Today I’m keeping it short.  I’d like to take a step back and talk to you as an individual.  Our health, for better or worse, is identified in a unique way.  We’ve talked about how our genes influence our health, as well as how our microbiome impacts health.  We’ve also covered other things that get in the way of being healthy.  You can exercise, eat a clean, organic, balanced diet and do what you can to avoid toxins; but if you are stressed out all the time you will still be looking chronic disease in the eye.

It’s never just one thing.  In his book The End of Alzheimer’s, Dr. Dale E. Bredesen talks about the 36 different holes in the system that must be addressed to reverse the yet incurable disease, or at the very least, stop it in its tracks.  The more of these holes get fixed, the better the results.  He has seen success where no one drug has been able to even make a dent.  His approach is holistic.  His approach is very similar to the approach taken by traditional and non-mainstream professionals to address a multitude of chronic diseases that conventional medicine and pharma can’t touch.  The holistic approach is the same method the average person can take to gain better control of their health.

I’m asking you now to take inventory.  Of the categories below, which ones can you check off the list as ones in which you are leading the pack; and which ones could use your attention?

Food

• Organic, non-GMO
• Whole or minimally processed foods
• Vegetables and fruits as the basis of your diet
• Grass-fed/pastured meats and dairy, when eaten
• Whole, raw nuts/seeds for healthy essential omega-6 fats
• Low-mercury, wild caught fish and flaxseed for healthy essential omega-3 fats
• Prebiotics and probiotics
• Fiber
• Being aware of your body’s tolerance for foods that are known allergens

Environment

• Clean, filtered water for drinking and bathing
• Airing out your house daily and having air-cleansing plants
• Eliminating products with endocrine disrupting chemicals – including cleaning products, air fresheners and candles
• Eliminating the use of chemical pesticides in and around your home
• Eliminating the use of personal care products containing endocrine disruptors and other harmful chemicals

Self-care

• Daily exercise and movement
• Stress management activities
• Stress reduction
• Daily detox habits
• Work/life balance
• Social network/support
• Spiritual connection

This is by no means an exhaustive list of strategies to detox, de-stress and fortify your body.  They are the things that literally come to mind in a stream of consciousness for me.  We’ve covered so many areas this year just in covering gut health and its connection to our overall health.  These are the tip of the iceberg.

Do you find yourself struggling in some of these areas?  What is it that’s putting barriers in your way to implementation?  Sitting down and looking at where you’re struggling and developing an action plan would fall into self-care.  For many people self-care is a tough one.  So start tackling this category just by getting to the bottom of why it’s so difficult.  What are the messages you’re holding onto around taking time for yourself?

What is getting in your way?