FOUR SIMPLE PRINCIPLES TO BEGIN HEALTHY LIVING

In the many years that I have been tutoring children (and adults), I am often amazed to see pupils eating junk food either prior to a lesson or telling me with glee what rubbish they are going to be eating they get home. I also see the effects of those foods on the children - sluggish minds and bodies (the two can't be separated!), obesity, acne, attention disorders or hyperactivity, poor skin condition or lacklustre features. I've also thankfully seen many pupils whose parents choose a healthy lifestyle for them, children who run about, get muddy, fall over, break bones even, but whose immune systems are strong, who rarely get ill and when they do, they recover quickly.There is often a strong link between healthy eating and living and our immune systems - healthy kids rarely need medicine, unhealthy kids do: that's obvious, but why are kids unhealthy. For that we need to: STAG

STOP

1) STOP TO LOOK AT THE CHOICES WE MAKE for ourselves and hence for our children ; we are creatures of habit, but habits can be good or bad - our children learn from our habits, and if they are bad habits, they will tend to follow our lead. So the first principle is to stop before we buy things and consider if they are indeed good things to buy.

THINK

3) THINK BEFORE WE EAT- what are we eating, is it good for us, what are the long term implications of eating this food?

ASSESS

2) KEEP ON ASSESSING WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT OUR HEALTH AND THEIRS to see if there are choices that are causing us to be ill or run down. If dairy products tend to cause runny noses or wheat causes stomach upset, connect the two together and see if removing them from your diet alters your condition.

GUIDE

4) GUIDE OUR CHILDREN WITH OUR WISDOM - if we are running our bodies down with poor eating or lack of exercise, what are we telling our children? They follow our lead! We are our children's guide and the world is confusing enough for their maturing minds that they need as many guides as they can get - for study, work, play, fun, love, and the vital component of healthy living!

The choices we make about our children are the choices that we make about ourselves. If we eat poorly, consuming food regardless of what is on the label, eating food that we know 'always upsets the stomach', binge eating on sugary foods, systematically purchasing fizzy drinks, processed meals, 'snack foods', and copious amounts of alcohol to 'have a good time', then we should not be surprised if our children follow suit. I've read evidence that children, when given the choice at a very young age, instinctively go for the food that their bodies crave, but as they grow older the tend to follow the patterns of their parents. If you put crisps and microwave food in the basket, so will they - if you go for fruits and vegetables instead, they'll go for the healthier alternative. We lead by example. I have a lovely short video of my son filling a toddler shopping cart with carrots - something he loves to much on and which we often buy.

The healthier alternative can be done - sometimes we don't want to give up on what is easy .

We can be a very lazy species after all but more importantly, our political-economic system (the welfare state) emphasizes the avoidance of cost-bearing - that we may act in way that does long term health damage and other people pick up the bill. The effects of such incentives should not be underestimated; so think STAG!

But ultimately, health and the strength of our immune system lies in our hands. As a family, we try to optimise our health through healthy eating choices, and when we are ill we listen to our bodies and rest (ok, my wife has to tell me to stop sometimes as I enjoy my work so much - but I've learned to listen!.) We use homeopathic products from Helios for everyday issues (arnica for bumps and bruises, aconite for the onset of colds - recently, we used a couple of products to lessen the effects of chicken pox); and just as we have regular dental check-ups, we use regular chiropractic for sorting out our structures. Moira and I both trained as masseurs, and we try to give each other a massage on a regular basis too - as we give them to our boy and to friends too! Massage is a great communicator and a fantastic way of learning about yourself.

When my friends or pupils have a health issue, I try to find out as much as I can to provide complementing advice to what they may get from their GP. This is an age in which we can all access information quickly and rapidly, and while we may not gain the art of medicine (which can only come from being a professional), we can empower ourselves to make mroe informed choices for ourselves and our children.

And for heaven's sake, don't feel shy to shop around - if you don't like the advice, the manner or attitude, go somewhere else. "You're free. You choose!" as Jean-Paul Sartre would say.

I firmly believe that we are responsible for what happens to our health; although there are extenuating circumstances in which genes play an overarching role (but not as much as the comic media make out) or in which the environment is literally poisonous or systemic poverty reduces the opportunity for health (usually through political corruption though), illness and dis-ease stem from our choices about how we live and what we eat. With the wealth we have in the West, for instance, we should all be glowingly healthy. But we're not. The pages, links, and articles that we will create here will offer a different view on our well-being.

Live long and prosper :)

Any information on these pages should be taken as information only and not health advice. You should always consult a professional medical practitioner concerning any issues that you may have or change of diet regime - the GP is often the first port of call, but there are also chiropractors, osteopaths, physical therapists, homeopaths, nutritionists, naturopaths, herbalists, and so on, who can offer relevant advice.