What Causes Disease?
A Vegan Health Article from All-Creatures.org

These vegan health articles are presented to assist you in taking a pro-active part in your own health.

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Keith Nemec, M.D.

Disease, or departure from health, begins when we no longer function as we were created in body, soul (mind, will, and emotion), and spirit. The seven general categories of total health = wholeness are:

1) Hereditary 2) Structural (organ /gland) 3) Physical –circulative, lymphatics,  - exercise 4) Chemical 5) Eliminatory 6) Mental 7) Spiritual

When any one of these parts is affected, the others are affected as well. As we weaken parts of our total health = wholeness, we become vulnerable to disease.

A brief introduction to each of the categories follows.

Hereditary

Some people are prone to heart disease because it is a genetically inherited weakness. The effects of heredity on total health cannot be denied; but since it is not a major cause of disease, and since we can do nothing about this part of our total health picture, we can only attempt to minimize any negative genetic influence on our health. If you are genetically predisposed to cancer, you are not without hope; there are many preventive measures you can implement. On the other hand, if your grandfather and father lived to be 100 while smoking, drinking, and eating meat and potatoes, you cannot assume that you will be exempt from disease and a shortened life span. Remember: you reap what you sow.

Structural (Organ/Gland)

Structural health refers to the neuromusculoskeletal system, or simply the function of the nerves, muscles and bones and how these control all your organs and glands. You may wonder what these have to do with sickness and disease. The answer lies in the nervous system. God created us so perfectly that everything is in homeostasis, or balance. The role of the nervous system is to control all other glands, organs, and systems; it is a major concern when this master control malfunctions. A comparison can be drawn with a large business which relies heavily on computers; when the computers shut down, so does the business.

In my practice, I have seen many ailments of the stomach, heart, lungs, bronchi, kidneys, bladder, intestinal tract, reproductive systems, eyes, ears, nose, and throat respond very well once nerve pressure is relieved from the spine. The muscles and bones play a large part in this, as they support and protect the nervous system — i.e., the spinal cord and spinal nerves. The spinal nerves, which go to every tissue in your body, branch off the spinal cord and go through the hole in the spinal vertebrae joints called the intervertebral foramen (IVF). If the IVF is compromised or made small by spinal bones that have moved out of place, the resulting nerve pressure can lead to a host of other problems.

Physical

I classify physical health as movement, and I separate it into three areas: circulative, lymphatic, and exercise. The circulatory system deals with the movement of oxygen in from the the lungs and through bloodstream, along with all the nutrients to every cell in your body. The lymphatic system is the center of the body’s immune system containing 2⁄3rds of the white blood cells or WBCs). It also includes exercise and the circulation of WBCs in the lymph flow as vital aspects of our total health = wholeness. Exercise is what moves the blood and lymph more effectively throughout the body.

The physical aspect of our total health is very important in the life of our cells, which need oxygen from respiration, and disease-fighting capabilities of the WBCs. Exercise also has many health benefits, but only if it is being done regularly and at the appropriate level. Inefficient oxygen flow not only leads to cell and tissue death, but also to anaerobic activity, which is a common environment for cancer cell growth. Lack of WBCs causes increased chances of everything from colds to cancer. All bacteria and viruses are consumed by our WBCs. We always have cancer cells in our body, but usually our immune system destroys them before they destroy us. Lack of exercise poses many possible health hazards, from a decrease in the number of circulated WBCs to fight off disease, to a decrease in the body’s own detoxifying ability, to an increase in stress and tension.

Chemical

This category of health can be defined as what goes in — through air, water, food — and how we digest and assimilate it. The chemical area is a possible major source of sickness due to the high levels of poor, dead, cooked (not life-giving) foods, toxins, chemicals, polluted air, and water that goes in. Remember the computer axiom: Garbage in, garbage out. If we put chemical preservatives, pesticides, and artificial everything inside us, it is just a matter of time until our systems break down and disease sets in.

Eliminative

If the chemical aspect is defined as “what goes in,” the eliminative aspect is defined as “what comes out.” This is a key factor in health, because if our kidneys, liver, lungs, and bowel don’t remove toxins, wastes, and poisons, then sickness will result. What happens when a person with kidney disease is taken off dialysis (machine filtration)? They die. Point made. The same is true with our liver, lungs, and bowel.

Mental

The mind is a key factor in health; if it is over-stressed or filled with fears and anxieties, all kinds of health problems can surface, because there is a direct link between the mind and immune system activations. This has led to the development of a whole new field of medicine called psychoneuroimmunology. If a survey were done across America to see what one ailment doctors would eliminate if they could, the unanimous answer would be stress, because it kills.

Spiritual

Some would ask, “What does your spiritual life have to do with your health?” A great deal. God made us to be whole in spirit, soul, and body. The Word of God says that the “Spirit gives life.” God breathed into Adam, and he became alive; the word for breath is pneuma, which means spirit.

How can the spiritual aspect negatively affect your health? If you do not have a clear and true revelation of the fact that God wants you whole in body, soul, and spirit, you will not know to stand against illness because it opposes our God’s plan for our lives. Although God never brings sickness, he can use anything and everything that happens in life to build us up and make us mature and complete, not lacking anything.

This perspective of health can be found in the life of Joseph found in the book of Genesis: What man meant for evil, God meant for good.

Excerpt taken from the book Total Health = Wholeness: A Body, Mind and Spirit Manual by Dr. Keith and Laurie Nemec. For more information go to Total Health Institute http://www.totalhealthinstitute.com.


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All-Creatures.org Health Position and Disclaimer

We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.