Making healthy choices in our modern world

Inner peace and a diet of healthy foods are key to the fullness and enjoyment of life. Photo / 123rf

COMMENT
The world about us is in constant flux and since most of us cannot retire to a cave somewhere, we must learn to navigate this chaotic environment daily. It's no wonder that people age prematurely. It puts a strain on our bodies, taxes our emotions and drains our energy reserves.
This kind of stress-filled environment also damages our immune system eventually opening the door to debilitating disease and disability of all kinds.

But the good news is, like everything else that grows and changes, our personal awareness is awakening to healthier options. Regarding the agendas of scientific news, advances, studies and research, life extension, longevity and age renewal continue to be in the forefront.

Many new sciences such as the science of epigenetics have opened doors that have never been peered behind this deeply before allowing us to understand at a basic level what makes the body tick as a fine-tuned machine. These new discoveries empower and provide us the opportunity to actively engage in and adopt tools that promote our own health and well-being. They put us in charge.

Stress is not our body's friend. Photo / 123rf

So, while we must live in a world that can be chaotic and even overwhelming at times, we can learn to operate peacefully and productively without feeling damaging effects. But we must be proactive. We must take responsible actions. That positions us to be in control rather than being controlled by the environment.
Chronic stress and tension are the body's worst enemies. Entertain them long enough and eventually something in the body "snaps" with disease as the result. Just as a rubber band eventually snaps with enough tension applied allowing everything it was securing to be compromised, so too when the body snaps somewhere, the whole system is compromised.

So, one of the first keys to staying healthy while navigating a complex and demanding outer world is knowing we must avoid stress and maintain calmness within. It's our first line of defence against what's thrown at us from the world of survival. Finding our centre via exercise, mediation, and/or other types of spiritual disciplines is mandatory to inner peace.

Next is our attention.
We cannot improve on something we are not aware of, so the next step towards healthy longevity and life extension is to peer deep inside and become aware of what needs fixing. We must get in touch with ourselves and learn to examine our thoughts, feelings and emotions as they come into play on a moment to moment basis, paying special attention to those that end up in fear, doubt and worry.

When we discover areas of weakness or discord that require special loving attention, we must be careful not to judge ourselves. There is nothing to judge and the only thing it accomplishes is to throw more fuel on the fire. It is simply the way of survival and we're all coming through it together. Just take note of and pay special attention to the area you now know needs extra healing and love.

Many people unknowingly (and some knowingly) thrive on drama because of the emotional charge they receive when appearing as a hero. After all, there can't be a hero without a problem and that's where the drama comes in. They must create a problem. Some thrive on being rescued while others thrive on being the one who rescues. Any way you look at it, it's all drama.
And, drama causes stress and tension. It is damaging and draining to our systems.
It's common knowledge that people control their environment through the lifestyle choices and habits they adopt and adhere to daily. But not as common is the knowledge that their thoughts and emotions operate the same way, through choice! We are the only ones empowered to create permanent change in our lives and we do it through conscious choice.

Focusing inward and becoming aware clears the fog out of our minds allowing us to see ourselves clearly. That's when we discover that we have choices in every moment in what and how we think, feel, say and do. It is a very empowering feeling to take hold of and begin making conscious choices rather than being buffeted by the prevailing winds.
Finding ourselves in an environment that feels mentally stressful without the proper tools to handle it, is exasperating and results in unnecessary tension that produces harmful chemicals in our body. These chemicals are destructive and work at deteriorating the cells of our glandular system eventually rendering it unable to properly regenerate healthy cells.

When we find ourselves challenged with stressful situations, there are inner tools we can employ that offer immediate help and assistance. Taking deep cleansing breaths and flooding our cells with life-giving oxygen puts our minds in touch with our bodies allowing us to take control – not control of the situation but our reaction to the situation. When in control, we are aware and empowered to turn recurring, patterned reactions to controlled choices/actions. Anyone, no matter where they are, can perform this incredibly helpful and calming exercise free.

Holding our composure without wavering creates calmness in our being – the perfect environment for consistent regeneration of our cells. Additionally, by holding fast to our own inner peace and calmness, we allow this energy to expand out into the environment, silently benefiting those around us.

Although stress and tension are the body's primary enemies when it comes to the production of hormonal and chemical imbalances, poor diet is a major contributor as well.
Foods void of health contributing nutrients might seem appealing in the moment as they tease us with their fancy packaging and addictive tastes, but these types of addictions are dangerous to our health. They can compromise and negatively affect the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas and digestive systems. Honestly is it worth risking for short-term pleasure?

Focus needs to be on fresh foods that offer plenty of nutritional value – vegetables, fruits and proteins that nourish rather than inhibit cell growth. Nutrient dense foods promote the healing and regeneration of our cells and work in tandem with our positive conscious choices, our thoughts and emotions to create healthy longevity and the life of our dreams.
Inner peace and a diet of healthy foods along with proper challenging exercise and lots of fresh air and quality sleep are the puzzle pieces that need to fit together properly if we want to experience the complete picture – the fullness and enjoyment of life.

Harmony, calm, health and longevity belong to everyone equally. But only those who embrace responsibility, get in touch with their inner peace and take hold of their personal power enjoy these stellar rewards.
Carolyn Hansen
Co-owner Anytime Fitness