Many people do not know the journey that I went through in order to be in the great state of health and wellbeing that I have today. They are suffering as I once was, and I share my story so that I can help them achieve optimal health and vitality. My hope is that they can learn from my suffering so that they don’t have to suffer further in order to learn what I learned.
In late 2006 I came closer to death than I care to think about. I had extensive medical complications to a seemingly simple surgery. I ended up in the hospital for a total of 40 days (over 3 hospital stays in a span of 2 1/2 months) and I could not work for another 2 months after that. It took me over a year to regain decent health and several years to attain optimal health.
That experience, although awful, was one of the best things that happened to me. That may sound wierd, but I know that I would not be in the great state of mental and physical health right now if I had not experienced what I did, and learned from it.
Prior to that experience I thought I was doing the right things to stay healthy. I was exercising regularly, drank only water, did not smoke, took no medications, got great sleep, and was eating fairly well. On the outside, I looked healthy; just like so many seemingly healthy people do today. But I was not in an optimal state of health. I was not allowing for time off on a regular basis, I was eating inflammatory foods, I was not taking correct supplements, I was not doing weight bearing exercises, my hormones were out of balance, etc. I did not have an effective self care routine even though I thought that I did.
Like so many people, my body was a ticking time bomb that was ready to explode. And, boy did it! It did not happen overnight as people seem to think these things happen. It is the small day to day things that I did (or did not do) that added up over time, culminating in the events that occurred late 2006.
It is so easy to ignore little signs that show us that our body is not functioning properly. It is all too easy to make the small decisions and take the small actions that seem insignificant, but add up to a significant negative impact on our overall health. The great thing is that our bodies can handle quite a bit of abuse and still recover if we wake up and make positive changes. I am living proof of this.
It took me some time and a lot of research (plus trial and error), but I learned how to properly care for my mind and body. I am still learning and adjusting things as I discover new information. With what I have learned and incorporated I have better muscle tone, skin health, energy, and overall enhanced vitality and enjoyment of life. My hope is that everyone can have that as well, for as long as possible.
If you wish to live a long AND a healthy life, it takes the courage to look in the mirror and really evaluate where you are and what you are doing. Let’s face it, it is easy to keep doing what you are doing, even if it is slowly damaging you inside and out. It takes effort to make positive changes but it is completely worth it.
Think ahead 10-20 years from now and be honest with yourself…..how do you think you will feel? look? live? based upon how you are taking care of your body and mind now. If you are feeling overwhelmed, fearful, anxious, depressed, tired, out of shape, etc., these will compound over time and get worse. Things like cancer, dementia, frailty, diabetes, heart disease, etc do not happen overnight. They are years in the making and you can prevent them!
If your outcome is to feel as good as you can for as long as you can, then I encourage you to write down why you want it. A powerful reason will help to motivate you to make any changes you need to make. Do not wait for diseases to occur, think about how you want to feel and look long term. What things will you enjoy doing if you feel great in your 80’s and 90’s? Whose life can you positively impact because you are healthy and vibrant now and later in life? Who is watching what you are doing and mimicking the things that you do? Whose life can you positively impact by setting a great example?
Take a few moments and write this down. Look at it every day to motivate you to make positive healthy choices each day! 🙂
I also encourage you to attend our Healthy Living Expo on Saturday, September 25th, outside of the Temeku Cinemas (off Ynez/Winchester) from 11 am – 2 pm. I am helping to organize the Healthy Expo for the Murrieta Holistic Chamber of Commerce–a chamber of commerce that is focused on bringing a wider variety of wellness providers together.
At this event you will be able to meet and talk to many of the wellness professionals that have helped me in my journey. There are some fascinating things that you can do to enhance your health and vitality that most people don’t know about, things like breath work, ozone therapy, floating, detoxification, enhancing blood flow, etc. There are some excellent products and healthy food sources that can help you on your journey to optimal health. This expo was organized so that our community can be exposed to the many wonderful and unique wellness providers, products, and food sources that are in our local community!
Remember, to live well and to live long, it is the little choices that you make on a daily basis that get you there, it is not one big thing. Join us on Saturday, Sept. 25th to learn more about the little things that you could be doing to help you on your journey.