My Own Ideas Of Health And Wellness

Back in 2005 I was your average American consumer. I had been raised on modern medicine and had no reason to doubt it. When I got sick I went to the doctor, they assessed what was wrong and told me what to do; take pills, have surgery, get rest, what have you, and I got better. I never gave any of it much thought. Until I started getting strange symptoms in June of that year, that is, and a year later had yet to receive a diagnosis of anything. I had been to a slew of doctors, they had run every test under the sun and still no one could tell me what was causing severe fatigue, pain, stomach problems, cognitive and memory impairment and a slew of other maladies that were quickly overtaking my ability to live life. Once I became disabled and could no longer work the fire was lit under my fanny to figure this one out! I was only getting sicker and was relatively confident I was not going to die from this, but I could not live with it either. I was too sick. I could barely leave my house. I would have to rest after taking a shower for a half hour before I could put lotion on and emptying the dishwasher was my afternoon event, for crying out loud! It was awful.

The first book that introduced me to what I am now very familiar with as "holistic medicine" was From Fatigued To Fantanstic. It was written by a doctor who came down with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia and was able to test and treat himself to wellness. It opened my eyes to the bill of goods we are being sold by modern medicine and big Pharma, how they do not take into account the entire picture. They dissect the body and treat individual symptoms, not respecting it as parts of a whole that work together synergistically. That book led me to The Fibromyalgia And Fatigue Center, who was able to accurately diagnose the root of my problems, what turned out to be extremely high viral infections, one in my central nervous system, a suppressed immune system, a sleep problem and a genetic pre-disposition to this whole thing. And it is there my love affair with supplements was born. I diligently boosted up my immune system naturally and was actually able to return to work after 7 months on disability. It was very expensive and through the years and much trial and error I have found ways to obtain what I need to remain "managed" at a somewhat affordable price. Vitamin D3 And Solar Power was another book that I read that opened my eyes to some truths we have decided to ignore in our modern society. Basically we are hurting ourselves much more by avoiding the sun, for cancer rates are skyrocketing as Vitamin D deficiencies become the norm. The one book that truly blew my mind was Ageless by Suzanne Somers. Holy Shazam folks are we ever missing the boat! Our technology has advanced so much faster that our biology that we are actually killing ourselves with our modern lifestyle that is completely contrary to what the human animal needs to remain healthy and viable.

So I now sit with tons of self-taught "knowledge" and lots of crazy ideas about health and wellness. Ideas that are contrary to what your average doctor or health practitioner will tell you. I do not take anything a doctor says at face value, for the "practice" of medicine has a long way to go. I believe the "5 small meals a day" concept is a hoax to compensate for the processed and refined diet we consume off the grocery store shelves. I believe going in the sun is good for you if kept in moderation (my dermatologist does not agree). I feel if God made it, I will eat, use, manipulate or consume it, but the more it has been altered by man the worse it is for you. I believe antibiotics and the birth control pill are MUCH more powerful than we give them credit for, the chemicals we rub all over our bodies in the form of lotions and sunscreens are absorbed by our largest organ, the skin, and can be quite harmful over a lifetime. I will never go on another "diet", for I eventually go off it and doubtlessly gain the weight back, having lost muscle mass and increased fat in the process. Life for me is about reducing chemicals in my environment and diet, reducing my consumption of sugar, processed and refined foods, lots of rest, exercise, laughter, low-stress and balancing the necessity for modern pharmaceuticals with the protection of natural supplements. It is about researching and learning and adapting a lifestyle that makes sense to me. So no longer do I take what my doctor tells me at face value. I want to know and research what I am doing to myself at their suggestion. And sometimes I come across as a raving lunatic, but know that for someone with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromaylgia, along with my other health problems, I am doing pretty darn good!

Thanks for joining,

Leah

http://products.mercola.com/vitamin-d3-book/

The other two books are linked on the right...