By Kate McIntosh - February 2011

Hippocrates, 460-357BC, who is considered to be the father of medicine, said:  “He who does not know food, how can he understand the diseases of man?” This old adage is as true today, as it was when it was coined.

Even back in the 1700s and early 1800s, people were aware of the benefits and needs of both nourishing their body and tuning their life force, so where are we going today?

Good nutrition means a healthy balance, so this means we should have 30% fruit and vegetables, 30% bread, pasta, rice or potatoes, 15% meats, fish or beans, 15% milk and dairy and 10% fats and sugary foods.

Samuel Hahnemann, who discovered Homeopathy in 1796, was aware of the importance of essential substances even before these nutrients were discovered and vitamins were given names.  He found that homeopathy helped good nutrition work better, and good nutrition helps homeopathy work better.  Homeopathy and nutrition work together synergistically, to bring about homeopathic healing and a healthy balance.  While there is a strong case for both separately, there is an even stronger case for both together and we can say homeopathic nutrition or nutritional homeopathy leads to true health.

Homeopathy is not a panacea for all human ills, especially today, but it does cooperate with nature and boosts the natural defenses of the body.  Hahnemann realised it was the humane way of healing and stated:  “The highest ideal of cure is rapid, gentle and permanent restoration of the health, or removal and annihilation of the disease in its whole extent, in the shortest, most reliable, and most harmless way, on easily comprehensible principles.”

Homeopathy is an effective and scientific system of healing, which assists the natural tendency of the body to heal itself.  It recognises, that all symptoms of ill health, are expressions of disharmony, within the whole person and that it is the  person, who needs treatment, not the disease.  Classical homeopathy (only one remedy given) acts at the energetic level, which affects mental and emotional symptoms, as well as physical, to achieve a healthy balance overall.  Physicians focus on solving specific health problems, generally at the chemical level.  Homeopathy focuses on a much broader scope. Lack of good nutrition can affect the healing process, and be an obstacle to cure!

Different people react in different ways to the same illness, and in order to find the correct remedy, a homeopath needs to know not only your physical symptoms but also as much as possible about you and how your symptoms affect you.  Homeopathic remedies are completely natural - they stimulate your immune system to enhance the innate healing power of your body and achieve balance.  Organs and systems function more efficiently and your whole being is strengthened from a holistic health perspective.  Homeopathic remedies cannot cause side effects and you cannot become addicted to them.  This is because only a minute amount of the active ingredient is used in a specially prepared form.

Hahnemann, like Hippocrates, realised there were two ways of treating ill health, the way of opposites, and the way of similars.

Take for example, a case of insomnia. The way of opposites, is to treat this by giving a drug to bring on an artificial sleep.  This often involves the use of large or regular doses of crude drugs, which can cause side effects or addiction.  The way of similars, the homeopathic way, is to give the patient a minute dose of a substance, which in large doses causes sleeplessness in a healthy person.  This will enable the patient to sleep naturally, without side effects or addiction to drugs.

Homeopathy offers a long term solution, to achieving and maintaining a good standard of health.  It does not interfere with chemical reactions of medications, although some prescription medications may hinder the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies can’t be patented, as can drugs, so there is little profit motive.

Homeopathy is a 200 year old system of medicine, used successfully by tens of millions  daily, world wide and the second most utilised health discipline in the world. It has a laudable 200 year clinical record. There are literally hundreds of high quality, basic science preclinical and clinical studies, showing it works.

Homeopathy was introduced into the UK in the 1830’s by Dr F.H.F. Quin and the modern royal devotion began through him. Today, there are some 2,500 homeopaths in UK, India has 400,000 and Brazil has 70,000.  Homeopathy can be made popular again by the right propaganda.

Mahatmi Gandhi said “Homeopathy cures a larger percentage of cases than any other method of treatment and is beyond doubt safer, more economical and the most complete medical science”.

Dr J. T. Kent, who contributed as much to homeopathy as Samuel Hahnemann, said in his Lesser Writings:  “Homeopathy will not be universally adopted for many centuries.  There are people in the world, who cannot believe a great truth however much evidence is presented in it’s favour.  We are all encumbered with tradition.  Unbelief in new things is our strongest tendency. The tendency, to ridicule what we do not understand, is born in us. Only a few refined and educated minds, that have been opened by circumstances, are prepared to examine our principles.”

Healthy eating provides the proper nutrient foundation for cellular growth, as well as energy you need, to function in a hectic world. This is only possible when you are in control of your health, nourish your body and approach life with vigour. When your body is properly nourished and in balance, the many environmental germs and bacteria, that you are exposed to, do not proliferate and cause illness. Bodies in balance, with strong immune systems are able to combat the germs, before they are able to infect the healthy body.

Patrick Holford, well known author of the Optimum Nutrition Bible, along with Jerome Burne has written a book, “Food is better Medicine than Drugs” - your prescription for drug free health, which I recommend to you.

Since Classical homeopathy focuses on achieving optimal health and natural remedies have no side effects, everyone can benefit from Homeopathy.  It restores balance along with good nutrition.

Today, more and more people are choosing natural approaches to health.

Nature’s laws are basic, they are more eternal than the hills, for these laws were formulated before the hills came into being.

Truth is triumphant!

The book reference is ‘Food is Better Medicine than Drugs’ by Patrick Holford and Jerome Burne 2006 is published by Piatkus Books Ltd., 5, Windmill Street, London, W1T 2JA.

ISBN 0 7499 27100.