The River of Health & How You Can Clean It Up!

Your life is akin to the life of a river. There is a beginning and an end. It is constantly flowing and changing. The health of a river is affected by the environment and what goes into that river. The beginning of the river is like the beginning of life – we enter into the world in the purest form we will ever embody. As one goes further down the river, the river is subject to various environmental stressors that impair the quality of the river. This is also true for the human body – it is affected by everything in the external and internal environment, such as: air, soil, water, food, medications, drugs, alcohol, chemicals, pesticides, hormones, genetics, and emotions. All of these substances interact with the body everyday when it performs functions necessary for life.

Because the global environment that we have created produces more waste than we can efficiently eliminate as a planet, there is an increased need for innovative ways to reduce waste and clean up the environment. Since we are part of the global environment, by polluting the environment we have polluted ourselves. We are all “down river”; therefore innovative ways to detoxify ourselves are needed as well.

The one system of medicine that can effectively address all of these factors is Naturopathic Medicine.

If we ignore this problem, health progressively worsens. Like a river, we may look healthy on the surface, but internally there is a build-up of waste that needs to be cleaned out. If the body does not get cleaned out in a timely fashion, more serious complications will arise.

The first time you experience a symptom usually indicates that the underlying problem has been there for a long time and has built up to the point where it is now finally noticeable. The best way to address this is PREVENTION, meaning that the best time to learn how to effectively eliminate waste is before it builds up, before serious disease arises.

To begin your journey on the River of Health, start with the following:
- Drink adequate amounts of water - typically 1/2 your body weight in ounces
- Avoid caffeinated beverages - yes, this means coffee!
- Eat adequate amounts of fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables, flax seeds, legumes, nuts, and seeds
- Exercise - sweating is a natural way to eliminate toxins
- Deep Breathing
- Buy organic - see previous post about the 12 must-buy-organic foods (a.k.a The Dirty Dozen)

For those with current medical conditions, the above basics are supplemented with a gentle and effective detoxification program designed by a Naturopathic Doctor to meet an individual’s unique health concerns. When naturopathic detoxification is incorporated into everyday life, the health benefits are immediate and far-reaching. Naturopathic therapies that are used in the detoxification process include clinical nutrition, homeopathy, and botanical medicine.