Understanding Our Biological Terrain
(might lead to much better health)
By Steven Horne (exerpts)

The concept of biological terrain is best understood by looking at agriculture and the process of growing healthy plants. Chemical agriculture is focused on what's directly happening to the plants. If the plants are being eaten by insects, then the insects must be destroyed with pesticides. If the plant is being choked out by weeds, the weeds must be killed with herbicides.

Many people mistakenly think that organic agriculture is only about using non-toxic pesticides and herbicides to achieve the same goal, but the real experts in the organic movement know that the key to healthy plants is healthy soil. Nature abhors weakness and insect pests and diseases attack weak plants. Improve the health of the plant by improving the health of the soil it grows in and the plant is naturally resistant to insects and disease.

There is even evidence to suggest that different weeds grow because of imbalances in the mineral composition of the soils. Improve the balance in the soil and the weeds are suppressed and the crops supported. The soil is the biological terrain of the plant. You improve the health of the plant by balancing the health of the soil. This is analogous to the shift in focus we must make in our approach to our own health.

The body has an internal environment (blood and lymph) in which its cells live. Research has demonstrated that if the cellular environment (the terrain) is healthy, the cells will be healthy. Thus, if you can identity imbalances in the underlying biological terrain of the body and correct them, the entire body will return to a state of health. This means that multiple, seemingly different diseases, will automatically correct themselves when and if we focus on the health of the body's environment.

Stagnation: Draining the Swamp

Just think of a swamp and you will immediately have the intuitive understanding of this tissue condition. The tissues are bogged down with stagnant fluid creating a toxic environment around the cells.

Fluid retention, swollen lymph nodes, congested lungs and sinuses and a sluggish digestive tract are all examples of stagnant conditions in the tissues.

A stagnant biological terrain was traditionally considered to be the underlying cause of many health problems, such as skin eruptive diseases like acne, rashes and eczema. It has also been traditionally linked with the development of growths like boils, uterine fibroids, cystic breasts and even tumors.

The Eclectic doctors in the Western herbal tradition called this tissue state torpor. They called the herbs that removed this stagnation alteratives. Alteratives have also been called blood purifiers. They are indicated whenever the body is damp, swollen, congested and toxic.

Traditional alterative formulas include Cellular Detox and Enviro-Detox. Both of these formulas can be used to help clear up stagnant, toxic conditions in the body. They also form the basis of cleaning programs, such as CleanStart and Tiao He Cleanse, which are also great for clearing stagnation from the system. Use these detoxifying remedies whenever you feel dull, sluggish, tired and bogged down. Using these products to "drain the swamp," can help to clear such diverse problems as PMS, frequent headaches, skin eruptive diseases, chronic low grade infections, frequent bloating and indigestion and much more.

Atrophy: Nourishing Weakened Tissues
The opposite condition to stagnation. acrophyofien occurs with increasing frequency as people age. The bodies of young children tend to be moist, supple and very flexible, but as people age they become increasingly dry, withered and stiff.
The skin becomes increasingly dry and wrinkled, joints become painful and inflexible due to a lack of lubrication and mobility and all parts of the body begin to lose fluidity and function.

This state, which we call atrophy, is not due to just a lack of water, although dehydration can be a factor that contributes to atrophy. It's also due to a lack of lubricating healthy fats and fat soluble vitamins, as well as increasing imbalances in metabolism due to the disrupted glandular functions that are part of what is now called Metabolic Syndrome.

In traditional cultures, special tonic herbs were given to the elderly to help combat the aging process. Herbs like ginseng, astragalus and cordyceps were employed to help slow these processes. Formulas which help to restore moisture and suppleness to the body include Nervous Fatigue Formula, which helps combat chronic stress and bun-out, and Spleen Activator, which improves digestion and helps counteract wasting.

HY-C is a very specific Chinese formula for dryness. It is indicated where the skin, eyes and mouth are dry. There is frequent thirst, but also frequent urination and the inability to hold moisture in the tissues. This formula also helps with the blood sugar imbalances involved in Metabolic Syndrome.

About Metabolic Syndrome (Mayo Clinic)
"Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. These conditions include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Having just one of these conditions doesn't mean you have metabolic syndrome. But it does mean you have a greater risk of serious disease. And if you develop more of these conditions, your risk of complications, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, rises even higher.

Metabolic syndrome is increasingly common, and up to one-third of U.S. adults have it. If you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components, aggressive lifestyle changes can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems."

A more modern approach is to use essential fatty acids like Super Omega-3 and fat soluble vitamin supplements like Vitamin A&D, Vitamin D3 and Krill Oil with K-2. These are very valuable remedies for counteracting this increasing tendency to atrophy.