It's Never Too Late to Get Healthy
Did you know that by the age of 60, the average American is taking as many as 12 medications a day? This is usually a mix of prescription and over-the counter medications. If you are a television watcher, you hear and see a lot these days about the medications that might help you feel better. A scene is presented where a person can’t sleep at night, or may have to run to the bathroom to avoid an accident, or perhaps groan over their stomach distress or worry about weak bones. The last portion of the commercial is layered with beautiful, happy scenes, but underneath that layer is a fast-paced listing of the many side effects of the drug that was just recommended.
What is missing from all of these commercials is a critically important message. The message is that we may have symptoms because our lifestyle is causing them, and if we alter it with a series of simple steps, we may not need these medications and all the side effects they might impose.
Where to Begin
As a Holistic Health Counselor, I am asked this question nearly every day. You can begin by taking an assessment of your health, physical, mental and emotional, and see how things shape up. Perhaps you are already taking a number of medications and find yourself with side effects that lead to more medications. It may be time to step back and ask yourself how you first got to feeling unwell. Could it be too much stress in your life? Could it be that you got on the junk food wagon and have forgotten what real food tastes like and how it can heal your body? Could it be that you are working too many hours need more rest?
The human body is truly an amazing machine, like no other. Most of your major systems work automatically, with no conscious effort on your part. There are few if any other machines capable of what the body does every day of your life. Imagine what it can do for you if you begin to treat it with care and respect.
Make a Start
Here is a 5 step program I recommend as a starter for making healthy changes in your life:
Ø Look in your cabinets and refrigerator and remove the junk foods
Ø Fill your cabinets with nuts and grains and good quality oils and your refrigerator with fresh fruits and vegetables and hormone free meats and fish
Ø Eat more home cooked meals than you normally do
Ø Walk for 30 minutes a day, all at once, or in segments
Ø Get to bed by 10:30 pm during the week
Don’t be embarrassed about not knowing which foods are healthy and which are not. The food industry is not helpful in this regard, so you need to do the research yourself or seek out the help from someone knowledgeable about healthy eating and lifestyle.
When you make positive changes in your lifestyle by eating good foods, managing your stress and getting proper rest and exercise, these are but a few of the many benefits that will come to you very quickly:
More energy – physically and mentally
Ø Better quality sleep
Ø Less need for medications
Ø Looking better and feeling better
Ø Lower risk for disease
So take some time to make a plan. Write down your goals and the steps you will take to get there. Seek out people who support you in meeting your goals. Then begin.
-------------------
By Peg Doyle, M.Ed., CHHC (Published in Norwood Reporter, Medfield and Westwood Press and West Roxbury Transcript, July 2008)