Health

What Does Health Mean to You?

Everyone should be an advocate for their own health. What makes you feel good about your overall health? There are many different answers, and they vary from person to person. Creating your own definition of what it means to be healthy is crucial to following your daily routine and meeting personal goals. This definition can surely change overtime as life throws curveballs your way, but staying true to who you are and putting your health first is the most important thing to do.

Am I Healthy?

The term "healthy" can be applied to many different aspects of one's life. Most commonly, it is a term used to describe one's physical health. Do I maintain a healthy figure? Do I eat a healthy diet? Do I engage in healthy exercise? Do I have a healthy outlook on life? All of these questions can weigh very heavy on many of us, especially with a lot of societal pressure.

Social media plays a huge part in the pressure that we feel to be and look healthy. But everyone's definition of healthy is and should be very different. We are human after all, all born with different genes and have different layers to our personal health status. In moderation, indulging in sweets, fast food and bougie coffee is healthy. Taking a rest day from exercise because you need a break is healthy. Having curves, stretch marks and wrinkles is healthy. Of course, I am speaking very vaguely to a general audience and referencing these things with limits. We still need to enjoy our lives, but we should not feel unhealthy when we engage in something outside of the "healthy circle" and we should definitely not feel that is is detrimental to our overall health.

What makes something unhealthy is when it crosses the line of being detrimental to your health and makes you unhappy. If you consistently engage in things that make you feel bad and that you know are not good for your body, then this may be looked at as unhealthy. Furthermore, if you are aware of these things and still engaging in them, it may be more challenging to change your outlook. But eating good food choices, moving your body and giving self-love should not be negative experiences. We are all striving to be healthy in our own way and this should be celebrated, not frowned upon.

Naturopathic Health Scale

Getting a little bit more precise, Naturopathic Medicine has a different scale of health in comparison to Allopathic Medicine. Naturopathically, health encompasses all areas, including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. It also focuses on preventative medicine and may have different ranges to treat when it comes to things such as bloodwork for example.

Naturopathic Medicine is a up and coming profession, even though it has been around for many years. Our ancestors would use these teachings to heal. They would use natural sources from the earth as medicine and incorporate certain herbs into their diet for internal balancing. Although some traditions may be questioned, the underlying principles make sense, if explained properly.

I encourage everyone to see a Naturopathic Doctor for any and all health concerns they may have. Even if you are looking for more preventative care, a Naturopathic Doctor can provide you with the support that you need for your own health. They will also be able to educate you on your symptom picture and provide different treatment options that may not be available to you through allopathic medicine. They will spend time with you, provide you detail framework to your treatment plan and meet you where you are at.

Reflect on what health means to you, if you consider yourself healthy (why and why not) and then discuss this with your health care professional. Try not to compare yourself to social media influences, snapchat/instagram filters or to anyone else you know. Be confident in your own healthy skin, healthy body and healthy mind. You will be amazed at how quickly you accomplish your health goals when you start being accepting of who you are.