General Principles of Health
Amatsu recognizes that there are a number of indicators which occur naturally and which give tell-tale signs that the Godai are out of balance. Some of these, such as pain, serve as signs that something is wrong within our bodies. Pain is a signal within our central nervous system that tells us that something has gone wrong. Prior to the sensation of pain we normally experience loss of normal function. The pain signal can be referred to almost anywhere, for example, organ dysfunction can be referred to the muscles and joints of the body - heart to chest and left arm; gall bladder to left shoulder; liver to neck, eyes and upper back etc
Treating pain with painkillers and an anti-inflammatory agent does not always correct the causative factors and often overloads the liver, which in modern man is already overworked dealing with environmental factors such as pollution, TV, computers etc.
Obviously all pain should be investigated to ascertain its true nature and exclude pathological causes first. Once these are ruled out, a good diet, musculo-skeletal correction, energy (meridian) balancing, relaxation training and gentle exercise can help to maintain balance and alleviate painful conditions.
In Amatsu clinics we treat the underlying causes, balance the natural factors or Godai and alleviate pain by natural methods. As Professor Hatsumi says "If you were outside on a cold day and felt the pain for the cold, only a stupid person would take a pain killer, sensible people go indoors and get warm!"
The Godai:
According to the Godai, health can only exist when there is a balance between our Physical (Musculo-Skeletal System), Emotional (Mind), Nutritional intake and excretion (Food), Energy (Ki/Qi Life force) and our interaction within our environment(1)
In Amatsu medicine it is important to balance the Godai of the person, rather than the condition, which is a manifestation of the person's loss of balance. For example any physical injury places greater demands on the nutrition on the person.
(1)Prof. Masaaki Hatsumi Japan 1995
Other physical factors which can cause an imbalance of the Godai include:
Our body is wonderfully adaptive, as our evolution demonstrates. Adaptions in the body from the result of injuries however, place the joints of the body under strain. These adaptations develop symptoms in many areas of the body according to lifestyles, daily tasks and occupational stresses. Muscles move bones and joints and maintain posture, assist the body in pumping fluids (blood and lymph), maintain temperature and permit movement of our body. All muscles are reciprocally balanced, that is to say they are in a balanced tension with a partner. Similar to guide ropes acting on a tent pole to maintain its position(1). If one muscle becomes unbalanced the opposing muscle must adapt for those changes, which often results in joint strains. In fact 90% of joint problems occur due to imbalanced muscle pulls.To evaluate your problem, muscle testing enables the practitioner to elicit both the weak muscles and the tight muscles in your body.
Sacro Iliac Adaptions
Changes in posture, physical strains and injuries anywhere on our body are adapted for the joints of the pelvis and sacrum, known as the Sacro-Iliac joint, which in turn cause the postural adaptations of the moving body.(2) When the body adaptation is outside the normal range of motion at the Sacro-iliac joint, they can become over strained resulting in a 'Tear separation' of the weight bearing portion of the joint.(3) Once these joints have become over strained the whole body must adapt, resulting in pain and/or dysfunctions just about anywhere in the body!(4) These joints can become 'overloaded' due to many factors including posture, injuries, nutritional factors, dehydration, emotional stress and organ or meridian imbalances. In Amatsu medicine we consider it very important to maintain the integrity of these joints and prevent dysfunction prior to the strain adaptation. Maintain your sacro-iliac joint integrity with regular balancing.
(1)Professor Hatsum (2)(4)SOT by DeJearnette (3)Kapandji volume 3
According to Professor Hatsumi our nutrition can be defined in three parts, 'Eat, Absorb, Expel'(1). By this he means eat natural, fresh and unaltered foods (organic if possible), absorb the nutrients from the foods and then expel the waste products. Sadly many modern diets contain altered foods (low fat, refined, food preservatives etc), lack their normal nutrients and have been kept artificially. Our digestive systems are often overloaded with additives, making them resemble cess pits rather than digestive systems, which affects the absorption of essential nutrients. As Professor Hatsumi says "The waste that modern people expel is often so toxic it will kill plants"(2), which reflects the food we eat.
The following are recommended foods. If you do not obtain them in your diet consider supplemetation, but it is better to eat the foods themselves.
- Fresh fruits - Apple, Banana, Pear, Orange, Peach, Kiwi Fruit, Melon, Grapes, Plum etc.
- Porridge oats cooked with water or goats milk.
- Grilled or poached fish and oily fish.
- Brown rice, barley and poultice plants.
- Whole meal (Buckwheat) pasta.
- Fresh vegetables - Carrots, Beans, Celery, Peas, Broccoli etc.
- Free range eggs.
- Nuts, seeds and grains.
- Water, water and more water.
You should avoid sugar, table salt, artificial sweeteners, fizzy drinks, coffee, chocolate, cakes, biscuits, baked beans, cordials, many fruit juices, bread, fried foods, altered foods, cereals, ready meals, pre-packed foods and junk food. All of these foods affect our digestive system, stimulate our adrenal glands (which are already overloaded by modern life), effect our ileocecal valve and deplete us of nutrients.
(1) Prof Hatsumi 1986 lecture in Japan (2) Sanmyaku Journal
The Ileocecal valve is located between our large and small intestine. Food that we eat enters the small intestine where nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream. The waste matter then passes through the ileocecal valve, which opens to let the waste pass onwards into the large intestine and then closes to prevent waste material seeping back into the small intestine. If this valve malfunctions 'jamming' open (or sometimes closed) then toxic waste can build up in our body, which can lead to the spread of Candida into our body. Candida lives off our cells, effectively eating them up, which in turn releases more toxins into the body. Toxin build up causes our body to retain fluid in an attempt to neutralise the toxic situation. This toxic fluid is then stored in the joints of our body, effectively eating away the joint surfaces! This fluid is then cleansed by our liver, overloading it, which in turn hinders its normal functions. The ileocecal valve can be affected by caffiene, coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, stress, saccharine, food preservatives, dehydration and refined foods or so called 'normal' foods.
Symptoms of ICV dysfunctions include:
- lower back ache or pain across the lower back
- heel pain that is often worse first thing in the morning
- neck pain, especially the 'just woke up with it' condition
- shoulder pain-simulating bursitis
- afternoon tiredness especially between 1pm-3pm
- left knee pain on the inside of the top of the knee
- big toe pain especially on the right
Our bodies are composed of approximately 25% solid matter and 75% water, with brain tissue being appoximated at 85% water. Every day we lose about 1.5 litres of water through the skin, kidneys, digestive system and lungs(1). Therefore it is imperative that this water is replaced(2).
According to Dr F Batmanghelidj "The simple truth is that dehydration can cause disease". His research has shown dehydration links to Hiatus hernia, Colitis pain, Low back pain, Headaches, Angina pains, Allergies, Stress, Constipation and High blood pressure. His research over thirty years shows that a dry mouth is actually a sign of chronic dehydration, not just thirst!
Tea, coffee, fizzy drinks, alcohol and similar types of drinks do not count as water, in fact they all act as diuretics, you require more water just to flush these out of your body.
Water Intake
- In good health 2 litres per day
- Under stress 2 - 2.5 litres per day
- Strenuous exercise add 0.5 litres per 30 minutes of exercise
Joint pains 3-4 litres per day to restore hydration.
For every cup of tea or glass of alcohol add equal amounts of water. For example if you are in good health and drink two litres of water per day and have a glass of beer, you need to drink an extra half litre to compensate.
Pure non-carbonated spring water is the best type of water to drink. Avoid tap water, which is devoid of minerals(3) and contains chemicals added during its processing. By adding a few drops of Colloidal silver to your spring water you can boost your immune system and purify the water at the same time, or stand the water on a magnet!
(1)Your bodies many cries for water - Dr F Batmanghelidj. ISBN 899398 35X, (2)The Optimum Nutrition Bible - Patrick Holford ISNB 0 7499 17482Hbk, (3)Bio Tech News 1995
