3.34
We all have some level of ill-health which we would love to be relieved of... or are willing to tolerate. And that has been the truth of pursuing wellness for centuries, and probably millennia. And what if the underlying truth has always been that our bodies will heal naturally when given the right opportunity and nutritional circumstances to do so? It's interesting that concepts credited to Hippocrates thousands of years ago, are also closely held beliefs of other wise influencers in our American history.
I remembered that Thomas Jefferson had strong opinions on the body's natural ability to heal, and in looking up his perspectives, came across the fact that Thomas Edison believed similarly, and doctors should guide the process. Jefferson was convinced that our physical makeup was too complex for broad-brush solutions, and what we needed were natural approaches which responded specifically to our needs and circumstances, to give the body the chance to heal.
Edison said, "The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease." Isn't it interesting that brilliant minds like Jefferson and Edison followed the simple logic that as complex as our bodies are, what we really need is guidance in diet, general care, and tools to understand and prevent disease. The fundamental truth: we will heal naturally when given the right circumstances.
Don't get me wrong, there's a place for modern medical solutions. We have eradicated innumerable diseases, ailments and trends of poor health because of brilliant minds in our modern era. And humanity can confidently grow into a future of longevity and thriving because of so many beneficial medical advances.
Any yet, medical wisdom is sometimes not so wise, and it needs to be balanced with a discernment of good nutrition and cause-and-effect review of disease and ill health.
So as we approach a new year, maybe it's a great time to open our perspective to the relationship between nutrition and lifestyle choices, and the health condition we find ourselves in. The more I study and benefit from good nutrition and wellness choices, the more I realize how simple it is to gain energized, clear-thinking, well-rested health... it may not be easy, but it is very simple.
By the Way
Check out these resources for further perspectives from Jefferson and Edision, on simple wellness and natural healing:
- Jefferson's convictions on Medicine as presented by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation here.
- Edison's quote on health, as routed out by Snopes, proving its validity here.
3.33
The holiday season is officially upon us, and it is a great time to review our pantry and see what has found its way there in recent months. The food-abundance of the holidays brings great opportunities for feasting and celebration, and it doesn't need to derail our wellness choices.
Have you stood at your pantry or fridge recently to see if there are artificial flavors and colors and preservatives lurking there? We can often stray from healthful choices to something that is simpler, quicker or promoted with better marketing, and those choices can bring all kinds of unhealthy distractions. A power pantry is marked by simple, nutrient-dense, healthful foods. Ingredient lists on healthy foods have few ingredients, and they are ones you can pronounce.
Finding any strange breakfast cereals or canned soups? How about dressings or gravies or desserts? And snacks can be some of the worst offenders. Any MSG or BHT or food coloring? While no one of those will kill us if we eat it, our bodies thank us when we pass them by for healthier real-food picks.
Right now Thanksgiving leftovers are still in full swing around our home. Great dishes and sides, and even some additional recipes of gravy and stuffing to complement the remaining turkey. But it's a great reminder of the blessings we have and gratitude we should feel for the abundance all around us, and we were able to keep our choices simple, healthful and real.
Soon enough it will be Christmas baking time. But fear-not; even Christmas baking can be done quite healthfully with simple, tasty ingredients to celebrate the season. Before we get there though, have a second look at your pantry and fridge and see if there are some healthful substitutions you can make.
By the Way
I think it 's interesting that the longer we live with wellness choices, the more our recipes reflect things our grandparents and even ancestors likely cooked and enjoyed. Simple, whole foods, seasonally available, and fresh. Sounds like great ingredients for stocking a power pantry!
3.32
The US has always been a unique nation. And one of our 'firsts' is setting aside a day every year to be grateful. Gratitude is a core competency for living with wholeness and connection and wellness. Without gratitude, we're left with entitlement thinking and inaccurate perspectives on loss and abundance.
Dr. Robert Emmons is the world's leading expert on gratitude. He's devoted his career to seeking out the crucial essentials of thankfulness and appreciation, and has drawn innumerable conclusions on why living with thanksgiving is life-giving.
I appreciate a key distinction that Dr. Emmons makes between feeling grateful and being grateful. We can't will ourselves to feel a certain way... our feelings follow from how circumstances align with our expectations. But being grateful is a choice; it may not be the easiest choice in the moment, but it is simply our choice, nonetheless.
Check out a great article on Gratitude from Dr. Emmons here. And for some quick thoughts on thankfulness, check out this infographic from the John Templeton Foundation.
So this Thanksgiving holiday, connect more deeply with those in your life, based on an attitude of gratitude. Genuinely count your blessings. Enjoy and appreciate the relationships you have in your life. Realize all you have from the simplest pleasures to the overflowing abundance right in front of you. And as you reflect, commit to taking your gratitude with you into the year to come.
By the Way
For some great perspectives on Thanksgiving, its history and numerous proclamations, check out this page from the Pilgrim Hall Museum (www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org)
Pilgrim Hall Museum on Thanksgiving
3.31
About six years ago I started focusing on healthy choices, both in what I ate and my level of activity. The years have gone by fast, a lot has changed and continues to change, and I like to think I've created some good, healthful habits that will sustain me for decades to come. One of those habits I enjoy is running - it's become a renewable adventure that I look forward to as the seasons and years go by.
I started running in 2012 when our older son ran cross-country in middle school. I went to a few 'open' practices in the summer, learned some basics from my son, and began the glorious struggle that is running. It feels like such a natural part of my life now, that I'm surprised it's only been four years.
What's great about a fitness habit is that it can be as full of adventure as you want. There are always new venues, new stretches, new workout buddies, as well as mastering the fundamentals of whatever your choice of exercise may be. To me, that freshness will keep things interesting for many years, and all I have to do is keep an open mind and willingness to change things up.
I've been challenged and privileged to do a lot of business travel in the last 6 or so years, all around the country. Being away for business comes with downtime that I like to fill with a good run or workout. I've had great runs in Las Vegas (right on the strip), Dallas, Atlantic City (on the boardwalk), Tubac, AZ (near the border with Mexico), Boston, Seattle, National Harbor (outside of Washington DC), and most recently in Indianapolis.
I have a fairly high sense of adventure, so I'm not put off by running in an unfamiliar city - I actually like wending my way through a busy metro area, learning about the downtown as I go. And most of the time, I'm joining plenty of other locals and visitors who are doing the same thing, out for a early morning or late evening run, because they are focused on their health.
How about you? Do you enjoy a good workout, or walk or bike ride or hike so much that you are drawn to the next adventure to do it? A consistent level of physical activity will yield a lifetime of health benefits, and the best time to begin is today. Get up and get moving and soon enough you too will have a fun and regenerative habit to add to your wellness.
By the Way
A great way to solidify your workout routine is to have a fitness buddy. Even if you can't find the right time to run or hike or workout together, just sharing the stories, accomplishments and challenges of your physical activity will help to keep you both sharp, engaged and growing in your wellness.
3.30
The basics 'always' work because, well, they're the basics. We all go through seasons of stress, and choices which follow the whispered lies of our western lifestyle, and include high levels of cortisol and adrenaline which destroy our health. I've posted on this before, and how a wellness lifestyle is the best relief valve for stresses of all kinds.
Not only are wellness choices great at combating stress, but they also bless us with a long life. Last year I had done a post on the Blue Zones popularized by Dan Buettner - check it out here.
The point with the blue zones is that pockets of some cultures display long, healthy, well-adjusted lives among their citizens. Consistently. And the world has noticed (at least some prescient researchers have). What do they do differently?
They combat stress with good living. Not just clean living or some crazy-strict diets, but simple, good living. Things like these punctuate their days and lifestyles:
- Put family first
- Smoke little or not at all
- Eat a plant-based diet
- Engage in constant, moderate physical activity, no matter what age
- Social interaction - staying engaged in community
- Make legumes a regular part of your diet
So, how are we doing? I ebb and flow between authentically engaging in these choices and alternately getting sucked along the path that work and busy schedules creates in our lives. Are you finding lifestyle bandwidth to practice these choices?
The way to reduce stress is to pull back from the crazy, ragged edge that blurs hours into days and weeks into months. And if you've lived on that edge, you know that you wake up one day and realize you've missed out on life... You may have accomplished much in the world's terms, but were you truly living?
If you find yourself on the ragged edge, step back. Reset. Take life, take living, seriously enough to realize that the world's dreams and promises are empty shells. True wealth is found in genuinely engaging in what we learn from the blue zones. Find growth, health and power in simple choices. Put crazy aside, and give yourself space to heal and really live.
By the Way
Want a secret to not just reducing stress, but eliminating it? Try generosity... and gratitude. Studies prove beyond any doubt that simple life practices like gratitude and generosity take away the cortisol and adrenaline coursing through our bodies, and yield healing and restoration.
3.29
I posted last week about questioning everything. That's a good way to stay mentally fresh and growing through life. And part of the journey of questioning everything is keeping an open mind to what we observe and experience along the way.
Some time ago I was at dinner with a few business friends and one specifically got a mug of hot water with our dinner (while the rest of us were having seltzers and sodas and adult beverages.) One of the guys questioned him on his dinner beverage, and he simply said that it's a lot healthier for your than cold water, and certainly better than sodas and beer. I think that was the first time I was aware of someone specifically drinking hot water with a meal, or anytime, because of the health benefits.
Fast forward to a current coworker, who with lunch everyday has hot water (with a squeeze of lemon). Hmmm... this piqued my interest enough to merit some further study. After reading a half a dozen or so articles and posts on the benefits of drinking hot water over cold, I too am set on the benefits of a few glasses of what I'll call, 'unflavored tea.'
I acknowledge how refreshing a glass of fresh cold water is on a hot day. I especially like cold water, but not iced water (something close to 50 degrees, which is about the temperature of fresh natural spring water.) But the muscle tension, constricted blood vessels and hindered digestion which result are all good reasons to steer clear of cold water as a beverage of choice.
Hot water to the rescue. The numerous benefits of drinking hot water over cold are varied and proven. From better digestion to healthier skin to improved blood circulation, reduced nasal congestion, general body detox and relief of cramps, hot water is the winner, hands down.
How much water should we consume in a day? Research and doctors suggest between a half an ounce and one ounce per pound of body weight. That's several quarts of water a day... and that's over and above coffee and other drinks. We all better get drinking if we want to keep up with that pace.
Give it a try. Maybe it sounds a bit flaky, but do a two week test of drinking hot water as your beverage of choice and see if you don't detox and feel better.
By the Way
Check out this post from LifeHack.org for 12 Unexpected Benefits of Drinking Hot Water. Then sit down with a big mug of unflavored tea, relax, and enjoy!
3.28
We live in a world full of information and mis-information. If there is one things I've learned in my six-year wellness journey, it is to question everything. Assume nothing and don't trust common sense and accepted wisdom. For all the volumes of health information available to us, very little of it empowers us as individuals to discern what is best for our wellness and longevity.
For me it started years ago with 'Eat to Live' by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, which opened up all kinds of wellness and nutritional concepts which continue to inform me to this day. Then there was "The Science of Natural Healing," from The Great Courses, which further opened my view of what happens in our bodies nutritionally, and how simple (counter-cultural) choices will greatly improve our health and life.
If I hadn't been willing to open up my thinking and question what defines real food, I'd still be eating Pop Tarts and ice cream every day. I know I can turn the migraines, muscle and joint pains, and digestive issues on and off based on my nutritional choices.
Instead, I accepted the challenge of looking differently, even radically, at my pantry and wellness. Changing my thinking has changed my life. Through lots of questioning, I now know how sensitive my metabolism is to corn, nightshade vegetables, dairy and wheat. I know I can turn on health issues by having high-glycemic foods, and also that I can live pain-free and full-of-energy by eating clean. How cool is that?!
So, how's your journey and your pantry? Have you tried reading labels and questioning common knowledge about what constitutes food, and what is really healthful for our bodies? If you haven't, maybe today is your day. What can seem radical and health-nutty can quickly become a life-changing step in the right direction. Then it just takes another step and another... and a bit more reading and bit more curiosity and a bit more questioning. Soon enough, you will likely gain momentum on your own course toward wellness.
By the Way
One other wellness conviction that is very compelling to me is that there is no money in healthy people... follow the money, and you soon realize our government and society has a vested interest in peddling disease and failing health. I know that sounds super-cynical (and I'm not a conspiracy theorist) but if you follow the money it is evident that health and wellness don't help create jobs and commerce and make cash flow in our western world. For me, I'd rather be counter-cultural and healthy :o)
We all have some level of ill-health which we would love to be relieved of... or are willing to tolerate. And that has been the truth of pursuing wellness for centuries, and probably millennia. And what if the underlying truth has always been that our bodies will heal naturally when given the right opportunity and nutritional circumstances to do so? It's interesting that concepts credited to Hippocrates thousands of years ago, are also closely held beliefs of other wise influencers in our American history.
