“Wellness is the complete integration of body, mind, and spirit – the realization that everything we do, think, feel, and believe has an effect on our state of well-being.” – Greg Anderson
Healthy living hasn’t always been a way of life for me. In fact, I had to get really sick to understand how important it is to take care of myself. Years ago I was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune condition. I went to many different doctors searching for help and guidance but none of them could really give me answers or even tell me the root cause of the symptoms I was experiencing. One doctor suggested an invasive surgery as well as being on medication for the rest of my life. I was twenty-eight years old at the time and I just couldn’t accept the solutions that were being put forward. I became very proactive about taking control of my health. I started doing in depth research in order to understand everything I could about my condition, my body and what things I could do to heal. I learnt about the physiological processes in the body, the different systems and how they function, the different glands and the hormones they produce. I started identifying the organs and systems that were compromised in my body based on the symptoms I was experiencing and that gave me a reference to develop my own health protocol.
The most important thing I learnt along the way is that when we experience dis-ease, it is often because of chronic inflammation in the body. There are many factors which contribute to chronic inflammation such as diet, stress, unresolved emotional trauma as well as poor environmental conditions.
Here are some of the areas I focused on in order to regain my health and get my body back to homeostasis:
Food
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates
Anyone who knows me well, knows how passionate I am about healthy eating. I started incorporating more raw salads, fruit smoothies and green cold pressed juices into my diet. For a period of time I completely eliminated gluten, dairy, sugar and processed foods and focused solely on wholefoods and superfoods.
It was incredible how immediate the effect was. My leaky gut started to subside, I had more energy, my skin started to clear, my brain fog improved and slowly but surely I started feeling like a whole different person. Many people ask why health foods are so expensive when really they should be asking why processed foods are so cheap. If you think being healthy is expensive then what is the cost of being sick?
Stress
“Worry and stress affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system, and profoundly affects heart action.” – Charles W. Mayo, M.D.
We’ve all heard about the damaging effects of prolonged stress and I was walking proof that stress is one of the main culprits when it comes to inflammation in the body. My body was constantly in fight or flight mode. My cortisol levels were through the roof. I was experiencing extreme anxiety, heart palpitations and my hair was falling out. The two things that helped me manage my stress levels were moving my body and doing breath work on a regular basis. Sounds too good to be true right? But think about it logically. Not only does moving the body release happy hormones but it activates the elimination system which is responsible for removing waste and toxins from the body. Breath work helps oxygenate the body which in turn improves blood flow.
Dealing with trauma
“If you know the art of deep breathing, you have the strength, wisdom
and courage of ten tigers.” – Chinese adage
None of us are immune to emotional trauma. We have all experienced something either in our childhood and or adult lives that have hurt us deeply. This was by far the hardest part of my healing journey. I participated in breath workshops, I committed to a regular practice and I started working through emotional blockages in my body. I cried…A LOT. It was vital to let go of the hurt and anger that I had been carrying for years. What I learnt was so powerful and that is how to love myself as I am.
Connection
“We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community” – Dorothy Day
If you think that isolating yourself is a good way to deal with this crazy world we live in, then you are sorely mistaken. Real human connection within a community helps us feel seen, valued & accepted. It reduces mental health issues, improves interpersonal relations & strengthens our immune systems. Intentional time spent alone for self-reflection and rest is completely understandable.
“Sorry, there’s no magic bullet. You gotta eat healthy
and live healthy to be healthy… End of story.” – Morgan Spurlock
There is no one size fits all. These are some of the things that helped me on my journey. We don’t have to accept the solutions put forward by doctors. We can find out about alternative healing modalities and we can make informed decisions about our health and our approach to medicine. A quote that I always keep at the forefront of my mind is “prevention is better than cure”. So breathe, move your body, eat your greens and connect with friends and loved ones. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. The present moment is all we have.