Glossary: Integrative Medicine and Nutrition

A field surrounding and interpenetrating the physical body.

Having two phases.

The integration of bodywork with psychotherapy and recognition of the continuity and the deep connections that all psycho-corporal processes contribute, in equal fashion, to the organization of the whole person.

A network of nerves lying mostly in the armpit and supplying nerves tothe chest, shoulder, and arm.

 A plant of a genus that includes cabbage, turnip, brussels sprout, and mustard

A severe eating disorder in which individuals, almost always women, habitually vomit or abuse laxatives after binge eating or after eating even minimal amounts of foods that they consider fattening.

 Short-chain fatty acid made by the health-promoting bacteria in the gut.

A universal image of change and transformation that is the modern symbol of medicine.

Peptides (protein fragments) released from the digestion of the milk protein casein that have an opiate effect. Casomorphins are sedative and addictive. See also Gliadomorphins.

A bundle of spinal roots that lie caudal to the end of the spinal cord.

Clear watery fluid produced in the ventricles of the brain. Fills and flows through the hollow spaces surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The fluid “stuff” of consciousness.

Organs of psychophysical perception and action concerned with the transduction of subtle energies to psychophysiological energies.

A diet from Traditional Chinese Medicine based on the five elements of water, wood, fire, earth, and metal, corresponding to the kidneys, liver, heart, stomach, and lungs, and the five tastes: salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and savory or pungent. This is a seasonal diet that focuses on fresh plant-based foods and a minimal intake of animal proteins, emphasizing light cooking techniques like poaching and steaming.

Self-sustained biological rhythm, which in the organism’s natural environment is normally entrained to a 24-hour period.

 A deficiency of endocannabinoids that may contribute to migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and psychological disorders.