By Caroline M. Sutherland, Medical Intuitive

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I'm often asked how I manage my own food cravings. Like many of you, I have a formidable inner child that needs plenty of nurturing. I have to let the little child have her treats-treats that won't make me feel sick. Because of my food sensitivities, I had to do a lot of research and recipe-tweaking in order to find goodies that wouldn't make my Candidiasis proliferate, spike my blood sugar (which would give me that tired, low-energy feeling later on), or initiate a histamine reaction, which would trigger food allergies.

On occasion, I do enjoy a sweet dessert or a glass of wine. I indulge myself occasionally, but it has to be something really special. For instance, for a delectable slice of hazelnut torte or a dish of creme brulee, I might be willing to pay the price of feeling a little "off" the next day. But it's not worth it to jeopardize my whole program just for a mundane piece of pie or an ordinary cookie. When, like me, you know your body so well you can tell when it's slightly left of center, the foods you used to crave will no longer have a hold on you. The value you'll place on a finely tuned, healthy body will just be too great.

Addiction to Medication

I can't stress enough the importance of competent, regular medical attention. The use of medication is between you and your doctor. There's a place for medication, just as there's a place for natural remedies...everything works together. Thanks to medication, hearts are regulated, diabetes is controlled, headaches are cured, and pain is alleviated.

But there are people who are overmedicated and will reach for "magic bullets" whenever a symptom of any kind appears. That is, they're addicted to the concept of taking medication for every ailment they have, instead of trying to figure out where the problem originated. On some level, people can often be addicted to the emotional drama they've created in their lives, and they prefer to look to medication as a remedy, instead of dealing with what caused the pain in the first place. When a person is medicated, this presents an interesting challenge for me intuitively. When I tune in to a body, it normally looks like a road map-but when someone is medicated or especially overmedicated, I can't see the "map" because it's covered with clouds. Much like a person with any kind of addiction, the medicated person appears not to be a "real" person, but someone wearing a disguise, which masks who they are on a physical level.

Inge's Case

Forty-year-old Inge came to me seeking help. She was on eight different medications, and I could hardly look at her body intuitively. Energetically, she was as scattered and discordant as an orchestra with every single member playing off-key. Her body was laboring under the strain of trying to deal with the medications. She took antidepressants and hormone balancing medication, as well as pills for sleep, to prevent asthma attacks, and for high blood pressure. On the surface, she appeared a bright, positive person, but underneath, she was dealing with plenty of emotional issues.

Every day, she drank coffee and ate copious amounts of dairy products, to which she was obviously allergic. She was also addicted to chocolate. Yet, even at 50 pounds overweight, Inge seemed very motivated and anxious to conquer her health issues.

We identified her food allergies and checked her home for environmental factors that might have been triggering her asthma. I suggested simple supplementation to support her body, and emotional counseling for her soul. (The reduction of her medications was between her and her doctor.) Today, Inge has lost weight, no longer has asthma attacks, and has greatly reduced her medication.

Paulette's Case

People are often addicted to their illnesses. The experience of being in pain can bring great rewards in terms of care, nurturing, and most important, love.

Paulette is a perfect example of someone who used illness in an addictive manner to gain the attention and helpful concern of her husband. When I met Paulette, her chronic illness was the center of her focus. But as is the case with many people I work with, I knew Paulette didn't have to be ill. She walked with a cane and was obviously in a great deal of pain, yet I knew intuitively her body had every capacity to be fully functional.

I suggested a very simple program of food allergy avoidance, yeast eradication, and supplementation. Two days later, I had the opportunity to see her again at a medical intuitive training session. In the 48 hours since I'd first seen her, she was able to get out of a chair without help. I was fascinated-how could this body that was so out of balance start to correct itself so quickly? I decided to keep track of Paulette's progress, and called her a week later. She continued to improve and had gained more mobility. She joked that she might even have to go back to work.

A month later, I placed a follow-up call. She'd slipped back into her old habits and addictions. Why wouldn't Paulette want to help herself and recover? The price of losing her doting husband's constant care and attention, coupled with the looming possibility of returning to work, was just too much for her to contend with.

It's sad so many people forget this basic concept The body knows what to do to get healthy. Paulette's brief glimpse at a level of wellness that she'd only dreamed about confirms this important truth. Optimum health takes a deeper level of commitment than some people are willing to make. As a medical intuitive, I find the unraveling of this multi-layered puzzle can be both disturbing and rewarding. It's sad to watch the grip addictions have on some people, and how they can never reach their best health-physically or emotionally-until they come to terms with their "demons."

Are your additions keeping you from your optimum health?