At the heart of the Healing Masters approach is the philosophy that foundational habits can promote healing by creating the right environment within the body for cells to thrive - regenerating and repairing for our benefit. Most of us don’t need to spend a ton of money on fancy cutting edge treatments to achieve wellness, rather it’s about being consistent with the things that lead to more optimal wellness and avoiding the things that do the opposite. If your goal is enduring wellness, you must learn to rebalance your internal landscape to enhance organ vitality, rejuvenate cellular energy reserves, and boost immune defenses. True healing is a lot easier (and automatic) when your body is harmonized and the foundations of wellness are in place to build upon.

A health journey can be compared to a sapling growing into a tree. Just as a seedling requires rich soil to thrive, our own wellness relies on the composition of our body’s terrain, or microbiome. Your inner workings are much like that of a garden than a sterile room. You want diversity and proper balance of nutrients and microbes, and a good watering every day. Just like a garden thrives when you plant your seeds in rich healthy soil, so do you when your inner terrain is in harmony.

We live in a culture of impatience and hustle. Most of the people I talk to are in a hurry to jump into a detox or protocol which kills off a bunch of pathogens quickly without first ensuring their body’s inner terrain is ready. Would you lay the foundation of your home on unstable ground without doing any prep work first? Probably not. Equally, it's important to nurture our body's foundations of wellness before addressing anything more complicated. This means diving deep, uncovering the core issues impacting the quality of your terrain, and revitalizing the soil and roots of your garden before you expect any blossoms. In this blog, I will be discussing more about Terrain Theory, the impact of toxins, and how you can better tend your internal garden.

The Great Medical Debate: Germ vs. Terrain Theory

Ever pondered why two individuals exposed to the same environment react differently? Or why some people get sick more often than others do? This is where terrain theory shines light on the truth, emphasizing that everyone's internal world is unique and dictates their health experience.

Terrain theory offers an explanation to why several people who are “exposed” to the same disease or environmental conditions don’t all have the same reaction or don’t all get sick. Everyone’s body behaves differently based on the quality and diversity of their inner terrain aka microbiome. This is why foundational medicine starts with getting the environment in and around our body ready for healing before beginning any intenser treatment. Conventional medicine operates under the assumption that every germ or pathogen is harmful and leads to illness, and that eradicating them is the only way to feel better. When you focus entirely on killing and sterilizing, it usually leads to worsening symptoms and sensitivities as you lose diversity in the inner environment.

Let’s explore the different theories:

Germ Theory: Holds the belief that ailments stem from external "germs" or pathogens, and that the body must be sterilized of anything harmful. We get exposed to viruses or bacteria, and these harmful agents invade our bodies, leading to illness. These pathogens are viewed as contagious and we imagine germs moving right into our body and making us sick. Remedies in this theory often involve harsh pharmaceutical interventions. One example is taking a broad spectrum prescription antibiotic that kills off all of your gut bacteria, including beneficial strains, leaving you more susceptible to opportunistic infections like Candida albicans or C. Diff. which come with even more challenging symptoms and sickness.

Terrain Theory: Puts forth a perspective that it's our internal environment or "terrain" that dictates our health, acknowledging that we are comprised of trillions of microorganisms that need to be balanced. Instead of seeing disease as an external invasion, this theory proposes that our inner landscape plays a pivotal role in our wellness and overall function of our bodies. Illness develops when what is inside of us is off balance, whether that be an overgrowth of a bacteria, fungus, or parasites, or from excessive toxicity or stress. You don’t have to remove all “bad guys” to get well if your garden is tended to properly; your body will naturally keep things in check on your behalf as long as you support its efforts in rebalancing. When in balance, you don’t get as sick or sensitive, even in the presence of germs and viruses. Your immune system operates more optimally.

Coexisting with Bacteria

Contrary to conventional belief, bacteria are not always our enemies, but can also be allies. Our body is a universe, teeming with a staggering number of bacterial cells—possibly even surpassing our human cells. The typical adult human body consists of about 30 trillion human cells and about 38 trillion bacteria. We have co-evolved with many of these bacteria species, which offer protective qualities to our health when in the right balance.

These bacteria coexist with us in a delicate balance, with many of them aiding in numerous beneficial functions like brain activity, cell generation, and disease protection. For example, while H. pylori in higher numbers is linked with ulcers and heartburn, it can also shield us from certain ailments, like gastrointestinal infections and exogenous intestinal pathogens that cause diarrhea. In endemic areas of West Africa, individuals infected by H. pylori are less likely to reactivate latent tubercular infections.

Our gut is a bustling metropolis of microorganisms that partake in countless beneficial roles—from aiding digestion to synthesizing vital nutrients. This is why many say that your gut is the mirror of your overall health. Germ theory views the presence of most pathogens as negative or harmful, but terrain theory acknowledges that it isn’t so black and white. This is why we don’t support plans that only focus on killing off pathogens. The goal is always rebalancing.

When Harmony is Disrupted

We’ve all heard the saying “too much of a good thing is a bad thing,” and terrain theory really emphasizes this. Disturbances in our internal equilibrium can provoke our once-friendly bacteria to work against us. When their serene home is agitated, they can become detrimental. Altering environments also give rise to a phenomenon known as pleomorphism. It allows microorganisms to shift their biological roles in response to changing conditions. For instance, if our gut balance is skewed, it can lead to myriad health challenges, causing food intolerances, fatigue, immune challenges, and environmental sensitivities. Factors like antibiotic use or leaky gut can lead to bacterial overgrowth or autoimmune reactions. However, one of the biggest factors to why our terrains are so out of balance is the daily exposure to a high number of toxins through our food, water, air, medications, and household products.

Unmasking the True Culprit of Poor Health: Excessive Toxins

Toxins are the underlying instigators that wreak havoc on our inner harmony. When our bodily tissues are tainted by toxins, microorganisms are able to evolve into disease-inducing entities. In terrain theory, the real antagonists are toxins, not the germs. It is crucial to address toxicity as the roots of our health concerns, so the body can harmonize.

In the context of foundational health, addressing toxins is like fortifying your garden’s soil before placing your seeds. By addressing the underlying issues that are making you sick in the first place, your body can fight on your behalf. This is the difference between a temporary fix and truly solving the causes of your health problems. These first steps should allow your system to find an equilibrium. After all, a body in balance is easier to heal.

Every day, we encounter toxins that challenge our body's harmony:

• Chemicals: Ubiquitous in nature, they lurk in our everyday products—from our cosmetics to our food. Detoxing is our best defense against their omnipresence.

• Heavy Metals: From the fish we consume to the toys our children play with, toxic metals abound. Their presence can compromise our immune defenses.

• Mold: As widespread as chemicals, mold produces toxins that can disrupt our body's balance, impacting multiple systems.

Consistency With Foundations is the Secret to Lasting Good Health

Downplaying the role of toxins is a mistake we see often. People approach detox and toxin avoidance as a phase and get sick again. The secret to lasting wellness is to always prepare your body for treatment by optimizing optimal organ function through drainage and detoxification, while simultaneously supporting your immune system. Practically speaking, this means approaching wellness as the consistent actions of keeping toxic burden low, balancing the gut microbiome to enhance immune function, and managing stress to promote a parasympathetic nervous system state.

You don’t just do these things for a few weeks or months; you change your lifestyle to maintain these foundational practices long-term so your body can better recover on its own on an ongoing basis. Otherwise you simply get sick again as toxins re-accumulate and the terrain balance becomes disrupted again. Mastering the art of healing entails understanding these challenges and guiding our bodies back to harmony. By purifying our internal landscape, we can foster resilience against future challenges and embark on a path to true, enduring wellness.

Overcome Your Chronic Symptoms & Heal Holistically

Are you looking to get to the root cause of your symptoms? We can help you.

We use holistic approaches and functional medicine lab testing to investigate what is triggering your chronic symptoms so you can address them at their source and start to feel better faster. Our health coaches are masters at guiding the healing of multiple root causes in a personalized order that gets you wellness results that last. We also help you maintain good health and minimize your disease risks.

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by sarah southerton

Certified Integrative Health Practitioner (IHP2) & Functional Medicine Health Coach

I specialize in helping people heal chronic illnesses and achieve optimal health. After my own battle with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Lyme disease, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), I was thrust into the world of alternative medicine, herbal healing, and low-tox/low-stress living. I have since restored my health and no longer suffer with debilitating symptoms and I’m passionate about help other people who are suffering, so they can feel better a lot faster than I did.

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