The four stages and how to respond.
Homeostasis is our body’s ability to regulate its internal environment within narrow limits. Our bodies want and need to return to balance in order to heal and survive. This means the key to good health is maintaining homeostasis while avoiding long-term homeostatic imbalance. Anytime our delicate balance is altered, the body responds with a negative or positive feedback cycle. These cycles are expressed as acute symptoms like a fever when sick or chronic symptoms like high blood pressure. To avoid deeper issues, listen to your body closely each time symptoms arise. Our bodies are exceptionally intelligent and have an array of tools to keep us balanced. For example, when cold and flu symptoms are allowed to run their natural course without suppressant medications, a fever will kill invading organisms, while mucus from a cough and runny nose expel the dead organisms and cells. This process allows the body to purge, detoxify and heal on a cellular level. Learning how to respond to each symptom with appropriate measures, including hydration, bioavailable nutrients and the removal of toxins is essential to maintain balance and optimal homeostasis.
Illness and disease run their course through many different phases, however there are four notable stages the body will go through when healing and repairing from an illness or disease.
FIRST STAGE
Adaptation:
Balance is temporarily lost, but reestablished through the body’s back-up systems which may include the use of reserve functions. This stage comes with mild or intermittent symptoms like coughing, hiccups or digestive issues. The body otherwise retains full function.
How to respond:
Listen to your body’s needs. Hydrate, rest, fast or nourish and reduce stress. Allow symptoms to run their natural course, avoid suppression. After the symptoms pass, restore and maintain balance by increasing time in nature to reset your natural body rhythm.
SECOND STAGE
Inflammatory:
Many bodily systems are working to regain balance. This stage comes with prominent symptoms like acute illness or infections, swelling, diarrhea and fatigue as the body clears waste to heal. More than one bodily function may be operating on a back-up system requiring the use of additional enzymes and nutrients creating an increase in oxidative stress.
How to respond:
Support the body with rest, hydration and safety. Listen to the body’s cues, if hungry eat, if not hungry fast, if tired sleep. Allow symptoms to manifest and resolve without suppression. This means avoiding the use of over-the-counter products like anti-inflammatories, laxatives or fever reducers. Our bodies have an intelligent innate healing immune system. We must give our immune system the time and space needed to mount a healing response. Suppressing the healing response (symptoms) only drives the illness deeper into the body, which can manifest later as chronic conditions like joint pain or skin eruptions. Herbals and homeopathy can support the body’s efforts to express and expel the illness. After the illness has run its course, increase nourishment with a variety of fresh whole foods, including plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables. Restore and maintain balance by increasing time in nature to reset your natural body rhythm.
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THIRD STAGE
Compensation:
This is a chronic state of imbalance where daily functions are declining and back-up and elimination systems are no longer working efficiently. Symptoms include systemic pain, chronic skin eruptions, autoimmune and hormonal issues.
How to respond:
Prioritize rest, nourishment and hydration until balance has resumed. Remove toxic exposures including foods, products, environments and stress. Support the body’s recovery effort by allowing symptoms to manifest and resolve without suppression. This means avoiding the use of caffeine, anti-inflammatories, anti-histamines and pain relievers. The body is working hard to expel infections and toxins that have accumulated through suppression. This phase takes time. You can support the body with herbals, homeopathy and a strict whole foods nutrient dense diet. Reestablish natural balance by increasing time in nature to reset your body’s rhythm. It is not uncommon for this stage to also be linked to emotional suppression or trauma. Support healing through meditation, creative expression and counseling.
FOUTH STAGE
Deterioration:
This is a long-term chronic imbalance leading to the breakdown of structural systems, nervous system, organ function and tumor formation. This is the body’s “last ditch effort” to contain and isolate suppressed and accumulated physical and emotional waste it was not able to expel.
How to respond:
Limit daily functions to rest, nourishment, hydration and safety. Remove all toxins and irritants including foods, products, environments and stress. This stage generally manifests after years or decades of suppressing symptoms and emotions. Recovery is slow and requires compassion, stability and consistency. This stage requires a selection of whole nutrient dense foods. Herbals and homeopathy can increase the expulsion of accumulated toxins and infections while managing symptoms. Seek a practitioner who is skilled in this phase and the level of attention required to heal and recover.
As practitioners are we see miraculous healing at every stage, however understanding the correct response at each stage increases your chances of a full recovery.
The four stages and how to respond is for educational purposes. This is not intended to be medical advise. Traditum Balance provides holistic health and wellness education, coaching and guidance. We do not provide medical services nor do we prescribe medications, diagnose, treat or cure disease. Please view our disclaimer page for more information.
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