The Context of Healthy Eating - In memory of Kirsten Swanz

On March 30^th, 2010, my sister Kirsten passed surround by loved ones. She was 28 years old. Kirsten’s memory is vivid with me now having just crossed the 1 year anniversary of her passing and her liberation from the prison that was her physical existence during the last 3 years of her life. With the emotions so raw, I am reminded how her mental suffering stretched back so much further.

My sister died from complications from diabetes and an eating disorder. Her body and her soul were literally starving for nourishment. Looking at my sister, the deprivation was obvious. She was young, her mind was sharp, but her body had succumbed to the ravages of aging well before her time. Her kidneys had stopped functioning and dialysis was an every other day occurrence. She battled high blood pressure and Kirsten’s vision was qualified as legally blind. She had two toe amputations and her bones would fracture under the slightest stress. Anyone looking at my sister knew her health was degenerating. My sister was in the minority. For the majority of our population we don’t see the decline until the health situation becomes dire. As we look around today the disordered eating behaviors aren’t so obvious. Rest assured it is there.

I share my sister’s story to honor her memory and hopefully inspire others to avoid a similar journey. The issues that burden our culture regarding food, nutrition, and health are immense. There is no magic pill that will suddenly resolve this dilemma. As a society, we are over-fed, over-supplemented, over-medicated, and well under-nourished. The nutritional starvation we experience isn’t simply a description of the void found in the nutrient content of industrially grown and processed food. In fact I contend that it is equally the result of the emotional, or lack thereof, connection we have with our food and the people we eat meals with. The beauty of this problem is that it doesn’t require money to resolve. It simply necessitates a shift in the way we think about our food.

Healthy eating isn’t all about organic food. The term organic has become a buzz word exploited by industry to advance the sales of more of the same. Just because it is “organic” is no guarantee that it will support healing and sustenance. And in addition to the words describing a food, the context in which we consume it is crucially important. An all organic meal eaten while driving 60 miles an hour down the highway rushing from one appointment to the next while stressing out about how overwhelmed we are can’t possibly nourish our body the way food is suppose to. Conversely, a non-organic, non-local meal prepared with mindfulness and intent, consumed with those dearest to our hearts, and reflected on as a blessing to our body and soul will give us exactly the nourishment we need.

I am not saying the quality of our food doesn't matter… it absolutely does. The diseases of the past, those things that killed the most people even just 75 years ago were infectious diseases. The times have changed and people are still dying. Today though, entire cultures are dying from lifestyle diseases – cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. So the food does matter and we must realize the context from which we consume our food is a simple area that deserves serious attention.

Food has the potential to be the most powerful medicine we have. Greater than any drug now and any we may ever find. The context, the manner and means with which we consume our meals defines our relationship to the food. Food itself isn’t good or bad, organic or not. The benefit or detriment to our health from food is based primarily on the quantity, frequency, and context from which we consume it, our relationship with it. We must stop ascribing human qualities like good or bad to the food itself. It is just food.

Relationships on the other hand can be good or bad and I am sure most of us have experienced examples of both. Relationships of all sorts provide the opportunity for personal growth and betterment. Relationships are built on the foundation of the behaviors and the habits we as individuals bring to them. These behaviors and habits can be observed, understood, and replicated by those we hold most dear. Health is contagious. Build a solid foundation for yourself and your family by slowing down and eating together. Focus and cultivate a healthy, mindful relationship with food and eating. This will carry over to every meal we consume; with every person we break bread. This is the space from where true nourishment and genuine health will come. It will help propel us all into our most healthy future. It is a simple step with profound effects that we can all start embracing today.

Do It Yourself Health

I am a big fan of the “Do It Yourself” and “Home and Garden” networks. These stations constantly air shows that provide homeowners the knowledge and courage to make lasting improvements to their home and yards. By simplifying the steps and providing detailed information about the process, these shows invite reluctant individuals into an uncharted territory and guide them through the terrain. The individual is still required to complete the task, the hard work has to be done at home; but the confidence from having a detailed plan, available resources, and a guide form the valuable base that is the successful starting point for any project.

The pursuit of health is always a “do it yourself” project. It has become shockingly obvious that individuals can no longer just walk into a doctor’s office and expect in 15 minutes to have their health concerns addressed and fixed. Health requires a proactive approach and the belief that the individual can direct their own healing with the support of a holistic medical team and the most up to date information.

Realizing that shift from the passive observer simply watching on the couch, to the active creator manifesting the vision for health and wellness is a beautiful phenomenon. It may not happen suddenly, but instead be the collaborative result of glimpses of health, gleaned initially through personal research – online, through books, from friends, from attending a health talk around town, shopping at the local health food store, etc. Any of these can prove to be the initial catalyst that sparks a more profound change in health. These opportunities are the “Do It Yourself” health shows all around you. If your health, if your life needs improvement, turn these channels on and let the information begin to flow. When the time is right and you are ready to invest in your health, the pieces will fall together. The more preparation you do, the smoother your journey will be.

Don't wait... Get started today.

Beyond yourself

If you look beyond yourself for health, you will never find it. Health starts, is achieved and ends with the self, otherwise the pursuit is only a distraction from the true problems at hand.
Because our self is growing, changing, developing daily, constantly moving, our pursuit of health is endless, timeless, needing to grow and change as we do. There is no end goal for health, there is only the journey. I think that is a relief. It removes a great deal of pressure. We simply strive for health for ourselves, what is best for us at any given time. If we fall off the path, we just walk back on and continue.
Where are you on your journey today?

The Appearance of Health

One must make a huge distinction between the appearance of health and the actual state of health. Too often, we become blinded to the true nature of illness and dis-ease, by the outward illusion of health. I was most recently thinking of this dilemma in regards to weight loss. The epidemic of eating disorders and diet mania is a prime example. Individuals starve themselves, deprive the body of essential nutrients, and generally spiral out of control toward an ever widening state of illness, under the guise of creating heath by being skinny. It is a sham. Health is independent of weight, and it is more important to live a healthy life at any weight than it is to be at the bottom of the BMI.
I do not mean to imply that we should be skinny or fat, that one is good while the other is bad. It is just as likely the case that a 220 lb woman is as healthy as a 150 lb counterpart. I have worked with patients that are "rail thin" with chronic aches and pains, and triglycerides and cholesterol off the charts. We can not, nor should we judge a book by its cover.
It is true that when we begin to move towards a more ideal state of health, we will often loose excess weight. This is an expected result and if the lifestyle changes are permanent, the weight loss should be too. So begin your journey to find the balance of health, internal and external, and enjoy a more complete way of living.

Authentic Health

Kenneth Proefrock, ND helped inspire this post during a Naturopathic philosophy talk he gave over 2 years ago at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona. The topic of the talk was legitimacy vs authenticity in the healing profession. Dr. Proefrock was specifically addressing insurance coverage in regards to alternative health care. While insurance reimbursement provides an instant dose of legitimacy to a given physician's practice, at what cost is this legitimacy acquired. Dr. Proefrock asserted that often this legitimacy is derived at the expense of authenticity. Authenticity here is used to represent the intention of the physician or practice. To be authentic, the intention must be real, genuine, and veritable; while lacking a falsehood or misrepresentation. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/authentic) Dr. Proefrock considered the example of physicians misrepresenting their treatments in order to secure reimbursement for the patient. This may allow certain patients to receive treatments that would not otherwise be available; but this also creates in the case of ND's an illusion that the Naturopathic Doctor is providing services that are no different than their conventional colleagues. This is a disservice to the profession and the authenticity at the heart of Naturopathic philosophy.
I think as beings striving to attain our ultimate potential, where good health must be a vital component of the overall picture, it is crucial to evaluate the legitimacy and/or authenticity of our beliefs about our own health. Conventionally, health is believed to be obtained when the symptoms of dis-ease are under control. There is no further thought given to the vitality of the individual. If we accept this notion as indicative of health, then we need to look nowhere else than the conventional paradigm of medicine. But, if health represents more than a symptom free existence... if we strive for "a state of health (in which) the vital force reigns supreme and governs the physical body to reach the lofty goal of human existence.” Paragraph 9 The Organon of Medicine by Samuel Hahnemann. Then we must constantly evaluate the authenticity of the healing practices we embrace and the healers that walk with us on our journey.
The beauty of authentic health is that we can define it at every given moment for ourselves. What will it be for you today?

The WHY

I have been reading "Man's Search for Meaning" by Victor E. Frankl. The book starts as a memoir of Frankl's experience as a prisoner during the Holocaust in a Nazi prison camp. It is an emotionally charged account of the near desperation that surrounded all those that had their basic freedoms ruthlessly stripped. Throughout the experience, somehow, Frankl manages to retain some shred of hope and humanity. This he attributes to the ability to retain the one freedom that can never be taken from an individual. That is the freedom to choose the perspective from which a situation is viewed. Maintaining this ability is enough to retain meaning in life, no matter how dire the circumstances. Frankl quotes Nietzsche, "He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How."
Like most things in life I read or encounter, I want to apply these life lessons to health and Naturopathy. I believe this last quote perfectly encompasses the mindset needed to begin that journey to health. It is the Why that is crucial. The Why, the reason, is what inspires. It is the meaning and the purpose, propelling one forward toward an ultimate goal. Why allows us to hang on, even when the obstacles seem to great.
Why do you want to be healthy? Is it for family, for quality of life, for more energy? It really doesn't matter to me, nor should it. It only matters to you. Find your Why, embrace your Why. The How will then work itself out.

Simple in theory

Most Naturopathic recommendations are simple... drink more water, eat more whole foods, exercise daily, get a good nights sleep, manage stress effectively, etc. The reality is that these simple recommendations are not always easy to actualize. This type of change requires discipline, structure, and foresight. It can feel restrictive, and on the surface it initially is. Ultimately the result of the structure and discipline is liberation. No longer a prisoner to ill health; no longer struggling through the day while depleted of nutrients and energy; we are free to reach a state of health where "the vital force reigns supreme and governs the physical body to reach the lofty goal of human existence" (paragraph 9, "The Organon of Medicine" by Samuel Hahnemann). This is a divine state in which to live and grow.
There is an overwhelming reluctance for most to embrace this change and freedom. The reluctance is born of fear. A fear that it is all too difficult, or that I am not worthy of this change. How can we succeed against societal and marketing pressure constantly promoting a lifestyle void of health, balance, and meaning? It is scary! Internal and external, conscious and subconscious, we have much to overcome.
It is vital to remember that while striving to heal and grow there can be no failure. It is a journey with triumphs and setbacks. The cumulative progress is always forward, moving us toward our goals. We need only to take the first step. Embrace the opportunity now, and welcome health into your life.

The Path...

We go hiking, not to reach the end of the trail, but to enjoy the views, the challenge, the fresh air. It is not about the destination. The path is the key. Life and hence health is the same.

Life is a journey. Relationships are journeys.
Health is a journey. Health is a relationship.

Health springs forth from the relationships we nurture within ourselves. We cultivate relationships with our families, our friends, our food, our physique, our emotions, our spiritual practice, our addictions, our dreams, our diagnosis, and so much more. The challenge we will face over and over again is the stagnation that permeates our being when any of these relationships begin to become uncomfortable.
The quick solution is to do nothing. We may deceive ourselves into believing it is an attempt to embrace the stagnation. But this is merely a false acceptance. It is false because true acceptance acknowledges the discomfort for what it is... a hurdle along life's journey. Health is about our relationships, but it must be a continuous journey. If we are stagnant, we are dying. But if we are moving, we are growing. The growth itself so often is uncomfortable and challenging. We must face it all the same. We substantiate ourselves, our lives, our health, our worth through the courage displayed as we embody this challenge. This is inevitable. These events replay in various ways throughout our lives.
We always have the ability to continue to grow, to heal, to remain on the path, even right up to the moment of our last breath on this earth. It is not and should not always be easy, but our ability is always enough. We must remember that we always possess this ability, especially in the moments when it is easiest to forget. Health corresponds not to our life lived symptom free, but to our life experienced as we heal through the moments of dis-ease.
There are boundless directions in which we may pursue health. No one modality monoplizes the ultimate path. Most important is that we choose and perservere on a path that is right for us.

Happy Hiking