Your Symptoms are NOT Normal

I used to own a health food store and people would come in asking, “What do I take for XYZ?”

There’s a tendency to look for a quick remedy that will get us out of pain, not realizing that there’s a REASON for the pain!  It’s understandable to want out of pain—  symptoms are no fun and we DO want to put an end to them— but with just a bit more effort and a touch more strategy, we can uproot the issue at its very foundation, causing the symptoms to disappear. 

For starters, what does it even mean to be healthy?  Does it just mean that you aren’t sick?  Or is there more to it than that?  What about OPTIMAL health?  Incredible energy, focus, and stamina?

Here’s what we should consider normal/healthy:

• Fall asleep at night within a few minutes
• Sleep sound without waking all night
• Wake up in the morning without an alarm feeling great (motivated and with energy)
• No cravings for sugar, salt or caffeine
• Eat a balanced amount of whole foods and feel satisfied
• Skin, hair and nails are strong, healthy and glowing
• Emotionally balanced and able to handle reasonable amounts of stress
• Focused and able to concentrate on daily tasks
• Plenty of extra energy for playing, exercise, sex, etc.
• No pain, headaches, PMS issues, etc.

Some symptoms have become so common in our culture that we believe them to be “normal.”  Yet they are FAR from normal.  They are the body’s way of saying, “HELP! Something is out of balance!”  Symptoms such as:

• Acne
• PMS issues
• Dry skin
• Gas
• Bloating
• Headaches
• Weight gain
• Lethargy/tired all the time
• Can’t sleep at night
• No energy during the day
• Trouble focusing
• Hot flashes
• A coated tongue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Body oder (under arms, feet, breath, sweat, etc.)
• Headaches
• Lines or spots on your tongue
• Swollen joints
• Pain (anywhere)
• Intense cravings

Most often when we have such symptoms, the temptations is to take or do something that stops the symptom, without actually addressing the cause of the issue in the first place.  For example, use this analogy: If the engine light comes on in your car, you could potentially cover it with electrical tape or even smash it with a hammer… But of course, if your engine is really damaged, it will still be damaged regardless of the light being seen or not.  Taking coffee for exhaustion or Tylenol for a headache is the same as covering or smashing the gas light in your car–  The storm is still brewing even though the symptom is gone.

Yet there’s hope. Your body was created to heal itself if it has what it needs.

It is so smart.

It’s always helping you.

So what do you do if you have some of these symptoms?

For so many symptoms the very basics will help, so I like to start there. (Why spend lots of energy or resources on more elaborate remedies if drinking water or something like that will do the trick?)  So first, ensure that you’re doing the very basic foundations of health:

1. Deep breathing. You’d be surprised at how often this takes care of a tension headache, for example.
2. Water. You need AT LEAST half your weight in ounces.  This is a minimum.  You will need more if you live in a dry climate, exercise, consume caffeine or eat lots of processed foods.  Dehydration is the number one cause of mid-day fatigue so this can be helpful if you’re just out of energy and having trouble focusing.
3. Sleep. Your body does it’s best healing while you sleep and the ideal time is from 10pm-6am.  Do what you can do guard your sleep.  Create an evening routine that helps to relax you so you can fall asleep easier.  Avoid screens, food and electronics for at least 2 hours before bed (3-4 hours is often needed).
4. Exercise. Exercising, especially in the morning will help counter anything stress related, increase energy during the day and also help you sleep more soundly at night.
5. Whole food, vegan nutrition. This is a bigger topic but, for now, let’s just focus on whole foods, organic and plants.

If you are CONSISTENTLY doing these things and the symptoms still persist…

You MUST figure out the ROOT cause!  Work with someone who knows how to find the root cause.  Most of us don’t work on our own cars… or our own teeth… we hire a professional to help.  How much more important is your health?!  GET HELP! 

Nothing said or implied in this post is intended to treat, cure, diagnose or prevent any disease.  It does not take the place of a qualified health care practitioner and is intended for educational purposes only.