Why Is the Health of Your “Terrain” Important?
Your “Terrain” is vital for your health and wellbeing!!
The dictionary definition of ‘terrain’ is a stretch of land, and the term is typically used when describing its physical features or characteristics.
When we use the term in a health context, we use it to mean the landscape of the body. If we draw a gardening analogy, we might think of it as the soil in which a plant grows. We all know that plants don’t thrive in nutrient-depleted soil, and the same is true of us.
The History of the “Terrain” in Health
In the world of natural medicine, the terrain is used to man the body’s internal environment. This concept originates from the work of early medical pioneers Claude Bernard and Antoine Béchamp during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They suggested that it’s not just pathogens like bacteria and viruses that determine health, but also the condition of the terrain in which those pathogens exist. Their view was that a body that is healthy provides an inhospitable environment for pathogens to thrive, whereas an unhealthy body provides an environment that is more conducive to illness. Thus, their belief was
Terrain Theory vs. Germ Theory
The more traditional, and largely still the mainstream medical view, is that specific organisms, such as bacteria, viruses and fungi, cause specific diseases. This view has it’s origins in the work of Louis Pasteur, famous for bringing us pasteurisation and early vaccinations. Indeed, the rivalry between Béchamp and Pasteur was a long-standing and bitter one. This traditional view logically leads us down a path of attacking the pathogen to heal the disease.
The terrain theory view brings with it the belief that pathogens were the result of disease (dis-ease of the environment) and not the cause of it. Thus, the naturopathic approach of the time focused on creating a healthy terrain to prevent disease taking hold in the first place. Working on the terrain meant providing sufficient nutrients, removing excess toxins and maintaining a balance of acidity and alkalinity. This approach works on the principle that the body has an innate healing power, in the right conditions.
These two approaches are still to some extent hotly debated and you will still find people who hold strong and diametrically opposing views. It is perhaps worth remembering though that Pasteur is reported to have said on his deathbed that his rival Béchamp was right all along with the words “The germ is nothing, the Terrain is everything”.
What Theory Serves Us Now?
I came to the world of natural medicine because, like many who seek alternatives, we felt failed by conventional medicine. With my scientific background, this world has, at times, felt uncomfortable, even un-believable. However, I have learned there is no doubt that it has something valuable to offer.
What I learned along the way leads me to believe there is validity in both schools of thought. Neither extreme view has all the answers, and we will fare best if we seek to take the best from both. Indeed, any viewpoint that believes it holds all the answers is a dangerous thing in my opinion. What I believe in is bringing ourselves to problem-solving with an openness to multiple schools of thought, including emerging ones, to find our solutions.
In her thought-provoking book “Béchamp or Pasteur”, Ethel D Hume delves into their rivalry. In the end though she argues that the widespread acceptance of Pasteur’s Germ Theory, which led to vaccines and antibiotics, has undoubtedly saved countless lives. However, she also highlights that by focusing solely on killing germs, modern medicine often neglects the importance of maintaining a healthy internal environment, and that the rise of antibiotic resistance is an example of the unintended consequences of such an exclusive focus.
How We Can Use the Concept of Terrain
Dr Nasha Winters ND has coined ‘The Terrain 10’ in her approach, and book entitled “The Metabolic Approach to Cancer” but really these ten elements of a person’s terrain are applicable to any area of health, vitality and performance. Weaknesses in any of the terrain elements will have an impact on your health, and when there are several weaknesses, your vulnerability to disease multiplies. Those Ten Terrains are:
Genetics & epigenetics
Look for any weaknesses that might make you vulnerable to disease, or explain your symptoms
Learn how to use nutrition and lifestyle to mitigate those weaknesses
Blood sugar balance
Look at how well your body manages glucose and how to optimise it
Problems here make you vulnerable to many chronic diseases.
Toxic burden
Look at how well your body processes and eliminates toxins and if you may have a build-up of stored toxins.
Learn how to reduce your toxic burden and ensure you are eliminating them effectively.
Microbiome and digestive function
Look for signs of poor digestion, dysbiosis and nutrient deficiencies that may cause symptoms.
Learn how to use nutrition and lifestyle to improve digestion, microbiome health and the assimilation of nutrients.
Immune function
Look for signs of low immunity, for vulnerability to both chronic and acute infections.
Look for signs of an over-active immune system, allergies and autoimmunity.
Inflammation
Look for signs of inflammation and for the hidden sparks that could lead to inflammation.
Learn how to put out the fire of inflammation and prevent the sparks that start it.
Blood circulation & angiogenesis
Look for signs of poor blood quality, flow and cardiovascular health in general.
Learn how to maintain cardiovascular health.
Hormone balance
Look for signs and symptoms of hormone imbalance.
Learn how to work with the ebbs and flows of hormones to support many facets of optimal health.
Stress & biorhythms
Look for signs and symptoms of stress and a disrupted circadian rhythm.
Learn how to build in restorative practices for healthy regulation of biorhythms and resilience.
Mental & emotional health
Look for signs that thought patterns and emotions may be impacting overall health.
Learn how to reprogramme patterns to support optimal health.
I imagine there are few people who would look at this list and dispute the importance of any one of these elements in the landscape of escalating chronic disease today. We can use these terrain elements to build a picture of how everything is working together, where the roadblocks are, and which ones are critical to restoring optimal health.
Another key tenet of this approach is that no two people are the same, and neither is the landscape of their terrain. Therefore, a personalised approach to supporting health has a much greater chance of success than a protocol-based approach which advocates a prescription tailored to a diagnosis or set of symptoms.
A personalised terrain-based approach that focuses on root causes is what I offer.
