Often when we think of wholeness and health we have to also look outside of a spiritual perspective. Read this great post by Jenneth Graser as she discusses some practical health discoveries!
At the tail-end of January 2017, I came across a documentary series that changed my life. You see I’ve had an autoimmune disease for the past 15 years. And this docu-series “The Thyroid Secret” was primarily on the exact condition I have, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, a mouthful to pronounce and a difficult condition to manange. I implemented the recommended diet called the autoimmune protocol or AIP, for a month. And observed my body go through interesting changes. I was able to incrementally lower my dose of thyroid medication and after the month was over, my blood tests showed better results than I’d had in years.
This was the beginning of a journey into learning more about health in general! I found this information accessible, freely available and generously offered to change people’s lives for the good. I would like to share the 12 health tips that are changing my life and then links to websites where you can go explore for yourself:
- Take a look at the cleaning substances you use in your home. There are many bio-degradable products available that can be economically substituted with health benefits for your family and the environment.
- Did you know that organic make up is available? All substances we put onto our bodies pass through our pores and into the body. Make-up and skin-care, moisturizers, even perfumes can contain toxic substances. There are many wonderful alternatives such as – coconut oil, essential oils, olive oil…
- I use a rock crystal deodorant spray which really works! Conventional deodorants often contain aluminum which is not beneficial to the body.
- Look into sugar alternatives – we use raw honey and there are other options available such as xylitol, stevia, coconut sugar, maple syrup. Sugar breaks down the immune system and can be really addictive.
- Gluten can cause inflammation in the brain and a leaky gut. To find out more about these things, click on the links below.
- Eat grass fed, free range meat where possible. Eating meat that has been pumped with growth hormones and antibiotics is a real health concern.
- Be aware of what is put into processed foods. Organic fruit and vegetables can be found at your local farmer’s market and health food stores.
- We started to grow some of our own herbs and some salads this last summer. It was great to harvest leafy veg, mint and other herbs for everyday use. You can visit your local nursery for seedlings.
- Smoothies make a great meal! You can add not only fruits, but also green leafy vegetables, avocado and coconut to name a few!
- Herbal tinctures and teas can be taken for a variety of ailments – I use Valerian tincture to help with sleep disturbances
- There are excellent health summits freely available online on a wide variety of health concerns
- Vitamin supplements can be extremely affective in boosting our bodies where deficiencies may be present. Information can be attainted by having blood tests done which can show where certain deficiencies may lie.
All being said, I have found that it is one thing to try out these diets and another to stay on them! Being gluten-free has really helped my body to stabilize and I discovered just recently that relapsing and eating gluten again seemed to cause terrible headaches and brain fog after months of doing so well. I am learning that you can always carry on where you left off and not to be so hard on myself! It is more of a life-style than a temporary measure that I’m aiming for.
Something I especially learned from Dr. Izabella Wentz of The Thyroid Secret (https://thyroidpharmacist.com) is that it is not enough to look at the symptoms you are facing. You need to get to the root cause. It takes patience and determination to get to the root cause of your health issues, but once you have uncovered the foundations, you can work up from there and it is possible to experience a positive shift in your condition.
An integrative physician or naturopath can be a great help in this process. They are good at helping you look at yourself holistically. Your thoughts, emotions and past experiences can afffect your health either positively or negatively and it is good to be aware of how we can work with our bodies in co-operation. God is our healer and sometimes a miracle of healing takes place, but other times it is a process when we see our prayers do not get answered in the way we would choose. It is then we can be proactive in the healing and health of our bodies by doing what we can do and letting God be God in every way guiding the process. I have discovered that I can be a team player participating with God and the temple of my body. I can choose to work with this healing process and be open to learn with a positive mind. Yes, I am a work in progress!
Here is a list of the websites that I’ve found particularly helpful. I wish you the very best in your healing journey! Especially for those of you or family members who have suffered with ongoing conditions. May the God of all grace continue to uphold all of us with health conditions. I hope that you will be as blessed as I have been by these wonderful sources of information:
Essential oils and home cleaning alternatives – www.drericz.com
Gluten-free and leaky gut – Dr Peter Osborne – https://www.glutenfreesociety.org, Dr David Perlmutter – www.drperlmutter.com, Kathy Smart http://livethesmartway.com/
Great Health Info on a variety of topics – Dr Josh Axe Youtube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/user/doctorjoshaxe
Skin care and organic make-up – Dr Trevor Cates – http://drtrevorcates.com/
Health Summits Online – http://healthtalksonline.com/
Auto-Immune Protocol – The Paleo Mom – https://www.thepaleomom.com/start-here/the-autoimmune-protocol/