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Haven’t we been told that we should aim higher? Haven’t we been told that if we miss the moon, we will still end up landing among the stars? So, can we do the same to shoot the problem of IBS? So, the big question becomes: Is it possible to self-heal our IBS?
If by analogy, the human body is just like a mobile phone, can we, operate in another mode? What does that mean? It means if our usual, daily mode is the mode that makes up suffer from IBS, then is it possible for us to switch to another mode, the mode of self-healing?
The Mode of Self-Healing
Before we talk about why self-healing is possible. Let me ask you one question.
Have you tried IF (intermittent fasting)?
Some experts claim that it is not a good idea for IBS people like you and me. However, I gave it a go one night after I felt discomfort in my guts (bloating). From 9 pm that night till 9 am next morning I ate nothing but only drank water and green tea. Guess what? The bloating went away and most important of all, my poop turned back to its normal shape.
It seems that my fasting has switched my mode to a self-healing one. And if we understand how this mode works, is it possible to apply it to IBS?
Activating Your Inner Healer
So, what is the mechanism of self-healing? To look for the answer, I turned to a medical giant, an expert on longevity, Dr David Sinclair. He claims that fasting is way to activate our survival mode, a mode in which the body protects itself during times of adversity. In this mode, three defence components (sirtuins, mTOR, AMPK) of our cells will take care of our bodies.
Now, you know how the mode of self-healing goes. However, you may ask a question about it. Isn’t it better to have a doctor taking care of you? Why (on earth) should you self-heal yourself?
What is so good about self-healing?
We know that self-healing is good. But how exactly do we mean? Dr Chopra provides two reasons, two compelling ones:
1. Stop Trouble Before It Starts
One of the greatest benefits of self-healing, as highlighted by Dr Chopra, is its proactive approach to health. What does that mean? Instead of waiting for symptoms to appear, self-healing encourages you to adopt healthy habits—like balanced nutrition, regular movement, and mindful living—long before disease has a chance to take hold. This focus on prevention means you can strengthen your body’s defences and reduce your risk of chronic illnesses, giving you a head start on lifelong wellness.
2. Chill Out, Heal Up
Another major advantage of self-healing is its ability to tackle stress and inflammation, two hidden culprits behind many modern health problems (IBS included).
Dr Chopra points out that by practicing stress-reducing techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, and positive thinking, you can calm your mind and lower inflammation throughout your body. This not only helps you feel better day-to-day but also creates a healthier internal environment that supports healing and resilience over the long term.
Who else (in the medical world) advocates self-healing?
I favour self-healing not just because of my own experience. It is, in fact, an approach advocated by many renowned scientists and doctors:
- Dr William Li, a physician, scientist, TED speaker
- the ground-breaking New York Times best seller: Eat to Beat Disease
- Dr Susan Blum, a pioneer in functional medicine
- author of The Immune System Recovery Plan: A Doctor’s 4-Step Program to Treat Autoimmune Disease
What is self-healing: integration of mind and body
There is no boundary between mind and body
Cambridge professor of psychiatry Bullmore (2018) —> no boundary between mind and body (link between depression and inflammation of the body and brain, mental disorders can have their root cause in the immune system)
Dr Chopra: the bodymind (P.14) —-> mind is in your body: a liver cell sends and receives messages (chemical ones) all the time —> through the bloodstream + along with the central nervous system —-> pathways in which information run through our body
no boundary between mind and body: 50 trillion cells are ‘joined’ together
brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) present everywhere
(P.16) the immune system (though separated from the brain) —> part of a vast network of chemical messages
Example of self-healing: make Qi move
- Eat warm, cooked foods (think soups, stews, and ginger tea) → Strengthens Qi
- Move your body daily (yoga, walking, stretching) → Keeps Qi flowing smoothly
- Manage stress (try acupuncture, meditation, or deep breathing) → Calms Qi
- Avoid icy drinks → Protects your digestive fire
(eating by Dr Blum:
Eating is not (just) eating
If you want to self-heal your IBS, you have to change your ways of thinking. About what? Change your way of thinking about food, the things you eat every day.
There are lots of reasons explaining the why self-healing is possible, one of which closely related to IBS is from Dr Blum.
She claims that people, including IBS people, can use food as medicine. Why? Foods, to be more precise molecules in foods, tell your cells how to behave by giving them information. What information? Information that your body reads and reacts to. One of the reactions we IBS people hate a lot is inflammation and bloating is one kind of it.
In other words, we can self-heal ourselves, if we choose food that do not cause inflammation in our intestines.
Eating: views from TCM
Dr Blum’s view on food as medicine concens mainly about Autoimmune Diseases. If this view is not going to change your mind, think about Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Foods of any kind have healing properties (digestable knowlege by Dr Tang)
Exercisng
Sources of knowledge
David Sinclair,
Professor Bullmore, Regius Professor of Psychiatry at King’s College London, author of The Inflamed Mind: A Radical New Approach to Depression.
Dr Chopra, 2018 The Healing Self: A Revolutionary New Plan to Supercharge Your Immunity and Stay Well for Life:
William Li Eat to Beat Disease
Susan Blum The Immune System Recovery Plan: A Doctor’s 4-Step Program to Treat Autoimmune Disease
