Naturopathy - interesting technique of healing

So basically, take the last 300 years of medical knowledge and advancements, and toss it aside...
Sounds like a great idea!

 

I think it's a great idea and I'm already largely using these principles, I'm only less than a 1 week in though.

You can keep your highly acidic foods lacking in nutrients and side effect inducing drugs to yourself Ben, I'm moving back to nature, sort of

 

I suppose life expectancy increasing by ~40 years was just a zany coincidence, eh?

If and when you develop a debilitating disease which is easily treatable by modern medicine, you'll probably very quickly sing a different tune.
Good luck treating it with fruit smoothies and oat bran.

 

I didn't say I would avoid medicines and drugs at any cost, but avoid them as far as it is possible. If you keep your body and it's immune system in tip top shape with a great diet and exercise, you'll be much more resilliant to external attacks and you'll be sick less frequently. You'll also boost your sex drive and mood, this is common knowledge though.

Medicines do help, but often have severe side effects and can often be avoided quite easily.

Also attributing the rapid rise of life expectancy to only one factor, medications, is quite silly.

 

These two views shouldn't be opposed.

That's the craziness of late 20th century, and needs to get readjusted back again. Industry produces many useful things, which doesn't mean humans need to live like machines and even re-enforce it with machine art. This idea was a bit stupid.

What we currently still do would be comparable to, say, cut your stomach and self-dissect yourself, because dissections led to medical improvements, and you awe it to the principle...

 

Naturopathy appears to endorse the existence of a vital force at the expense of biochemical processes. So, in that sense, it isn't compatible with modern medicine. I am all for combining modern medicine with holistic and preventative measures, but I'm not willing to endorse a theory that presents an unproven frame work in place of a scientifically proven one (very well verified one). Of course, this criticism might not be very relevant because I don't know that much about naturopathy, but from what I've gathered, it does seem to be the case.

 

That's what I mean too, adopt what's useful from both approaches. I wouldn't avoid operation, when it's needed, but I'd make it as rarely as possible. Most doctors usually agree on this. Meanwhile, living in close connection with nature and in touch with our sensuality for it can indeed help. After all, animals in the Zoo have worse vital indicators than animals in the wild. Another example: removing some parasites sometimes kills the patient, because they've become natural part of the patient's health. The doctors that inspect naturopathologists, and find out worse results, should ask themselves whether their intervention was not the reason. It's very hard to avoid the experimenter to become part of the experiment, when it comes to people. Look at placebo too.

I'd say humans' genes were formed during existence in nature, so humans' bodies are well suited to feel well there. Also, please remember that at each historical moment there's so much that science doesn't know, and scientists always assume they know everything. ^^ That you'll see when reviewing the history of science. Medicine began with blood-letting and giving brimstone. I'm sure they also were quite sure they knew what they were doing. There's an element of barbarism in many of the methods of medicine, which will be improved in the future, and should only be used as a last resort, at the present.

 

This is a very interesting topic, Roger!

I will perch right on the fence on this one, too.

I firmly believe that what you eat, how you exercise and live, etc. is better medicine than you can ever buy in a pharmacy. However, I've also had illnesses that linger, and I think to myself, "Oh, I don't want to take medication, I'll see if it clears up in a little while." and when it didn't, then I would go to the Dr., get an antibiotic, and be well in a few days. This is good.

On the flip side, I know people who eat horribly, have all kinds of stress, and ridiculous lifestyles, and expect modern medicine to deliver a pill or a surgery to correct decades of ignoring their mind/body/spirit. Doesn't work, never will, and causes bad side effects to boot.

I've studied Ayurveda -- which is sort of like Naturopathy -- a little, and as to whether it works or not? I don't know, but anything that encourages me to have ghee and back rubs is wonderful in my book.