John Arts Abundant Living www.johnarts.co.nz

Central to our ability to survive are our complex defence and repair systems. Remember the sitcom ‘MASH' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital)? One of my favourite nutritional medicine authors Ray Strand (MD) refers to our protective and repair systems as our
‘MASH' system.

This repair system has many components, including our complex immune system that helps to fight off invading bacterial, viral and fungal attacks. For example, every day we breathe in fungal spores that, if left to replicate, they would quickly kill us. Our airway passages have resident immune cells called macrophages which literally gobble up these invading spores.
Our immune system is also responsible for marshalling a repair system when we are injured. Let's say you cut yourself. Once the wound has formed a clot, the resident immune cells attract a range of chemicals needed to heal, including specialised immune cells. The redness, swelling and pain are caused by increases in blood flow to bring nutrients and various chemicals into the damaged area. This additional blood causes redness, swelling and pain.
During the last year, I have been helping a woman in her 30s, who has a serious skin condition. Her immune system had for some reason launched an extreme inflammatory attack on skin cells, causing strong pain and significant emotional distress. The inflammation had spread to other tissues, especially tendons in her hand, and she lived in constant pain. Like most auto-immune problems, her energy levels were very low.
Our goal was to help restore a number of completely dysfunctional body systems and then allow her healing processes to activate. All we did was give her body the nutrients it needed to heal itself. Give me a call if you need help – or if you need more information. To join my weekly newsletter go to: www.johnarts.co.nz and visit: www.abundant.co.nz
John Arts is a Nutritional Therapist and founder of Abundant Health.
Contact John on 0800 423 559. To read more go to: www.sunlive.co.nz