Regenerative Medicine
What does regenerative mean? To regenerate; by definition fundamentally means to regrow. Some expanded definitions include; ‘bring into renewed existence’ or ‘bring new and more vigorous life to an area or institution’. I have long been fascinated by regenerative agriculture, that is, agriculture practices in sync with the innate rhythms of the earth. The earth’s systems are pretty fail-safe if left alone, but when humans try and reorganize these systems for gain without respecting the innate structures billions of years in the making, dis-ease is soon to follow. Like imbalances in our bodies that create disease, so do the imbalances in our earth. Regenerative agriculture addresses this disruption and destruction in these natural systems by re-introducing the historically harmonic organic elements back to the land and reestablishes the necessary biodiversity for life to flourish.
Along with not using pesticides or chemical fertilizers, Regenerative agriculture uses livestock natural grazing routes to organically till the soil, farm waste is composted and recycled into the topsoil, water conservation and natural harvest cycles are imperative. In other words, a throw-back to our ancestral practices, a circular system that relies on the earth’s natural ecosystems. It creates lush gardens and farms by planting biodiverse plants that support each other which maintains healthy checks and balances within this ecosystem. Biodynamic and permaculture are other words to describe similar agricultural practices. All these denote a cyclical system; the compost feeds the soil, the soil takes the carbon from our atmosphere to feed the plants, which in turn feeds us and the livestock that roam free on these plots of lands. It is the harmony of nature, as it is intended to be. Many believe, including myself, that this practice is essential for life to thrive and for the future of our planet.
Many experts in the wellness world agree that while technologically the world has been advancing, at the same humans have also been rapidly declining in our human wellness on a cellular level. In 1984 the percentage of our population with chronic disease was only at 12.8%. By the year 2016 the instance of chronic disease soared to reach a staggering rate of 54%.
Through the lens of holistic and functional medicine, chronic health conditions come from imbalances in the body and the ecosystems of the planet. Ancient medical practices, like Chinese Medicine, define these imbalances as deficiencies and/or excesses in the ecosystems of the body. These issues can be traced upstream to the bigger picture problems within our environmental and social economic structures. Industrial agriculture is destroying our soils and thus, the food we eat is depleted of vital nutrients our bodies need, and it is filled with additives and glyphosate from big industrial food and farming practices. This in turn destroys our gut microbiome not allowing for absorption of nutrients from our food and throws our body’s systems off balance. The down-stream effect is a cascade of health issues. Big pharma is then waiting with the pills to “fix” the malfunctioning symptoms created by these practices. Too often, this then creates more issues, aka ‘side effects’, that ultimately can result in a chemically dependent person or, a ‘patient for life’. While it’s a great business model for the pharmaceutical companies, it is an unsustainable model for a fully realized healthy life.
These are a few of the reasons I have pursued the healing arts, but without an awareness of the upstream causes of many of the issues I treat patients for, it can be an uphill battle. Regenerating health is directly linked to regenerating our earth, separating the two will only lead to more of the same health and environmental problems. There is much to be done, but we can start where we are with the tools we have. A dear friend reminded me of a proverb from the 1300’s, ‘many hands create light work’. True wisdom is never irrelevant, and this quote inspires me daily to not be daunted by the tasks before us. That we can rebuild and regenerate our planet and our bodies’ systems with knowledge and many hands. Regenerative agriculture is an upstream fix for our downstream health. Changing and supporting farming practices that work in harmony with the natural rhythms of our planet is medicine for all of us. It is medicine we can thrive on. If this pandemic has shown us anything, it is that relying on old systems is futile and we must create new systems, regenerated systems. It has also shown us that our greatest currency is our wellness, and this must become our most valued investment.
by Dr Madison Garcia