Get Clear About What Being Healthy Really Means

We have the “how-to” for everything to do with our health at the tap of a phone or the click of a mouse.  We have social media, apps, websites, podcasts, coaches and research papers, all intentioned to educate and inform us.

Access to more information is not what we’re missing because at this point in time we all have unlimited resources everywhere look.  Why is it then that we seem more confused than ever with what it means to be truly healthy?

Putting butter and fat bombs in our coffee helps some of us lose weight.  Taking shots of apple cider vinegar and cayenne pepper stimulates our digestion. Rubbing our faces with Jojoba oil invigorates our skin.  Turmeric helps with our pains and swelling and intermittent fasting helps us detox. 

The accumulation (and then some) of the above hot topics are added to our list of other should of, would of, could of…BUT do they tell us anything about how healthy we are?

Our North American health paradigm doesn’t encourage us to assess our overall function as a marker of our overall health.  Everywhere we look,  it’s implied that if we get our regular mammograms, prostate exams, colonoscopies, daily aspirins and vaccinations, then we’re making our deposits in the bank of health.  In fact, instead of “implying it”, we now name it - “PREVENTION”. 

Our current health care excels at patching people back together and keeping very sick people alive a little longer.  When my kids need stitches or a cat scan to rule out concussion or cranial fractures, I’m the first in line at the ER.

When my dad suffered his heart attacks, his life was saved again and again by the miraculous hands of the EMT’s, doctors and nurses at his side.  BUT, when it comes to health and function and thriving, a separate paradigm becomes necessary because sickness care and trauma care are NOT THE SAME as the health paradigms of healing and thriving.

All of this instant access and information overload has me thinking that maybe it’s time to look back at the basics of what we know.  We know that healthy digestion, healthy skin, high energy and the ability to properly sleep are the basic markers for overall health.  Digestive problems and food allergies point to interference with the body’s ability to adapt. 

Skin problems like eczema, psoriasis, redness and dryness indicate that the biggest organ of detoxification and adaptation is interfered with.  Low energy and fatigue are indicative of adrenal problems (often due to stress) or thyroid problems or interference with the body’s propensity to thrive. 

Sleep is a time for restoration, healing and renewing and the inability to participate with this most natural function is very problematic. 

Can you look to your skin, digestion, sleep and energy levels and grade these on a scale of 0-10?  Anything below 8 or 9 may be an indication that your body is contracting instead of expanding. 

Adding lotions and potions may help take the edge off and make us look like we’re glowing but good health comes first and foremost from within and should primarily be assessed by looking at these 4 foundations of function.