I was having a heart to heart with my sister today. It was about our bodies, how they are designed to heal, and keep us alive in spite of our terrible stewardship skills. My body’s appearance is far from ideal. It’s also far from healthy. That’s why I started this journey into natural health in the first place. I have a LONG way to go to reach my health goals. One goal is to lose a billion pounds and to NOT be paralyzed by the process. Like many women, and probably many men, we often feel “stuck” and our weight won’t come off no matter what we try. Well, this post isn’t about a weight loss plan. I’m still looking to master that one. It’s about looking into your ‘sick’ body to see that it’s really your hero and best friend. Your body has not betrayed you. It has protected you!
When I began studying the body systems and diseases, I began to notice that ‘disease’ was created by the body in order to maintain homeostasis in the blood. It MUST maintain homeostasis in the blood or it will die. When there is a deficiency, excess, or injury, etc., the blood will do what ever it can to keep you alive. That may mean leaching calcium from your bones to balance the rigid pH requirements. It may mean raising your blood pressure to try to prevent cancer. It may cause diarrhea to pass unwanted microbes faster. It may store every bit of fat because it cannot properly digest fats, proteins, and/or carbohydrates! Oh! And the body can use fat to help store toxins away from vital organs. Hmm….
The day I realized that my body was doing a FANTASTIC job of working with what I have and what I give it, was the day I set my self image conversations down. I began to THANK my body. I saw my diseases as tools and temporary. If I work WITH my body, the way it was designed, it heals. If I force it, it resists. It’s smarter than I am. If I suppress symptoms, I create new challenges for my body to problem solve.
So be gentle, love your body, fat, lumps, wrinkles and scars. Take care of your buddy.
(Note: I am not suggesting you don’t seek emergency or medical care! I am simply saying you create cause and effect in every action. Use good judgement.)
Anonymous January 27, 2014
I love this! I also think that this is an important concept to remember when trying all of those weight loss plans. I can count calories, starve myself, and lose the weight. Or I can find out what is causing the weight issue to begin with (for me, the high-carb, low-fat diet recommended by the FDA!). Changing my eating habits to give my body what it truly needs and to keep out the stuff that causes negative effects is key to losing weight healthily AND feeling good. God created our bodies to be amazing, and I want to be a good steward of this amazing (though not at ALL by the world’s standards) one he gave me! Thanks, Chelsea. Keep up the good work!