Everywhere you go conversations are dominated by health concerns, however, having good health is a process most of us either don’t think about or fully understand. First let’s define what health is: health is vigor and vitality, the absence of disease and the soundness of body and mind. Health is the balance of three vital components, a triad composed of Structural, Nutritional & Chemical and Vibrational, Emotional & Spiritual. Without balance in all three components optimal health is difficult to achieve.
Think about the components of a triangle, all sides must be equal in size in order for it to be considered a true balanced triangle. The same principle applies to our bodies, if we have balance in all three components, our body functions at an optimal level. If one side of the triangle is under stress or compromised, the other sides will need to compensate for that weaker side and we no longer have a balanced triangle. This is when our health begins to break down and we begin the process of accommodating to various dysfunctions within the body. Over time we accommodate so much that what was once abnormal becomes normal. Knowing the difference between what is “usual” and what is “normal” is important because they are not the same.
Many people accommodate to various symptoms and consider themselves healthy – but are they really? Let’s look more closely at the triangle of health:
The first component is Structure. This component represents our organs, machines with various functions, and the muscle and bones of the body that hold us together, help us to move and give us shape. This component is easiest to visualize because it’s the most touchy feely of all the components and slightly easier than the other two components to recognize a problem when it arises. In general we can use our sense of vision, touch and smell to evaluate how things are working. Western medicine devotes much of its time and resources to evaluating the structure of the body using tools such as x-rays, CT, MRI, etc.
The second component is Nutritional & Chemical which represents the nutrients and chemicals within the body that benefit bodily function as well as the chemicals and toxins that can harm us. This category is composed of things within the body and things from outside of the body. From within we have oxygen, water, blood, lymph, hormones, nutrients, enzymes and neurotransmitters, etc. From outside the body we have the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food and supplements we ingest, the chemicals and heavy metals that we are exposed to and other environmental factors that impact our bodies. For optimal health and highest function everything we are exposed to must be of the highest quality and the appropriate quantity. Western medicine usually evaluates this component by using blood, saliva, urine, and stool tests for the body.
The third component is the Vibrational, Emotional & Spiritual aspects of our health which is a bit more abstract and harder for western thinking to quantify. We are vibrational beings; every cell in our bodies vibrates at a certain frequency which is used as a communication means between cells and a measure of our energy. Our thoughts have an impact on our vibration and health, what we think and say to ourselves and others impacts our health. Our beliefs impact us as well and either ground us or set us adrift. For many, a new awareness and understanding concerning this component may be the key to their health.
Think of a time when you were happy and excited, how did you feel? You probably felt light as a feather and on top of the world, as if you could take on anything. You were vibrating at a high level and every cell in your body was vibrating at a high level. Now think of a time when you were upset or depressed, how did you feel? You probably felt heavy, sluggish and may have even wanted to go to sleep. You were running on a low vibrational level and every cell in your body was reduced in its ability to vibrate at a healthy rate.
When we begin to look at all three components of our health, we may begin to find the answers to what ails us. Evaluate your lifestyle, are you fit and strong, do you exercise, stretch and strengthen your body? What are you exposed to on a daily basis such as your skin and hair care products, are you eating organically, check for mold or toxins in your environment. Here are two simple things you can do to learn more about your lifestyle and health:
- Keep a daily food diary of everything you intake for 1-2 weeks, this will not only tell you the good and bad of what you are eating but it will also provide you with information on what you are missing from your diet.
- Start a daily journal, note your thoughts, how you feel each day, are you under stress, did anything unusual happen, people you were in contact with and how you felt around them – write it all down and you will begin to see patterns in your life that may need addressing. A journal will bring to focus areas that should be reinforced because they are truly working for your health and well being and point out things within your life that may need improving or are not serving you well and should be changed. With this information you can make the changes necessary to bring you back in balance.
Determining which of the three components is out of balance is a bit of an investigative process. For some the answers are obvious but for others the answer may take more investigation and self evaluation. The journal and food diary is a good place to start to begin the process of understanding the Nutritional/Chemical and Vibrational/Emotional/Spiritual components of the triangle. As for the structural component, there are many tests and screening tools available. One safe and non-invasive method is the use of Thermal Imaging. Thermal Imaging evaluates the physiological functions of the body (the activity of the body) by mapping out abnormal heat patterns which can indicate areas of concern. This will give you a place to start by highlighting areas of the body that need further investigation thus saving time and money by narrowing down the types of tests that would be most beneficial to a particular area/region.
Listen to your body, be aware of subtle changes and you will be able to correct potential problems before they get a foot hold and become more serious. For current or deep rooted health issues, evaluate the three components of the health triangle for clues to the root of the problem. Ultimately, by taking a proactive approach to health and being aware of the components of the health triangle you will be in a better position to have true health. Remember health is vigor and vitality as well as sound mind and body. You can achieve it!
To Your Health… Naturally,
Pamela Howard, DC, CCT