The 411 on Wellness

WHAT IS HEALTH ANYWAY?”

The other day a brand new patient said to me, “I feel like I’m in prison”. She was referring to the pain she was experiencing on a daily basis.

Unfortunately I hear this all the time. I also hear people tell me that they feel flat, joyless, that they are not able to function well – they feel unable to be a good parent, friend, spouse or employee.  They often tell me they can’t do everyday things, maybe can’t leave the house, and certainly aren’t able to travel. Ugh! These people would give so much to have their health.

Of course my role in their lives is to get them back to health. But what is health…really?

Is it a lack of symptoms?

Is it not having any bad feelings?

Is it having energy?

Is it looking good?

Feeling good?

Well it’s certainly all of the above - and more. Most of all though…I think HEALTH is FREEDOM. I say that because the people who come to see me with their various symptoms and issues ultimately have one thing in common: their life is LIMITED. And what they really want is to get their life back, to be free of the limitation that is binding them.

So what I recommend from this point on…is to commit to doing what it takes to be healthy! Decide to stay on the path of health and wellness, even if you veer off that path occasionally, remember it’s a process...you can get right back on track.

It’s also vitally important to appreciate the health you do have, because if you are free from pain, free from fear, free from limitation – then you are truly rich.

I think we all want to be healthy but even more – we crave freedom. After all, it is our birthright.

The Magic Process

Looking for that magic fix?

This time of year I get flooded with calls…everyone wants to start off the year by getting healthy. But what does that really mean?

Most of us believe that we need a certain pill or doctor or diet to get us healthy – real quick. In fact I struggle with that on occasion myself, that some new herb or product may be the “magic” thing to get everyone well.

It’s just that I’ve learned there is NO magic bullet, but like most people I grew up with the hope that there could be one right around the corner!

What I do know is that getting healthy is more of a process. The process may take a day a month or a year…but no matter how long it takes, it can be a very positive and enriching experience if we allow it.

We are each individuals, so it would be impossible to think that just one “thing” can fix all. There are too many issues and lifestyle characteristics to factor in. This is where the holistic process comes in handy and why I believe it works so well.

What I ask of my clients is to trust me, and to be patient – cause it will pay off in the end! Yes, I know we live in an immediate gratification society, I just wish we could embrace the concept of healing the way we accept that it takes nine months of pregnancy before a baby is ready for the birthing process.

It’s all worth it in the end anyway. You can feel even better than expected, plus there’s so much to learn about yourself along the way. You can also feel proud that you stuck it out because when you allow the healing process to “gestate” properly – it often brings with it some sort of unexpected “gift”.

So next time you dream of a magic solution – remember the baby analogy…and hope for one beautiful baby. I mean who doesn’t love a beautiful baby?

 

 

 

"After the holidays....."

I hear it in my practice all day long, and I am secretly guilty of this myself. What is “it” you ask?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is the line, “after the holidays”!

Just fill in the blank…I’ll go on a diet after the holidays. I’ll start exercising after the holidays. I’ll cleanse after the holidays. I’ll get organized after the holidays. And on it goes.

Why do we do this to ourselves? It seems illogical that simply because the date on the calendar says it is time for festivities, we just let ourselves go. Welcome to the human brain! We are such clever creatures that we are capable of rationalizing anything and everything.

Studying the brain is one of my favorite occupations, in fact I consider myself an expert at understanding what drives our thoughts and behaviors. It’s what I do, I help people balance out their brain chemistry so that their behavior is exactly that…balanced. But try as I might, I can’t overcome the procrastination and total abandon that happens this time of year!

This year I have a new strategy, want to hear it? Whenever someone comes in and tells me about how terribly they’ve been eating, or how they have quit exercising because there just isn’t time – I say “perfect, why don’t you start up after the holidays”. I am giving everyone, including myself, permission to indulge in life!

In the past, I strongly recommended to everyone that they should eat well all week and allow the indulgences just on weekends. I also wanted them to exercise even more to compensate for the richer foods. I harped on drinking water, taking their supplements, getting enough rest and even taking breaks from the chaos.

What was I thinking? The more I think about it, the more I realize I was out of line! Who am I to be sensible when the rest of the world is just trying to find a little happiness? So please, enjoy your holidays…in fact, I plan to enjoy with you :)

When all else fails.....breathe

When there is just too much going on in a day, more than one mere human can handle - there is only one thing to do: Just put one foot in front of the other…and breathe. 

Now an A-type like myself, whose brain is always “on”, may find that concept difficult. I really want to handle everything, quickly and efficiently – check each task off my list so that I can move on to the next set of tasks with a clean slate. 

So what if I usually accomplish more in a day than most people – it is simply what I have come to expect of myself! Which is why I have to diligently have a conversation with myself and hopefully I will get through to the rational side of my brain. 

The conversation goes something like this, “ok I think today is a good day to be kind to myself…I choose to take a deep breath and trust that everything will get done as it is supposed to.” Once I have repeated some simple phrases like this a few times, I remember to smile, take another deep breath and then I do my best to relax the tension from my body. 

If for some reason the above doesn’t work and I continue to stress about everything that needs “doing”, that’s when I start to tap into the doctor part of my brain which says, “stress kills” “this isn’t good for your health” “you are burning yourself out”. 

This makes me laugh and finally let’s me relax. At this point I gladly remember that I am a human “being” not a human “doing” - Rome wasn’t built in a day – and the only way to get anywhere is to simply put one foot in front of the other.