These days there is a big focus on medications, supplements, fashionable diets and quick fixes. However, our modern lifestyle has taken most of us a long way away from the natural foundations which are what really decide health. What is most notable, especially at a time where finances are strained for all, is that these key foundations for health are mostly completely free! Once you understand them and implement them into your life, there is often nothing or little to buy, no-one to hire etc. Furthermore, no matter how much one spends on private medication, fancy supplements, expensive organic food etc., if these naturopathic foundations are not in place first, the results achieved will be limited or in some cases even non-existent.
In this new series of articles, I will be covering what I believe to be these vital naturopathic foundations that are necessary for optimal health. I plan to make this topic into a talk to give locally and perhaps online, and perhaps to go into more detail into each of them at some point, so stay tuned for this.
Before we get stuck into what my foundations for health are, let’s look at some history and how these ideas developed.
Unani medicine, a traditional medicine from Persia that developed from ancient Greek medicine, set out six basic factors which they considered essential for the maintenance of good health. These were called the Six Essential Causes, and are as follows:
- Air (and the environment in general);
- Food & Drink;
- Exercise (and rest);
- Mental health and relaxation;
- Sleep and wakefulness; and
- Retention and evacuation.
Chinese medicine recognises the importance of this too. The Chinese have the concept of Yang Sheng Fa (養生法) which translates as “life nourshing methods”, or essentially, healthy living. The general idea is to live dynamically, in tune with the seasons of nature, with everything in moderation, hydrating and nourishing the body with food, and include moments of rest. All of these are simple and free ideas that are quite basic to life, yet in the modern world many of them have been abandoned and we are suffering as a result.
Below I have expained Reclaim Your Health’s 10 Foundations for Health. Not as concise as the Unani and perhaps more complex than the Chinese, but hopefully everyone who reads this and the more detailed article on each of the Foundations will take away something that they can use to improve their own health foundations. As I write further on each of these foundations, you’ll be able to click each one below to read the full article on the topic.
1. Breath
All about the air we breathe but also how we breathe and the effects of this on health. We breath all the time but most of us are unaware of how much of a difference we can make to our health on so many levels by paying attention to and adjusting our breathing habits.
2. Water
All about the purity of the water we drink but also the messages that might be contained within it. I used to design water treatment plants when I was an engineer, then later devices to harmonise, structure and charge water, so I know a fair amount about this topic!
3. Light
More than just Vitamin D! I will cover natural and artificial lighting and it’s impact on health in some detail. This is another huge area that is under-appreciated in today’s modern world.
4. Nutrition
A really key area – you are what you eat! This one is more often appreciated as being important (although not by many medical professionals for some inexplicable reason). I will cover what we should be eating but also the importance of making sure that we can both digest and assimilate it. Obviously as a nutritional therapist I could speak about this subject all day.
5. Elimination
The other side of nutrition which is paid far less attention to. Everything we digest creates waste products and these need to be removed from the body or disease will develop. Not to mention dealing with the toxic environment in which we live today. Most people’s organs of detoxification and elimination are not working optimally and even if they were, they would still struggle if they are overwhelmed. Can we detoxify and remove from the body various toxins and wastes?
6. Environment
A deeper look at the importance of where we live and work, including modern issues like EMFs. As an environmental engineer and having worked in the area of EMF protection for quite a while there is, again, a lot I could write about here.
7. Movement
I’ll cover the importance of movement both in the context that we are familiar such as regular exercise, but also how important movement is for the fluids inside our bodies to avoid stagnation and the development of disease.
8. Moderation
Anything can be a poison if it is given in too high a dose. Absolutely everything in life needs moderation, whether it is our diet, supplements, habits, activities and rest. I’ll also cover sleep here. Excesses of anything (even sleep!) will lead to imbalance and eventually disease.
9. Connection
This is a big topic, and I’ll cover within in the importance of relationships, community, connecting with the seasonal cycles of nature and also with God, the source of all life and all that is good. Without any of these, we all suffer in various ways.
10. Generousity
Gratitude and giving make space for more good to enter your life. This is not well understood by everyone but it is an important key for optimal health and reaching one’s highest potential, so I’ll cover this at the end of the series.
So which of these are you already doing well? Which could you give more attention to? Let me know in the comments of this article or take it away into your daily health practices.
If you would like personalised guidance and support with maintaining or reclaiming your optimal health, consider consulting with me. Click here to learn more.
