spatial medicine nutrition kjk

7/26/2019 Spatial Medicine Nutrition Kjk

1/8

Spatial Medicine

&

Nutrition

A

New

Vision

of

Health

Kevin

J. Kula

KMI Phoenix

September 2010


2/8

KevinJ. Kula

Introduction

There is a sickness that has slowly spread throughout the collective consciousness of W estern

culture, the acceptance of chronic disease and deg enerative aging as a natural part of

life.

This

sickness has spread

from

Western cultureto theindividual psycheandplaysa

role

in the

continual man ifestation

of

physical illness: illnesses which

can no

longer

be

hidden

by a

prescription. Everyd ay Am ericans lose touch w ith their natural environment, their mother earth

and thefood she

bringsforth. Americans

and

Westernized cultures

are

also losing contact

with their bodies or lacking in what is known as kineticintelligence.

(I

'

2)

Symptom based

treatments willnolongersuffice, afundamental shift inunderstanding bothat aculturalan d

individual level must take place: a belief that we as hum ans can reclaim our health by interacting

with

ourfood and

environment

in new

ways.

Three

Legged Stool

Tom M yers has proposed a concept of a'Threeleggedstool'upon which health in the 21

st

century

will have to be built upon: spatial medicine, nutrition and com munication. This article

looks at the role thefirst two legs play in supporting a return to health. First, a brief overview

willbe given of spatial med icine and of a specific nutritional approach (Paleolithic Nutrition).

Secondly, this paper will examinehow theprinciples (energy, adaptability, support, release,

integration) of

structural integration

a

type

of

spatial medicine apply

to the

process

of successful

nutritional intervention. Nutritional practitioners can

benefit

in their approach if they consider

these principles that will

be

examined.

While

there are manydifferentapproaches that restore spatial relationships and build kinetic

intelligence, there is a

unifying

theory of

nutrition

3

wh ich is contrary to w hat practitioners of

yoga, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese M edicine, polarity therapy, pilates and a thletic trainers

advocate. Despite

the

strength

of

those approaches, their nutritional philosophies often

are

construedfrom different

belief systems, many

of

which

do not

address

the

dietary requirements

of Homo Sapiens

as aspecies. If

disease

as a

part

oflifeis

embedded

in the

collective

consciousness of W estern culture, disease-causing factors need to be recog nized and m inimized.

Acohe rent nutritionalframework must

be

presented

and

operated

from. As

health

is

restored,

the notion of a disease free state can be slowly embraced.

SymptomBased Treatment

Western culture, despite its strengths and m edical advances, is unique

hi

its

disease afflicted

populationand itssymptom based approachtotreatment. Doctors study disease- notwaysof

maintaining health. The current healthcare system rein forces this

very

philosophy and health

remedies play nicely into the hand s of a capitalistic culture wh ere conven tional and alternative

health care options enable peopletocontinueonwith their altered lifestyles. Unfortunately,the

more

holistic

solutions that

are in

place (chroniccardio,USDAfoodpyram id, supplements) fail

to

better the health of the gen uinely interested individual.

Brief OverviewofSpatial Medicine

Space, m atter

and

time

are

three relatedfields,each

of

wh ich merits

its own

line

of

study

and

practice: time (Temporal Me dicine) belonging

to

psychiatrists, matter (Material Medicine)

to

doctors and naturopaths using drugs/herbs, and space (Spatial Medicine) to those altering the

body's structure and functioning

5

. Spatial med icine is the

least

studied of the threefieldsand


3/8

KevinJ. Kula

shows great promisefor the

future

as anemergingfield of medicine. Therearemany waysto

influence

structure and m ovemen t as well as body awareness (kinetic intelligence) as

demonstrated by the spectrum of practitioners and categories of spatial medicine: osteopathy,

chiropractic,yoga,

Alexander/Feldenkrais,

dance, martial arts,somatically-oriented

psychotherapy, athletic trainingandbody-work (including structural

integration)^

5)

.

The em erging science beh ind structural integration is a testament to its growing importance. For

years, anatom ists simply ignored

the

b ody 's connective tissue known

asfascia.

Researchers

are

only

now

beginning

to

understand

the

importance

of

this tissue, hosting

an

annual Fascial

Research Conference. Fascia connects, wraps, and also separates all of the body 's tissues

from

bones to m uscles to organs and can be thought of as an'organofform'or what shapes the

body. '

Since spatial medicine is interested in altering

structural

relationships (thebodies'

relation to gravity),

fascia

is of particular interest. Tom M yers has pointed out that there are two

approachesto spatial medicine: biomechanical (structural)and theperceptual (mov ing with

awareness ofstructure).

(Ref5)

Biomechanical

(Structural)

Approach

There are three interrelated approaches to balancing structure: structural integration

focusing

on

the

fascialstructures that surround

the

skeleton, visceral manipulation focusing

on the

fabricthat

surrounds

the

organs

and

craniosacraltherapy focusing

on the

meninges that surround

and

hold

the brain to the skull andspine.

(Ref5)

The training needed tofullyaddress thebody'sfascial

fabric

would, according to TomMyers, involve"Theab ilitytoread skeletal geometry, soft-tissue

patterns and visceral restrictions. In addition, afully trained practitioner (or complete approach)

would need to address cranial motion, meningeal restrictions and tensions in the peripheral

neurovascular

bundles. ^

Perceptual

(Movement) Approach

The goal of the second approach is to address muscle tone and function, Balanced tonus around

theskeleton

and

within

the

fascial

fabric,"^

5)

while building body awareness with functional

movem ents: yoga, Qigong, Feldenk rais, CrossFit, marital arts, parkour, capoeira, and dance to

name a few . This training of kinetic awareness helps to balance and

reinforce

the biomechanical

or manipulative work mentioned above.

Tom

Myers concludes

by

saying that,"Spatial

Medicine involves expandingourunderstandingofsomaticm aturationaldevelopment- inother

words,it is ananthropological study that includes bothourphysicaland

social

evolution. ^

Brief Overview

of

Paleolithic Nutrition

For 2.5 million years of human evolution m an'sdietconsisted of what he could hun t, fish or

gather.

5

This equates to lean meats, seafood,

fruits,

v egetables and nuts and seeds. Wild game

andfowlwere naturally lean and the cattle had no choice but to be"grass-fed". The fish that

were caught

had an

optimal fatty acid profile

due to

their diet

of

omega-3 rich algae

and the

fruitsand vegetables were local andseasonal. Organ meats were prized for their nutritional

content

7

and there w as no campaign against saturated f at; the early hun ter-gatherers instinctively

knew whatfoodswere critical to healthy functioning.

LorenCordain,researcher andauthor,haspointedoutthatthehuman genomehaschangedless

than

two

percent over

the

last 10,000 years.

8

It is his

contention that

we

still have

the

same


4/8

Kevin

J.

Kula

dietary requirements

of

those hunter-gatherers

and

that Neolithic

foods

(those introduced

after

the

Paleolithic area)

are the

majorcausative

factor

in the

development

of

modern

day

disease.

9

Neolithicfoodsinclude grains, legumes and dairy and while it is hard to imagine a morning

without

a

bowl full

of

Cheerios,

the

advent

of agriculture

began

a

mere

10,000

yearsago,

a

very

small window in the

timespan

of overall human evolution. Grains require cooking in order to be

consumed, legumes like black beans are inedible in their raw state and it is hard to imagine

milkinga wild animal. As

Lierre

Keith points out, "Large ruminants changed humans just as

surely

as we changed them. The high-quality proteins andfats,especially the nutrient-dense

organmeats, meant our digestive systems could shrink and our brains could grow. The

megafaunaof the prehistoric world, the aurochs and antelopes and mammoths, literally made us

human. There is a reason they were our first, endless art

project."

1

Whileon paper this is merely a provocative theory; Cordain has spent the last decade researching

the

actual mechanisms of disease, studying epidemiology and conducting intervention trials.

Another researcher Weston A. Price, a dentist, traveled the world studying tooth decay and

found

that traditional culturesunaffected

by

modern

food

preparation/technology were completely

free

of disease and had perfect teeth.

11

Ancient cultures like the Egyptians, who adopted agriculture,

were soon riddled with modern diseases like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and heartdisease.

12

Dr.

Michael Eades states, "In the archaeological record, rheumatoid arthritis, which leaves very

grim

evidence

in

skeletal remains, follows wheat

and

corn around

theworld."

15

Loren Cordain

in

his epic paper,

"CerealGrains: Humanities Double EdgedSword"points

out

that

the

agricultural revolution made population growth,societalstratification, medicine,

science,

technological,andindustrial advancement possible

while

also contributingtomanyof

humanity's societal ills: whole-scale warfare, starvation, tyranny, epidemic diseases, and class

division.

14

Going

gainst the Grain

The whole grains that make up the bottom of theUSDA's

food

pyramid pose three problems in

particular adverselyaffecting insulin, fattyacid balance and the immune

system.

15

The

detrimentaleffects oflegumes (saponins, protease inhibitors)andproblems with dairy

(homogenization, pasteurization, growth-promoting factors) are outside the scope of this article.

Thefocuswill be on grains as they make up the foundation of many mainstream nutritional

recommendations.

Hyperinsulinemia

Grains have

an

abnormal capacity

to

elevate insulin levels (even oatmeal)

for

prolonged periods

of time resulting in a condition called hyperinsulinemia.

16

The commonly co-occurring

conditions related

to

hyperinsulinemia have been labeled Syndrome

X:

(hypertension, type

2

diabetes,

dyslipidemia,

coronary artery disease, obesity, abnormal glucose

tolerance).

17

These

conditions arejustthe tip of the

iceberg

as

Cordain

points

out,"Suchdiverse abnormalities

and

illnesses as polycystic ovary syndrome, acne, myopia, epithelial cell cancers (breast, prostate,

colon), early

menarche,

gout, blood clouting problems, sleep apnea,

GERD,

peptic ulcer disease

andmale vertex baldingare all

linked

to thecom pensatory

hyperinsulinemia

ofinsulinresistanceby

hormonalinteraction.

18

We know now that insulin ages us, its biological purpose is to

coordinate energy stores

for

reproduction

not to

regulate blood glucose levels.

The

less insulin

a

person secretes over the course of their lifetime the healthier they will

be.

19


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KevinJ.Kula

Fatty

AcidImbalance

From an

evolutionary perspective

the

omega

6-3

balance

was

around

a 2/1

ratio,

now it is

common

to see a

20/1ratio

20

. Inflamm atory diseases, arthritis,Parkinson's,A lzheimers,

depression a ttention-deficit disorder, diabetes, allergies, asthma

and

dementia

are all

related

to an

omega 6-3

imbalance.

21

Com mercial vegetable oils such as corn and soybean are high in omega

6 as well as the m eats of grainfeedanimals andfish. This is the real concern with commercial

feedlot meats,notsaturatedfat andcho lesterol wh ichisneededfor theliningof our

cells/

22

'

23)

Immunological

The worse problem s and least understood by m ainstream nutritionists and dieticians are the

immunologicaleffects of

anti-nutrients found

in

grains, lectins

in

particular. Whereas hum ans

generally do not

have

to

w orry about their young being eaten

by

other predator species, this

is

not the case with plants. Robb W olf explains that, Grains are the seeds of grasses and are

essentially reproductive structures containing not only a dense energy source for the developing

embryo

but

also

a

number

of

control mechanism s

to

preven t predation

and

abnormal

germination. These

'secondarymetabolities'

can be

either toxic, anti-nutritional, benign

or

somewhere in between, dependent upon the physiology of the consumeranimal."*

24

'

14)

Lectins, just one of the anti-nutrientsfound in grains, have three main negative consequences on

human

phy siology: they destroy

the

micro

villi of the

small intestine (causing

m alabsorptionof

fats,minerals, and vitamins), they alter the gutfloraand lastly they trigger an auto-imm une

response.^

14)

Lectins,resistanttoenzymes,passundigested throughthe gutwall severingthe

tight junctions that keep larger undigested foodparticles out wh ile allowing nutrients

in.

25

Once

the gut lining is compromised (a'leakygut'),foodparticles that are notharmfulin themselves

make their way into the blood stream. Thesefoodparticlesoftenresemble body

proteins:

the

imm une system then attacksits owntissues: lec tinsinwheat mimictissuesofboth joint cartilage

and

the

myelin sheaths that cover

our

nerves (rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis), other

lectins are nearly identical to the tissues of the pa ncreas (Type I Diabetes), thyroid (Hashim otos),

skin

(Psoriasis), and airways(Asthma)/

26

'

Ref14

*

The Principles of Structural Integration

Energy, Ada ptability, Support, Release and Integration are the principles of structural

integration. This paper references

theK MI

recipe, wh ich pertains

to the

protocol

of a

particular

school of structural integration. Ene rgy speaks to wh at the client brings to treatment: their

physical energy, em otional stability, w illingness

to

change, psychological state,

and the

state

of

theirtissues. Theenergyof theperson dictatesthetoneof thesession,howquickandable they

are

to change and let go of habitual patterns and the psychological and structural ability to deal

with change. If the practitioner pushes too far or too fast, the system will collapse, it does not yet

have the adaptability or the support needed for that level of change. If sufficient energy is not

available,

the

goals

of

practitioner

and

client working together needs

to

change

or

m ore energy

must

be

found before beginning.

Adaptability pertains

to the

changing

of the

soft-tissue restrictions

or

holding patterns. There

may

be a

lack

of

ability

of the

tissues

or

structures

to

adapt;

the

practitioner needs

to be

very

mindfulof

this.

IdaRolfhasphrasedthisnicely,"If at first youdon'tsucceed,get thehell


6/8

KevinJ. Kula

out " Breathing

may be

stuck, which prevents

the

personfromaccessing their nervous system

forsupport.

If

work with

th e

breath

is

accomplished

the

person

may

findmore energy

and be

able to better adapt to the deeper and more involved work.

Supportis

made possible

by

adaptability.

TheK MI

protocol

is to

work

the

sleeve (extrinsic

superficial

musculature) and

teach

it to move in the

first

four

sessions

before reaching the core.

This enables separatefunctioning

of

core

and

sleeve musculature. Tissues that were stuck

together

undifferentiated are

separated

and

their natural movementfunction

is

restored: when

flexorsflex extensors extend. The adductors for example, take on extension (when adhered to

the hamstrings) or flexion (when adhered to the quadriceps), handling movements that are not

their intrinsic function. Problems

are

oftencomplex

and

tied

to

tissues

far

awayfrom

the

site

of

pain, "Go around the problem; get the system sufficiently resilient so that it is able to change,

anditwillchange"

(Ref27)

Newlyfoundsupport gives the practitioner the opportunity and the client the ability to address

deeply

help patterns in the body. An example of this can be seen in rotational patterns, in which

thesleeveis

often

counteringarotationhi thecore. The

"SpiralLine"

portionof thetrunk

(from

theanterior pelvis(ASIS)up through the internal and external obliques into serratus anterior) is

freedfirstbefore

going into deeper layers like

psoas.

28

A

release

in the"sleeve"

layer will often

bring out the rotation in the core, making the person look even more unbalanced as Ida Rolf has

said, "If your symptoms get better

that's

yourtuff

luck. ^

Ref 7

^

This approach however is

addressing

and

exposing

the

actual problem

in its

entirety.

The

release phase ends with

organizationof the core so its expansionalfunctionscan take place, "The integral nature of the

universe

is

revealed

in its

actions.

The

universe

as it

expands itself

and

establishes

its

basic

coherence reveals the elegance of activity necessary to hold open all the immensely complex

possibilities

of its

future

blossoming."

29

The final step in the process (last

four

sessions)

is integration, once the

tissues

are differentiated

and

the core is evoked, the two layers are integrated so that the voluntary actions of the'sleeve'

take place outside and without interfering with the expansionalfunctionof the

'core'.

This is the

hardest part for the practitioner, movingfromgross carpentry to the finer sculpting of art, the

practitioner integrates the work into a coherent whole. Integration is also the hardest part for the

client which is an ongoing purposeful interaction of structure and function.

The Principles appliedtoNutrition

Tom

Myers has proposed that our fascial system, the connective tissue that literally shapes us

can

be thought of as our beliefsystem.^

)

The culturally determined rituals that develop the

earlybehavior patterns surrounding the experience of

food

forma very strong belief system. The

Bible

says

('Staff of Life'), the

government says

(6-11

servings), your doctor says

('Eat

your

oatmeal'), it is

almost sacrilegious

to

speak

ill of

whole grains.

It is

interesting

to

note that

the

preferredchoiceofcigarettesfordoctorsin the1950'swasCamels, doctorsin allbranchesof

medicine were asked in a national survey, "What cigarette do you smokedoctor?"

30

Adoption to

aPaleo

diet

can

proceed with either

full

compliance

or a

gradual elimination

of

Neolithic foods:

the approach is dependent on the energy of the person. The person needs to confront their belief

system

and

habitual patterns,"There

are a lot of

things

a

warrior

can do at a

certain tune which

he

couldn't do yearsbefore. Those things themselves did not change; what changed was his idea


7/8

KevinJ. Kula

ofhimself."

31

A cost-benefit analysis needs to be undertaken by the interested client. The three

goals

are the

norma lization

of

insulin levels, healing

of the

intestinal lining,

and

m inimization

of

inflammationthrough

fatty

acid balance.

Adaptability is hormonal control; ashiftin metabolic pathways re-enables the person to utilize

thebody's preferred sourceof

fuel: fatty

acids. Reductionofcarbohydrateandwheat especially

helps

the

person

to

gain control over appetite

an d

mood. Adaptability

is

applying

new

informationto

food

selection, moving beyond oldbeliefsand realizing that change ispossible

one meal at a time.

Once inflammation

is

minimized

and the gut

lining repaired psychological support

is

elicited,

the

gut

has a strong connection to the brain via

inflammation

and neurotransm itter modulation.

32

A

new

relationship withfood

and the

understanding

of the

responsibilities involved

in

maintaining

health

are

critical

to

long-term success. This

is

supported

by the newfound

ability

to

recognize

the adverseeffects of certain foods: a release of old patterns through the founda tion of support.

While three people suffering

from

a

thyroid disorder with

different

causative

factors

can all

benefit

from a Paleolithic approach (eight-percent of thyroid disorders are auto-imm une related),

fulltreatment needs to address the specific triggers and imbalances. This is accomplished

through functional diagnostic med icine, which uses urine, saliva, blood, stool and hormonal

testing

and

examines exposure

to

environmentaltoxins.^^

2S)

Whereas symptom based

treatment utilizes adisease-based approach,andprescriptions orsupplements,thisapproach

addresses

the

underlying

dysfunctionof the

individual

by

looking

at

indiv idual biochemistry.

The

future

ofsuccessful

nutrition intervention w ill depend upon

the

skill

of the

practitioner

in

getting

the

client

to

adhere

to an

ancestral diet

as

well

as the

skill

set

needed

to

interpret blood

tests

and formulate individual based strategies for treatment.

Conclusion

Look, listen and guide the person gently butforcefully. The art of treatment is knowing how to

applythe right information, with the right technique, at the right time. Give the person too much

information;

through touch

or

nutrition,

and

they will withdraw, their belief system threatened,

their energy insufficient for change. Go around the problem, create adaptability and elicit

support,

the

release will happen. When

the

time

is

right

the

person

on

their

own

will integrate

the change ma king it their own. The practitioner holds the vision for the client, how it will

blossom is revealed only in the persons actions, it is the shared responsibility of practitioner and

clientto, Makethe

impossible possible,

thepossible easyand theeasyelegant."

3

It

is

clear that

the

journey towards health

in all fields of

medicine must look

at

humans

as a

species and as individuals who are complex landscapes

4

not a collection of symptoms.

Communication

between practitioners is essential, each holds their own b iases and limitations,

spatial explorers and nutritionists must work with doctors and practitioners of traditional

med icine. Spatial med icine and nutrition must take the new dem ands of the environmen t as well

as theevolutionary contextintoperspectiveon

both

thecultureand the

individual. Focusing

on

symptoms and using the concept of

'moderation'

will simply not do, an alteration in lifestyle and

ashift in cultural awareness m ust take place, one that reaches out to the individual outlining a

new vision of health.


8/8

Thomas Myers, http://www.anatomytrains.com/explore/kq

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