Are you “normal” or are you “healthy”

“Hi, how are you?” “How are you doing today?” These are common questions that we ask each other day-in and day-out. It’s almost automatic when you pass someone on the street, in the office or even while shopping at the supermarket to simply address a number of the people you meet with a big “hi, how are you,” or “hello, how you doing today?”

You may spontaneously say, “and how’s your mother” or “how’s your husband?” This seems to especially happen when the other person is wearing a smile.

Do you really mean what you are asking? Do you really want to know—to hear the real answer? How many people answer you with an honest answer? All around the world, from Asia to Europe, from North and South America to Australia, millions of people are not healthy. How could they feel good? What are the odds these people you ask are going to tell you the truth? After all, they don’t want to be negative and say they are having a bad day. They know intuitively to remain as positive as possible because it is more simple to say we are “ok” than to be truly honest — with them or ourselves.

These questions have become an everyday conversational piece. And, because so many people are not doing that great in regards to their health, I think we have honestly and truly forgotten what these words really mean. Take a minute and really think about these questions. How do you feel? How are you doing today? I mean you!

It has become normal for millions of people to accept that they really don’t feel good. Because it has become normal for so many, it has become somewhat normal for our population to accept this as a whole. But just because it is “normal” doesn’t mean it is “healthy”.

This article is intended to be different. It is intended to provoke you to think about where you have been, where you are now, and where you are going with your health. There is a big difference in what the term “normal” means and what “healthy” means. Your mindset to this understanding can be important to you as you go down life’s road. You must remain aware of the difference. Ask yourself if you may need to change course, even if just a little bit, for better health.

A good example

Millions of people worldwide live with bleeding gums. Leading professional organizations like the American Dental Association and the American Association of Periodontists actually state that between 80% and 90% of adult Americans are in this category.

When they brush their teeth they usually notice that their gums bleed. Since this has become so common and has existed for such a long time, most everyone has settled with the thought that this bleeding is ok. “Bleeding gums are normal” they say. This may be correct, bleeding gums are normal, but they are not healthy. As a matter of fact, bleeding gums can be an indication of poor gum health or loss of teeth and bone. Can you see what I am trying to explain—the difference between normal and healthy? I am not stating that this scenario is anything other than an example of how you may not be differentiating in your mind the difference between “normal” and “healthy.”

Listen to your body

A major concern is that this process is insidious. The acceptance of many factors has slowly crept into our thinking. Now it’s there. The “just not feeling good” pattern is not severe enough to cause the millions of people who have to deal with it every day to stop and think about it. However, if these same people were suffering from serious bleeding ulcers, they would still be normal, but they certainly would realize that they were not healthy.

What I am hoping to bring forth in your thinking is for you to stay cognizant of your own body—of what it is telling you. Intuitively you know, at least in general, how you feel.

No one knows your body as well as you. Don’t play ostrich and fall victim of the “I’m normal. After all, most of the people I know have their problems, too. I guess that is just the way it is today.”

More people are taking nutritional supplements

New scientific discoveries in healthcare and other technologies are growing almost exponentially. At the same time, a deeper awareness of the importance of our spiritual development is evolving as well. When you consider the focus of the multiple camps within the international research community, it is thrilling to see how popular the pursuit of nutritional knowledge has become. Fortunately, more people are realizing the value of nutritional supplements. It was stated that in 1998 two out of three Americans purchased nutritional supplements. Believe it or not, three out of ten households use seven or more them. The same awareness is taking place in Europe and other parts of the developed world, too.

Look at the interest in functional foods by big businesses. These foods are grown and eaten to support specific functions in the body. Look at the growth in the consumption of herbal supplements and the major growth that has taken place in the fitness areas of aerobics, resistance training, yoga and tai chi. Take advantage of these things, they can have a major impact on how you really do feel. They can have a major impact on your life. It has been said that “everyone wants to live to a ripe old age, but no one wants to get old.”

Stop and think about it

I don’t think that there is any question that your health is the single most important factor contributing to the quality of your life. Stop and think about it. If you are not feeling good, maybe you are normal but not healthy! Hold on to the thought that what you do now will influence your health years from now. Have you ever heard your grandparents, or other people older than you, say “if I only had my health…?” How many times have you felt sorry for wonderful, loving people you respect greatly because they have not maintained their health in later years? Do you want to be like that? Doesn’t it make sense to take care of yourself now? Take the time to give your body every bit of support that you can now to preserve your health for what could be the most enjoyable and rewarding part of your entire lifetime?

One of the most common mistakes that younger people make is to put off paying attention to their health. What an unfortunate mistake this is. If you are not paying attention to what you eat, cleansing your body routinely, consuming adequate quality fluids, exercising moderately and taking nutritional supplements, do you realize how this can affect you in the future? Ask yourself: Am I willing to take that risk?

The bottom line question is how will your present habits affect the way you will feel in the future? How will it affect how you can get around? Is your health the best it can be today for tomorrow? Do you want to enjoy your later years or would you prefer to be dependent on others? Are you giving your body what it needs to retain its strength and health against the natural aging process and all that goes along with it?

Take steps now

Think about all the things you can enjoy when you have reasonably good health. You are able to work, enjoy family activities and easily complete all those little chores that are required in your daily routine. The thought of not going to work may sound appealing, but only if you are able to take advantage of your time off to enjoy life. Too many people take retaining their good health for granted.

Think about taking steps now to promote your future health. It’s like taking steps to promote the longevity of the engine in your car. Using good fuel, changing the oil and performing routine structural maintenance all help your car’s engine run longer, more efficiently and require less maintenance in the future. These same factors are true for each of the trillions of cells in your body. Don’t you want to begin taking action now? Of course you do! It is true—your health now and in the future is in your hands.

The air you breathe, the water yo u drink, the food you eat, the supplements you take, and all the various components of your environment around you influence your health. We really don’t have much time in this life when you think about it. Why not take advantage of the present? Take a moment and reflect on how fast each year seems to pass us by — especially as we get older. Think about the times you felt good. How differently you did things when you felt “up to it” and how you approached life’s “little” situations. Think about how you could get more done, how much easier it was to get out of bed in the morning. If you don’t feel good, don’t let yourself fall prey to the thought that feeling this way is just “normal.”

Your cells need fuel

There is no question that your body and the trillions of cells that make it up must have the fuel to function. That fuel is provided to them through your diet. Your body is an amazing creation. It can handle an enormous amount of aggression from the environment and your diet, plus an amazing amount of stress and abuse if it is provided with the nutrients it needs. Paying attention to body cleansing and getting reasonable amounts of rest are key elements of your health.

The easiest place to start is to get a handle on your nutrition. It may seem restrictive and complicated at first, but only if you make it so. Honestly, the most important basics are simple. Believe me, you will see how easy it is if you don’t over complicate the process.

The greatest aspect is that when you begin to focus on your health, yo u begin to feel better and the process becomes self- motivating. Your attitude improves as your health improves. As you continue, you feel better and better about yourself and naturally want to do more. Even your financial wellness has a much better chance because you think more clearly, perform physical tasks better and accomplish more in less time.

Practically everyone knows the importance of setting goals and maintaining a positive attitude as well as the importance of developing your spiritual awareness. But how can you accomplish these things if you are tired all the time? If you don’t have the mental energy to focus your thoughts? If your brain and other organs in your body do not have the nutrients they need to function properly, how can they function as needed? Yes, good nutrition is as equally important for spiritual development as it is for physical health!

Attitude is important

You can improve your health for the rest of your life. This probably sounds like old hat to you but the following points are well-documented and accepted steps you can take. 

They need to be listed here:

I am sure that you have heard all this many times before. But I would like you to stop and think about these points when someone asks “how are you doing?” or when you pose the same question to others. All of this is mainly common sense, but I would like to elaborate on the area of nutritional supplementation and the last two points listed above.

Nutritional Supplementation

Eating a balanced diet containing at least five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables is important, but it still may not supply enough of all the nutrients you need for optimal health. Many of our crops have been grown on the same soils for decades and the only attempts to maintain soil nutrients have been with man- made chemical fertilizers. The tons of pesticides and herbicides that have been applied are amazing! Today’s long distance distribution requires crops to be picked before ripe and then shipped across the country to be stored in the grocery stores.

Do you have trouble controlling your weight? Do you or members of yo ur family seem to be hungry all the time? Maybe you are consuming too many empty calories—foods that provide more than enough calories but aren’t rich with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants and other phytonutrients. These foods are the commercially processed, prepackaged foods that are so popular and so convenient for many of us today.

Fueling your body with the nutrients needed to function efficiently provides our body with additional energy, which makes it easier to exercise. Exercise and meditation have been found to help relieve stress, which often results in better quality sleep. Waking refreshed after a good night’s sleep enables you to have more energy and a positive attitude to face the daily stresses you may encounter.

You, just like everyone else, are provided with the opportunity to improve your life in some way every day. Take advantage of the opportunity. If you aren’t currently including a dietary supplement in your daily routine and/or aren’t eating properly, you aren’t obtaining the nutrients you need. Are you super busy with your work? Does your lifestyle, including your family responsibilities, keep you busy? Doesn’t it make sense to supplement your diet with extra nutritional insurance your body needs? Would you like to make sure you obtain the nutrients needed for peak performance to face all of life’s challenges today and well into the future? The time to begin is now. The sooner you begin to take action, the more value it will have to you.

Control Your Environment

Control your environment for the better every chance you get. Of course, you can’t always be in complete control as you have to breathe the air around you, but you can play a good defense. Avoid second hand smoke and harsh chemicals when possible. One place you can be in control is your home. Today, most homes are loaded with chemicals that are not supportive of good health. Get rid of them! Replace them with environmental friendly products. Does it make any sense to keep products under your sink or in your laundry room that may be harmful when there are other environ- mental friendly and less harmful ones available? Why risk the exposure if it is not necessary?

Any little amount you can eliminate is just that much better.

Be With Like-Minded People

Enjoy every minute of every day that you can. One important thing you can do is spend your social time with people who have similar or related goals. It could be your neighbors, your fellow workers, members of a service organization, a church or meditation group. It makes no difference which the group it is in this regard. It is the fellowship that is important. One of the most important books of our day is Reversing Heart Disease by Dr. Dean Ornish. He stresses the importance of not maintaining a feeling of isolation. Don’t isolate yourself, get involved!

Focus, Focus, Focus

Keep in mind the life you live is determined by the questions you ask, don’t ask or never think of asking. Pay attention to what is happening. There is so much information about health available today that it can be confusing. Just stay focused and follow your own intuition. Be committed to your health and the health of your loved ones. Your life will be enriched by it.

This article is somewhat of a departure from the normal HRR articles, but I felt it important at this time. As we are entering this new millennium, lots of things are happening, mainly for the better. At Life Plus we are committed to helping you along your path to optimum health. Remember the old saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Be consistent and you will prevail. It is well worth it!