Why Do I Emphasize the Peace Pillar so Much? Part 1:
A few years ago the Integrative Medicine department of the George Washington University School of Medicine put on a series of lectures focused on the mitochondria (the energy factories of the cell) and how to support, nourish and optimize the health of the mitochondria (since almost all disease is associated with poor mitochondrial function).
A colleague of mine attended all the lectures and brought back some protocols to “boost” the mitochondrial function. We dabbled with these protocols a bit but did not see very impressive results in most of our patients. So, a couple of years later, I decided to attend the mitochondria conference myself to see if they had any updated information. The main take home message that I got from that conference was basically, “well, all the research we presented in previous years was accurate, but what we’ve observed clinically is that the patients who don’t respond to the protocols are the ones who are in a state of chronic stress.”
Morley Robbins of the Root Cause Protocol has said on more than one occasion that the “non-responders” to his protocol are typically people who have unresolved emotional conflict, which can induce a state of chronic stress.
Dr. Joe Mercola, the founder of the #1 natural health website in the world and formerly a huge proponent of strict and long-term ketogenic diet has recently backed off that stance and recommends more carbohydrates in the diet now because long term severe carb restriction can be interpreted by the body as a chronic stressor, and lead to unintended negative consequences.
There is a condition called Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) that causes severe stomach bloating, pain and diarrhea and/or constipation (conventional doctors would call this irritable bowel syndrome) due to bacteria from the colon inappropriately traveling upstream into the upper small intestine where they should not be. These bacteria then ferment the food in the upper small intestine creating bloating and pain.
The treatment for SIBO is antibiotics or herbs to kill the bacteria and a special diet that eliminates the foods that these bacteria love the most, basically starving them. However, in order to keep the bacteria from traveling back upstream again, the stomach must maintain a very acidic pH of 1 to 2. The “non-responders” to the SIBO protocol are people with chronic stress because chronic stress prevents acid pumps in the stomach from fully engaging.
Dr. Tom Cowan in his book, “Human Heart, Cosmic Heart,” proposes a theory about what causes heart attacks. I believe his theory makes much more sense than the current and thoroughly debunked saturated fat/cholesterol theory. The very root cause of heart attacks, according to Dr. Cowan’s theory is chronic sympathetic dominance (ie, chronic stress). Translation: you can eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep and sunshine, but if you remain in a state of chronic stress, you’re still at risk for heart attacks.
Many diabetics reverse their high blood sugar by avoiding processed sugar and carbs, intermittent fasting, and incorporating aggressive exercise. For those whose sugar just won’t budge with diet and exercise, it is a usually due to excess cortisol from chronic stress.
Many times, people we classify as “weight loss resistant” (just can’t lose weight no matter what they try) despite aggressive diet and exercise are not responding because of chronic stress triggering a hormone to be released called cortisol, and cortisol blocks thyroid function, slows metabolism, and causes fat cells to accumulate around the mid-section.
When I go to conferences now a days, no matter what the subject matter is, chronic Lyme disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer, autoimmune, or fill in the blank, there is one common thread, the “non-responders” are typically in a state of chronic stress.
So, this is why I constantly emphasize the peace pillar. People are suffering, in pain, and living in the bondage of disease and symptoms. To truly be well and be set free and not need a doctor, they must get out of chronic stress mode. True health and chronic stress cannot coexist.
The body is fearfully and wonderfully made, an incredible display of highly intelligent design (which is not even in the same universe as “artificial intelligent” design!). The body will function properly if it is given what the Designer intended for it to have and if it is not exposed to what the Designer never intended it to be exposed to. The body is not designed to be in a state of chronic stress.
Hopefully I’ve convinced you that chronic stress is not compatible with true health and life more abundant. So, now the question is, what do we do to get rid of chronic stress?!?!
That answer will be discussed in next month’s article, but here is a hint, it’s NOT stress management. And, it’s NOT trying to fix all the circumstances in your life that are stressing you out. And, it’s NOT a bigger bank account, a bigger 401k, or lots of insurance policies. And it’s NOT just going to to church more.
God made us with three parts, body, soul, and spirit. I believe it is beneficial and righteous to steward the physical as best you can, but physical stewardship through diet, hydration, and movement will not produce true peace.
So, next month in Part 2, we will discuss how to find true peace, despite your circumstances, tending the garden, not toiling in the garden!
Dr. Ben
