Why I Choose Holistic Health
Just the other day, I was speaking with a good friend who told me that despite his incredibly healthy life-style, her father had recently passed. She said that he’d never taken any prescription medications, had refrained from alcohol, drugs and sugar almost entirely and that his death had come as a great shock to his family. She spoke of his great sense of adventure and his ability to really get around well and how much he enjoyed his family and friends until his last moments.
Although my friend was describing her experience that wavering from the plan of health doesn’t ensure one will live forever, I was admittedly inspired by the idea that one could live an entire lifetime without unnecessary physical suffering. I mean, life itself presents enough challenges without the added pain and suffering from poor lifestyle choices. There is a remarkable difference between “hurts-so-good” and just plain “hurts.”
Science has provided a great deal for us, with miracles available at the drop of a hat, and I celebrate living in such a time. I have enjoyed the extended life of loved ones utilizing life-saving measures, I have given thanks for modern medicine bringing comfort and health to my own body, and I have celebrated my children’s ability to find pain-relief from pharmaceuticals.
On the other hand, I have watched people dear to me suffer the side-effects of medicines that could have been avoided. I have seen body systems fail because of the reliance on pharmaceuticals. I’ve watched loved ones experience intense mental illness symptoms that were exacerbated by poor lifestyle choices. I have seen the down-side of our reliance on medications and buffers and, unfortunately, the result of our society placing little importance on the value of preventative care. While some diseases cannot be avoided, so many can. Additionally, a body in good health manages the un-preventable far more effectively than the one in poor health. I believe there is a really beautiful middle ground and I like to think of natural medicine and healthy lifestyle as my extended warranty that never runs out!
Pharmaceutical drugs, while often miraculous, are derived from the same plant medicines that we use in natural medicine. The main differences between the two is that these plant medicines equate less side effects, do not contain the toxic chemicals which make up the pharmaceuticals, and cost a great deal less money. All of the essential vitamins and minerals necessary to maintaine homeostasis are available in the foods provided by nature. Pharmaceutical medicines, supplements, and processed foods not only cost more money and include lists of unnecessary additives, but they place extra strain on the systems of the body, often resulting in malnutrition and unmetabolized toxic waste that our bodies are not naturally prepared to process on their own in such large quantity. It reminds me of playing with the car locks as a kid, up and down over and over and over and over again and my mom asking me to stop and providing the information that I was placing unnecessary strain on something that was only build to sustain so much stress.
When we look at the body through the Ayurvedic lens it is important to note that the most simple practices are the foundational building blocks of strong, healthy and resilient bodies. This starts with a well-managed and diverse diet made up of organic, healthy, whole foods and good digestion. May we all be like my dear friend's father, enjoying this beautiful life without unnecessary pain or suffering, right up until our time comes to an end, as it most assuredly will.
The motivation for choosing non-toxic medicines, healthy & whole foods, and continual spiritual, physical and emotional growth is the idea that I could potentially do all of the the things I love most, with the people I love most, right until the end of this particular mortal experience. Having suffered, like so many others, in some preventable and some non-preventable ways in my life, I am motivated to exclude suffering whenever possible to help make me entirely present for the good moments. Energetically and otherwise, part of my personal life theme is that I am in control of my destiny and what feels good, feels so. dang. good!
My wish for my clients is that these simple foundational principles will not only bring immediate relief to symptoms of discomfort, but that they will establish the basis for a long, healthy and enjoyable lifetime ahead!
{This article is not medical advice. It is for informational purposes only.}
