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When we are young, we never think about the day when we will become old. Perhaps that is because we, like Peter Pan, believe that we will stay young forever, or we believe that old age is such a long way off, we don't have to think about it now. Perhaps it is because there is no "day" that we become old, and we tend to forget that we are becoming older each and every day, a gradual decent into disease and illness just like everyone else has done for decades and centuries before us. But wait! Does growing old really mean sickness until death?
I want to emphatically state that old age is not equivalent to sickness or ill-health. In fact, some studies show that seniors who have lived a natural holistic lifestyle enjoy considerably better vision, suffer few aches and pains if at all, take little or no medicines, and are in overall better health than their counterparts and even younger people who are considered to be in good health. Death for all of us is inevitable as we are mortal humans. But I do not believe we were meant to live in a state of slow decay with our bones degenerating inside our bodies with every breath, and our organs swelling and exploding with infections and tumors. Wouldn't it be wonderful to anticipate our senior years as times of clear vision, freedom from aches and pains, easy mobility, no sickness, and wake up to more days in which to continue fulfilling dreams and goals and remain productive citizens?
You have probably heard this positive vision from many who advocate natural holistic health. Yet when we visit a nursing home, we experience the negative reality of what appears to be hundreds of old people sitting idly in wheelchairs, stiffly leaning over until someone sits them upright again. It seems that they take pills by the hands full, most of them live with some form of constant pain, and all of them have lost their minds to Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. These sad old people who were once proud, contributing members of society sit in lonely dependence, waiting for death to end their miserable, non-productive existence. From all appearances, growing old does mean sickness until death.
But wait again! Let's just think for a moment. How did these old people get to this state? What happened that caused them to reach this end?
If you haven't already, take a moment and read the fine print on your prescription medication packaging. You will find certain not-so-pleasant conditions that might occur as part of your "healing" process when you take this pill or potion or lotion. And in comparison to the cost of the doctor's visit and the prescription, all of the adverse reactions or side-effects that you risk experiencing are considered a small price to pay to obtain health. But why would you think this a reasonable risk to take? Because the discomfort of being sick is undesirable, and you want a quick way to get well? Or to be more sympathetic, perhaps you want to practice what seems the logical and responsible medically acceptable method for treating your ailment or illness(es), and according to your physician, this is it. Then you must consider this question: in all your expenditures, are you truly paying for and receiving HEALTH?
I will grant you that most of us are clueless when it comes to our good health and how to maintain it. We depend too much on TV, the newspaper and other public media to give us reliable information on health-care issues, and do not research for ourselves. We live day-to-day eating whatever is advertised on TV the most, whatever is quick and easy or microwaveable, whatever tastes our tongues have become accustomed to, or whatever is most readily available from our neighborhood grocer or the corner convenience store. We sit in front of the computer or video games, and (again) the TV, never exercising our bodies except to go to the bathroom or to the kitchen for more unhealthy foods or, after loading our body up with this food, off to bed. And we never stop to think about the effects of what we have put into our bodies.
There was a story I heard years ago (author unknown), about a man who was a master builder. He did everything to the best of his ability. Whenever he was to build a house, he used only the best materials right down to the nails and sand. Of course, his houses were more expensive than most, but you could rely on the stability and integrity of your home if he were the builder. He worked for a rich landowner who had made his reputation and his fortune because of the skill and quality workmanship of this master builder. Well, on one particularly bright, sunshiny day, the rich man approached the master builder and made an unusual request. He asked the master builder to construct an extra-special house for him. "Spare no expense" said the rich man. "I want only the absolute very biggest and best house you can build". Since he trusted his master builder implicitly, he had always given him the freedom to make the necessary purchases, and keep whatever money was left over. This time was no different, and the rich man gave him a handful of money, then went his way. The master builder had long ago realized that this rich man was rich because of him, yet he himself was not a wealthy man. So this time, the master builder decided that instead of acquiring the best most expensive materials, he would purchase second-rate materials that would still accomplish what he wanted. He set about purchasing cheaper goods and pocketed the remaining money.
The time came when the house was completed, and the master builder went to the rich man to give him the good news. The rich man took the house keys from the master builder, then shook his hand and said, "You have been a good and faithful steward over all my property. You have shown rare honesty and made me a rich man because of it. I am proud of you and I want to present the keys to your new home!" Instead of being overjoyed, the master builder wanted to weep. He knew what would happen to his new home in a year or two.
You can imagine the ending of this story. He did not put the best into his house, and he got out of it exactly what he put into it. Our bodies are no different. We will get out what we put in. We will reap what we sow.
Many people plan for retirement by putting aside a little bit of money regularly. They might buy a particular house in the mountains or in a retirement community, or they might even invest in a motor home and plan to travel during their older years. It would be wonderful if we made long-term plans this way for our good health. We could call it the retirement health fund, and make regular investments to ourselves from the natural health laws. This would mean eating a whole-foods, organic diet, getting adequate rest, exercising and playing, drinking plenty of water and keeping clean through bathing, breathing deeply of pure, clean air, getting a bit of sunshine everyday, and making sure we relieve our bodies of all waste matter through regular bowel movements and urination. You might just be surprised at the beauty of your health portfolio with this type of investment plan!
Study the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Learn what makes healthy human tissue. Find out what keeps the blood clean and flowing smoothly. Study! When you understand exactly what comprises human cells, you become aware that the materials which help your self-healing body to repair itself is not contained in drug medications, denatured foods, or second-hand nutrients. We must give our bodies the best building materials so that our temples will be made strong, sturdy and healthy. We must eat life-giving foods that have vitamins and minerals still intact. A delicate balance of the natural health laws is required in order to develop and maintain good health. Sometimes it can seem almost too simple to be true. But true it is!
Growing old does not have to mean sickness until death. You can make that decision. If you are already old and sick, and you feel that it is too late, just remember that your body is self-healing, and will continue trying to make repairs no matter what. Give your body a hand by obtaining the best building materials you can acquire. If you are young or middle-aged, then take the time you have and invest in better health for your senior years. Change the title of your future to: Growing Old Gracefully and in Good Health. Seek information on living a natural healthy lifestyle. Here's to growing old!
Janyce Cash has been a Licensed Practical Nurse since 1986. As a health-conscious mother, she raised her four children using natural and alternative remedies with excellent success, and is currently a vegetarian practicing a naturopathic lifestyle. She facilitates natural health workshops through her company, The Temple Building Workshops, Inc. which offers information and education on the Natural Laws of Health. She also offers counseling to those interested in transitioning to an all-natural healthy lifestyle and addresses health concerns with the 6-month Personal Consultation Program. You can attend a workshop or sponsor a workshop in your location by visiting her website: http://www.thetbw.com/
