves mood. Walking is the most healthy physical activity, specially for aged people.  A good night's rest is an effective healing teknik. Caffeinated beverages effect sound sleep. Dreaming is needed for well-being of  brain and mind. Cannot sleep well if mind overactive and agitated. 
    23.  Thoughts:  Take us out of 'here and now' into past or future, sometimes becoming a souce of anxiety, fear and sadness. Meditation is a  teknik to break addiction to thought. It is a directed concentration on some object, breath or visual image. Breath is source of life and vitality.Pranayama helps to cure digestive problems, lower BP, set right irregular heartbeat, and good for nervous system. 
   24.  Antibiotics:  Avoid frequent use which weakens immunity. Use only for severe infections, when other remedies fail. 
   25.  Depression: (i) Best single treatment is vigorous regular aerobic exercise, at least 30 mins a day, five days a week. (ii) Avoidance of alcohol, sedatives and antihistamines. (iii) Dietary modifications with less protein and fat, and more starches, fruits and vegetables. 

(Gist of book review by Krishna Gutala of  'Spontaneous Healing' by Dr.Andrew Weil. 07th March 2014) 

Here are some details about the life of  this illustrious Doctor, the trailblazer of  Integrative Medicine, Dr.Andrew Thomas Weil : http://grkmurti.blogspot.com/2014/03/dr-andrew-thomas-weil.html