Local Limelight:
Weeklyish Articles Of Interest
What is Health?
Have you ever watched a child, so full of energy and a zest for life, sprint endlessly around a playground with friends? The look in their eyes as they climb the steps of the slide for the umpteenth time or bump up and down on the seesaw tells you they are doing more than just going through the motions. At that moment their hearts, minds and bodies are being used to their fullest capacities, and they are thoroughly enjoying every minute of it.
Have you ever looked around the waiting room of a doctor’s office at the other people patiently waiting their turn to be seen? The look in their eyes as they sniffle, cough or wince in pain tells you they expect nothing more than to just go through the motions. It seems as though they’ve been there a thousand times before.
Get sick. Go to the doctor. Get a bottle of pills. Go home.
Using their hearts, minds and bodies to their fullest capacities seem to be the last thing on these peoples’ minds. All they want to do is feel well enough to get back to work or back home to clean up and get ready to make dinner. If their really lucky, they’ll feel well enough to do the same thing all over again the next day.
What has happened to us?
There was once a time when people weren’t satisfied to simply not feel sick, and doctors weren’t satisfied to simply not get sued. Health in those days meant we had energy….all day long…..without coffee! We rarely got sick and, if we did, it didn’t take a month to get over it. Health in those days was so much more than just the absence of disease, or the absence of symptoms.
Health was normal. It was normal to feel great, normal to not need an antacid, a cholesterol-lowering drug, an antidepressant, or a decongestant, and normal to not need a doctor unless there was something really wrong with us.
If you haven’t noticed, we’ve lost those times. And it’s time to get them back.
Start educating yourself on what it means to be healthy and what it takes to get there. Once you do, I’ll see you on the seesaw….
Written by: Dr. Daniel Chong is a naturopathic doctor with a general practice in Portland, OR, specializing in drug and surgery-free care of men, women and children with chronic health issues. You can learn more about his practice, ideas and health philosophies at his website and his blog:
SeekHealth.Net
NaluKaiNaturalHealth.blogspot.com