We are bombarded daily by man-made particles - from some of the foods we eat, the stuff used to assist their growth, cleaning and skincare, what we wear on our bodys and use as medicines, the list is endless. We have better sanitation, medications and standard of living than ever before but are we healthier for it?
Sadly speaking as a doctor modern medicine is not about approaching the body holistically but rather as a set of individual components operating independently. We prescribe medication and then more medication to counteract side-effects of the original drug. There are many of us who believe the answer is returning back to basics - as Hippocrates said “Let food be thy medicine” but where did it all go wrong? Why is there this divergent approach between conventional medicine and a more holistic approach. I have no idea but I suspect the quest for convenience didn’t help and the rise of the pharmaceutical industry and suddenly you have medicine going off on a tangent and seemingly completely divorced from lifestyle.
Whatever your on-going health challenges are whether acute or chronic balancing your lifestyle will help, but it is important to get at the cause not just treat the short term solution of symptoms (although that might be appropriate in the interim) but focus on the long term aim of improved health and well-being.
The wellness pyramid is a great place to start in a bid to break down your lifestyle into certain elements - score yourself out of 10 for each part.
What are your scores? Where do you need to focus? Let me know and I will send you some more info.
Lets start from the ground up.
Good nutrition is vital, you are quite simply what you eat - you cannot expect to have good health if what you ingest is full of E numbers or been produced in a quantity over quality kind of way. No where is this more noticeable than in the meat industry (yes I am vegan but this is not a vegan post it is simply a post to promote good lifestyle) routine use of antibiotics, growth hormones and poor living conditions is not the answer for healthy food. I recommend everyone is whole-food plant-based BUT if that is not for you that is fine just change up what and how you eat. Choose good quality animal products - organic by the Soil Association is your best guarantee of healthy produce and opt for a Meat Free Monday and add more legumes to your diet.
Eat more than 5 portions of fruit and veg - 5 portions is the recognised minimal amount but it is not really enough so getting closer to 10 would be better and remember smoothies and juice only count for 1 portion no matter how much you have.
Take a good quality supplement as sadly even with organic produce the nutrition available in food is not the same as several decades ago. Read more
hereDrink 2L of water a day (unless there is a medical reason not to), this ensures the body is hydrated, helps the kidneys to function as well as the brain and keeps our skin in good condition. Adding citrus oils to your water - helps with taste and flushing out of toxins.
Exercise daily - getting the cardiovascular system going is vital for good health but on an emotional level it is beneficial too as you get a release of endorphins - you that feeling of happiness after a good run, that is the endorphins released. We were not designed as sedentary beings and certain parts of our body such as valves and lymph drainage do rely on movement. A walk out in nature is so beneficial or a daily yoga session - it doesn’t have to be something hardcore but just make sure you are moving. Weight-bearing exercise however - such as walking and running is vital for maintaining bone strength. Use Deep Blue or Aromatouch blends to massage areas pre and post exercise and release unwanted tension and soothe tired muscles
Rest and manage stress - this area is probably the one that most people struggle with and fall short in but it is vital for optimum health not just illness recovery but also immune system support and there is nothing that won’t benefit from a good sleep and good stress management, we need to allow our bodies the chance to rest and reset. Essential oils such as Lavender, Serenity, Balance and Adaptiv are phenomenal here for helping you to achieve more relaxed state and helping you sleep well at night. Want to try them out? Join one of The Oil Medics Courses to try these oils and blends out and learn how to use them too.
Reduce toxic load - this goes back to the original theme of this post on living naturally and reducing the toxins use on ourselves, have around our homes and what we ingest too. Ditch and switch to easy DIY cleaning recipes, non-toxic skin and hair care and purify the air with cleansing essential oils as well as those we drink in water too will all assist.
Informed self-care - this is about being proactive with our health - prevention is better than cure and if you do all the above you are well on the way to optimising your selfcare. The lifelong vitality pack will certainly help you with selfcare and other things that can assist, especially now is using a mask, washing and sanitising hands regularly, drink regular water to flush out toxins and apply hand cream to keep skin intact, good dental care and so on
Proactive Medical Care - right at the top of the pyramid because if you have a great foundation underneath your medical care becomes more proactive than reactive - it is important to get regular health screening, vaccinate as needed, seek medical guidance when necessary, and don't wait until things get out of hand.
Drop me a message if you want to chat more about what natural solutions will help you.