I’ve been talking a lot about health and healing in my last few articles. I’ve discussed how dysfunctional our global healthcare systems are and how they miss the mark. The question then arises, how does one take care of their health?
This can be a daunting task, however, with some guidance, you can become your own healer. The first step is to take stock of your health right now. What are your symptoms? What diagnoses have you been given? What medications are you taking? You must do an inventory of your health right at this moment in order to start the process of taking charge of your own health.
The second step is to ask yourself, what toxins am I exposed to on a regular basis? Do I smoke cigarettes? Do I have second hand tobacco exposure? Do I drink too much alcohol? Do I filter my water? Do I eat too much sugar (yes sugar is a toxin)? Am I living in a polluted environment like a large city? How old is my house and are there any lead pipes or other heavy metals I may be exposed to? Is there mold in my house? What toxins am I exposed to at my workplace? You need to do a deep inventory of all the toxins you are exposed to in order to get on the path to healing.
The third step is to see where you can eliminate toxins that you are exposed to. Can I quit smoking? If not then why not? Can I start filtering my water? Is it possible to me to move away from the city into a more natural environment? Can I buy organic produce? How do I eliminate sugar from my diet? Once you start to eliminate all the toxins you are exposed to then you will start to see dramatic changes in your health. In fact, many of our chronic diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and many cancers, have an association with toxin exposure.
The fourth step is to see how much physical activity you get. Do I exercise or play an active sport at least three times per week for at least 30 minutes each time? If not, then why not? Is it a time issue? Is it lack of motivation? How can I ensure that I get enough physical activity in any given week? How do I make this a priority?
The fifth step is to take a stress inventory. Do I wake up every morning refreshed and energized? Do I look forward to going to work? Do I enjoy interacting with my boss and co-workers? Do I like what I do for a living? Do I have strong personal relationships? Do I have a good social network? Do I have a relaxation practice such as breath work or meditation? Stress is probably the number one contributor to chronic disease and acute illness in the world which is why it is important to know how to manage it effectively in your life.
If you act on these simple steps you will have already taken leaps and bounds towards optimizing your health and will notice the difference in your energy, vitality and overall outlook on life.
Dr Nauman Naeem