With all the focus these days on the elections and debates, I thought I'd talk about some other debates that took place in the not too distant past. These debates occurred in the late 1800's between Dr. Antoine Bechamp and Louis Pasteur. These debates were about Bechamp's theory of The Terrain and Pasteur's Germ theory. Click Here Bechamp believed that germs did not cause disease but were a consequence of a disturbed or imbalanced terrain (our bodies). Pasteur on the other hand felt that germs invaded our bodies and made us sick and therefore by killing the germs, disease would go away. Unfortunately, Pasteur was a better debater, and as such, the Germ Theory became the accepted model of Western Medicine and still prevails today. The idea is that a fixed species of microbes from an external source invades our bodies and makes us sick. But as we all know, this can't be the case. If it were, then why don't some people get sick at the office when everyone gets exposed to the same germs by their sick coworkers? The presence of germs does not constitute the presence of disease.

My opinion, and the opinion of all non-Western medical models such as chiropractic, acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, etc., is that it is the terrain, our bodies, that is important, just as Dr. Bechamp declared over 100 years ago. Even Pasteur on his deathbed was noted to have admitted that he was wrong and stated "The Terrain is Everything." But unfortunately the proverbial train had left the station and we were well on our way to drugs, vaccines, antibiotics, radiation therapy, etc. to Kill The Germs that had invaded us.

As a consequence of accepting the Germ Theory, we became passive participants in our own healthcare. It absolves us of all responsibility to take care of our bodies since it was a "germ that made us sick and nothing we could do could protect us." They're everywhere: in the dirt, on the doorknobs, in the air. We're told to use antibacterial soap, antibacterial wipes, antibacterial lotion, not let our children play in the dirt, and get vaccinated for everything under the sun. All this to protect us from germs that are out there that will kill us. But obviously something is not working. Kids are more sick now than ever, antibiotic resistant bacteria are running rampant through our livestock as well as through us and the very drugs and vaccines that are meant to help us are actually causing more harm than good.

That's why I think it's time to consider what Dr. Bechamp and others espoused so many years ago, that it's the terrain that matters most. We've all seen it happen with ourselves, we work too many hours, don't get enough sleep and run our selves down, and poof, we're sick. Did the germ just happen to catch us at the exact moment we were weakest or was it already within us, just waiting for the opportunity to spring to life? I'd go with the latter, the terrain changed and thus created an imbalance within us.

The difference between the two theories is also at the very core of the course of treatments between modern western medicine and "alternative" treatments. Modern treatments all target the symptoms and try to suppress them; Tylenol to suppress fever, Advil to reduce inflammation, Excedrin for headaches. But none of these assist the body in returning to health, they all deal with the symptoms and not the root cause. This is not to say that modern medicine does not have its place, it does. But as I've said in the past, utilizing more natural remedies first and working with your body to restore balance is preferable. Below is an article on the benefits of a fever, that's right the benefits. Fever is our body's way of creating an inhospitable environment  for the virus or bacteria. It is not a symptom of the disease, rather it is a defense mechanism, and suppressing it only prolongs the illness and possibly drives it further into us.

I also believe that getting a cold or the flu is our bodies way of telling us that we are not in balance. Just like pain alerts us to damage we are doing to ourselves, illness is our bodies way of saying slow down and rest.

So by changing how we look at disease and illnesses, we will become a more active participant in our healthcare and hopefully will begin to take better care of our terrains so that we can minimize our sick days.

Though the majority of U.S. doctors now agree that the common cold is caused by a virus, there is still a vigorous minority which vociferously argues exactly the opposite. In Boston's ancient, creaky Mechanics' Building last week, one of the most vigorous of the dissenters appeared before a panel meeting of the American College of Physicians.

A formal investigation has been launched by French authorities against two managers from drug companies GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur. A second investigation for manslaughter has also been opened against Sanofi Pasteur MSD.