Total body load is the phrase used to describe a principle that relate to factors that bring stress onto the body that lead to an overload on the body which results in illnesses.

Total body load is one of the most important body healing principles, the principle is the key to beating and recovering from all illnesses. Any illness or disease is cure by nature not doctors, all a good doctor can do is to reduce the body load to allow nature to run its course and cure. Unfortunately, most doctors these days rely too much on modern drugs which only add to the biological burden placed upon the body which makes things worst not better, as intended.

The human being, as with all living creatures, has regulatory mechanisms which defend the body from illnesses, diseases and harm. The skin protects the body from dehydration and temperature variations, poison waste is eliminated from the body by the kidneys, the immune system defends the body from micro-organisms, the liver detoxifies the body from health damaging chemicals and acid-base balance within the body is kept regulated by other factors within the body.

Every second, every minute, every day, the bodys regulatory mechanisms are working to keep the body healthy and we generally feel good and fine. Health problems tend to occur when the bodys health defenses become overworked and symptoms appear, by this stage the bodys defenses have been breached and problems can become serious quiet quickly.

The overloading of the bodys systems is very serious and health problems will occur. The metaphor image that is commonly used to illustrate the overload phenomenon is that of an overflowing barrel. Envisage the barrel being the bodys ability to cope with all the stresses of modern day living, the more stresses added to the barrel the more it gets full, until one day it overflows and produces symptoms which are related to diseases and illnesses. There are a number of factors or combination of factors that can lead to the barrel overflowing and producing illnesses and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, ulcers and mental breakdown, a sample of these factors that contribute to the barrel overflowing are allergies, poor nutrition, stress, lack of sleep, acute viral episodes, sudden shock and overwork.

There are many ways to overload the body, psychological factors being excessive work load, high amount of stress and personality disorders, physical factors being the heat and cold, electromagnetic radiation, oxidative stress and mercury toxicity, biological factors being fatigue, allergies, micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, nutritional deficiency and endocrine dysfunction and chemical factors being alcohol, medicines, pollution and recreational drugs.

A common misleading factor about overload is that the last overload factor that is introduced is the only culprit for producing symptoms. It is very uncommon for one overload factor to overcome the bodys defenses; it is far more likely to be a cumulative of actions by different stressors. For example, a persons lifestyle may consists of a stressful job, which to combat the stress they turn to comfort substances such as smoking, drinking, eating chocolate, to wake themselves up for work in the morning they drink a couple of cups of coffee, to cope with their workload they work long hours and only take half an hour lunch break where they eat at their desk because of these long hours they dont have time to rest properly or exercise plus there is a rumor of job cuts at their work. All of these are stressors that the person can cope with until one day a close relative dies and the stress from bereavement overloads their barrel and symptoms of illness occur. Many people would say that it is the stress of bereavement that caused the person to become ill but in fact it was a cumulative affect of a stressful job, consuming caffeine and alcohol, smoking and not resting and exercising properly that cause the illness.

A doctor, physician or therapist can use the knowledge of total body load to help their patients. Any indirect or direct means to reduce total body load will help to combat illnesses, for example quitting smoking will help with infertility, good healthy nutrition will help to fight against cancer, eliminating infections such as Candida will help with PMT, reducing the use of hairspray and perfumes will help to improve catarrh and eating fewer stress foods that cause food intolerances and allergy and refined carbohydrates and food additives will certainly help to improve health.

The body can tolerate a certain threshold of each stressor but when a stressor reaches the threshold illness occurs. Bad allergens are the ones which when taken even in small amounts can put the body into overload. Mild allergens can normally be tolerated but when many mild allergens are taken at once then the threshold will be reach and illness occurs. This is why certain allergic food can be eaten without any problems but can also cause problems when taken with other allergic food. This explains why food can be eaten without causing illness at one time and at another time it can cause an allergic reaction. As illustrated earlier, life events, emotional stress and viral infections can all affect the threshold of overload.

In conclusion, understanding the total body load principle is vital for a Nutritional therapist. It illustrates why and what makes a person ill and by understanding this, advice can be given about nutrition and lifestyle to reduce the stressors in life. The total body load principle can be used to example why a patient can go on a relaxing beach holiday in the Caribbean and eat food that they are intolerant to and not be ill but as soon as they are back in their stressful job in the city they become ill again when eating foods they are intolerant to.