MITCHELL PERITZ, D.C., C.C.N., C.C.S.P.
900 Broadway #403
(212) 995-5525
fax (212) 253-2788
THE TOTAL CONCEPT OF HEALTH “Health
is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. – World Health Organization The state of one’s health is reflective
of an individual’s ability to meet life’s challenges and maintain his or
her capacity for optimal functioning. This requires the various aspects of
one’s makeup i.e. mental, physical and biochemical, to maintain a level of
functioning that has a positive influence and support for one another. When
we eat correctly, develop healthy exercise and postural habits and combine
these with maintaining a positive outlook, we offer ourselves the greatest
opportunity to function at our best. The opposite is also true. If we
neglect our diet, body requirements and view life though a negative lens
continuously, an individual’s health starts to decline. Eventually this
diminishes the vitality and integrity of the body and the mind. This interrelationship
between our physical, biochemical and emotional bodies is known as “The
Triad of Heath”. When an individual enters our office
the most important factor to take into account is he or she represents a
full lifetime of experience responsible for their current state of health.
This includes all possible childhood symptoms and illnesses, physical and
emotional trauma, developmental delays, social experiences, and family
history. As we mature the challenges of school, peer pressure, dietary
habits, physical exercise, sexual relations, medical or recreational drug
use, and hormonal changes tremendously impact us. These early years often
set the foundation for our future well-being later in life. Any complete
evaluation must take all these variables into account. A patient is much more than a set of symptoms
and complaints. Often their suffering has an emotional component and they
are willing to share it. The need to be heard and responded to is critical
for getting well. A chronological history of their
physical ailments often lays out the progression of their problems. This
offers numerous diagnostic clues and gives insight to possible corrective
measures. Quite often there is a parallel between the decline in physical
well-being and their current state of mind. Most of the time one’s diet reflects
and/or contributed to the difficulties in the other two categories. The
majority of foods we choose seem to offer some form of emotional support or
nurturance. Yet these same foods are often at the root of the emotional and
physical discomforts we encounter daily. Proper dietary changes accelerate
any healing process by boosting the body’s ability to repair itself
physically and emotionally.
