spatial medicine nutrition kjk
TRANSCRIPT
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Spatial Medicine
&
Nutrition
A
New
Vision
of
Health
Kevin
J. Kula
KMI Phoenix
September 2010
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KevinJ. Kula
Introduction
There is a sickness that has slowly spread throughout the collective consciousness of W estern
culture, the acceptance of chronic disease and deg enerative aging as a natural part of
life.
This
sickness has spread
from
Western cultureto theindividual psycheandplaysa
role
in the
continual man ifestation
of
physical illness: illnesses which
can no
longer
be
hidden
by a
prescription. Everyd ay Am ericans lose touch w ith their natural environment, their mother earth
and thefood she
bringsforth. Americans
and
Westernized cultures
are
also losing contact
with their bodies or lacking in what is known as kineticintelligence.
(I
'
2)
Symptom based
treatments willnolongersuffice, afundamental shift inunderstanding bothat aculturalan d
individual level must take place: a belief that we as hum ans can reclaim our health by interacting
with
ourfood and
environment
in new
ways.
Three
Legged Stool
Tom M yers has proposed a concept of a'Threeleggedstool'upon which health in the 21
st
century
will have to be built upon: spatial medicine, nutrition and com munication. This article
looks at the role thefirst two legs play in supporting a return to health. First, a brief overview
willbe given of spatial med icine and of a specific nutritional approach (Paleolithic Nutrition).
Secondly, this paper will examinehow theprinciples (energy, adaptability, support, release,
integration) of
structural integration
a
type
of
spatial medicine apply
to the
process
of successful
nutritional intervention. Nutritional practitioners can
benefit
in their approach if they consider
these principles that will
be
examined.
While
there are manydifferentapproaches that restore spatial relationships and build kinetic
intelligence, there is a
unifying
theory of
nutrition
3
wh ich is contrary to w hat practitioners of
yoga, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese M edicine, polarity therapy, pilates and a thletic trainers
advocate. Despite
the
strength
of
those approaches, their nutritional philosophies often
are
construedfrom different
belief systems, many
of
which
do not
address
the
dietary requirements
of Homo Sapiens
as aspecies. If
disease
as a
part
oflifeis
embedded
in the
collective
consciousness of W estern culture, disease-causing factors need to be recog nized and m inimized.
Acohe rent nutritionalframework must
be
presented
and
operated
from. As
health
is
restored,
the notion of a disease free state can be slowly embraced.
SymptomBased Treatment
Western culture, despite its strengths and m edical advances, is unique
hi
its
disease afflicted
populationand itssymptom based approachtotreatment. Doctors study disease- notwaysof
maintaining health. The current healthcare system rein forces this
very
philosophy and health
remedies play nicely into the hand s of a capitalistic culture wh ere conven tional and alternative
health care options enable peopletocontinueonwith their altered lifestyles. Unfortunately,the
more
holistic
solutions that
are in
place (chroniccardio,USDAfoodpyram id, supplements) fail
to
better the health of the gen uinely interested individual.
Brief OverviewofSpatial Medicine
Space, m atter
and
time
are
three relatedfields,each
of
wh ich merits
its own
line
of
study
and
practice: time (Temporal Me dicine) belonging
to
psychiatrists, matter (Material Medicine)
to
doctors and naturopaths using drugs/herbs, and space (Spatial Medicine) to those altering the
body's structure and functioning
5
. Spatial med icine is the
least
studied of the threefieldsand
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KevinJ. Kula
shows great promisefor the
future
as anemergingfield of medicine. Therearemany waysto
influence
structure and m ovemen t as well as body awareness (kinetic intelligence) as
demonstrated by the spectrum of practitioners and categories of spatial medicine: osteopathy,
chiropractic,yoga,
Alexander/Feldenkrais,
dance, martial arts,somatically-oriented
psychotherapy, athletic trainingandbody-work (including structural
integration)^
5)
.
The em erging science beh ind structural integration is a testament to its growing importance. For
years, anatom ists simply ignored
the
b ody 's connective tissue known
asfascia.
Researchers
are
only
now
beginning
to
understand
the
importance
of
this tissue, hosting
an
annual Fascial
Research Conference. Fascia connects, wraps, and also separates all of the body 's tissues
from
bones to m uscles to organs and can be thought of as an'organofform'or what shapes the
body. '
Since spatial medicine is interested in altering
structural
relationships (thebodies'
relation to gravity),
fascia
is of particular interest. Tom M yers has pointed out that there are two
approachesto spatial medicine: biomechanical (structural)and theperceptual (mov ing with
awareness ofstructure).
(Ref5)
Biomechanical
(Structural)
Approach
There are three interrelated approaches to balancing structure: structural integration
focusing
on
the
fascialstructures that surround
the
skeleton, visceral manipulation focusing
on the
fabricthat
surrounds
the
organs
and
craniosacraltherapy focusing
on the
meninges that surround
and
hold
the brain to the skull andspine.
(Ref5)
The training needed tofullyaddress thebody'sfascial
fabric
would, according to TomMyers, involve"Theab ilitytoread skeletal geometry, soft-tissue
patterns and visceral restrictions. In addition, afully trained practitioner (or complete approach)
would need to address cranial motion, meningeal restrictions and tensions in the peripheral
neurovascular
bundles. ^
Perceptual
(Movement) Approach
The goal of the second approach is to address muscle tone and function, Balanced tonus around
theskeleton
and
within
the
fascial
fabric,"^
5)
while building body awareness with functional
movem ents: yoga, Qigong, Feldenk rais, CrossFit, marital arts, parkour, capoeira, and dance to
name a few . This training of kinetic awareness helps to balance and
reinforce
the biomechanical
or manipulative work mentioned above.
Tom
Myers concludes
by
saying that,"Spatial
Medicine involves expandingourunderstandingofsomaticm aturationaldevelopment- inother
words,it is ananthropological study that includes bothourphysicaland
social
evolution. ^
Brief Overview
of
Paleolithic Nutrition
For 2.5 million years of human evolution m an'sdietconsisted of what he could hun t, fish or
gather.
5
This equates to lean meats, seafood,
fruits,
v egetables and nuts and seeds. Wild game
andfowlwere naturally lean and the cattle had no choice but to be"grass-fed". The fish that
were caught
had an
optimal fatty acid profile
due to
their diet
of
omega-3 rich algae
and the
fruitsand vegetables were local andseasonal. Organ meats were prized for their nutritional
content
7
and there w as no campaign against saturated f at; the early hun ter-gatherers instinctively
knew whatfoodswere critical to healthy functioning.
LorenCordain,researcher andauthor,haspointedoutthatthehuman genomehaschangedless
than
two
percent over
the
last 10,000 years.
8
It is his
contention that
we
still have
the
same
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Kevin
J.
Kula
dietary requirements
of
those hunter-gatherers
and
that Neolithic
foods
(those introduced
after
the
Paleolithic area)
are the
majorcausative
factor
in the
development
of
modern
day
disease.
9
Neolithicfoodsinclude grains, legumes and dairy and while it is hard to imagine a morning
without
a
bowl full
of
Cheerios,
the
advent
of agriculture
began
a
mere
10,000
yearsago,
a
very
small window in the
timespan
of overall human evolution. Grains require cooking in order to be
consumed, legumes like black beans are inedible in their raw state and it is hard to imagine
milkinga wild animal. As
Lierre
Keith points out, "Large ruminants changed humans just as
surely
as we changed them. The high-quality proteins andfats,especially the nutrient-dense
organmeats, meant our digestive systems could shrink and our brains could grow. The
megafaunaof the prehistoric world, the aurochs and antelopes and mammoths, literally made us
human. There is a reason they were our first, endless art
project."
1
Whileon paper this is merely a provocative theory; Cordain has spent the last decade researching
the
actual mechanisms of disease, studying epidemiology and conducting intervention trials.
Another researcher Weston A. Price, a dentist, traveled the world studying tooth decay and
found
that traditional culturesunaffected
by
modern
food
preparation/technology were completely
free
of disease and had perfect teeth.
11
Ancient cultures like the Egyptians, who adopted agriculture,
were soon riddled with modern diseases like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and heartdisease.
12
Dr.
Michael Eades states, "In the archaeological record, rheumatoid arthritis, which leaves very
grim
evidence
in
skeletal remains, follows wheat
and
corn around
theworld."
15
Loren Cordain
in
his epic paper,
"CerealGrains: Humanities Double EdgedSword"points
out
that
the
agricultural revolution made population growth,societalstratification, medicine,
science,
technological,andindustrial advancement possible
while
also contributingtomanyof
humanity's societal ills: whole-scale warfare, starvation, tyranny, epidemic diseases, and class
division.
14
Going
gainst the Grain
The whole grains that make up the bottom of theUSDA's
food
pyramid pose three problems in
particular adverselyaffecting insulin, fattyacid balance and the immune
system.
15
The
detrimentaleffects oflegumes (saponins, protease inhibitors)andproblems with dairy
(homogenization, pasteurization, growth-promoting factors) are outside the scope of this article.
Thefocuswill be on grains as they make up the foundation of many mainstream nutritional
recommendations.
Hyperinsulinemia
Grains have
an
abnormal capacity
to
elevate insulin levels (even oatmeal)
for
prolonged periods
of time resulting in a condition called hyperinsulinemia.
16
The commonly co-occurring
conditions related
to
hyperinsulinemia have been labeled Syndrome
X:
(hypertension, type
2
diabetes,
dyslipidemia,
coronary artery disease, obesity, abnormal glucose
tolerance).
17
These
conditions arejustthe tip of the
iceberg
as
Cordain
points
out,"Suchdiverse abnormalities
and
illnesses as polycystic ovary syndrome, acne, myopia, epithelial cell cancers (breast, prostate,
colon), early
menarche,
gout, blood clouting problems, sleep apnea,
GERD,
peptic ulcer disease
andmale vertex baldingare all
linked
to thecom pensatory
hyperinsulinemia
ofinsulinresistanceby
hormonalinteraction.
18
We know now that insulin ages us, its biological purpose is to
coordinate energy stores
for
reproduction
not to
regulate blood glucose levels.
The
less insulin
a
person secretes over the course of their lifetime the healthier they will
be.
19
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KevinJ.Kula
Fatty
AcidImbalance
From an
evolutionary perspective
the
omega
6-3
balance
was
around
a 2/1
ratio,
now it is
common
to see a
20/1ratio
20
. Inflamm atory diseases, arthritis,Parkinson's,A lzheimers,
depression a ttention-deficit disorder, diabetes, allergies, asthma
and
dementia
are all
related
to an
omega 6-3
imbalance.
21
Com mercial vegetable oils such as corn and soybean are high in omega
6 as well as the m eats of grainfeedanimals andfish. This is the real concern with commercial
feedlot meats,notsaturatedfat andcho lesterol wh ichisneededfor theliningof our
cells/
22
'
23)
Immunological
The worse problem s and least understood by m ainstream nutritionists and dieticians are the
immunologicaleffects of
anti-nutrients found
in
grains, lectins
in
particular. Whereas hum ans
generally do not
have
to
w orry about their young being eaten
by
other predator species, this
is
not the case with plants. Robb W olf explains that, Grains are the seeds of grasses and are
essentially reproductive structures containing not only a dense energy source for the developing
embryo
but
also
a
number
of
control mechanism s
to
preven t predation
and
abnormal
germination. These
'secondarymetabolities'
can be
either toxic, anti-nutritional, benign
or
somewhere in between, dependent upon the physiology of the consumeranimal."*
24
'
14)
Lectins, just one of the anti-nutrientsfound in grains, have three main negative consequences on
human
phy siology: they destroy
the
micro
villi of the
small intestine (causing
m alabsorptionof
fats,minerals, and vitamins), they alter the gutfloraand lastly they trigger an auto-imm une
response.^
14)
Lectins,resistanttoenzymes,passundigested throughthe gutwall severingthe
tight junctions that keep larger undigested foodparticles out wh ile allowing nutrients
in.
25
Once
the gut lining is compromised (a'leakygut'),foodparticles that are notharmfulin themselves
make their way into the blood stream. Thesefoodparticlesoftenresemble body
proteins:
the
imm une system then attacksits owntissues: lec tinsinwheat mimictissuesofboth joint cartilage
and
the
myelin sheaths that cover
our
nerves (rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis), other
lectins are nearly identical to the tissues of the pa ncreas (Type I Diabetes), thyroid (Hashim otos),
skin
(Psoriasis), and airways(Asthma)/
26
'
Ref14
*
The Principles of Structural Integration
Energy, Ada ptability, Support, Release and Integration are the principles of structural
integration. This paper references
theK MI
recipe, wh ich pertains
to the
protocol
of a
particular
school of structural integration. Ene rgy speaks to wh at the client brings to treatment: their
physical energy, em otional stability, w illingness
to
change, psychological state,
and the
state
of
theirtissues. Theenergyof theperson dictatesthetoneof thesession,howquickandable they
are
to change and let go of habitual patterns and the psychological and structural ability to deal
with change. If the practitioner pushes too far or too fast, the system will collapse, it does not yet
have the adaptability or the support needed for that level of change. If sufficient energy is not
available,
the
goals
of
practitioner
and
client working together needs
to
change
or
m ore energy
must
be
found before beginning.
Adaptability pertains
to the
changing
of the
soft-tissue restrictions
or
holding patterns. There
may
be a
lack
of
ability
of the
tissues
or
structures
to
adapt;
the
practitioner needs
to be
very
mindfulof
this.
IdaRolfhasphrasedthisnicely,"If at first youdon'tsucceed,get thehell
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KevinJ. Kula
out " Breathing
may be
stuck, which prevents
the
personfromaccessing their nervous system
forsupport.
If
work with
th e
breath
is
accomplished
the
person
may
findmore energy
and be
able to better adapt to the deeper and more involved work.
Supportis
made possible
by
adaptability.
TheK MI
protocol
is to
work
the
sleeve (extrinsic
superficial
musculature) and
teach
it to move in the
first
four
sessions
before reaching the core.
This enables separatefunctioning
of
core
and
sleeve musculature. Tissues that were stuck
together
undifferentiated are
separated
and
their natural movementfunction
is
restored: when
flexorsflex extensors extend. The adductors for example, take on extension (when adhered to
the hamstrings) or flexion (when adhered to the quadriceps), handling movements that are not
their intrinsic function. Problems
are
oftencomplex
and
tied
to
tissues
far
awayfrom
the
site
of
pain, "Go around the problem; get the system sufficiently resilient so that it is able to change,
anditwillchange"
(Ref27)
Newlyfoundsupport gives the practitioner the opportunity and the client the ability to address
deeply
help patterns in the body. An example of this can be seen in rotational patterns, in which
thesleeveis
often
counteringarotationhi thecore. The
"SpiralLine"
portionof thetrunk
(from
theanterior pelvis(ASIS)up through the internal and external obliques into serratus anterior) is
freedfirstbefore
going into deeper layers like
psoas.
28
A
release
in the"sleeve"
layer will often
bring out the rotation in the core, making the person look even more unbalanced as Ida Rolf has
said, "If your symptoms get better
that's
yourtuff
luck. ^
Ref 7
^
This approach however is
addressing
and
exposing
the
actual problem
in its
entirety.
The
release phase ends with
organizationof the core so its expansionalfunctionscan take place, "The integral nature of the
universe
is
revealed
in its
actions.
The
universe
as it
expands itself
and
establishes
its
basic
coherence reveals the elegance of activity necessary to hold open all the immensely complex
possibilities
of its
future
blossoming."
29
The final step in the process (last
four
sessions)
is integration, once the
tissues
are differentiated
and
the core is evoked, the two layers are integrated so that the voluntary actions of the'sleeve'
take place outside and without interfering with the expansionalfunctionof the
'core'.
This is the
hardest part for the practitioner, movingfromgross carpentry to the finer sculpting of art, the
practitioner integrates the work into a coherent whole. Integration is also the hardest part for the
client which is an ongoing purposeful interaction of structure and function.
The Principles appliedtoNutrition
Tom
Myers has proposed that our fascial system, the connective tissue that literally shapes us
can
be thought of as our beliefsystem.^
)
The culturally determined rituals that develop the
earlybehavior patterns surrounding the experience of
food
forma very strong belief system. The
Bible
says
('Staff of Life'), the
government says
(6-11
servings), your doctor says
('Eat
your
oatmeal'), it is
almost sacrilegious
to
speak
ill of
whole grains.
It is
interesting
to
note that
the
preferredchoiceofcigarettesfordoctorsin the1950'swasCamels, doctorsin allbranchesof
medicine were asked in a national survey, "What cigarette do you smokedoctor?"
30
Adoption to
aPaleo
diet
can
proceed with either
full
compliance
or a
gradual elimination
of
Neolithic foods:
the approach is dependent on the energy of the person. The person needs to confront their belief
system
and
habitual patterns,"There
are a lot of
things
a
warrior
can do at a
certain tune which
he
couldn't do yearsbefore. Those things themselves did not change; what changed was his idea
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KevinJ. Kula
ofhimself."
31
A cost-benefit analysis needs to be undertaken by the interested client. The three
goals
are the
norma lization
of
insulin levels, healing
of the
intestinal lining,
and
m inimization
of
inflammationthrough
fatty
acid balance.
Adaptability is hormonal control; ashiftin metabolic pathways re-enables the person to utilize
thebody's preferred sourceof
fuel: fatty
acids. Reductionofcarbohydrateandwheat especially
helps
the
person
to
gain control over appetite
an d
mood. Adaptability
is
applying
new
informationto
food
selection, moving beyond oldbeliefsand realizing that change ispossible
one meal at a time.
Once inflammation
is
minimized
and the gut
lining repaired psychological support
is
elicited,
the
gut
has a strong connection to the brain via
inflammation
and neurotransm itter modulation.
32
A
new
relationship withfood
and the
understanding
of the
responsibilities involved
in
maintaining
health
are
critical
to
long-term success. This
is
supported
by the newfound
ability
to
recognize
the adverseeffects of certain foods: a release of old patterns through the founda tion of support.
While three people suffering
from
a
thyroid disorder with
different
causative
factors
can all
benefit
from a Paleolithic approach (eight-percent of thyroid disorders are auto-imm une related),
fulltreatment needs to address the specific triggers and imbalances. This is accomplished
through functional diagnostic med icine, which uses urine, saliva, blood, stool and hormonal
testing
and
examines exposure
to
environmentaltoxins.^^
2S)
Whereas symptom based
treatment utilizes adisease-based approach,andprescriptions orsupplements,thisapproach
addresses
the
underlying
dysfunctionof the
individual
by
looking
at
indiv idual biochemistry.
The
future
ofsuccessful
nutrition intervention w ill depend upon
the
skill
of the
practitioner
in
getting
the
client
to
adhere
to an
ancestral diet
as
well
as the
skill
set
needed
to
interpret blood
tests
and formulate individual based strategies for treatment.
Conclusion
Look, listen and guide the person gently butforcefully. The art of treatment is knowing how to
applythe right information, with the right technique, at the right time. Give the person too much
information;
through touch
or
nutrition,
and
they will withdraw, their belief system threatened,
their energy insufficient for change. Go around the problem, create adaptability and elicit
support,
the
release will happen. When
the
time
is
right
the
person
on
their
own
will integrate
the change ma king it their own. The practitioner holds the vision for the client, how it will
blossom is revealed only in the persons actions, it is the shared responsibility of practitioner and
clientto, Makethe
impossible possible,
thepossible easyand theeasyelegant."
3
It
is
clear that
the
journey towards health
in all fields of
medicine must look
at
humans
as a
species and as individuals who are complex landscapes
4
not a collection of symptoms.
Communication
between practitioners is essential, each holds their own b iases and limitations,
spatial explorers and nutritionists must work with doctors and practitioners of traditional
med icine. Spatial med icine and nutrition must take the new dem ands of the environmen t as well
as theevolutionary contextintoperspectiveon
both
thecultureand the
individual. Focusing
on
symptoms and using the concept of
'moderation'
will simply not do, an alteration in lifestyle and
ashift in cultural awareness m ust take place, one that reaches out to the individual outlining a
new vision of health.
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Thomas Myers, http://www.anatomytrains.com/explore/kq
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S .
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