Nature Cure – A way of Healthy Life

What is Nature Cure ?

Nature cure is a constructive method of treatment which aims at removing the basic cause of disease through the rational use of the elements freely available in nature. It is not only a system of healing, but also a way of life, in tune with the internal vital forces or natural elements comprising the human body.

Nature cure is based on the realisation that man is born healthy and strong and he can stay as such by living in accordance with the laws of nature. Even if born with some inherited affliction, the individual can eliminate it by putting to the best use the natural agents of healing. Fresh air, sunshine, a proper diet, exercise, scientific relaxation, constructive thinking and the right mental attitude, along with prayer and meditation all play their part in keeping a sound mind in a sound body.

How Old is Nature Cure ?

Nature cure was practised in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Hippocrates, the father of medicine strongly advocated it. India was much further advanced in olden days in natural healing system than other countries of the world. The great baths of the Indus Valley civilisation as discovered at Mohenjodaro in old Sind testifies to the use of water for curative purposes in ancient India.

How Nature Cure developed in Mordern Era ?

The modern methods of nature cure originated in Germany in 1822. With its great success in water cure, the idea of drugless healing spread throughout the civilised world. The whole mass of knowledge was later collected under one name, Naturopathy. The credit for the name Naturopathy goes to Dr. Benedict Lust (1872-1945), and hence he is called the Father of Naturopathy.  

Basic Principles of Nature Cure

The first and most basic principle of nature cure is that all forms of disease are due to the same cause, namely, the accumulation of waste materials and bodily refuse in the system. These waste materials in the healthy individual are removed from the system through the organs of elimination. But in the diseased person, they are steadily piling up in the body through years of faulty habits of living such as wrong feeding, improper care of the body and nervous exhaustion like worry, overwork, tension etc. All natural treatements are directed to remove these toxic accumulations.

The second basic principle of nature cure is that all acute diseases such as fevers, colds, inflamations, digestive disturbances and skin eruptions are nothing more than self-initiated efforts on the part of the body to throw of the accumulated waste materials and that all chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, ashtma, kidney disorders, are the results of continued suppression of the acute diseases through harmful methods such as drugs, vaccines, narcotics and gland extracts.

The third principle of nature cure is that the body contains an elaborate healing mechanism which has the power to bring about a return to normal condition of health, provided right methods are employed to enable it to do so. In other words, the power to cure disease lies within the body itself and not in the hands of doctor.

How Nature Cure is different from Modern System ?

The modern medical system treat the symptoms and supresses the disease but does little to ascertain the real cause. Toxic drugs which may suppress or relieve some ailments usually have harmful side-effects. Drugs usually hinder the self healing efforts of the body and make recovery more difficult. Drugs also produce dietary deficiencies by destroying nutrients, using them up and preventing their absorption. Moreover, the toxicity they produce occurs at a time when the body is least capable of coping with it.

The approach of the modern system is more on combative lines after the disease has set in, whereas nature cure system lays greater emphasis on preventive method and adopts measures to attain and maintain health and prevent disease.

The modern medical system treats each disease as a separate entity, requiring specific drug for its cure, whereas the nature cure system treats the organism as a whole and seeks to restore harmony to the whole of the patient’s being.

What are various Methods in Nature Cure ?

Nature cure adopts those methods which remove the accummulated toxic matters and poisons from the system without in any way injuring the vital organs of the body. They also stimulate the organs of elimination and purification to better functioning.

To cure disease, the first and foremost requirement is to regulate the diet. To get rid of accumulated toxins and restore the equilibrium of the system, it is desirable to completely exclude acid-forming foods, including proteins, starches and fats, for a week or more and to confine the diet to fresh fruits which will disinfect the stomach and alimentary canal. If the body is overloaded with morbid matter, as in acute disease, a complete fast for a few days may be necessary for elimination of toxins. Fruit juice may, however, be taken during a fast. A simple rule is : do not eat when you are sick, stick to a light diet of fresh fruits. Wait for the return of the usual healthy apetite. Alkaline foods such as raw vegetables and sprouted whole grain cereals may be added after a week of a fruit only diet.

Other method of curing disease is by stimulting the vitality of the body. This can be achieved by using water in various ways and at varying temperatures in the form of packs or baths. The application of cold water, especially to the abdomen, the seat of most diseases, and to the sexual organs, through a cold bath immediately lowers body heat and stimulates the nervous system. In the form of wet packs, hydrotherapy offers a simple natural method of abating fevers and reducing pain and inflammation, without any harmful side-effects. Warm water application, on the other hand, are relaxing.

Other natural methods useful in the cure of diseases are air and sunbaths, exercise and massage. Air and sunbaths revive dead skin and help maintain it in a normal condition. Exercise promotes inner health and harmony and helps eliminate all tension : physical, mental and emotional. Massage tones up the nervous system and quickens blood circulation and the metabolic process.