It Is the Soil Not the Seed

It is said that Louis Pasteur, the man who came up with germ theory, denounced his life’s work on his death bed, stating that “it is the soil, and not the seed”.

Germ theory postulates that we are sick, and indeed get sick due to our exposure to germs, bacteria, and viruses. Which makes sense as a lot of sickness stems from exposure to these. But what germ theory does not explain is why when two people are exposed to the same virus, that one gets sick and the other does not?

If we take the example of the seed and the soil, we can better understand this. The seed represents the germ, bacteria, or virus. And the soil represents us, the human being. To become sick, the seed must be planted in the soil and grow.

As the seed does not change in the example of one virus affecting many people, then the reason some get sick and others do not, can not be explained by the seed. It must be the soil, as that is what varies, from person to person.

In short, it is not the germ that will make you sick, but how well your body can adapt and fight it that determines your sickness or not. Therefore, to truly stay well and fight off germs, bacteria, and viruses, we do not necessarily need to avoid them, but we need to think about how we can create a body that can fight and adapt to them. Essentially, we need to work on the soil.

So here are my top 3 tips to help you improve your soil. To sure up your defense against germs.

1. How do you register the germ and set up the response?
This is a fantastic and fine coordination of the nervous system and immune response. The coordination and proper workings are controlled through correct balance of the autonomic nervous system. Known as fight flight, and rest digest.
This is where chiropractic can really help. Regular adjustments help to influence the autonomic nervous system and keep the regulation in balance. Therefore, when a germ enters the body we can set up a faster and more appropriate response.

Balancing your autonomic nervous system through breath work and chiropractic can have great benefit on your defenses.

2. Nutrition.
Having a body that is in a state of chronic inflammation is just like having soil that is not primed for planting. Therefore, working to reduce chronic inflammation within your body can dramatically improve your immune system.
With your diet, try to reduce if not eliminate sugars, dairy, and wheat. As these will all drive up inflammation. And instead focus on increasing your water intake, have a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar each day, eat quality meats, and a variety of colourful vegetables.

3. Movement.
Exercise is great for your immune system; it helps to fire the nervous system better as mentioned in point one. And it circulates the lymphatic system that can help to flush out toxins within the body. Daily exercise that shortens breath and breaks a sweat is essential.

So, there you have it, there is more that you can do to control the germs, bacteria, and viruses than you thought.

With love,

Tom