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Germ Theory stipulates that we need to kill the microbes, as they are the cause of sickness. Biological Terrain Theory stipulates that it is the health of the host and the strength of the immune system that determines whether or not one gets sick.

This question which first came up in France in the mid 1800s is still worth asking today, because one's view of how to obtain optimal health and wellbeing depends upon which side of this debate one agrees with. Germ Theory was put forward most famously by French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur, and states that certain sicknesses are caused by the invasion of micro-organisms that cannot be seen without a microscope. As such, treatment or prevention involves figuring out which microbe (bacteria, virus, fungus, parasite) has invaded the body and then killing it to prevent or stop the disease. This is the theory upon which western medicine is based. You get sick, you go to the doctor and get an antibiotic/antiviral/antifungal to get better. Much of our food, like milk, juices, canned food and even nuts like almonds are pasteurized in order to eliminate the bacteria to avoid sickness. Many people use anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizers in order to prevent the spread of infection. These actions are all about killing the germ, and are in support of Germ Theory.

Claude Bernard, a contemporary of Pasteur, is known for his idea called “Mileu Interior” or “Internal Environment”, and is credited with the concept of “homeostasis”. He suggested that to optimize health, the body wants to maintain a constant internal environment, and will do what it can to correct any deviations back to physiological norms. So for example, if blood sugar is too high, the body will lower it. If blood sugar is too low, the body will raise it.

Then Antoine Bechamp, another French scientist, furthered Bernard’s homeostasis theory by suggesting that if the body is not able to maintain physiological norms or “homeostasis”, the body will be more susceptible to illness. Continuing the blood-sugar example, if too much starch and sugar is consumed on a regular basis, some individuals develop insulin insensitivity, and eventually type 2 diabetes. The body can no longer cope with the constant influx of sugar, and the metabolic system is thrown off. Or, if the body is deficient in a particular nutrient, certain metabolic pathways may be compromised. The body is no longer in homeostasis, so the internal environment or "biological terrain" now makes that individual is more susceptible to getting sick from an invasion of a virus or bacteria.

We have all experienced times when a group of us are in the presence of someone who is sick. Germ Theory would stipulate that once in contact with that germ, everyone would get sick. However more frequently, only some people get sick and others do not. Why is that? The Biological Terrain Theory would suggest that who gets sick depends not on the germ, but on how healthy the host is. What a microbe can do in the body depends upon the internal environment of the host. One cannot start a fire if the wood is soaking wet, nor can a germ spark a sickness if the immune system is healthy and strong.

Germ Theory requires one to depend on the medical system to be healthy which is expensive, as doctors are needed to diagnose which bacteria or virus is causing the problem, and drugs are needed to kill the microbe in question. And would killing all microbes make us the picture of health? Absolutely not. For example, we have “good bacteria” in our gut that is needed for good immune function and to help us digest our food. So antibiotics kill the good along with the bad, leaving us more vulnerable to bad microbes in the future. Also these drugs may have side effects that throw the body's system further out of homeostasis, potentially requiring another drug to treat another symptom. This is the quick-fix solution, but is it the right fix long term?

Biological Terrain Theory is less expensive, takes more time, and requires individuals to do what is necessary through diet and lifestyle changes to improve their internal environment so the immune system can effectively deal with microbe invaders. Biological Terrain Theory is the paradigm under which most alternative health practitioners as well as functional medicine doctors work, where the germ is seen as a symptom of an internal environment problem that must be corrected for optimal health to be achieved. So Biological Terrain Theory believes in preventing illness by doing what is necessary to restore homeostasis.

So, what side of the debate do you fall on? If you believe in the Biological Terrain Theory, here are some things you can do to improve your health and immune system.

• Optimize Vitamin D levels – especially helpful to fight the flu. If possible, go outside without sunscreen but don't get burnt. Food sources of vitamin D include high vitamin cod liver oil (read the label!), lard (pork fat), pickled Atlantic herring, eastern oysters, catfish, sardines, mackerel, sturgeon roe, shrimp, egg yolk (fresh), butter, liver
• Reduce sugar and flour intake
• Eat lots of veggies of all colours, some of them raw, each day.
• Eat fermented foods daily like yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi to populate the gut with "good" bacteria. Make sure the food has not been pasteurized after it was fermented, or all the good bacteria will be dead.
• If you can't integrate fermented foods into your diet daily, take a good quality probiotic daily.
• After antibiotics, take probiotics. Good gut bacteria is critical to a healthy immune system.
• Get adequate sleep and dark time
• Exercise enough to make you feel good
• Do what you can to reduce stress levels
• Avoid toxins as much as possible by choosing organic foods, natural skin products, non-toxic cleaners etc.
• Avoid anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners.
• Get a cat or a dog. (Unless you are allergic.)
• Spend time in nature. Plant a garden and get your hands dirty.
• Allow your body to fight non-dangerous sicknesses without the use of anti-virals or antibiotics. Our immune systems get stronger if they are exposed to viruses and bacteria, as they build up immunity to what they are exposed to. A germ-free environment leads to a poor immune system as it has no experience fighting anything off. Also the less germ exposure, the more allergies develop.

Obviously there is a place for antibiotics and anti-virals, as they can be life-saving at times. However, they should be used with care in my opinion, and not given for every little bug.

With respect to the current H1N1 panic, some final thoughts. This flu appears to be milder and less deadly than the seasonal flu. Australia and New Zealand, whose flu season just ended, had fewer deaths from the flu this year than other years (with no vaccine available), and they are attributing that to the fact that more people were infected with H1N1 than seasonal flu. Remember that if you recover from H1N1 flu you will be immune for life, unlike the temporary immunity you would get from a vaccine.

In the 1918 flu epidemic, over 96% of the people that died had a bacterial co-infection, not only the flu. Of the people that died in the States this year of H1N1, 30% of them also had a bacterial co-infection. If you get sick with the flu, you should start to feel better in three or four days. If you don't, or you start to feel better, then suddenly make a turn for the worse, that is when you need to see your doctor ASAP, as you may also have a bacterial infection. This is when antibiotics may be needed, as flu combined with a bacterial infection seems to be the more deadly scenario, particularly for the young and the old, and those with underlying health conditions.

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All adults should be involved in a strength training program due to the multiple health benefits. "Time Under Tension" is a technique that is useful in ensuring you get the results you want from your weight-training program.

I remember being a fly on a wall many years ago, listening in on a conversation between two exercise physiologists at the University of Toronto, arguing over which is more important for overall health, a weight training program or a cardiovascular training program. I think weight-training program wins the argument hands down, especially when one considers that if the exercise program is designed well, the participant will be getting a cardiovascular workout at the same time. So unless you are training for a particular athletic event such as a triathlon or 10km race, why bother spend all that extra time doing cardio? Most of us have better things to do with our time, and furthermore, aerobic training tends to break down muscle tissue which is counter-productive if you are trying to build strength.

As we age we tend to get weaker, and it is frequently a lack of strength that limits our function and closes down our life. The average 75 year old has difficulty carrying a 10lb bag of groceries much more than a block. Putting aging parents into a home that has no stairs is a big mistake in my opinion, because within a few months, they will not be able to do stairs at all, and will have more difficulty with curbs and getting in and out of cars etc. Our bodies respond to the demand imposed upon them, and if the demand is decreased, our strength will diminish. Use it or lose it!

Thankfully, the reverse is also true. Increase the demands on the muscles, and the body will get stronger. It is NEVER too late to begin a strength-training program and reap the benefits, which include:

• increased muscle strength and endurance, which translates into an
  ability to do things more easily, and to better enjoy life
• increased bone density, important in preventing osteoporosis
• improved balance and coordination
• increased calorie burn (1 lb of muscle burns 50 calories per day, so put on 10 lbs of muscle you burn 500 extra calories per day)
• decrease in body fat
• improvement in body shape
• improvement in mood
• decreased blood pressure because of improved muscle blood flow, which opens capillary beds
• decreased insulin resistance (important for type 2 diabetes / syndrome X)
• improvement in blood lipid profiles (lower triglycerides, higher HDL levels)
• improvement in digestion
• decreased fatigue levels
• improvement in sleep
• improvement sports performance

For strength training to be effective and in order to prevent injuries the exercises need to be done correctly and medical history and postural habits need to be considered, so hire a CHEK Practitioner or a qualified personal trainer to select the appropriate exercises and teach you how to do them right. The biggest mistake women tend to make, is to wave around itty bitty weights and expect to get a shapely body. To get stronger, the exercises must be CHALLENGING by the end of a set. Doing a set of 12 repetitions of bicep curls with 2 lbs is a complete waste of time. Women are frequently afraid of lifting heavy weights because they think they will get too muscular, but due to the low amounts of testosterone that women have, it simply won’t happen. Lifting heavy enough weight will create shapely, toned muscles – exactly what most women want. The biggest mistake men tend to make is to try and lift too heavy a weight, thereby using momentum to lift the weight rather than the muscle, resulting in less of a training effect. Using a slightly lighter weight that can be controlled throughout the entire range of motion will squeeze more tension out of the muscle resulting in better results. Only if one is training for a power or speed sport is it necessary to heave weights around very quickly. (Having a coach experienced in this type of training is highly recommended if power or speed training is what you want, as good technique is critical for injury prevention.)

Time-Under-Tension can be a useful method to ensure that the exercise is challenging enough to actually cause a training response, and is an interesting way to change up a tired 8-12 rep, or 15 to 20 rep weight-training program. By manipulating the speed of the repetitions and the time the muscles are
working, one can target specific goals, such as muscle endurance, body shaping (hypertrophy), strength and power. Movements must be done smoothly and with control, with no rest between repetitions, and with a weight that is heavy enough to be very challenging by the end of the time in question in order to maximize results. Beginners will have more success avoiding injury by moving quite slowly (at least 3 seconds up and 3 seconds down), and as exercise technique and fitness improves, and exercise goals dictate, exercise tempo can be increased. Beginners will gain strength on a muscle endurance program, as they are at the lowest level of their strength-gaining potential. After about 3 months their tendons and ligaments will have adapted adequately to progress safely to a hypertrophy program as long as exercise technique is good.

Although the times above are approximate, and ideal times may vary slightly depending on the individual, they do provide a useful starting off point. So, if your goal is to put on muscle mass or shape your body, you need a bare minimum of 30 seconds of time under tension to achieve that goal. If you are rushing through 10 reps at a tempo of 1 second up, 1 second down, you will be done in 20 seconds which is not enough time to get the results you want. So, next time you are in the gym, set a timer to a minute, do the movements slowly and with control with a weight that will tire you by the time the minute is up. Training according to time by adjusting exercise tempos and set times instead of repetition numbers ensures enough time under tension to get the results you want. Pay attention to rest times as well. Don't forget to raise the weight as you get stronger to keep the exercise challenging, and to change the exercises you do every four to six weeks.

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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is more effective than drugs in overcoming insomnia.

Insomnia, or regularly not being able to get to sleep or stay asleep, is a problem that affects roughly 1 in 7 people in North America and can have serious consequences for daytime alertness and functional ability. Most insomniacs get less than 5 hours of sleep a night, and struggle with extreme fatigue during the day. It’s not any surprise that insomniacs are more accident prone due to daytime drowsiness. Although I seem to be doing much better than before, getting enough sleep is one of my own personal battles, and I feel like I have tried everything possible to improve my sleep, short of quitting my business and going on a vacation for an extended period of time. It feels like my body has forgotten how to fall asleep, which must seem absurd to those who have no trouble sleeping. I'm cozy in bed, feel dead tired, I feel like I'm dropping off and I think I'll be asleep in a few minutes, but I just don't seem to fall through the "sleep threshold", and instead hover in that la la land between sleep and wakefulness for most of the night, with my brain contemplating topics that would probably put most people to sleep, but I seem to find endlessly interesting, such as why trigger points in the platysma muscle would cause ringing in the ears. (Why is that?)

A couple of months ago I got an appointment at the Sleep Disorder Clinic at the University hospital. I was hoping they would hook up all kinds of electrodes to my head and analyze my brain waves etc. to determine why I wasn’t sleeping (wouldn’t that be cool?), but no, after an extensive interview, they opted for a low-tech solution. This was what they told me to do.

1. Only use the bed for sleep and sex. Do not read in bed, watch TV in bed, do
   homework in bed etc.
2. Only go to bed when you feel sleepy, not tired. (Can anyone explain to me the difference?)
3. Give yourself 20 minutes to fall asleep. If you are not asleep in 20 minutes, get up out of bed, and go back to bed when you are feeling sleepy
4. If you wake up in the middle of the night, once again give yourself about 20 minutes to fall asleep, and if you are still awake, get up and only go back to bed when you feel sleepy.
5. Get up at exactly the same time each morning, even if it is a day you are not working. So no sleeping in, even on weekends.
6. No daytime naps or lying down to rest.

The idea is to use cognitive behavioural therapy to make you associate bed with sleep and nothing else. And I have to say it helped, although I found the rules pretty tough – particularly the getting up out of bed if you pass the 20 minute time allotment for getting to sleep. And I was scared about not being able to function adequately during the day if I spent the bulk of the night sitting in my living room. I suggest starting this when you have at least a couple of days off so that you won’t worry about your inability to function at work, as your worst days will probably be right at the start.

By recording your bed time, the time it took you to fall asleep, the number of awakenings, the total time awake in the middle of the night, the time you woke up and the time you got out of bed, you can figure out your sleep efficiency (SE), which is the total time asleep divided by the total time in bed. A sleep efficiency of 85% or higher is the goal. An Excel spreadsheet can work well for this.  I jumped up to a sleep efficiency of 90% within three weeks, which is pretty good! I actually got to the point where I felt quite energetic during the day, but now I am backtracking again as I find myself slacking off on the rules. So, time to get strict again. Whenever my sleep efficiency gets below 60% I become a chronic tea drinker (which is counter-productive), and when it gets below 40% for 2 days in a row, I’m a dizzy zombie. Thankfully that’s a rare occurrence now!

Although the doctor at the sleep clinic did not suggest this, I thought it was important to keep the lights, TV and computer off when I was sitting in my living room in the middle of the night. No point shutting down melatonin, our night-time rest-and-repair hormone that can only function in the dark. So, I listen to relaxing music, or read a book using my red camping light. (Red light does not affect melatonin).

If you have a sleep disorder, sleep meds albeit tempting, are not a good permanent solution as they are addictive, don't give you the right kind of rest, and can have dangerous side effects such as increasing one’s risk of falls and car accidents. Try the suggestions here and in my other post entitled Getting to sleep and staying asleep, or find a sleep clinic in your community for personalized help.

If you want to subscribe or search for other posts by title or by topic, go to www.wellnesstips.ca.

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