John Arts - Natural health researcher John Arts is a natural health researcher and supplement formulator. If you have questions or would like a free health plan you can contact John on 0800 423 559 or join his newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz.

What I enjoy most about my work is receiving calls from people telling me their health has improved from nutritional programmes implemented.
Sometimes the changes are small and in others the gains are significant.

I have been speaking today with someone with long term chronic fatigue with fibromyalgia plus associated food sensitivities. After just a few months on a specific nutritional programme her pain had decreased and energy improved. She still has a way to go but a corner has been turned and the seemingly permanent cycle of poor health has been replaced with improving health. What is interesting is that all we have done is to add a range of nutrients that have allowed her failed defence systems to start to operate in a more normal manner. While we have made some diet changes, especially regarding the fats in her diet, we have mostly targeted anti-inflammatory nutrients and added the antioxidants that can stop the rampant free radical damage which was effectively blocking her healing processes.
Our bodies have almost miraculous healing properties. I was recently reading about orthopaedic surgeon Dr Paul Brand who pioneered a number of orthopaedic procedures for leprosy sufferers. He commented, 'My profession depends entirely on the body's own healing system. When I set a fracture, I merely align two ends of bone properly; the body must lay down the calcium needed for them to rejoin, or my work would prove futile.”
The real miracle of the human body is our in-built healing processes but it is worth noting that every one of these is nutrient dependent. Just as Dr Brand could not expect bone to heal without reserves of calcium and Vitamin D neither will inflammatory conditions subside in a diet of highly inflammatory fats. Likewise you cannot expect the cell energy failures in people with CFS to change unless their mitochondrial antioxidant system is working properly.
The key then if you are not well is first to get a good medical diagnosis. Once you have this, it is worth putting a nutritional support programme in place to make sure that your body can have every chance of repairing itself. Give your body what it needs and the time to heal and you may well be surprised at the improvements.

John Arts is a natural health commentator and researcher. If you have questions or would like a free health plan you can contact John at john@johnarts.co.nz or phone 07 578 9051 or 0800 423 559. You can join his newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz