I don’t know that any of us can ignore how disease seems to be ubiquitous right now, and in unexpected populations at that.
This reflection will not be a political or social one, merely a practical one. I hope it encourages you in your health journey and provides a helpful bit or two to keep your health momentum going forward.
It can be easy to become overwhelmed or anxious in the face of suffering as we try to navigate health for ourselves and our family. What to eat, what not to eat. What to do, what not to do. What supplements to take. How to detox. What to buy organic. How to save money, etc.
When we feel stuck in anxiety, weariness, or overwhelm, sometimes something small can help get us unstuck. A simple habit, a little win.
And that something small can create momentum for other simple habits, more little wins. One step at a time, we can create health momentum.
A couple months ago, I was feeling overwhelmed with how to best care for myself and my family as it pertains to health. (I have historically struggled with orthorexia and while I have had healing there, it’s still something I treat with tenderness.)
From the overwhelm, I encouraged myself—“I have studied about health and disease. I can make things simple.”
With this mental high five to self, I ripped out a piece of paper from a nearby notebook and wrote down some basics for my family to aim for daily and weekly.
This list isn’t fancy, but I have confidence that if my family can participate in these habits to the best of our ability, it will bear fruit—either by preventing disease or by putting us in a good position to fight disease when it comes.
Depending on where you are in your health journey, my list may look measly, relatable, or overwhelming to you.
In case it looks on the more overwhelming side, I want to provide a few practical bits that might soften its edges.
On daily fermented food—options like yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, miso, or kimchi are accessible and easy to work in. Many long-living cultures around the world eat fermented food daily. Fermented food is good for the gut and can make the food’s nutrients more readily available and easily digestible. I make our family’s sourdough, and we buy both organic A2 yogurt and sauerkraut from Costco for the high quality at a good price.
On daily exercise—daily movement can look different ways and need not be punishing. It can look like going on a walk to the park with your dog, kids, or spouse; weeding and watering the garden; bouncing on the rebounder for 15 minutes; doing 20 minutes of weight training following a YouTube video or weight training book/guide with hand weights at home. We move to honor the bodies God has given us and to strengthen them to serve others.
On daily supplements—it can be difficult to eat in a way that provides all the vitamins and minerals our bodies need. It’s prudent to consult a medical professional when making supplement decisions—a doctor trained in functional medicine would be well-versed here. It’s also helpful to get a good panel of bloodwork done to see what your body needs (a panel that looks at your levels of omega-3s, vitamin D, iron, and hemoglobin A1c, in addition to a CBC). In general, a good multivitamin, an omega-3, and a probiotic can be a great place to start. (Americans are often also deficient in vitamin D and magnesium.)
While we don’t have all the answers and there are some things we cannot control, we do have the ability to form simple habits for ourselves and our families, and in the process encourage and support those around us.
What’s one item on your list of habits for health?