Suppressing something that feels bad is not going to make you any healthier. In North America that’s what dozens of drug companies spend billions of dollars trying to convince us to do.
Taking an antacid so you don’t feel heart burn doesn’t make you healthier you just don’t feel the problem anymore. Taking Tylenol to cut the pain of a headache or to lower a fever may take away the uncomfortable feeling but it may also prevent your body from making the necessary adaptations required to heal. Taking antibiotics to kill some germs doesn’t strengthen your body; in fact it may weaken it.
Health is built when we come in alignment and do things that work to support the natural rhythms of the body, not directly go against it. A fever is a natural rhythm that is designed to kill an infection and is part of a normal, healthy immune response. Working with the body through this process by resting, hydrating and staying warm is much better for you than suppressing the symptoms and driving the fever lower with synthetic means.
Unfortunately most people find themselves in a health crisis wishing they had spent more time focusing on their health years ago. Building health is best done with our day-to-day choices over a lifetime. It is really quite simple. It just takes consistency over time.
Rules to Building Health always have you working with the body not against it.
- Central Nerve System Health – your brain controls everything via your spine. Your spine needs regular healthy alignment and movement. The average person sits 13 hours a day, we need to get up and move. We need regular spinal care over a lifetime just like your teeth and heart.
- Nutrition Health – what goes in your body today supports your body functions, gives you energy and gives your cells what they need to regenerate. You are rebuilding yourself daily!! What you eat allows you to do this well. Water and natural foods are best.
- Movement is Key – get moving in multiple ways. It is needed to stimulate and nourish your brain. Range of motion, flexibility and diverse movements will help your body move fluids designed to nourish, hydrate and lubricate all your tissues including joints. Kids need this too.
- Rest – this is when we grow and heal. We make sure children get naps and get to bed early because they have a lot of growth and development to do. Adults have a lot of repair to do. Rest is when we all do this best.
Don’t wait for a crisis to think about health. Nurture it proactively with continuous positive input over the course of a lifetime.
