"The holistic viewpoint is not a new one. In fact, it has been around since the dawn of history. It is, even now, the prevalent philosophy in all societies except our own and those we've influenced.

A holistic view of the human body recognizes that its function is affected by a variety of factors, both internal and external, such as food, drink, excercise, emotions, stress, and so on. It recognizes that disease symptoms express a total condition of the organism. Our individual body parts are all components of an integrated physical being who also exists on social, emotional, and spiritual level; people are part of families, tribes, and societies. In terms of illness, a weakness in the heart expresses a weakness of the other organs, an infection in a finger means a polluted condition throughout; and improved nutrition and a tonifying of the whole body will automatically lead to the healing of many different symptoms.

True healing begins with awareness: awareness of self, first of all, to discover how we function. With awareness comes responsibility. We are the cause of our illness and can therefore be actively responsible for our own healing. True healing is not just getting rid of a headache... it means discovering why we have a headache in the first place. "

ANNEMARIE COLBIN
Food and Healing