Most people (along with the entire allopathic medical establishment) would define health as "...being free of disease and illness". But lets say I haven't had much energy lately, I'm feeling a bit lethargic, perhaps not sleeping well, and have this tingling headache in the back of my head which just doesn't seem to go away. So I go to the doctor, who proceeds to take all sorts of different medical tests to figure out what's going on. He then comes back and says, "Sorry Kim, but I can't find anything wrong with you, you're in perfect health". But I don't feel good! I'm still lethargic, not sleeping well and have that persistent headache...
Do you see what I am trying to say? Just because your tests don't show any abnormalities and you don't have any symptoms that can be associated with a particular disease, doesn't mean that you are healthy.
Disease is a lack of health. Health is not a lack of disease.
A great naturopath once said, "Most people are vertically ill". What he meant is that if you are horizontally ill, then you are tucked up in bed with a hot water bottle and feeling terrible. However, the majority of us have not yet reached that stage. Instead we are vertically ill, i.e. upright, still walking around carrying on our business as usual, but we are certainly not well.
Health is not some concept that we are trying to achieve because it is good for us. No. Don't you want to be full of life and vitality, with boundless energy, a clear mind, balanced emotions, and a sense of underlying peace that will allow you to do all the things that you want to do and fully realise your potential. That's true health.
When health is absent wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless and reason is powerless. - Herophilies, 300 B.C.
Now perhaps you're thinking, "That's all well, good and lovely, but what about all the effort required to achieve that, not to mention the time!" The good news is that you do not have to be fanatical in order to achieve results. Simply implementing a few key things in your diet and lifestyle can make a huge difference. And that's what this new health column is all about. Each month "The Health Corner" will explore a different topic, giving you the latest information and top tips on how to stay healthy. Remember, it's what you do 80% of the time that counts!
The Lowdown, Vol.13, No.8 2007
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