Sometimes the best things in life are free, and this holds true when it comes to creating a healthy, happy, and enriched life. In a time where healthcare is not always accessible for everyone, there are ways that we can connect to ourselves and nature which promote good health and wellness without having to pay money in most circumstances. Often times these methods are not promoted because they are not profitable, but we can undoubtedly benefit from having a stronger connection to the natural world.
The following eight principles, which I call Natural Health Foundations (NHF), provide us with the tools to intentionally create a sustainable and healthy life:
- AIR: Breathe Fresh Air ... immerse yourself into nature! The best thing that we can do to achieve this first foundation is to put ourselves into an environment that does not have a lot of air pollution, and perhaps living in an area that has plenty of natural surroundings. Learning breathing exercises, and saturating the body with oxygen is a very powerful tool to promote good health. Surround yourself with plant-life. Every breath is a gift which sustains life!
- WATER: Drink Clean Water ... hydration is vital as majority of our bodies are made up of water. When ingesting water, try to avoid sources that may contain heavy metals, chemicals or residues. There are various ways to obtain clean water, and one way is even through water-rich raw foods like melons or oranges. The water found in raw fruits and vegetables has been naturally filtered from the ground through the plant, and is some of the most bio-available (easily absorbed) water that we can consume. Recommended to avoid drinking tap water, and looking toward natural spring or aquifers direct from the source that have been tested to be safe for drinking, reverse osmosis filtered, or distilled.
- SUN: Safe Sunshine Exposure ... staying out of the high sun for extended periods is important. Many people have been told that sunscreen is the answer to safe interaction with the sun, yet on the contrary we need to absorb the sun into our skin to produce valuable nutrients. So which is it.. block the sun or absorb it? When we understand the nourishment that the sun gives us, it becomes obvious that we do need to allow for direct contact between sun light rays and our skin. Vitamin D deficiency has become a widespread problem, and instead of trying to block the sun by absorbing chemical-laden lotions into our skin, we will benefit more from understanding when it is safe to be in the sun based on the UV index. Morning and evening times are great to get full exposure (even for the eyes when UV index is at zero!). Be sure to stay indoors or in a shaded area in the afternoon times when sun is strong and the UV index is high. Also be sure to ease into direct exposure. Many people burn when they go all year without regular exposure, then once summer comes they immediately stay out in the sun all day. If our bodies are not acclimated to sun exposure, of course we will have undesired results! Allow time to adapt, and start slow with short amounts of time in the (low UV index) sun. As with all of these foundations, repetition is key to optimal success. Recommended to connect with the sun while barefoot on sands and soils.
- FRUIT: Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds ... physiologically, a frugivorous diet promotes good health for the human body. Fruit is the most easily digestible foods for humans, and natural simple sugars are our bodies' preferred fuel source (including our brains!). It is recommended to eat a diet rich in quality fresh ripe raw whole fruits (sweet and non-sweet) and vegetables (specifically tender leafy greens, lettuces, and celery) to promote healing and optimal function of the body. Our gut health is vital to our larger holistic health, as well as the quality of soils that produce is grown from (more nutrients in the soils = more nutrients in the foods = more nourishment for our bodies). Not only do we want foods that will digest completely in a timely manner (to avoid unwanted obstruction, or constipation, that leads to decay and acidosis within the gut), but we want our digestive tract to be able to function and absorb nutrients efficiently. Fruits are stressed more than vegetables because of the caloric sustainability, hydration, ease of digestibility, nutrient profiles, and health promotion. Many people do not have access to growing enough fruits and vegetables at home to fully support and feed themselves, so this is one principle that typically costs money. There is the potential to have a well-fed world free from monetary costs with public food forests and permaculture designs, but collectively we are currently far from that reality!
- MOVEMENT: Mindful Movement, Yoga, Fitness, Balanced Functional Strength and Power ... humans are not meant to sit all day! As with any behavior, repetition will lead to mastery, and this undoubtedly applies to physical movement. The goal of mastering movement are rooted in control over physical properties, such as flexibility, strength, power, function, and even promoting autonomous healing. Injury recovery and prevention are important. Recommended to use physical exercise as a tool for growth, rather than a system of punishment.
- REST: Relaxation, Recovery, and Regeneration ... recovery occurs in many areas of mental and physical health. Fitness regeneration, addiction recovery, behavior changes, fasting, meditation, breathing exercises, dietary habits, and sleep patterns are all included in this. Recommended to sleep in a fasted state (do not eat too close to bedtime) during natural circadian cycles to allow for optimal physical regeneration; the moon pulls on us magnetically in different ways throughout the night which influences different organs to respond, which is best in a state of complete rest without digestion.
- POISE: Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Poise ... taking responsibility for all thoughts and actions. This concept goes far beyond the physical surface.. we must learn to take control over our mental and emotional states because that will carry out through our action and behaviors. Learning to align our bodies with mind and intuition can help us to find balance and harmony. Recommended to explore daily meditation practices.
- CONNECTION: Self, Community, and Nature ... many times we hear about the importance of connecting with fellow humans, but what we do not hear is how important it is for us to connect to our inner-selves, as well as our outer-environment. If we can learn to trust in our ability to connect deeply within our intuition, we can build a strong foundation. Finding fulfillment in nature and our communities becomes enriched when we are well within. The balance of these three connections come together to create the larger philosophy of *WHOLE CONNECTION*
It is amazing how we can heal ourselves if we create the right environment in and around our bodies!
If we take action on our thoughts, they become our reality.
We are creators.
We all deserve the best of health.
I sincerely hope that reflecting on these Natural Health Foundations can help bring more happiness and positive connection into your life.