by Lawrence Wilson, MD

GENERAL SYSTEMS THEORY AND HEALING

General systems theory is a rather unique, and very important science that is not well understood. It is also a key to our future, and to understanding the nutritional balancing method of healing. It is based on the properties of systems. A system may be defined in a simple way as a group of items, all of which affect each other.

Systems theory was developed early in the twentieth century. It is an unusual type of science because it is not about any particular subject such as health care or physics.

Instead, it is about all complex subjects. It consists of a set of principles about how to approach very complex systems in ways that make it much easier and more effective to alter them, control them and use them properly. This is the essence of general systems theory. The actual science is quite technical and mathematical, at times, and it is not necessary to know all this in order to use the concepts.

What is important about it is to always think in a whole system fashion when dealing with the body. This is the main idea. It sounds simple enough, but it is not so simple in practice. Medical doctors talk about body systems such as the cardiovascular system and the digestive system. However, they rarely talk about the entire person as a system. Their science not set up and does not operate this way.

In other words, whole system thinking is an idea that is foreign to most healing methods, especially conventional mainstream medical care. I believe that one reason the current health care system is not taking care of people’s health and is costing a fortune each year is that it is not a whole system approach to the body. I think this is a huge mistake that must be remedied immediately or the health of the people of the Western world, in particular, is going to continue to decline faster and faster.

In contrast, certain areas of human endeavor are studied from a whole system perspective. These include business, the environment, some sciences such as physics, computer design, industrial design and a few others. In fact, those areas of life that are studied and controlled using general systems theory methodology are doing well. Areas of life that are not studied as systems such as education, health care, criminal justice and a few others are working worse and worse today. In this regard, general systems theory is the answer for many human problems.

NUTRITIONAL BALANCING SCIENCE IS A WHOLE SYSTEM APPROACH TO HEALTH AND HEALING

In contrast to conventional medical care, nutritional balancing is a completely whole systems approach. This means that at all times the patient or client is looked upon as one system, not a collection of body systems or parts. This includes the mind, the brain and the physical body. It also includes the emotions, the thoughts, the lifestyle, the diet, the rest level and much more.

This idea, while quite logical if you understand how our bodies work as one organism, is quite foreign, unfortunately. As a result, we receive many criticisms and complaints by those who do not understand this idea. Here are some of the most important misunderstanding that occur:

1. Too difficult to follow the program. Some complain that our healing programs are difficult to follow because they involve so many factors such as one’s diet, lifestyle, thinking patterns, rest, activity, nutrients and the very powerful detoxification procedures. However, this is just how it needs to be if we care about you as a whole system. It is not necessary to do the entire program, but we find that the more a person does, the better will be the results. Rarely, someone follows it all, to the letter. They always obtain the best results of anyone. In other words, it is quite mechanical in its results. Do the program and the results will follow.

2. Wishing to add to the program. Others tell us that we have left out certain food supplements or perhaps foods or procedures that should be included. For example, some people insist on taking spirulina, herbs or a vegetarian diet.

They, too, do not realize that the programs are designed in a whole system fashion. This means that adding anything is almost as bad as subtracting something from the program. One cannot add to the program one’s favorite food or herb and expect the program to work as well. In some cases, adding a few more supplements can completely negate the program, in fact. This is a serious problem for people who love to take handfuls of supplements or herbs.

There is always a good reason why a particular food, supplement, or herb is NOT included in the program. We have not forgotten it. If you are not sure and want to know, ask your consultant or read the articles on this website, as they will usually answer the question of why we do not recommend many vitamins, minerals, herbs, specialty products, methods or procedures.

3. The program is of long duration. Some clients complain that a nutritional balancing program works too slowly and takes too long. They want a quick fix and want to feel better in a week or less. They are accustomed to taking a remedy that causes them to feel better almost instantly in many cases.

While many people do feel better within a few days, an important principle of systems theory is that in order to change the parts of a system, you must often alter the behavior of the entire system. Then the parts come into balance by themselves. However, to alter the whole system often takes a few years or longer because most people’s bodies are depleted nutritionally from birth or early childhood. They are often loaded with toxic medical drugs, vaccine residues and more.

By the time most people find this website, they are in even more miserable shape, not matter how beautiful they may appear to the eye. As a result, several years may be needed to correct a long-standing or chronic health condition. This is not a problem, but requires some patience.

4. One symptom clears up, but another hangs on. Occasionally someone complains that one of their symptoms has gone away quickly, but another seems to be lagging behind and is still present after a year or more on a nutritional balancing program. This baffles them, but that is because they are not thinking in whole system fashion.

In our approach, the focus is always on the entire system. As this comes into better homeostasis or balance, the parts of the body slowly come into harmony and most symptoms disappear. However, due to the complexity of the human body system, we never know which of the thousands of possible symptoms will clear first, and which will take much longer to clear up. We don’t pay attention to this order, as it is too complex to predict in almost all cases. We encourage clients to do the same.

5. New symptoms arise temporarily. Another concern for a few clients is that a new symptom may arise while on a nutritional balancing program. One may suddenly develop leg cramps, a stomach ache, a headache or diarrhea during a nutritional balancing program. Many think they are getting worse and may quit the program if they do not consult us as to what to do.

Once again, symptom flare-ups are common in whole system approaches to life. It is similar to passing a new law that really benefits society, but it causes temporary upset and stress for some people. In both cases, as the total system parameters shift, large changes in some of the body parts or so-called body systems will occur.

For example, a person could develop some headaches or a skin rash for a few days. In most instances, these symptom are due to the release of toxins in the body, or to the rebalancing of the glands and hormones. As soon as the toxin elimination or rebalancing is complete, the symptom disappears as quickly as it started.

Often flare-ups or purification reactions, as they are called, last no more than are few minutes to a few hours. At times, they may require a few days and rarely one lasts for a few months. I had asthma and severe allergies as a baby and all during my childhood years.

Recently, I experienced a retracing or healing reaction involving the lungs and bronchial tubes in which I coughed up green mucus and needed to clear my throat many times daily. It lasted 11 months, and then suddenly disappeared as the lungs and bronchial tubes healed. During that time, I also eliminated a bluish chemical in the stools that was probably one of the many drugs I was given all during my childhood for the asthma.

Sometimes we alter the supplement or diet to assist the retracing and healing process. For example, drinking more water or switching to distilled water for a few days can remove toxins faster in some cases. In other cases, we slow the healing and balancing process to relieve symptoms by reducing the number of supplements a person takes. In other cases, we can speed up the rebalancing process to get the process over with faster by adding more detoxification procedures or other methods.

However, in most cases, we just leave things alone and the process goes to completion rapidly all by itself. Reassurance is usually all that may be needed to remind a client that such reactions are normal with a whole system approach to healing, and not to worry.

The temptation to visit the doctor, and to take a drug or remedy for a flare-up or purification reaction is sometimes great. However, this almost always slows down the healing process and can stop the whole system balancing completely if it is a powerful drug or even some herbs or vitamins. So be careful about self-medicating or running to doctors if symptoms arise during a nutritional balancing program. However, we never advise people to avoid seeing another doctor if they desire to do so.

6. Blood or other tests become abnormal during a program. At times, a client calls up because a thyroid or another test becomes abnormal during a nutritional balancing program. This, too, is a feature of whole system rebalancing.

In fact, not only may new symptoms arise for a short time. Blood, urine, x-rays and all other types of medical and holistic tests can shift wildly, at times, as the body corrects itself at the deepest system levels. The reasons for this are similar to the reasons for flare-ups of old symptoms or new ones explained in the paragraph above.

The answer is not to worry, and if desired, retest in a month or sometimes even sooner. In almost all cases, the test result is magically better although you took no remedy or medicine. As with symptom flare-ups, medicating yourself to “treat the problem” is usually a terrible idea that upsets and could even stop the whole system balancing process. The body knows what it is doing, and we just support the process by supplying the right conditions for healing.

7. Trauma release and emotional healing. A question many people ask that is related to general systems theory is whether a nutritional balancing program can reverse traumas and serious mental illness. Although at first I did not believe it, the answer is yes.

As our programs have become more accurate and thus more effective, many mental and emotional health conditions are being reversed. This is especially true if a person will follow the entire program, or close to it. The results can be quite amazing.

One explanation for this is that we are supplying enough energy to the brain, and removing enough toxins, so that the brain is much better able to process data and function properly. The brain, itself, is also a type of complex sub-system. When it is nourished, balanced and detoxified properly, it is capable of tremendous regeneration and can, indeed, often heal itself without a need for drugs, specific remedies or any other interventions.

REMEDIES AND WHY WE DO NOT NEED THEM OR LIKE THEM

General systems theory is also the key to understanding why a nutritional balancing program does not require, and usually avoids remedies.

Most people are accustomed to taking remedies and cures offered by allopaths or medical doctors, naturopaths, chiropractors, herbalists, acupuncturists and other holistic healers. They are also conditioned to believe in remedies by drug advertising. As a result, it is important to be able to explain why remedies are not needed or helpful when one designs and follows a nutritional balancing program, even if a remedy relieves a symptom quickly.

The reason remedies are not needed is that the human body is mainly a self-regulating, self-correcting or self-healing system. This is a special type of system. It is often capable of healing itself, which is rather unusual. If one breaks a leg, it is still necessary to set the bones. However, for most conditions, if the body obtains exactly what it needs when it needs it, then healing of most conditions will occur by itself. Remedies are not needed and usually get in the way.

However, the key is that one must nourish the body in just the right manner and gently balance certain mineral levels and ratios, or the self-healing power cannot build up sufficiently for deep healing to occur. How this is done is explained in some other articles on this site and in the textbook, Nutritional Balancing And Hair Mineral Analysis. For the specifics, we offer more in-depth training that is explained on this website under the heading of Training.

CONCLUSION

General systems theory is a key to a successful future on earth. I hope this article helps you understand just how important it is in order to offer and understand nutritional balancing programs.

In this regard, nutritional balancing is much more closer to modern computer science or environmental design than it is to conventional drug medicine, naturopathic methods or other holistic health care. If you are interested in more theoretical aspects of this subject, read The Theory Of Nutritional Balancing Science on this site.

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