Disease Analogy -- Flies in the Trash

I recently attended a Holistic Conference in Utah and was struck by an analogy for disease.  The workshop presenter, Stephen Horne, was telling us that the reason disease takes hold in our bodies isn't because the germ was nearby, but because our bodies were in a weakened state that invited the germ in.

The analogy is that if there is no rotting food in the trash can, the flies won't attract.  They'll stay where they are and not wander over to the trash can.  If there is rotting food in the trash, the flies will find the smelly stuff, come hover and feed upon the trash.  Did the flies create the rotten food?  No.  Did the flies make the food go bad?  No.  The food was already rotten and attracted the flies, giving them them a place to nest and multiply.

Likewise, taught Stephen Horne, our bodies are like that trash can.  If our bodies are strong, healthy and uninviting to that bacteria or virus, the germs won't be able to come in and make themselves at home.  Our bodies will resist disease.  If we do get sick, did the germ make us sick?  No.  We were in a weakened state, whether by lack of sleep, too much mental stress, overworking physically, or poor nutrition.

Many may find this hard to believe, but I know when I've really taken care of my body (whole foods only, enough sleep, balance in my life), I've gone a whole year without getting sick.  My kids can pass a flu or cold from one to the other with me being their home care nurse and I wouldn't catch it.   If I ate poorly, it wouldn't take me long at all to end up in bed like they were.

I've heard people say, "Oh, she was run down" or "His immune system just got low" or in fitness circles, "She over-trained" to explain why someone got sick.   It's true.  When we don't care for our bodies properly, we can create an environment for illness.  When I went to a Raw Food Conference a few years ago, I met people who had been eating only whole or raw foods for many, many years and hadn't been sick at all.  One man hadn't been sick in over 25 years.  25 years!  Others had overcome asthma, allergies, diabetes, fibromyalgia, and arthritis.  These aren't even the diseases we attribute to germs.  Pretty amazing.