The Pursuit of Health

How do we get healthy? If you have a great deal of time you can go through the 44+ million Google search results and perhaps figure it out. Naturally, part of the problem is much of the advice conflicts with other advice and some of it is created by people with significant special interests. What is the average person (with a job, kids, pets and not enough free time already) to do to get healthy?

I had an opportunity to listen to Dr. Mark Hyman this weekend at IIN and he put the pursuit of health into two very simple questions:

1. What do you need to get rid of?
2. What do you need to add?

Wow! Is it really that simple? The questions are simple enough and if you consider all of the parts of your life and answer those questions, odds are you'll be well on your way to health. (Dr. Hyman has a great deal of information on his website which dives into detail so head there for more information. And his book, The UltraMind Solution, is terrific). For a quick synopsis, here are possible things to examine for each question.

Get Rid Of?

• toxins
• allergens
• infections
• poor diet (i.e., processed and fast foods)
• stress

Need to Add?

• Healthy whole foods (i.e., vegetables and fruits)
• Vitamins, minerals, nutrients, hormones
• Light, water and air
• Movement
• Rhythm and sleep
• Relaxation
• Love and community
• Meaning and purpose

Voila! Perhaps you can spend a few moments this evening thinking about those two questions. Who knows what brilliant ideas you'll have? Remember... every little bit helps!