What does health and happiness really mean? Well to me, positive health is not just the absence of disease . . it is an innate vitality, energy and zest for life. Did you know that our 'happy hormones' rely on a healthy gut? And so does a strong immune system . . .
Our human body wants to be WELL! It is always striving to return to it's natural state of good health, or homeostasis. But in today's world we place a lot of obstacles in the way - some we may be aware of, others not.
What if we were to remove those obstacles and trust in the amazing ability of the body to repair, restore and regenerate? Could it be as simple as this? Maybe! Why not?? We are prone to over complicate, after all.
Let's begin with chemicals. You are probably aware of the benefits of eating organic - like all foods used to be! Or removing processed foods from your plate, especially the ones with added 'numbers' - man-made chemicals that the human body cannot utilize. They are not 'food' and the body will cleverly recognize them as foreign and potentially harmful, and will use up a lot of energy and resources in trying to clear them from our system. If lots of chemicals are going in, then our poor body is always trying to detox (putting out fires as I tend to think of it), and is therefore much less able to accomplish it's 'healing' mission.
Of course, ingesting chemicals through foods is only part of the story! Are you aware that there are also thousands of chemicals we inhale through our lungs, or absorb through our skin? Many of them are in our environment - air, water, even clothing and home furnishings. But there are also a lot that we are bringing into the home ourselves and so are able to avoid once we are aware of this, and decide to make better choices.
We all regularly purchase cleaning and bathroom products, cosmetics and skin care for example, that may be making us sick (or hindering us from getting really well). Hundreds, even thousands of potentially harmful ingredients are commonly in these commercial products, and our bodies are working overtime to deal with them and keep us well (and often losing the battle). But we'll come back to that . . .
Let's think about Nutrition for a minute. There are a couple of crucial things I have learned about this:
1) That the nutrient value in even organic foods is often inadequate today. There are many factors including minerally depleted modern soils, and current day food practices, intensive farming and pesticide spraying, picking before ripe, prolonged storage etc - so we are really up against it.
2) Even with the best diet, we will only be able to absorb the nutrition if the gut (gastro-intestinal tract) is healthy and digestion is optimal. How many of us can say that our gut is always happy? No bloating, tummy pain or reflux??
This leads us to realize that we humans of today are facing far greater toxic load than even 50 years ago, and also much reduced nutrition. This is not a good recipe for health!
What can we do?? Well, we have to give the body what it needs to function well, so perhaps consider some nutritional support. This may not have been necessary 20-30 years ago, but now YES - especially things we can't make like minerals. With adequate minerals on board, the body is more able to break down toxins, and can also manufacture almost everything else we need (vitamins, hormones, enzymes etc)
Be discerning of course when searching for the best supplements and other products. Find an ethical company that is producing high quality, effective and planet friendly items. Do your own research and decide who you can trust (probably not the companies that spend the most on advertising!).
In recent years, I have been able to purchase online from a Clean Living company, filling our home with only safe, non toxic bathroom and personal care products, and highly effective nutritional supplements that have made a huge difference.
Consider the benefits of addressing these issues in your own life. The missing pieces of your own health puzzle may then be able to fall into place.
