All Healthy Roads Lead to Yoda
"Suffering"
"Fear" leads to "suffering", Yoda teaches.
As a nation WE are suffering ...
2012; 50% OF ALL ADULTS HAVE AT LEAST ONE CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITION.
IN THE SAME STUDY, 25% OF ADULTS HAD TWO CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS.
OBESITY AFFECTS 4 IN 10. NOT JUST OVERWEIGHT, OBESITY.
1 IN 5 YOUTHS ARE OBESE. AGAIN, NOT OVERWEIGHT, BUT OBESE.
1.4 MILLION OF AMERICANS ARE NEWLY DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES A YEAR.
FROM 2014 TO 2015 THE FOLLOWING DISEASES ROSE IN TOTAL DEATHS (AS COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS); HEART DISEASE, STROKE, EMPHYSEMA, DIABETES, HYPERTENSION AND LIVER DISEASE.
PUBLISHED IN 2015, NEARLY 60% OF AMERICAN ADULTS ARE ON ONE PRESCRIPTION DRUG. UP FROM 50% A DECADE EARLIER.
50% OF THOSE ON ONE MEDICATION ARE ON AT LEAST TWO MEDICATIONS.
The U.S. health care system has been in a heated debate over the past decade, or more. One thing that has remained consistent is it's level of performance. The U.S. has ranked as the worst among industrialized nations for the fifth time; according to the 2014 Commonwealth Fund survey. The U.K. ranked 1st, Switzerland a close 2nd.
Despite what we are told, the U.S. healthcare system is the most expensive as compared with those 10 other nations; which include France, Australia, Germany, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the U.K. Also, the other 10 were all judged to be superior based on various factors. These include quality of care, access to doctors and equity throughout the country.
Less than 3 percent of Americans meet the basic qualifications for a “healthy lifestyle,” according to a new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
As a nation WE are suffering ...
35,000 HEALTH CLUBS IN THE U.S.- THAT'S 673 PER STATE.
$58 IS THE AVERAGE MEMBERSHIP FEE.
273,000 FITNESS TRAINERS ARE AVAILABLE.
67% of paying members never use the gym. Leaving only 33% who actually show up - BUT, to do what?
THE NEW YORK TIMES LISTED 20 "BEST SELLING" DIET BOOKS IN 2016....THAT'S AN EXTRA 20 DIET BOOKS JUST FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES, IN ONE YEAR.
33,200 TOTAL BOOKS TITLED WITH THE WORDS "DIET" OR "HEALTH" ARE AT OUR FINGERTIPS.
86 DOCUMENTED DIETS TO CHOOSE FROM.
$60 Billion diet industry. That's 60 with a "B".
This nation is saturated with Fitbits, grossing $1.8 billion in 2015. "The nation's healthiest grocery store," - Whole Foods, is 436 strong. And for the first time, 2017 will be the year that the organic and healthy food markets peak at $1 trillion in revenue.
Is this information compelling? All this healthy stuff, yet 3% of us are living a healthy lifestyle.
We are a very privileged nation when it comes to available health resources, yet we are the sickest among the Top 1st World Nations. We lead the world in food production and medical training. But every disease is on the rise. We are the most unhealthy and have the lowest life expectancy, which has decreased for the first time in our history. We are the most drug prescribed society in the world.
Compelling? How could it not be.
These facts have been part of my reality since my college days studying Clinical Exercise Physiology. Since 1997 I have been on a passionate quest for optimal health while trying to improve my quality of life. With supreme gratitude, my core health has served me well and I enjoy my quality of life. This quest is not lost among many of you too. I am exposed daily to good people who enlighten me with their health concerns. Directly or indirectly. Reaching for a better quality of life and health.
Just yesterday,
I had long time friend discuss that they are now "allergic" to dairy. I sensed a bit of depression in her words as it has progressed from nuts and seeds to now dairy. This was unsolicited, just a conversation, just a friend talking. I kindly said, "If there is anything I can do please let me know." I so want to help her because she is not"allergic" to dairy; or nuts/seeds. She has a specific gut overgrowth. Her body is responding to specific immune antibodies that are being signaled when she consumes these things, which cause symptoms.
HER BODY IS JUST SPEAKING
Just yesterday,
I had a man discuss his increase in constipation. I have known him for some time now and he has been struggling with poor health for a long time. We have had tons of conversations about the best ways for optimal health. He mentioned that he is wanting to see his physician. I just kindly said, "If there is anything I can do please let me know." I so want to help him because his constipation is likely a result of SIBO, bowel pathogens too, likely low vitamin C levels, and likely dehydration due to mineral/hormone imbalance.
HIS BODY IS JUST SPEAKING
This stuff is no longer compelling to me at all. What is compelling was a very recent wake up. A gigantic wake up call I had and of shifting proportions. It changed me.
"Our society wants things done for them." -me; my wake up call.
Why are we an over prescribed society and growing? Why are we a society with 33,200 books on health/diet and growing? Why is the health food industry going to break the $1 Trillion mark and growing? Why is there $1.8 spent on a fitness bracelet?
Yet we are sick and getting sicker. We are wanting the doctor/the pill to do it for us. We are wanting the diet book/the lecture to do it for us. We are wanting that erroneous food label to do it for us. We are wanting the health club or bracelet to do it for us.
The wake up call has saddened me. The wake up call has infuriated me. The wake up call has motivated me. The wake up call has enlightened me.
The enlightenment?
Our society lacks One Golden, Spectacular Element which directly interferes with optimal health and that beautiful quality of life it gifts us.
We will get back to Yoda, but let Nietzsche's words sink in. In all seriousness read it again and pause. It has also been said that health is not appreciated until it is lost. What Nietzsche is getting at (on the surface) is that it takes destruction to enable change. I have seen this first hand in my days as a coordinator and director of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation centers. Nothing says change like having your chest cracked open after having a heart attack. Nothing says change when an out of the blue a stroke causes immobility. Spending a lot of professional time in operating rooms lately, I can not express how many surgeries are the direct result of the inability of a person to distance themselves from the mindset of "do it for me."
Destruction! "Do it for me".
"Love is more afraid of change than destruction"
On the surface, it seems destruction facilitates change. NOT SO. I've watched an entire nation allow complete destruction of their health and still not change. It is a hard reality, the U.S. is very sick and unhealthy. So then what is the One Golden, Spectacular Element missing that is the feeding artery of poor health?
Is it fear? Nope!
It's Nietzsche's deeper message. It is not fear nor change, it is the lack of Fearless Love. In the case of personal health, and improved quality of life, it is lack of self-love. In the absence of self-love, only destruction is left for hopes of change. But destruction is no guarantee of change, obviously.
Lack of self-love IS the health epidemic. Lack of self-love reinforces "Do it for me" behaviors. Lack of self-love enables fear over change.
Self-love: Is The Golden, Spectacular Element. When self-love is forward, anything that does not serve us is destroyed; including fear. With self-love there is no reason to wait for destruction. Self-love overcomes the need for destruction and facilitates change. Self-love envelopes you in light, bypasses fear, and provides the willingness and ease of change.
Nothing, and no one, protects you like self-love.
Self-love provides an ease for change; Self-love provides courage for fearlessness; Self-love destroys the old; Self-love makes way for new.
I am infuriated that good people stumble over change and fear, only to lose self-love and fall into poor health.
I am saddened that good people stumble over change and fear, only to lose self-love and fall into poor health.
I am motivated that good people will read this and resonate with it and begin to no longer stumble.
“You must fearlessly love yourself so much that the old self no longer serves you, and is destroyed. Then change is inevitable.”
One of those people from just yesterday, asked me a few months ago, "How do I change." My reply was, "You just have to want it" (in a forced tone). I wish I could take that reply back. I was more naive. Which caused insensitivity and a poor response. Since then I have had a wake up call, I have changed. If asked again I can say,
"The Golden, Spectacular Element:
Self Love."
All roads lead back to Yoda.
"How do I self love?" First you must let Yoda's words sink in. Seriously, listen to it again and pause. Until the force is strong in you. The reality is that most of us got ourselves into this health predicament. It may take unraveling ourselves to get out of the predicament. Trust me, this is what has brought these words to the computer today. In my own world, over the past few years, I had to unlearn many things that I learned.
I BEGAN QUESTIONING MY LOYALTY AND EDUCATION OF OUR MEDICAL MODEL.
DOCTORS ARE EDUCATED AND EXECUTE FROM PROTOCOLS DESIGNED BY DRUG MANUFACTURERS AND INDUSTRY. WHO PROFIT FROM EACH PILL/PROCEDURE THEY SELL.
THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS AN ENTITY THAT ALLOWS TREATMENTS BASED ON INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT AND COVERAGE. PREVENTIVE CARE IS NOT PROFITABLE.
REGULATORY AGENCIES, LIKE THE FDA, RELY ON PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE GUIDELINES. THIS IS A DIRECT CONFLICT.
“Nature is the healer of disease.”
“You must unlearn what you have learned.”
Once I unlearned what I had learned, I realized that the health care system that guided me in both my college studies and clinical professions is nothing more than effective marketing. Often the information is far from efficacious and sometimes from fraudulent evidence. The graphic and data presented earlier speak for themselves regarding my disbeliefs with our current healthcare system. Let me be completely clear when it comes to chronic disease management and non critical ailments, our healthcare system is "disease" management and does not deserve to be called "health" care. I started my journey in questioning what I learned a couple years before a massive event in my life.........BUT my journey tightened up after witnessing a hero of mine's health be so mistreated that every early sign that he had cancer was overlooked. Easy and early clues were not identified. This hero believed in his primary physician, and his joke of an oncologist, a bit too much. My opinion is that our primary care medical system is not good (period)! However, it is a tool and even old tools are useful? But it is not the answer. Keep your doctor, it is important, I have one. But for Christ Sakes, stop identifying them as masia. Doctors scare me and they should you too!!!!!
I BEGAN QUESTIONING MY UNDERSTANDING AND EDUCATION OF HEALTHY FOOD.
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
FACTORY FARMING OF ANIMALS HAVE PRODUCED PROTEINS AND FATS THAT ARE LATENT WITH DANGEROUS HORMONES, VARIOUS CHEMICALS AND ARE ONE CAUSAL FACTOR FOR OUR RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS. THEY INCLUDE CARCINOGENIC COMPOUNDS. CONTAIN ARTIFICIAL COLORS AND FLAVORS. THEY ARE DEPLETED IN THE VITAL NUTRIENTS IN WHICH THEY WERE INTENDED FOR. AND ARE LINKED TO MANY CHRONIC ILLNESSES.
INDUSTRIALIZED AGRICULTURE HAVE MEGA-PRODUCED MONO-CROPPED FOODS THAT NO LONGER RESEMBLE THE NUTRIENT DENSE FOODS OF JUST OVER A CENTURY AGO. BOTH CORN AND WHEAT HAVE BEEN SO GENETICALLY MODIFIED AND STRIPED OF THEIR RICH FIBER THAT INGESTING THEM PRODUCES AN INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE WHICH LOWERS OUR IMMUNE SYSTEMS. CORN AND WHEAT ARE THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE OF GRAINS AND USED AS FILLERS IN MANY FOODS.
IT IS OFTEN HARD TO OBTAIN PESTICIDE AND HERBICIDE FREE PRODUCE. EVEN SOME ORGANIC LABELED PRODUCE CONTAINS SIGNIFICANT LEVELS GLYPHOSATE FOUND IN ROUNDUP. HOW CAN THIS BE? BECAUSE INDUSTRIALIZED AGRICULTURE COMPANIES ARE ALLOWED TO SPRAY HARMFUL CHEMICALS DURING EARLY STAGES OF THE GROWING PROCESS AND STILL LABEL IT AS ORGANIC.
WORSE IS THE USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES COUNSEL. THIS ENTITY HAS ACKNOWLEDGED FRAUD WITHIN THE VERY RESEARCH THAT PROVIDES EVERY DAY GUIDANCE OF PROPER DIETARY INTAKE.
“You must unlearn what you have learned”
Once I unlearned what I had learned, I realize that the nutritional information that guided me in both my college studies and clinical professions is nothing more than effective marketing. Again, often from unsound and biased information. You must eat and that makes you an easy target for repetitive business. We have to admit it, the USDA has yet to provide sound healthy dietary advice. In fact, credible publications have indicated that the healthy diet craze was established by corrupt information provided by the marketers within the massive food industry companies. Our food has been engineered by chemists to elicit physiological responses that are not favorable to our health; but, guarantee repeat customers. In recent scientific journals, scientists have been found guilty of providing illicit and dishonorable data to keep their funding in the areas of dietary research. Companies have even sued researchers when not publishing biased data.
Have Your Beliefs Served You?
What Yoda is really saying is that you must just get out of your own way. Stored logic, teachings, EGO get in our own way often. Insanely often. If a something contradicts our logic, teachings, EGO then it is usually dismissed and brushed aside. But the fact remains that with all good intentions our beliefs can be misguided, untrue and not serve us. But very hard to recognize and admit.
There are simple questions that can determine if you are getting in your own way. Ask yourself, "Is my health in destruction?" "Is my health failing?" "Am I continually suffering from ailments and/or disease?" "Have my behaviors corrected my complaints?" "Have they made me healthier long term?" "Am I often looking for answers but fall into trial and error?" Quietly and with honesty, "Do I feel good?"
Do You Truly Feel Good?
If the answers to those questions are not favorable (as they have been with me), then sit with Yoda's wise words for a awhile. His words are where self-love can start. If all you have learned is not serving your health, then you must unlearn. You must or destruction will continue.
The magic thing about self-love?
It conflicts with dangerous beliefs that haven't served you since childhood. When you self-love, you wake up with the fact that being wrong is NOT bad and often SHOULD NOT be punishable. When you learn (accept) you've been wrong about health management, you begin to take more effective charge over your health. "Do it for me", changes to "I'm doing it." Using self-love to unlearn what you have learned is the best "wrong" you could have ever been! (What a time to be wrong, right?) Because accepting wrong provides improved answers to reach optimal health. If you don't unlearn what you have learned, you are never wrong, and the suffering journey continues down a destructive path. Self-love? Why? Because you laugh at your own inaccuracy. There is no wrong in self-love! And that is incredibly effective and liberating when it comes to "I'm doing this" healthy lifestyle.
The Golden Spectacular Element
Self-Love
This IS the way. This IS the destroyer of destruction. This IS change.
To examine the depths of self-love will take far more time than you and I have with this blog. So, let's leave all the reflection and introspection and focus on the tangibles. Effective self-love techniques are critical for success in change. Proper self-love techniques are critical to provide an environment of safety that both encourages and motivates change over fear. Change is not comfortable, but self-love soothes all that. It is your safe place.
Homework! Here is some homework.
Yoda's wisdom comes first. Spend some time in deep introspection and determine if you have been getting in your own way. Then spend some time to reflect on those beliefs that have caused you to get in your own way. Accept the answers that come. Accept yourself and begin a healthier path. If you're like me, this homework will be the most emotional homework you have ever done. Things will arise - deep sadness may happen - deep disappointment may be identified - but change will come. Only if you are ready to act on self-love.
More homework! Here is more homework.
Here are a few things to focus on daily to help nudge self-love. The Gate is heart opening; The Chaos feeds ego. Focus on applying "gate" work as many times a day, while observing times spent in "chaos". I promise, you will see fearless changes happen, with ease, by implementing The Gate and The Choas.
The Gate
Tears: crying cleanses deep hurt. Not washing away deep hurt is how we get in our own way. That hurt causes us to make egoic choices and fight to be right. Instead of being wrong, the hurt permits behaviors that don't serve us. It is the fear of punishment that causes us to behave in a way that is righteous even when that righteousness is destroying us from the inside out (disease). Maybe the answers and reflection of how you have been getting in your own way will cause some emotion. Then go cry it out, because you love yourself now, and there is no wrong anymore.
Light: the sun is your friend, not foe. Again, something we are taught and that must be unlearned. Sun gazing at the sunrise and sunset has documented, positive health benefits. It stimulates the pineal gland and helps with Vitamin D synthesis, neurotransmitter health, and stimulates melatonin for more restful naps and bedtime. Most importantly, it "fires up" your mitochondria (uber important). On that note, getting to bed before 10 and up at sunrise does have positive health benefits. Spend time sungazing at sunrise and sunsets.
Meditation: there is no right or wrong way to do this. Just start with sitting quietly with your eyes closed for a disciplined amount of time. No judgment, don't force anything. Just observe the thoughts that come up. Try not to engage them or sort them out. Let them pass. Enjoy the the gaps between thoughts, and let them come and go. It is important to not engage the thoughts. This is not "problem solving" time. Rather a time to get to know where your focus is (get to know yourself).
Prayer: chanting, invocations. Prayer has power and provides spiritual protection and positivity. It is a ally to love. As long as the prayer is not out of guilt, sin, forced, used to gain, out of fear, or sadness, etc. The source of the prayer is of no importance, as long as it is a calling for benevolence and in form of universal connection, with pure gratitude.
Sound: Primordial Sound Healing has been used for centuries. It is the sound of mother nature and the universe. Spend some time finding your favorite primordial sound healing soundtrack and listen to as often as you can. Better yet, spend time in nature, away from this industrialized life and listen to nature.
The Chaos
Words: this not a positive affirmation exercise. This is an exercise to be present with your own language and identify if your words are negative or positive. The best way to determine if words are negative or positive is to ask? Are they true? Speak your truth, anything less is not self love. In fact, research suggests that deception leads to destruction of one's health. Even thoughts should be your truth. Keep them kind and truthful.
Hate: this gets back to crying and releasing deep hurt. When there is hate, there is anger. And when there is anger, there is fear (Yoda, remember). Hate is toxic. Not to the target of the hate. Rather the person projecting the hate. Reflect, identify is there is unresolved loathing. If so, then likely there are hateful behaviors toward yourself. This is opposite of self-love behavior. Often found in self sabotaging behaviors and habitual bad behaviors. It reflects as self doubt.
Darkness: Carl Jung is the famous psychologist that identified that darkness (shadow) should not be hidden behind us. Rather it should be looked at, accepted, and examined. His philosophy states that not accepting one's shadow is a real reason of how we get in our way. Identify the shadow in you....the not so nice parts, the parts that the ego hides from you in brilliant ways. Once identified, watch when these behaviors rise up and hinder your growth. Causing you to feel wrong, in the absence of self-love. Shed light on the darkness, it tends to affect oneself less if admitted and accepted. It is part of truth!
Anger: this is your deeply hurt feelings that cause poor decisions. It is most often illuminated in stubbornness and the need to be right. This does not mean to be passive or not stand up for your authentic self. Just identify when your stubbornness and the inability to unlearn what you have learned is rising. Anger is masked by a deep need to not be wrong (punished)....which is what makes us angry often. Identify when you have to be right, outside of authenticity.
Escapism: this is more simply explained. When you are not in self-love, not paying attention to The Chaos, and neglecting The Gate, you are escaping. Identify when you are escaping. Usually if you are not spending energy in The Gate or self-love, you are escaping.
And even more homework. There is even more homework.
All Roads Lead To Yoda
Yoda says, "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." This is the deep pain of self-sabotage; getting in your own way.
Yoda says, "You must unlearn what you have learned." This is the difference between your soul speaking versus your mind speaking.
Yoda says........ (yes replay it and let it sink in)
THIS is the most critical part of self-love. So listen! Listen deeply! Listen in a way that proves you love yourself. This is the path of never being wrong again! When you "Do" you can't go wrong.
Do! Your self will love you for it! Then say, "I'm doing it!"
"If there is anything I can do to help, let me know."
THIS JOURNEY TO OPTIMAL HEALTH AND HAVING IT GIFT US A GREAT QUALITY OF LIFE IS NO JOKE.
I RESPECT THAT JOURNEY IN YOU.
I WOULD BE HONORED TO HELP YOU FACILITATE A STRONGER FOUNDATIONS OF SELF-LOVE, HEALING, AND OPTIMAL HEALTH.
