The Faces of Human Energy

by Linda K. Hegstrand, MD, PhD

The word energy conjures up different thoughts for different people. The dictionary definitions of energy include: 1) Capacity of vigorous activity. 2) Capacity to do work. 3) Taking the form of kinetic, potential, chemical, or electrical energy.

Patients coming into my office often tell me they do not have enough “energy” to get through the day, i.e. they lack vitality. Chronic and/or degenerative diseases are generally accompanied by a lack of energy or “get up and go.” This is one of the primary reasons for visiting a doctor.

The two primary faces of human energy are Cellular and Vibrational:

The primary source of cellular energy is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This is produced most abundantly from the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the mitochondria. Mitochondria are organelles found within our cells and they are the cells’ power plants and require oxygen. This is termed “aerobic metabolism” as opposed to “anaerobic metabolism” that occurs outside of the mitochondria and does not use oxygen.

Vibrational Energy includes Auras, Chakras, and Meridians. Ancient wisdom discovered this type of energy and it has been validated by sophisticated modern technology. Auras are the energy fields that surround us and are referred to as our Life Force. Chakras are wheels of energy radiating from seven hubs in the body from the top of the head to the sacrum. They penetrate into the aura. Meridians are 12 conduits of energy flowing through the body in defined channels in space, but they are not defined by a physical anatomic structure. This energy is referred to as Chi by the Chinese.

There is an energy link between cellular and vibrational energy. Vibrational energy increases the cell membrane’s capacity to store electrons (energy). This is part of the biologic circuitry connected to the mitochondria, the power plant for the production of cellular energy for use in the body.

Different cell types have varying requirements for energy that are reflected in the number of mitochondria in a cell. For example, a heart cell has 5000 mitochondria, as does each nerve cell. Liver cells do not require as much energy and contain 2000 mitochondria and muscle cells only contain 250 of these cellular power plants. The more important the cell’s function, the more mitochondria it contains.

In order for fat to be converted to cellular energy (ATP) rather than stored as fat, the fat must enter the mitochondria. This transport is facilitated by L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine. Supplementing with both of these carnitines has a positive impact on many aspects of health including weight loss, lowering body fat, enhancing brain function, relieving depression, increasing nerve growth factor, treating congestive heart failure, decreasing triglycerides and Lp(a), increasing HDL (good cholesterol), improving athletic performance, aiding low carb/high fat diets, improves fertility, and reducing chronic fatigue. The carnitines also have a positive impact on many other health issues.

When the body has adequate fuel to run each of its cells, they tend to function better. That often results in a decrease in symptoms from a wide variety of health challenges. Without adequate cellular energy, vibrational energy alone is insufficient. The two are intimately linked.

Conventional western medicine focuses on biochemical mechanisms of disease in the physical body. The treatment modalities are primarily pharmaceutical drugs and surgeries. The Central Dogma in western conventional medicine is that life is controlled by genes and that allopathic medicine is the only kind of medicine that merits consideration in medical school. As Bruce Lipton, PhD, says in his new book, The Biology of Belief, “A cell’s life is controlled by the physical and energetic environment, not by the genes. Genes are simply molecular blueprints used in the construction of cells, tissues, and organs. The environment serves as a ‘contractor’ who reads and engages those genetic blueprints and is ultimately responsible for the character of a cell’s life. It is a single cell’s ‘awareness’ of the environment, not its genes, that sets into motion the mechanisms of life.”

As Nobel Laureate Illya Prigogine states, “Efficient flow of energy is essential to wellness: disease is the result of any interference with this flow.”

Because our bodies are controlled by our physical and energetic environment, serious disorders and diseases that do not respond to drugs or surgery often respond to one or multiple energetic therapies. Energy Medicine, The Scientific Basis by James L. Oschman eloquently explains the science that supports the power of multiple types of energetic therapies in healing. Just as the body requires multiple types of nutrients for wellness, multiple types of energetic therapies may be necessary for healing.

Linda Hegstrand, MD, PhD, is a board certified and licensed physician whose clinical practice focuses on natural approaches to healing including nutrition and energy medicine. She serves as Medical Director for The Complete Wellness Center, The Blue Heron Academy of Healing Arts and Sciences, and Techmedica in Grand Rapids, MI. For personal consultations contact (616) 464-0470 or (616) 443-3571 or e-mail her at DrLindaMD@gmail.com. She is also available for seminars on a variety of clinical topics.