Monday, March 11, 2013

Evolutionary conundrum

Evolution.


 "Biological evolution is defined as any genetic change in a population that is inherited over several generations. These changes may be small or large, noticeable or not so noticeable.  

In order for an event to be considered an instance of evolution, changes have to occur on the genetic level of a population and be passed on from one generation to the next.  

This means that the genes, or more specifically, the alleles in the population change and are passed on. These changes are noticed in the phenotypes (expressed physical traits that can be seen) of the population.  

A change on the genetic level of a population is defined as a small-scale change and is called microevolution.  

Biological evolution also includes the idea that all of life is connected and can be traced back to one common ancestor. This is called macroevolution."   -Regina Bailey


Have you ever thought about autism and autoimmune disease as a form of evolution?


Our external environment, stress hormones, our thought process, whether we exercise or not, what we eat and and inject into ourselves all determines evolutionary changes at a genetic level known as epigenetics.  This is the melting point between those who theorize that genetics are the cause and those who believe that the environment is the reason for this increased generation of autism and the like.  Epigenetics prove that it's both!

Our bodies evolve, they know how to heal, they WANT to heal.  The body is designed to eliminate toxins, but with the increase in toxins, the process isn't quite as simple as it once was and with these drastic changes comes something we refer to as "symptoms".  Symptoms...it's been drilled into our heads by doctors using medications that we don't want symptoms!!  Ick, a symptom?  Eliminate it!!  We don't like the changes we see, rightfully so, but does this mean it's all bad?

I'm not suggesting we should live with autism and autoimmune disease, not at all, in fact quite the contrary....if we can learn why we are seeing these things, perhaps we can find a more effective way of working with the body to heal.  It's easier to paddle with the current, isn't it?  I'm not getting anywhere by paddling against it, are you?

Let me give you a more specific example, one that most likely hits home for most of my readers.

I learned a little bit about the symbiotic relationship between bacteria and yeast long ago, in fact you will find this information in blog entries I have written in the past...how yeast flares to control bacterial overgrowth.  The body has created this balance for a very good reason.  The role of yeast in our body is to elevate in an attempt to manage the bacterial overgrowth. You will notice that, if you try to fight yeast without balancing the bacterial load, you experience the "symptoms" of a bacterial flare. Anyone who has even dealt with the fragile clostridia and yeast balance knows this quite intimately, unfortunately.

Let's bring this full circle.  Why is the bacteria on the rise?  I recently saw a holistic doctor speak of the important role bacteria plays in our body. Bacteria  actually protects our cells from toxins, which explains and validates the association between heavy metals/toxins and pathogen overgrowth. There is a fine-tuned balance, a magical dance between the two.  Light bulb moment!!  The more toxins, the more bacteria there will be, as it tries to manage the toxins. As bacteria increases, so does yeast.  We have SO much still to learn.

Using this simple model of what could be going on with this generation opens my eyes to the many possibilities of healing.

As you dig deeper into any "symptom" you or your child is experiencing, think about the role this symptom may play and rather than trying to find a way to eliminate it, see if you can find a place where it strategically fits into the big picture.  I bet it has a purpose!  Then pose this question to yourself and others, how can you encourage the body to find an easier path to that same place?

Homeopathy is one of many energy healing modalities and while I do plan to write a more specific blog about energy healing in the future, I thought I would lay the groundwork for why we need to begin viewing illness and healing in this light first.  Homeopathy embraces the natural evolution of the body.  We must unlearn our deep rooted allopathic lessons in order to fully respect and trust the abilities homeopathy offers us.  

Homeopathy and Epigenetics

From the link above

"...it is possible that what we are exposed to in our lifetime can affect our genetic expression. This is already well-known in areas such as cancer research, where certain cancer-controlling genes may be activated by specific toxins for example. But not only that, once the epigenetic switch is flipped and the genetic expression is changed it can be passed on in this altered state for many generations, up to 40 in current animal research."

Many cultures have followed the lead of nature, with some retaining these worldly lessons, including current-day nomads.  "We" have chosen to tame nature, to suit our needs.  This comes with a price that we will only learn the consequences of in coming generations, and I believe what we are experiencing now is just the tip of the iceberg.

Resources
  • http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/Epigenetic-Influences-and-Disease-895
  • http://biology.about.com/od/evolution/a/aa110207a.htm