Modern Life, Modern Illnesses

Some of the diseases found in the minds and bodies of Westerners have not been around that long or at least never been so prevalent in the population such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, interstitial cystitis, depression and certain types of cancer to name but a few.

The pace of modern life is quicker than for previous generations, and with increased responsibilities comes the expectations to be always available through email or phone.  In our environment, we are more exposed to chemicals and toxins than ever before.  Alongside better standards of living and more comfortable lives, hospital admittances due to food allergies are increasing thanks in part to synthetic food additives. Due to long hours working and commuting, people are getting less exercise and less sleep.

Anxiety and depression are becoming more common as our immune and nervous systems are more and more exhausted by our lifestyle.  However, each and every one of us can take better control of our own health to reverse some of our diseases or, better yet, prevent them altogether before they develop.  A few helpful steps would be to:

Control what goes in your body: Whenever possible choose local, organic foods that are in season. You can also find a list of foods best eaten organically because of high pesticide content, as well as foods with the lest pesticides on this link.  Also whenever possible, drink purified water and choose more natural products for clothing, bedding, furniture, and building materials.

Cleanse your body: Get acupuncture and use herbal medicine and teas to aid in your elimination of toxins through your sweat, urine, and bowels.

Make time for yourself: Work is important but so are you. Make time for exercise and make sure you enjoy doing it. Spend time having fun with people who make you happy. Get regular sleep. Go outdoors.

Healing Our Emotions

Even when an illness is seen as physical only, such as a state of chronic after an injury, there is always an emotional component, either around the event of the injury or our emotional response to the pain, whether it is anger, depression or even sadness. Although we may not be aware of it, our emotions have a direct effect on our bodies’ physiology. When we get angry we tend to tense up, which can contribute to muscle aches, pains, high blood pressure and in extreme situations a heart attack or stroke. Stress has an obvious effect on our bodies and many of us in times of stress will hold the tension in their neck and shoulders or in their abdomen.  Another example is the effect of immense grief: you may feel like there is a lump in your throat, your chest feels tight and heavy, your eyes begin to burn, and you have difficulty swallowing or breathing.

In some cases in order to “control” our emotions we bury them away, but these emotions do not just disappear. If these latent emotions are not addressed, they may lead to physical problems.  Chinese medicine has long acknowledged the effect of our emotions on health, qualifying them as causes of diseases alongside things like climate, epidemics or poor diet. An important part of the healing process consists in discovering the roots of our emotional response and transforming them.

Acupuncture and meditation can help us uncover hidden emotions and promote the healing process. Exercise helps by dispersing and balancing emotions, but is not enough to transform them and complex health conditions may require a combination of acupuncture, nutrition, exercise, meditation, lifestyle changes, and emotional work such as psychotherapy.

Foods best eaten organically

Whenever possible we should choose local, organic foods that are in season. However, if you find it difficult to go all organic, you may want to buy organic fruit and vegetables when the non-organic version tends to contain high levels of pesticides.  Below is a list of foods that are best eaten organically, as well as a list of foods that have lower pesticides level and tend to be "cleaner" than most.