Welcome

Hello Friends!

Since I have been asked by some people to start a "health blog", I decided to go forward with that request and share some of the knowledge I've learned, and am learning, through studying the natural approaches to Holistic Health.

What constitutes health? Well, it is not merely the absence of disease, but also an abundance of life. We can measure health in 3 ways: 

Performance- both physically and mentally; Absence of ill health- the lack of signs and symptoms of disease; and 

Longevity- a healthy life span.  

What we currently call "health care" is really "disease care".  Think about that for a moment.

Most of us eat whatever we want, unless of course we're on a "diet" and then it only typically constitutes calorie restriction.  It may too, be the only time we really try to eat healthy.  However even if we don't show any signs of illness, we may not necessarily be healthy.  The absence of symptoms could merely mean that we are not yet exhibiting any overt symptoms of illness. If we end up sick, we typically go to the doctor and leave with a medication for our symptoms.  While those medications may sometimes help alleviate the symptoms, they may also create other symptoms that you didn't have before.  Also, what else are those medications doing to our bodies that may not be so good for us?  Antibiotics, for example may be very necessary in order to kill the bacteria that is making you sick, but did you know they also kill your digestive tract's good bacteria?  That in turn sets us up for an overgrowth of yeast colonies which if not addressed can wreak havoc on our body.  There are very simple things you can do to replenish the good bacteria. However, if you end up getting a fungal infection as a result of a yeast overgrowth, typically you get another medication to kill the fungus.  Yet that does not address the root problem!  Taking a probiotic is essential when taking antibiotics because it replenishes your gut with the billions of bacteria needed for essential health and function of the intestinal tract.  Or you can eat yogurt that contain live cultures or drink Kefir (found in the health market refrigerated section of the grocery store). Not all yogurt contains these live cultures. Read the label, and be sure to buy organic yogurt so that you prevent consuming yogurt made w/milk that is tainted with antibiotics and hormones. Keep in mind that yogurt only replenishes transient bacteria, that is, bacteria that passes through as it aids in digestion.  It is important to also replenish the resident bacteria and this can be done through the use of a quality Probiotic supplement.  Remember, not all supplements are created equal, so do your research or contact me for more information.  I will be happy to assist you with your choice of supplements.  With a yeast overgrowth, you must also be careful about sugar intake as this is what yeast feed on, and a lot of yogurts contain high amounts of sugar, so please read labels.  Again, contact me if you need assistance.  I will give more in-depth information on the topic of Probiotics in another blog. You will be surprised at their numerous benefits.

One of the biggest culprits of inadequate nutrients is cooked and/or processed foods. Cooking food at high temperatures and conventional food processing destroys vital nutrients the body needs to function properly.  What's missing from our diets is the organic raw foods that supply these much needed elements.

Every system in our body is connected. For example, did you know our digestive system does not function on its own? There are accessory organs that are vitally important for the proper digestion of our foods, so if one of those organs is not functioning properly, it disrupts all other systems in some way.

That is what Holistic Health is about.  It's imperative to treat our body as a whole and not as separate parts if we want it to run like well-oiled machine.

I will set this blog up so that each blog constitutes a new subject matter.  I will do my best to keep it simple and I will offer links when it applies.

Please come back for future topics.  It is my prayer that you will find this helpful and useful...and that it ultimately causes you to exchange some bad habits for some good ones.  

We're all a work in progress.  Let us help each other be the best we were created to be.

*Interesting fact*- it is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open

:)Karen.