Maintaining Physical Health

  I have learned so much about staying healthy and various ideas of health around the world that I want to spend some time sharing what I have learned.  Please know that I am not a medical professional, nor do I intend to share this as medical advice or treatment.  I just want to share what I (a woman, wife, and mother) have learned over the years about my own health and how we are striving to keep our family healthy.  For every piece of advice or health tip I’ve read, I’ve also heard the opposite somewhere as well, so I’m sure there will be plenty of people who disagree with me.  There are also so many aspects of health; emotional, mental, and spiritual health are all a part of our wellbeing.  I’d like to take the next few weeks to look at each aspect of our health and share what I have learned.

Physical health can be impacted by so many different factors.  The Apostle Paul often compares the Church to a body, one body with many members.  Our bodies have various systems and functions that all work together for our overall well-being.  I know I’m not the only one who has had their digestive system affected by feeling nervous or anxious.  One small part of the body, such as a tooth, can cause enormous pain to the whole body.  Understanding that all of my body systems worked together was a huge help in understanding my health.  I used to be more reactionary in my approach.  I would just do whatever, eat whatever, and not really think about my health until something went wrong.  When I got sick, I would react to the symptoms and treat those.  I now take a more systemic approach and try to be proactive in my health.  

Diet and exercise have been some of the primary focuses of “getting health” for years.  This is for good reason.  What we put in our bodies and how we use our bodies will have the biggest impact on our health.  I never realized how much sugar and “junk food” pulled down my energy.  Chocolate and candy should hype me up, right?  While those sugar boosts may happen temporarily, they do not last.  When that quick burst of energy is gone, I am left more tired and run down than I was before I ate it.  I have not sworn off all sugar and treats, but I have started limiting them so much more.  I drink mostly water, sometimes with lemon or herbal tea added.  Juice and lemonade have become rare treats rather than regular drinks.  Our family has also tried to limit how much we go out to eat.  While it is a nice treat to eat out now and then, food made at home tends to be more nutritious.  I also tend to eat less when it is something I made at home since I always feel pressured to eat everything on my plate at a restaurant, even those with huge portion sizes.  As an added bonus, eating at home saves money as well.  

I also use essential oils and vitamins daily and get regular chiropractic adjustments.  Essential oils are plant extracts that can have various effects on our mental or physical health.  They have been used for centuries not only for maintaining health but also as a treatment for various conditions.  I am someone who likes to try the natural approach before I jump to medicine.  I will reach for colloidal silver to treat an ear or eye infection before seeking any prescription.  So far, colloidal silver has been the most effective treatment of ear infections at our house, which are rare.  This helps our gut health as we are not always taking antibiotics.  While essential oils are not always enough to keep me from getting sick or treating a major illness, they can be helpful for supporting my immune system and treating minor ailments and skin conditions.  I can use them in conjunction with traditional western medicine to improve my health.  Chiropractic care gets to the base of the nervous system, the spine.  By keeping your spine correctly aligned and mobile, Chiropractic helps your whole body communicate more effectively and work together to keep you healthy.  When I was a kid, I fell on my head and then got strep throat multiple times in a row.  After so many antibiotics (that I am now allergic to) without any relief, a chiropractor was able to help fix an issue in my neck to help me not only heal from strep throat but not develop it again.  Do you look down at your phone a lot?  That can be putting extra strain on your neck that can be corrected with chiropractic and practice with better posture.  I believe all of these things work well to help me stay healthy and prevent illness.  Obviously, I can’t avoid germs altogether, and I do still get sick.  However, I believe these things help me keep my immune system functioning well so it is ready to defend my body from whatever attack it faces.  

I believe maintaining health is more important than treating illness, though that is important as well.  Regular eye and dental appointments not only help in maintaining my eye and mouth health but my whole body as well.  Your whole body is connected, and if one part of you is suffering, other parts are affected as well.  I have found that eye and mouth care is more important than I have previously considered.  I always thought of an eye appointment as just a way to help me see.  I saw dental health as an “extra”.  Yes, it was good to get your teeth cleaned, but if you had to skip something, that would be fine to skip.  I have learned that there is so much more to it than that.  Did you know your optometrist or dentist can sometimes spot indicators of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or cancer in your regular screening or cleaning?  Your dentist may notice something that another doctor has missed.  This will allow you to catch and treat a condition early.  

The most controversial change I have made is probably in relation to immunizations.  I never questioned immunizations until my daughter was about a year old.  I was concerned about her getting four shots at one appointment.  It just seemed to my untrained, non-medical mind that the immunization would be more effective if the body only had to process one at a time.  The doctor assured me they would be just as effective no matter how many you get at one time.  What I didn’t know at the time, but have since learned, is that these immunizations also contain heavy metals and harsh chemicals that the body also has to process.  While the amount in one may not be a harmful level, having more than one at a time compounds the amount of those other ingredients going into your body at one time.  I have also met people whose children have had serious reactions and side effects to receiving immunizations.  While I knew side effects were possible, I never really considered what they were or how severe they could be; however, I know people who are dealing with autoimmune disorders and other illnesses that manifested as a result of receiving an immunization.  This has led me to do more research on each vaccine as well as take a much more cautious approach to vaccines in general.   My husband and I still see the benefit of receiving vaccines as a way to avoid life-threatening illnesses but would like to do so in a slow and safe manner.  With my son, we have decided to do a delayed schedule for his childhood vaccines.  We waited to start any until he was a year old, and we only get one at a time.  There are some vaccines that we will skip over altogether.  Some of these we will skip because we believe the risk of vaccine injury or reaction outweighs the benefits.  Others have ingredients that we believe to be unethical, such as cells from aborted babies.  I would suggest all parents research and carefully consider which vaccines they will utilize based on their own findings and convictions.

There are so many factors that affect our health.  There are some things beyond our control; however, we should seek the best health options for what we can control.  If you feel overwhelmed by your current health condition, I would urge you to seek out professional help.  Talk to your primary doctor and consider how other health professionals, such as a nutritionist, can help you in your wellness journey.  Doctors are not just for treating illness; they want you to live healthily!  Seek a supportive network of both professionals and friends and family that will encourage you in your choices and efforts to live a more healthy life.  You are never too young or old to start anew.  Even my parents, in their 60s, have made choices about changing their diet and moving more to improve their health.  Wherever you are in your journey, let me encourage you to keep going.  Do what is best for you and your family to live a full and healthy life.