27th May, 2005

Dr NICK HODGSON

I would like to introduce you to the work of a famous researcher. We have all read this scientist's best known publication. Many of us read her work as children but have long since forgotten the moral of her story.

This researcher was famous for her work with bears but she wasn't a veterinarian like Dr Harry or a zoologist or geneticist either. She visited the homes of bears to observe their natural habitat, in a hope to unlock their secrets. One day she found that the bears were not home so she stole into the kitchen. She found some porridge on the table; she tried poppa bear's porridge and it was too hot. Baby bear's porridge was too cold. But mamma bear's porridge was... just right! She then wandered into the living room and tried out the bear chairs: one was too big, the next too small, but the third was just right! She then started to feel a little tired so she crept upstairs to the bedrooms, and lo-and-behold the first bed was too hard, the second too soft but the next one just right!

FAIRY-TALE ANSWERS: Dr Hodgson says 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' is one of a number of fairy-tales that contain life-truths. PICTURE: Helle Bro (www.sxc.hu)   "Goldilocks taught us an important life principle (just as many of our other old fairy-tales do); that of balance: not too much, not too little but just right."

This famous researcher was, of course, Goldilocks! She taught us an important life principle (just as many of our other old fairy-tales do); that of balance: not too much, not too little but just right.

For example, have you ever heard that too much exercise can be bad for you? (All those people who hate or don't do enough exercise are now nodding in agreement, "see, I told you so!"). Excessive exercise can lead to increased risk of joint injuries, infections, hormonal imbalances and chronic fatigue. However, what about too little exercise? All of us know the risks of underactivity: back pain, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and so on. So, the secret is to find the happy medium.

The same can be said about just about every other lifestyle factor you can think of: diet, recreation, stress, relationships, sleep, work - the list goes on and on. How does the old cliché go? “Everything in moderation.” (In this day and age I like to modify this to “all things good in moderation”.)

What happens when we follow Dr Goldilocks' teaching and create "balance" in our lifestyle?

How is it that looking after our lifestyle can help to attain and maintain wellbeing? There is a vitally important law that we need to understand if we are to ever get our heads around the concept of genuine health optimisation: if balance exists, the body has an 'innate intelligence' which maintains and drives us towards good health! We don’t have to go to university to get it, and you can’t provide it synthetically in a pill. God placed just the right amount in each individual.

For example, just look at what happens when you cut yourself: slowly the blood coagulates, then forms a scab, and given that you don't mess around with that scab too much, eventually it peels off to reveal new skin or a scar. (Compare this with what happens when you slice a piece of raw steak - no healing takes place!)

In fact our bodies are healing every second of the day; we are continuously being invaded by potentially fatal viruses and bacteria. However, most of the time our body has the ability to destroy and discard these enemies. With all the pollution in our air and water, and the chemicals in our environment and food chain, our bodies are being continuously 'poisoned'. But, every second of the day our body is detoxifying and eliminating these toxins. And, cancer cells are forming in different parts of our body every moment of the day, but our immune system is constantly recognising and destroying these potential killers.

Now, I would like to challenge you with a concept: failing supernatural intervention by God, the best way that we can maximise healing in our body is by tapping into this innate intelligence (kind of like an 'internal doctor'.) Think for a moment what happens after surgery. You might think that the surgeon goes inside, removes and repairs whatever is causing the problem and then there you are ready to continue life as before. However, once the surgeon closes you up, only part of the work is complete. Now your body takes over and starts to repair the mess left by the surgeon. If it wasn't for our innate intelligence we would be left with leaky parts where the surgeon sewed us together with temporary sutures, and we would probably soon die of a massive internal infection!

Similarly, many of our modern pharmaceutical drugs would be useless without innate intelligence. Some people when they are in pain and suffering ask "is there something I can take to make this go away?!" The real truth behind many modern pharmaceuticals is that they are only symptomatically palliative. But, while you are 'feeling better' your innate intelligence is getting you better. Then, when we finish the tablets and we feel good again we think, "those tablets did the job"; When in fact it was your own body that had done the reparative work.

As I mentioned earlier, the story of Goldilocks is not the only fairy-tale that teaches us important life principles. Many of our other favourite tales have a story-line which illustrates a concept that can be difficult to accept. The story goes something like this: we have a central character who is an unwilling and unlikely hero. This character has fairly obvious shortcomings and at times is even a bit of a misfit. He is thrust into circumstances he doesn't want to be in, and is forced to overcome enormous odds, which usually expose his greatest weakness in the process! But here's the moral. The very attributes which had appeared to be the barriers to fame and fortune in the past, suddenly became the very characteristics that produced success. What appeared to be burdens or an unnecessary 'load in the back-pack', are actually priceless jewels! Gifts to be cherished.

My wife Gill's career in nursing was spent in the specialised area of cancer therapy. While many would see this as a terrible area of health care to be involved in ("Don't all your patients die on you?"); Gill found this work very rewarding. What she found was that the process of healing necessary for a cancer victim to survive was much like our fairy tale. Survivors always came out the other end as better people. While having cancer may not be the best way to change your life, it certainly necessitates confronting many of the bigger issues in your past and present.

So, maybe your current health concerns are more than burdens and annoyances. Maybe the process of discovering the balances in your lifestyle that will lead to healing will be the making of you - if you will let it. Maybe the very pig-headedness that makes a male ignore the condition of his back for years, will be the same persistence that sees him stick to a regular exercise program. Maybe a woman grappling with hormonal and reproductive organ problems, in her journeys for answers, will uncover the emotional hurts that have lead to her illness, but have also prevented her from feeling real joy in her life: the possibilities are endless.

It's your story: make it a good read!

The information contained is this article is of a general nature only. For advice on your specific situation, please consult your medical professional.

Dr Nick Hodgson is a chiropractor.
You can read more articles like this one at www.healthetalk.com.au