Health & Wellness

According to the World Health Organization:

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” That definition was established by the World Health Organization in their 1948 constitution. Personally, I believe that statement is a little outdated and doesn’t embrace all the intricacies that we have discovered since then about how our body really functions.

Our health is not in a static state of being; it fluctuates relative to several factors that affect it. These factors can be as basic as the air that we breathe, the water we drink and the food that we eat. In addition, our health can also fluctuate from things like stress or lack of exercise, or even the amount of sleep you may or may not get. There are other dimensions of our being that will affect our health as well. We don`t always think about them in terms of physical health or well-being but they do have a subconscious impact on our overall wellness. These other dimensions are things like our emotional health, spiritual health, social health, intellectual health, financial health and occupational health.

When discussing our physical health, we use a term called `Homeostasis` which refers to our body’s constant adjustment of internal systems to achieve a stable balance of health. Let`s consider a slide type equalizer (found on most stereo equipment) as an analogy for our word Homeostasis. On the equalizer as you move the slide left or right you are adjusting the balance of bass and treble until you reach an optimal balance for your listening pleasure. With homeostasis our body is constantly adjusting the balance between good health and poor health relative to the inputs that we provide it. If we eat nothing but nutrient deficient processed food then we are pushing our body out of balance toward the poor side of health, but if we are conscious of the things that we are providing for our body, like wholesome foods, clean filtered water and clean air then, our body will be inclined to balance itself toward the optimal side of health.

Personally, I really appreciate the term ‘wellness’, especially as described by The National Wellness Institute. They define wellness as an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence. The reason this definition is more appealing to me is that it implies responsibility toward the individual. More than anything, we need to take an active role in our own health and wellness. Whether you are dealing with your own family doctor or you choose more alternative avenues you are totally responsible for your own state of health. Taking an active role and becoming more aware of your options allows you to make better choices on your journey toward optimal health. Find a practitioner that you feel comfortable with and one that is open enough to discuss your options so that you become an active participant in your own health. If you like you may click the contact button on this site to let me help you with your journey to optimum health.