Let's Uncomplicate Health

Ever since the health of the nation began to slide, more and more work has been done by researchers and scientists to try to determine the reasons for our declining health. It seems that every week some new bit of information is published in the newspaper or heard on the news, and often it contradicts what was said last week on the same subject! This has happened so many times over the years that eventually most people stop hearing the advice that is given of this type as it all seems to blend into a confusing mish mash of noise. "What am I supposed to think now?" we ask ourselves. "I don't think they know what they're doing!" we cry.

So let's uncomplicate health and keep it simple. If you eat good things and avoid eating bad things, if you get some exercise and avoid sitting down all day, and if you keep a positive mental attitude and avoid negative thoughts or stress, you'll regain your health. After all, it's this kind of lifestyle that led to humans becoming the dominant species on the planet. The diseases we fear so much today were just never heard of. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimers, obesity etc were incredibly rare. And before you think to yourself, "Ah yes, but they're genetic diseases due to flaws in our genes" you need to understand that the genes of human beings have not changed significantly for over 40,000 years! We all have caveman genes, but cavemen never had our diseases! How can that be?

A few thousand years ago, long before anyone ever thought of mass producing artificially flavoured and over preserved items and then calling them 'food', we ate whatever was available in nature. This turned out to be lean wild animals (that had also led a natural life), fruits that grew on trees, plants and vegetables that grew out of the ground, and water that came from a crystal clear, unpolluted stream or river.

So that's the eating good things taken care of. Now for some exercise.  As you can imagine, there weren't so many gyms or sports shops around back then. But obviously hunting animals and foraging for fruits, nuts and vegetables was hard work. There would be lots of walking, probably carrying what you had already collected, mixed with crouching, lifting, stretching and maybe the occasional bought of running. This all led to us getting exercise and burning energy. We strengthened our muscles, and we got our hearts pumping. Sounds like a good workout to me!

So now we've taken some exercise, and eaten a natural diet. What about our mental attitude? Well, it turns out that as a species we are hard wired to care for each other and cooperate in groups and communities. It's currently thought that this was one of the main factors why we survived when other early 'human like' mammals didn't such as Neanderthals. We are happiest when we work together as a community towards a common goal, knowing that your neighbour will help you out when needed, and knowing that you will gladly give your time to support them in return.

A great Canadian chiropractor by the name of Dr James Chestnut has summarised this as Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well^®. If you do these three things, you can’t help but Be Well! Now how uncomplicated is that?