The Seven Pillars of Total Health is an original concept by Linda S. Cheek, MD.  Through independent study since 2000 under Naturopathic Doctors, Dr. Gerard Gueniot, MD, Dr. Michael Adams, ND, and Dr. Dickson Thom, DDS, ND, Dr. Cheek has developed her own concept of a hierarchy of health.   To give credit where credit is due, however, for the information presented here, she would like to recognize the original authors of the concepts presented.  Her intent in sharing this information is to educate. 

Mission Statement

The purpose of Seven Pillars of Total Health is to educate interested people in lifestyle changes that should impact their health and provide them with tested and proven products that they can trust.

History

The naturopathic philosophy is a belief that if it is a person's destiny to heal, they will find a naturopathic physician.  That is a wonderful philosophy, but I'm sorry to say, not very practical in today's health care system.  Since the 1800's, when the politically organized medical doctors made Congress pass a law that suddenly ended the careers of the four other more healthful medical fields--Osteopaths, Chiropractors, Homeopaths, and Naturopaths--allopathy has been the accepted western medicine.  Allopathy is the conventional medical treatment of using something that works opposite to or against the problem, such as "anti" inflammatories, "anti" histamines, "anti" hypertensives, etc.  The pharmaceutical industry, government and medical doctors have basically formed a monopoly of thinking about health, most of which is wrong.  A professor at UTHSCSA (University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio), ended a presentation with the following statement: 

“If there is anything I want you to take away from this lecture, here it is:  Half of what we are teach in medical school is wrong. ...   (Long pause while the group pondered that thought)...and we don't know which half.”

In fact, most of what is done in the name of "health care" in conventional medicine is wrong.  Using allopathy, once a person has a disease, they will usually always have the disease.  The best we can expect is symptom management, but not cure.  That is the innate nature of allopathy--to continue the disease and in fact over time, worsen it, requiring more or stronger medication to suppress the disease symptoms.  Based on this principle a tremendous amount of our gross national product and the economy of our country is based on the continuation of the disease process. 

The Osteopaths were the first to fight back for recognition, but are now "in bed" with the medical doctors.  Although their original philosophy by their founder was holistic in nature, their current practice, to maintain their "we're as good as your are" attitude toward medical doctors, they have, I'm sorry to say, lowered their standards, and for the most part, are now allopaths. Chiropractors were next to achieve recognition in more recent years.  For the most part, they are still holistic in nature, and generally use more healthful means of healing.  They have not been in the current system long enough yet to be contaminated, probably because they are not currently allowed to prescribe drugs.  They also are not yet, for the most part, in the insurance loop.  They usually recommend proper lifestyle as the basis for healing. 

Homeopaths and naturopaths have, for the most part, stayed out of the political arena, again, because of their philosophy on depending on the inner self of the patient to direct the carriage in their direction.  But they have forgotten about the driver, the intellect.  Our American society has become so dependent on information.  We, as Dr. Gueniot puts it, are intellectual cripples.  We no longer act “from our inner self”.  We research, we google, we gather information, we listen to what our friends tell us, and we believe our allopathic doctor as if he/she were God.  And since medical school never teaches about lifestyle and actual health, but only disease processes and the biochemical way of interfering with the body’s attempt to set the person back on a healing path, we are stuck in the disease rut.

Most people do not even know what homeopathy is.  They equate it with herbology.  But homeopathy is far more than that, and people need to be aware of its precepts, its power, and its inexpensiveness.  There is absolutely no reason why, in this country, there are people that cannot seek good medical care, even without insurance.  It is out there in the form of naturopathic doctors trained in homeopathy.  Imagine that for $8.00 you can get rid of a cold in two days, instead of keeping it for 2 weeks for the $20 it costs to get over-the-counter allopathic medicine that simply puts money in the hands of the pharmaceutical industry, in addition to your allopathic physician or emergency room visit, and keeps you sick.    But, thanks to the political power of established medicine, most bills to get naturopathic medicine legalized in the states end up on the cutting room floor.

Basically, it will not be through the political process that good medicine will make it to the people.  The only way is for the people to seek it out, and demand it.  The AMA doesn’t want it, big Pharma doesn’t want it, and the government doesn’t want it.  But if you want it, it is available.  Find a trained naturopath in your area.  You can look up at www.seroyal.com and find someone trained in your area. 

Mentors

Mentors are who we learn from.  History has always incorporated a learning process through apprenticeship.  There are as many ways to effect some healing as there are practitioners.  I don’t know all of them, and never will.  Just as there are 50,000 forms of qigong, and I recommend one in particular, based on the recommendations by my mentors, there are also many other cleansing programs.  I am not familiar with them all, and cannot even offer an opinion.  In each person’s search for health, you must expose yourself to what is available, and then make your own decisions.  Just be aware that marketing tactics are there to take your money and put it in the pocket of the company.  Many companies out there sell products based on some hype or small amount of knowledge.  But you, the consumer, need to be knowledgeable enough to sort out the truth from the marketing ploy.  For an example in how you can waste your money, refer back to the information on probiotics.  Click here.  Another is in buying cereal containing whole flax seeds for omega 3’s.  The whole flax seed will probably pass right through you, providing you with nothing, but the company will have your money.

Michael Adams, ND

Dr. Adams introduced me to Seroyal, and therefore Genestra and Unda.  He has energetically tested many products in the course of his clinical practice.  He has found Genestra and Unda to be the most energetically balanced of all the products he has tested.  One of the reasons why I pick Seroyal as my basic naturopathic company is that their products are manufactured in Europe.  Products manufactured in the USA do not have to be assayed or tested.  They do not even have to have in them what the bottle states.  This might be one of the many factors why conventional studies done on alternative medications never seem to prove effectiveness.  Genestra and UNDA also use specific energetic wildcrafting techniques in gathering their herbal stock.

Dr. Adams in the originator of the Seven Steps to Healing.  He has actually increased his program now to 10 steps.  I prefer the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid), and continue with the original 7 steps.

Dickson Thom, DDS, ND

The use of the castor oil pack, dry skin brushing, and magnesium on a daily basis (Dr. Thom recommends Magnelevures but I found them too expensive and adopted the cheaper alternative of Cal Mag +D) come from Dr. Thom’s lectures.

Gerard Gueniot, MD

Dr. Gueniot was truly a master medical mind.  Similar to Dr. Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, Dr. Gueniot was years before his time.   His pluralistic homeopathic program is remarkable.  Completely different from classical homeopathy, his program bases the individual evaluation on multiple factors and uses homeopathics at several different potencies for synergistic effect.    Dr. Gueniot, for his knowledge, was attacked and imprisoned by the government.  While in prison he died--a noble man, doing what was right, persecuted for his ability to heal.  There is always a risk going against the mainstream.  But those of us that do realize that if it weren't for us, there would be no scientific advancement.  Historically, most people that have made great advances in medicine died destitute and received their recognition posthumously.   Someday hopefully Dr. Gueniot will be recognized as the healer he was.

In your search for knowledge, you will read conflicting ideas.  In sorting out the direction your inner self wants you to go, you must eventually act on what you learn.  Any cleansing is better than no cleansing at all.  Any improvement in lifestyle is better than no improvement at all.  If there are some things you do that you know are wrong, but you won’t give them up, fine.  Do what you can when you can with what you have available. If in your quest for better health, give it to God.  Your link to God, your inner spirit, will direct your path.  If my training and my products help you to be healthier and happier, my job is done.