Are You Faking It? Don't Fool Yourself!

May 23, 2012 - PRLog -- What is health?  What is wellness? Could your standards of health and wellness be higher, perhaps? Are you fooling yourself about being healthy?  Or a better question is:  Have you been fooled into thinking you are healthy? Most people I talk to consider themselves to be healthy and to be living a health and wellness lifestyle.  But are they?

Health- The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as:

Wellness is a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential

  Wellness is multi-dimensional and holistic, encompassing lifestyle, mental and spiritual      
  well-being, and the environment

  Wellness is positive and affirming

The definition of wellness, long used by the National Wellness Institute is consistent with these tenets. Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.

So where do you fit in along this spectrum?

ILLNESS AND DISEASE

People in this category live off of multiple medications and have a poor quality of life.  Their bodies have very limited function and due to this, their time in this life is probably pretty limited, too.  This truly saddens me, when I know it doesn’t have to be like this.

POOR HEALTH OR DEVELOPING ILLNESS

Surprisingly, most people think they are healthy if they eat their low fat and whole grain processed food, work out on a regular basis and take synthetic vitamins that suck the real stores of vitamins out of them.  They overlook the fact that they get sick frequently (3 + times a year), buy over-the-counter medications for acid reflux, constipation, diarrhea and painkillers for head aches, cramps and joint pain. Half of these people take anti-depressants and cholesterol lowering medication, too!  Yet, despite the fact they are losing normal function in their body, they consider themselves healthy because this is what passes for health in our current society.  They see these things on TV so it must be true and OK to take, buy, eat and live like this.

There are also those who don’t buy the over-the-counter medications, but just ignore their gas and stomach pains, hormonal mood swings and memory loss in hopes it will all go away soon, because after all, they are “healthy”, right?  (It doesn’t go away on its own and you are not healthy.)

Then of course, my personal favorite:  the people who jump from one nutritional fad to the other that they saw in a magazine or on daytime TV and do their own health program. They have no clue as to what they are doing or how they are probably shortening their lifespan and damaging their quality of life.

FALSE WELLNESS OR THE HEALTH TIPPING POINT

With false wellness, your health is not a high priority because you don’t have any symptoms even with inconsistent nutrition and sporadic exercise and no supplementation. You feel good, and somewhat invincible or have the attitude that “It will never happen to me”. Remember being in your early 20’s?

GOOD HEALTH OR DEVELOPING WELLNESS

You exercise regularly, keep up on health and wellness by following real nutritional consultants such as Judith de Cava, Mary Frost and me :), educated Doctors such as Catherine Shanahan, MD and nutritional websites like The Weston Price Foundation.  You ignore daytime TV programs with health advice and never put anything you see on TV in your mouth, on your body or in your home.  You also practice real nutrition by eating hormone free, pesticide free, real food - not processed, not low fat and cooked mostly at home.  You also don’t try to do your own health and nutrition program and you see a Nutritional Consultant like me :).  Because of this you feel pretty darn good with minimal symptoms, if any.  You take organic, whole food supplements to not only address the few systems in your body that need extra support, but to also help create a future of a high quality of life and longevity for yourself.  You go to the trouble to make sure you don’t use toxins in your home environment or on your body.

OPTIMUM HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Well, I’m not sure this exists in a lot of people in this century in this country, but optimum health and wellness is all the above health and wellness habits plus 100% function and active participation in your wellbeing. Wellness is an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.

We all have room for improvement and should strive to be be healthier and be more commited to wellness.

I love to help people at all stages of health and wellness.  I will educate you on and help you address diet, nutrition, health, wellness, weak organs and glands, symptoms and toxins in the environment and personal care items.  As far as exercise, I will direct you to the right professionals who will help you with that very important aspect.

Your health, wellness, longevity and quality of life are important to me.  I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t.

These recommendations are for the reduction of stress only. They are not intended as treatment or prescription for any disease, or as a substitute for regular medical care.