As someone with the utmost respect for the uniqueness of every client, I have a strong preference for health systems that consider biochemical individuality. (source, source) In the paper, “The Important Role of Biochemical Individuality,” this term is defined as “the unique nutritional needs each person has based on their genetics, lifestyle, environmental exposure, and various stressors.” (source)
My preference for this approach grew stronger based on my training. Naturopathic doctors and functional medicine practitioners strive for treating the whole person vs. fighting the disease. I was taught, and have witnessed, that alleviating symptoms can only create temporary relief. Rather, the goal is to address the root cause of a health issue in order create lasting healing. I spoke of these concepts in regard to differing nutritional needs (nutrigenomics and epigenetics), hormonal balance, processing nutrients and medicines, autoimmunity, mood disorders, and essential oil applications.
My partiality for treating people over prescribing protocols is also evidenced in how I tailor my wellness plans. They are based on a multi-systems and mind-body approach that considers a wide array of factors. These include an individual’s distinct biochemical makeup, predispositions, genetic variations, and lifestyle practices. This means that even though two people could share the same symptoms or disease label, they will both have a completely different regimen of health modifications.
Any cookie-cutter protocol learned from a weekend course makes me nauseous. I am not proud to admit that they not only make me angry, they downright offend me. How can one deem that one thing or one approach will work for everyone when we are all so different! In spite of my love of essential oils and belief that they are the “perfect” holistic tool for body, mind, and spirit, I explained in a long series that even “an oil for that” has caveats.
This is why I am skeptical toward anything deemed a “panacea.” This includes the latest craze for CBD oil. In my homepage blog, I begin our journey on the potency and pitfalls of this magic elixir.
Start reading here.
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This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)
Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.
