Introduction

What Causes Disease? explores the true origins of various ailments, from the common cold to digestive disorders and autoimmune diseases. Accepting that we play a role in our ill health can be challenging; however, it’s important to remember that it’s not our fault. We inherit toxins from conception and throughout our time in utero, leaving us with organs that never function at full capacity. This disadvantage begins from day one, compounded by everything we encounter after birth.

Many individuals suffering from conditions like colds, arthritis, asthma, endometriosis, high or low blood pressure, tonsillitis, digestive problems, herpes, autoimmune diseases, and cancer often believe their symptoms indicate their body is turning against them. This narrative disempowers us, stripping away our options. In truth, these symptoms serve as vital clues about what is happening beneath the surface. If you accept that external, uncontrollable factors cause your health issues, you may persist in habits that perpetuate them.

We often overlook the significant effects of inherited toxicity, environmental pollutants, and unhealthy living on our well-being. This lack of awareness prevents us from healing ourselves, leaving us feeling powerless. Instead of waiting to see what illness we might develop, we should take proactive measures to prevent them. I wrote this article to illuminate the truths behind disease, empowering you to take charge of your health and thrive.

1. The chemistry of disease 

One major contributor to disease relates to your bodily chemistry, specifically your levels of acidity and alkalinity. The body relies on a balanced pH for optimal function, with blood pH ideally slightly alkaline at 7.4. While you may have inherited weaknesses, physical and emotional ailments arise from several factors:

• Toxicity inherited during utero and from birth.
• Consumption of acid-forming foods and drinks, such as ultra-processed items, antibiotic-laden meat, fish, dairy, alcohol, and overly cooked meals.
• Environmental toxins from vehicles and household products.
• Heavy metals from medications, antibiotics, vaccines, and chemotherapy. Even if these treatments prove effective, they increase acidity in the body, burdening the liver and contributing to illness.
• Acid build-up from stress and unresolved trauma.

These factors lead to ‘metabolic acidosis,’ triggering inflammation, an immune response to foreign substances. While inflammation is beneficial in certain cases, such as healing a cut, excessive inflammation underlies many health issues.

What you consume, breathe, apply to your skin, and think all introduce external elements into your body. Without adequate filtration of these toxins, they contribute to cellular degeneration, premature ageing, and disease. Our modern lifestyles lack essential components that promote overall wellness, leading to many contemporary diseases.

2. The Role of Chronic Dehydration

In youth, your body typically contains around 78% water, but this can drop to as low as 60% with age. This decline isn’t a natural part of life; it results from lifestyle choices that deplete water from our bodies and contribute to disease.

Many people remain unaware of their dehydration because they don’t feel thirsty. Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, author of You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty, notes that hunger often masks thirst. When you feel hungry, you might actually be thirsty.

Daily water intake recommendations vary based on factors like health conditions, medications, activity levels, and temperature. The Institute of Medicine suggests 3 litres for men, 2 litres for women, and 2.5 litres for pregnant women. Dr. Dhiren Gala, in World Best Medicine: Water, recommends drinking between 2.5 to 6 litres daily. At 39 years old, I aim for at least 4 litres to stay alert, energised, and prevent constipation.

Proper hydration ensures your bloodstream has adequate water, sugar, and oxygen, keeping your blood thin and flowing smoothly. Drinking spring water, reverse osmosis, or distilled water with added minerals is ideal for staying hydrated

3. The Impact of Constipation 

Many people eat without considering how their bodies process food. However, digestion, absorption, utilisation, and elimination are crucial ongoing processes. Impairment in any of these areas harms the entire body and leads to disease.

The late Professor Arnold Ehret, a prominent naturopath, famously stated, “Every disease, no matter what name it is known by in Medical Science, is constipation.” In his 1924 work Mucusless Diet Healing System, he explains that unnatural foods can leave individuals with as much as four kilograms of un-eliminated faeces in their bowels. Given the modern diet, many might carry even more.

I have spent considerable time water fasting, sometimes for 40 days, to alleviate health issues. Even after weeks without solid food, I experienced daily bowel movements due to the backlog in my system. As I began releasing old stools, I noticed improvements in various ailments, from joint pain to sinus congestion. This experience clarified the connection between poor elimination and ill health.

Constipation is a common issue, and its true scale is often underestimated. It clogs your system, allowing acid waste to enter your bloodstream and cause acidosis, a primary driver of disease. Ensuring regular bowel movements is vital for vibrant health, making hydration crucial.

4. The overworked liver 

The liver is one of the most vital yet overlooked organs in the body, responsible for around 2,000 processes, including:

• Processing fats
• Protecting the heart
• Storing vitamins and minerals
• Screening and filtering blood
• Storing glucose and glycogen
• Neutralising harmful substances

The liver also filters out toxins entering the body. We face an overload of toxins from sources like aluminium particles, mould in meat, microplastics, and food preservatives. This burden strains the liver, often manifesting as illness.

Conditions linked to an overworked liver include:

• Dark circles under the eyes
• Acne
• Diabetes
• Bloating
• Gallstones
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• Gout
• Hemorrhoids
• Polyps
• Celiac disease
• Varicose veins
• Insomnia
• Fatigue

When undetected viruses proliferate, they can lead to autoimmune and chronic illnesses, often misattributed to other causes. If we recognised the liver’s importance earlier, we might nurture and care for this essential organ better.

To support your liver, consider these steps:

• Minimise or eliminate plastic use.
• Use only natural beauty and household products.
• Opt for organic, non-GMO, unsprayed food whenever possible.
• Limit medications and explore natural remedies.
• Focus on consuming whole foods.

5. The Dangers of Excess Protein 

Many believe protein is purely beneficial, equating it with strength and vitality. In reality, most people consume nearly double the protein needed for balance.

The National Library of Medicine states, “Extra protein is not used efficiently by the body and may impose a metabolic burden on the bones, kidneys, and liver.” High-protein diets can also increase the risk of coronary heart disease due to saturated fat and cholesterol intake. Excess protein either gets eliminated or stored as fat. People often equate protein solely with muscle, but this overlooks its complex effects.

Protein-rich foods include processed items, refined sugars, meats, fish, eggs, and to a lesser extent, tempeh, beans, legumes, nuts, and grains—especially white rice. Many high-protein foods and processed items contain little fibre, vitamins, or minerals. Numerous studies show that these foods disrupt gut microbiome health, potentially leading to conditions like IBS, Crohn’s, and celiac disease.

Protein-rich foods can also be gluey, exacerbating constipation and resulting in further disease. Cereals and flour products form mucus and acid, with white flour being particularly problematic, as it forms a paste that sticks to intestinal walls, contributing to mucoid plaque. Bran, graham, whole wheat, and rye are less harmful due to their reduced stickiness.

Protein powders, derived from plants like soybeans, peas, rice, and potatoes, may contain added sugars, flavourings, thickeners, vitamins, and minerals. The protein content can vary significantly, and many supplements remain unregulated and understudied. Some may cause digestive issues or contain excessive sugar and fat. You can learn more about the hidden dangers of protein powders from Harvard Health.

6. The Impact of Parasites

Parasites are organisms that rely on other living beings, such as humans, for sustenance. You can acquire them from contaminated food, water, or insect bites. While they rarely kill their hosts, parasites can cause various issues. Symptoms can mirror those of other conditions, such as pneumonia or food poisoning.

Common symptoms include:

• Rashes
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Aches and pains
• Sleep disturbances

7. Chemicals through medication and antibiotics 

Chemicals are in medications including antibiotics, vaccinations, hormonal contraceptives and chemotherapy. They are also in additives, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides sprayed on food. Hygiene products, household cleaners, products and materials also contain chemicals. Chemicals such as petroleum are added to antibiotics, medication and vaccines. These have a pH of between 2 and 4, making them highly acidic. Regardless of how effective they are, taking these drugs inevitably create more acidity in the body, therefore contributing to disease.

Your liver, which is responsible for filtering out toxins, becomes burdened with the amount of chemicals from medications it has to deal with. According to Anthony Williams in his book Liver Rescue, ‘Even normal antibiotic use as a child can be enough to result in weakened liver by a person’s late 20s if steps aren’t taken to detox and restore the liver in the interim.’ You might never have taken antibiotics and may think – quite rightly – that you have less toxicity in you as a result. Unfortunately, this is not the case if you have consumed animal products throughout your life.

According to “What The Health”, a 2017 documentary film which critiques the health impact of industrialised animal product consumption, and questions the practices of leading health and pharmaceutical organisations, reported that 75% of the drugs that the entire pharmaceutical industry make is sold to farmers around the world. Farming animals for meat is a particularly intense process which compromises their immune system. Antibiotics are given to them for this reason. Antibiotics are also given to animals to make them grow faster as well as bigger as they promote weight gain. When we consume mass produced animal products, we are also consuming the drugs that were in their system, therefore increasing our chance of disease.

8. Stress and unresolved trauma 

Modern lives can be stressful, and many of us carry unresolved trauma. Both negatively affect our Central Nervous (CNS) System and Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). Please know that it is 100% OK to feel negative emotions. They are a normal part of being a human and in many cases, can actually be a catalyst for change. The problem arises when we don’t acknowledge and process these emotions. When this happens, they become stored within the cells. Over time, this build up of unresolved emotions becomes acidic, which causes inflammation, resulting in many diseases we find ourselves suffering from.

Some recommendations for starting the healing journey 

It cannot be denied that despite much evolution in wellness education and technologies, over the last 40 years there has been a steady decline in the health of the world’s population. We are accustomed to viewing disease of all kinds as ‘just a part of life’. And it will be if our diets and lifestyles are predominantly made up of toxic, acidic and mucus-forming foods and substances. It is time we took our power back, but sometimes just deciding where to start is daunting. Here are some practical steps you can take to improve your health:

Meditation

Meditation comes from the Tibetan word gom, which means to ‘become familiar with’. It is a timeless practice used to observe and understand our state of mind. It’s a practice of self-observation and self-development that involves becoming familiar with our thoughts, emotions, actions, and behaviours. When we meditate, the conditioned self comes to the present moment, allowing us to see the perceptions we hold about ourselves. It shows us the patterns and habits of our mind, enabling us to take personal responsibility for what we are creating and for the seeds we are sowing. You can learn more about meditation and access thousands of free meditations here.

Food

For the past 150 years, the majority of the population’s diet includes many foods and commonly consumed chemicals that damage the human body. This includes a huge increase in processed foods, steroid injected meat, GMO foods and pasteurised dairy. Unfortunately, many remain unaware of this because of the persistent narratives and marketing that support consumption of these foods. In all of these cases, the industries that promote these foods profit. They are sold to us as the healthiest or safest options. This couldn’t be further from the truth as they absolutely contribute to disease in many forms.

Eat real, whole food

The best way to approach food is to make sure it’s real, whole food. Real whole food refers to foods that are unrefined, unprocessed, and do not contain added ingredients such as salt, simple carbohydrates, or fat. Examples of real whole food include:

1. Water
2. Fruits
3. Vegetables – raw and steamed
4. Whole grains – Items containing wheat must say ‘whole wheat’, not just ‘wheat’ by itself.
5. Sprouted legumes
6. Sprouted nuts
7. Sprouted seeds
8. Natural sweeteners
9. Unpastrirised dairy
10. Wild-caught fish
11. Grass-fed meat and organic poultry to ensure there are no added toxins

Remove/reduce processed food such as

1. Refined grains such as white flour or white rice
2. Refined or artificial sweeteners. One of the most dangerous ingredients we can eat is processed sugar which you can read in my article
3. Any products with man made chemicals in
4. Factory-farmed meat as these will be injected with steroids and antibiotics
5. Unpasteurised milk and dairy
6. Deep-fried foods
7. Fast food
8. Alcohol

The 80/20 guideline 

This may seem daunting so I like to recommend the 80/20 guideline. 80% of the time, consume real, whole food and drink, and 20% of the time, consume items from the list above. Consuming small amounts of these items isn’t the problem, but most people are consuming a majority of the above items and little to no real, whole foods. This increase in unnatural, processed food is the reason we have seen a rise in chronic disease in the last 40 years.

Medication, antibiotics and Hormonal contraception 

There may be a time and a place for certain medication and antibiotics but long term use of them invariably contributes to disease. The best way to avoid medications is by getting to the root cause of a disease so you never have to take the medication in the first place. This is done through addressing lifestyle changes by way of diet, toxicity exposure and dealing with emotional trauma. If you are already on medication for a disease but wish to stop, addressing your diet and lifestyle is the key.

Taking hormonal contraception has far more dangers than we previously believed and has been linked to many diseases such as depression, digestive issues, infertility and cancer. To learn more about the dangers of hormonal contraception, along with alternative options for birth control methods, please read my article ‘Is the Pill good for our overall health and wellbeing?’.

Household and self care products 

Start using plant-based beauty/home/cleaning products, and avoid ingredients such as sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate, talc, mineral oil, aluminium, glycol and anything containing the letters ‘prop’ e.g. propyl, propamine, isopropyl, propanol and propylene.

Vaccines

In the last few years, vaccines have been at the forefront of people’s attention and sadly, have caused quite a divide in the collective. I’ve spent the best part of these last few years learning more about vaccines and to be honest, I was shocked at what I was uncovering. As such, I felt more than just a paragraph needed to be dedicated to this topic, so I have written an accompanying article ‘Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness: A Deep Dive’. This presents everything I know about vaccines with the intention for you to be able to make an informed decision about whether you wish to take vaccines in the future. As well as this, you are are also welcome to read another article ‘How to Detox Heavy Metals’ to kick start your detox.

Awaken with Soraya

Are you ready to embody the wisdom of your womb and awaken the woman within? If you’re ready to embody a new way of living rooted in feminine power, deeply knowing yourself speaking your truth and being an advocate for a brighter future for all, I invite you to learn how you can work with me.