ILLNESS AS A MESSENGER
 

In his book The Body is The Hero, Dr. Ronald Glaser, MD wrote "It is the body that is the hero, not science, not antibiotics, not machines or new devices. The task of the physician today is what it as always been: to help the body do what it has learned so well to do on its own during its unending struggle for survival - to heal itself. It is the body, not medicine that is the hero."

Our amazing bodies. We don't properly nourish them, exercise them, hydrate them or rest them consistently. When they break down, we get mad at them, often feeling betrayed. Our bodies are made to dutifully store our feelings and emotions and will keep them in storage until such time that we decide to release them. But often we ignore our emotions, especially the painful ones, and push them down deep into the body/mind. When that happens long enough the body in its wisdom will find a way to "speak" in order to draw our attention.

If we take the time to "listen" to the information that our body is trying to give us, we can then begin the process of restoring the balance we were meant to live in.
 

Emotions play an important role in good health. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective much dis-ease is caused by emotional repression that gets stored in the organs of the body with each emotion associated with a particular organ. The liver stores anger, the kidney stores fear, the lungs store grief, the spleen stores worry and repressed emotions of the heart (sadness) can cause depression and lack of joy.

Physical sensations like sweating, pain, itching, crying or laughing are all part of the language of the body, and so is disease. Milton Ward wrote in The Brilliant Function of Pain, "Pain, rather than being a terror is actually our own brilliant force, functioning on our behalf, ready to guide us through life if we are but ready to listen." Dis-ease is the body's way of telling us that something is terribly amiss.

 
Once understood that illness is a messenger, it can be re framed to be a positive force enabling us to see what changes are necessary in order to improve our health. We begin by acknowledging that we alone are responsible for our health. We become aware that our conscious and unconscious beliefs and thought patterns can create energetic disturbances that manifest as illness. If looked at from the context of a larger picture illness can be a catalyst for tremendous spiritual and emotional growth.

Many people are not aware of their power to make themselves sick or to heal themselves. That truth was left out of the equation. Once you understand the language of the body and illness as a messenger, with increased awareness and embracing the practice of self-care on all levels of body mind and spirit there becomes a new and improved way of thinking and thus a restoration of balance in the body. . .

THE AMAZING AVOCADO

Did you know that the only two vegetables that contain fat are olives and avocados? But don't let the fat scare you away from this amazing and delicious food. The fat in an avocado is monounsaturated fat, the same omega-9 fat that is found in olive oil and many nuts. This fat is heart healthy and actually lowers cholesterol. There have been plenty of studies that demonstrate the health promoting properties of avocados such as overall lowered LDL and increased HDL, and reducing the risk of cancer and diabetes. Monosaturated fats are a key component of the Mediterranean diet which in every major study has been linked with lower rates of heart disease.  

Avocados are not only heart healthy they are a great source of fiber (who knew?) with 11 to 17 grams per avocado. They also contain folate, vitamin A, and beta-carotene. Avocados are a nutritious natural food, fairly free of chemicals and toxins.  

Eat them on a salad, sliced in a sandwich or just eat them right out of the skin as a mini-meal with a little bit of sea salt.