This is a continuation from the previous post Ways to Navigate Your Family Toward Wellness – Steps 1 & 2. In that blog we discussed …
STEP 1) Examine the Family’s Current Health Philosophy.
STEP 2) Move towards STRENGTHENING health rather than looking for alternatives for Sick Care
Where we discussed if we utilise naturopathy, Chinese medicine or homeopathy for example (which are wonderful resources discussed in step 3) as a therapy or treatment for an ailment or as an alternative to antibiotic, then we are acting too late.
Let’s continue to look at further steps to navigate your family towards Wellness.
STEP 3 -Take a Multi-faceted Allied Health Care Approach
As we briefly discussed in Step 2 there are some wonderful Allied Health Care Professions available that offer both safe and effective care for families.
Parents are becoming increasingly aware that while mainstream medicine is clearly essential for critical care, utilising prescription drugs such as antibiotics for example yields a high risk:benefit ratio. Research indicates that supporting children naturally through an acute earache is just as effective as a prescription for antibiotics, without the risk of depleting the child’s digestive and immune strength seen with repeated use of antibiotics.
I regularly encourage parents to create a health framework for their family. A network of skilled, wellness oriented practitioners available in times of health and ill-health including a chiropractor, homeopath, Chinese medicine practitioner, naturopath etc., these practitioners offer a natural and cost effective approach to health.
Today more and more, general physicians are keen to work together with these Allied Health practitioners and take a collaborative approach to assisting families. The best way to find wellness oriented practitioners is often through word of mouth, so ask fellow parents you know who are committed to proactive lifestyle habits who they recommend in your area.
It is also beneficial to have access to various associations, websites, books and like-minded people. Keep abreast of research, as knowledge is power.
STEP 4-Teach Your Children about Innate Intelligence.
Our body has an in-built computer program for health and balance, which is called our Innate Intelligence. This intelligence is similar to that found in all other living things. In fact it is what gives living things their wisdom, their clever edge and their defining characteristic of adaptation.
According to Deepak Chopra M.D, “All disease results from a disruption of the flow of intelligence.”
The innate or inner intelligence of our body operates with such perfection that most of us are completely oblivious to it. Our brain and nervous system co-ordinate this intelligence, and in doing so, millions of vital bodily functions such as immune responses, healing and growth.
Unfortunately our society is so use to thinking that our health is fixed from the “outside” rather than acknowledging that health comes from “within” that we have become untrained in regard to listening to our body. We have come to rely so heavily on prescriptions and over the counter medications to “fix us” and we are often in such a rush to alleviate symptoms, we rarely stop to consider what our body may be trying to tell us. If we have a cold we take an antihistamine, if we have a headache we take panadol, if we have back pain we take an anti-inflammatory.
Here is a few examples of “capturing the moment” when children demonstrate pure innate:
– you may have all just had some cake or indulged for a moment with a “poor food choice” now just watch and see if not long after this your young child will go and have a big drink of water (best not to have juices on offer) or perhaps they will go looking in the fridge for an easy to eat vegetable such as a piece of celery, cucumber or some fruit.
You can highlight this for them by saying, “That’s a terrific idea to grab a carrot to eat, it might help our body handle all of that sugar we just ate, I’m going to do the same” or “When I see you have a big glass of water after all those chips I think that’s your body’s clever way of rebalancing itself, don’t you?”
– I am also fascinated to watch the foods the boys gravitate towards post flu or post gastro. Recently our three year old had a really bad cough, which meant that naturally his appetite had declined but boy did it return with such vigor. I had been making sushi and to my surprise Quin moved from the couch to the bench and single handedly, unprompted, ate two entire rolls of sushi ie. the equivalent of four hand-rolls, then a small tin of tuna, followed by some seaweed crackers and hummus. I almost applauded his Innate Intelligence because calcium rich foods such as nori (sea vegetables), fish and hummus help to warm up the body. I then made a point of telling anyone who would listen, how proud I was of him for making such fabulous food choices for his body!
– Consider the words your child may use to describe how they feel after they have had a fall or a tumble down the stairs. Our boys will say things later that day like, “Geez Mum, I don’t feel too good in my head now after that fall. Can I have an adjustment please”
– Another example would be recently watching the big boys gravitate towards iron rich foods after a busy week of school holidays. They’d had less sleep then normal, they had been extremely active with two days of skiing and had eaten less then optimum foods whilst away. Together they rampaged through the fridge, each grabbing an avocado (eaten straight with a spoon), some figs, a punnet of strawberries followed by a banana from the fruit bowl.
If we examine their food choices we see that vitamin C foods give an adrenal boost and help the cells of the body work together against the attack of germs and bugs which will only effect us if we are run down or our immune system is challenged. Vitamin B foods re-boost our stamina, while iron rich foods help the body quickly abort any viral or bacterial infections. Pretty clever I think!! Here again I made a point of “applauding and acknowledging” the boys anyway that I could to demonstrate how clever they were to listen to their intuition and select foods that their body needed at that time.
As parents we can help our children learn from an early age to respect and observe their “magnificent being” and to listen to what their body is trying to teach them. In this way they appreciate that “real” health comes from with-in, from inside their bodies and not from a cough syrup, a pill or a potion.
Please also see related posts:
Further Steps To Navigate Your Family Towards Wellness – Steps 1 & 2
Further Steps To Navigate Your Family Towards Wellness – Steps 5 & 6
Further Steps To Navigate Your Family Towards Wellness – Steps 7, 8, 9 & 10
