Think about this for a moment…

Do you remember the last time you had a cut or a scrape that bled; did the skin heal over that area or are you still wearing that Band-Aid? What about that cold or flu you had last winter; nose still running, eyes still watery, body still aching or has that gotten better over time? Have you ever had a broken bone or a sprain or a bruise that you’re still dealing with or do they seem to just somehow ‘fix’ themselves? What about surgery? I would hazard a guess that for the majority of you those ailments have all been remedied, albeit some may have required a little outside attention. The surgery and maybe some cuts would require a few stitches and that broken bone would require re-setting but beyond that, the healing process is pretty well taken care of by the body.

Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not suggesting there is no need for doctors; on the contrary we have a great need for doctors especially in a trauma situation, but I believe we rely entirely too much on the doctors for all those little symptoms that bother us. We’ve been taught from a very young age that when we’re not feeling well its OK to go see Dr. Feel-good to get a pill or potion to help us ignore that symptom. I think its time we learn how to ‘doctor ourselves’ as Andrew Saul would say. We need to take more responsibility for our own health and find out what’s required by our body to fulfill its role in healing. Its really not difficult to understand but for some making the necessary changes may be difficult to implement. It seems we’ve become too complacent and reliant on Dr. Feel-good.

The body is an amazing piece of work with so many checks and balances that these ‘repairs to the human frame seem to carry on without us even paying any attention. It doesn’t even call for any conscious effort on our part. It can make new skin to close the wound where that cut was. It can build new blood cells to replace the blood you lost. It can knit that broken bone together and make it as strong as new. And believe it or not the body has the ability to avoid disease or even reverse the disease process. The only requirement is that we give the body the proper tools to get the job done.

So, what are these tools and where do I get them? Well, the following list is by no means a prescription or a one-size-fits-all remedy for everyone. This is more of a suggested path that you can follow on the road to optimal health; and with optimal health the body has the ability to heal itself. Look these points over and see which ones you need to adapt into your lifestyle.

Stop our destructive behaviors; alcohol, smoking, drugs

Eat more plant foods -organic where possible; alive with the nutrients your body needs

Clean up our diet by shopping the outside aisles of the grocery store where all the nutritional food is – anything on the inside aisles is usually void of any nutritional value

Build up the immune system –  its the first line of defense when fighting illness and disease

Support your liver – its responsible for about 500 daily tasks in the body, it needs our help

Reduce stress – negative emotions and stress can metabolize nutrients your body needs for maintenance, repair, growth and defense.

This list is by no means complete, but by following some of the points listed here you are giving your body some of the tools it needs to achieve better health. The health you recover is proportionate to the effort you invest. There are no free rides here and there is no magic involved; just better health. Try it! What have you got to lose?