|
|
The Eight Principles of Holistic HealthBy Carl Munson We all want to live a long and healthy life, but are we going the right way about it? Complementary therapist Carl Munson thinks not. After years of searching Carl has come up with the CHAMPION plan – a guide to boosting vitality, building health and reducing the risk of disease. Having looked long and hard, I’d say there are eight keys areas that we need to consider if we want to live a long and healthy life. Clearly there’s only so much any of us can do, but few of us are doing as much as we can to build health and boost our energy. As a society, we are losing the fight against chronic disease. The CHAMPION plan’s eight 'foundations of vitality' may seem like a lot to think about, but I guide clients towards their ‘weakest link’ so they only have one step to consider at a time having completed a simple holistic health assessment. Let me spell the C-H-A-M-P-I-O-N plan out for you… ‘C’ is for cleansing Now widely known and accepted as ‘detoxing’ thanks to Carol Vorderman, cleansing is crucial to the efficient flow of vital fluids and energy in the body, proper absorption of nutrients and the correct expulsion of waste matter. Bad plumbing in the form of impacted colons and blocked arteries are said to be contributory factors to the western world’s biggest killers - cancer and coronary heart disease. If you are constipated and sluggish this might be the place to start. ‘H’ is for hydration Surely everyone now knows that we should drink more water every day. Our bodies are after all 70% water and keeping properly hydrated is thought to contribute to glowing skin, weight loss, less cellulite, better immunity and a huge boost in energy levels. It’s estimated in some quarters that 90 per cent of us are chronically dehydrated. Drink just five glasses of water per day and you will cut your risk of developing breast cancer by 79 per cent and 45 per cent less likely to develop cancer of the colon. If you suffer common complaints such as tiredness, headaches, dry skin, indigestion and weight gain, try upping your water intake. ‘A’ is for alkalising According to microbiologist and author of ‘The pH Miracle’ Dr Robert Young: “There is only one sickness and one disease - the over-acidification of the body which leads to the symptoms we call disease”. It sounds too simple to be true, but for many years health researchers, have recognised the connection between the acidic residue of foods - which predominate in our western diet - and poor health. If you suffer from arthritis for example, you might be surprised by the relief you can get by drinking more water and lowering the acid-forming content of your diet or by using an alkalising supplement. ‘M’ is for meditation No, this isn’t about sitting cross-legged and chanting ‘Om’. Meditation is hugely misunderstood and deeply undervalued. Put and done simply, meditation is about lessening the negative effect of your thinking mind. If you can’t stop thinking, you need to meditate or learn another method of mind control. Anxiety, depression and emotional breakdowns can all be linked to excessive and uncontrolled thinking. Proper meditation gives you true freedom in the form of profound inner peace as well as mental clarity and stillness in an increasingly crazy and stressful world. ‘P’ is for passion Some might guess that P stands for prevention. Trouble is, if you are constantly thinking how to avoid cancer, or any other disease, affliction or condition, you are effectively thinking about that disease, affliction or condition all the time. Some psychology experts point out that: ‘what you focus on, you get” - a shocking possibility. If for you, health has become a fight against disease and a preoccupation with illness, I invite you to reclaim the concept of health and take a passionate approach to life, doing what you can to boost your vitality and reduce the risk of disease with a sense of adventure and joy. Discover new healthy and delicious foods, book a luxurious massage and stop living in fear. ‘I’ is for investment Old clichés like “It’s better to pay the cook than the doctor” and “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” demonstrate quite simply the need to get your hand in your pocket and invest in your health. With the NHS to rely on, too many of us wait for chronic disease to set in and then face the consequences, often too late and adding to the nation’s tax bill. But it’s not just about money; you need to invest time and energy too - as with most things in life, you get what you pay for and it’s your choice: invest now, or pay later... ‘O’ is for oxygenation According to some health experts, oxygen deficiency - caused by poor breathing or poor air quality - can lead to a whole host of health challenges including tiredness, insomnia, fatigue, moodiness, low immunity, allergies and asthma. Most of us have got into the habit of breathing shallowly instead of deep into the belly and fresh, clean air can be hard to find. Get out on to the moors or do Tai Chi and Yoga for gentle, oxygenating exercise if you can. Or if time is tight, cheat like I do, with an oxygen exerciser that can be used in the office or a home a couple of times a day for just ten minutes! ‘N’ is for nutrition Forget real ale, when was the last time you had some real food? The food industry - often heavy-handed with salt, sugar and bad fats - along with aggressive farming techniques and has left many of our meals de-natured, de-mineralised and downright deadly. Get some true, life-enhancing food back onto your plate by going organic, growing your own and cutting back on the processed stuff. Raw or steamed green foods with a high water content will help you to alkalise and hydrate, and it may be useful to supplement your diet with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and good fats as soon as you are ‘cleansed’ enough to absorb them. You can get a free ‘Holistic Health Assessment’ based on the CHAMPION approach at: www.healthchampion.co.uk You can get a free ‘Holistic Health Assessment’ based on the CHAMPION approach at: www.healthchampion.co.uk |
|