What is Natural Health?
The Natural Approach to Health, Nutrition and Lifestyle
More and more people are becoming disillusioned with conventional healthcare and are desiring to take a more natural approach to achieving greater health. God created in each of us the powerful ability for our body to heal itself. When we put into the body what it needs, and eliminate what shouldn't be there, the results are amazing! The role of a natural health practitioner is to facilitate this process by educating and helping the client in natural therapies which stimulate the internal healing power.
Knowing that God created our bodies with an amazing ability to heal...it is Cheryl's objective to identify and address the cause of health issues. This is accomplished through the process of an in-depth health consultation to understand the complex interaction of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual factors affecting the client's total health picture.
Cheryl educates her clients to become more aware of their own health, and learn how to stimulate the body's own healing ability. She motivates and encourages them to assume more responsibility for their own health through having an appropriate attitude, lifestyle and diet. Cheryl will discuss various natural options for creating the environment to return to health.
Taking Our Health for Granted
Many people seldom think about their health, at least seriously, until it interferes with life in some way. Then, they want to get well as quickly as possible. But seeking "fast relief" like advertisements often promise, and covering up symptoms with "a pill," you may very likely fail to correct the underlying cause(s) of your problem, or even make it worse.
Whether the expression is a sign of an acute, subacute, or chronic condition, ignoring symptoms through suppression of them is always a mistake. Symptoms are the body's way of telling us something is awry and that it is trying to heal itself. They may come and go, but the root cause persists until it has been corrected. The body is restored to health by eliminating the cause of the disease, illness or condition, not by covering it or suppressing it.
Some Factors in Health
- Heredity and Lifestyle
Each of us is born into this world with a genetic composition received from our parents (and thus from grandparents, great grandparents, etc). We know that a history of weakness in the family (such as heart disease) may predispose us to a weakness in that area as well, suggesting that we should take extra care of our health regarding that weakness. Iridology is a fascinating art and science that can often help us identify areas of weakness often before symptoms manifest. Genetic tendency or inheritance does not mean it is inevitable that we manifest the same concern ourselves.
Although genetics play a part, what is more important and influences our health even more, is our lifestyle, which consists of many factors, including, but not limited to, the following.
- Nutrition
Many people would agree that "We are what we eat." This is partly true, but even more true is the fact that we are what we absorb and assimilate.
It is becoming more understood by the general public that "how" and "what" we eat is a significant part of maintaining, regaining or destroying our health. By eating the food God provided, we strengthen the organs of the body and provide our physical structure with the nutrients that are needed. In individual consultation or workshops and seminars, Dr. Cheryl Matschek discusses this topic at length. When we eat what our body needs, it is transmuted into healing, energy, vigor and fullness of life.
God provides us with an abundance of healthy, natural foods that include fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts and grains. Natural foods strengthen the body, nourish weak organs, and help eliminate waste matter from the body. And most important, they cleanse and purify the blood. Today, SAD (the Standard American Diet) is made up mostly of everything but these foods. Instead, it is high in animal fat, low in fiber, highly processed and manufactured, and contains many additives, colorings and other unnatural substances. What's more, many crops are now grown with genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
- Water and Hydration
Just as what food we eat is important, so is what we drink. Alcohol, soda beverages, and many caffeinated beverages are unhealthy for the body. What we need is appropriate amounts of good, pure water and smoothies or juices made from fresh vegetables and fruits.
Proper functioning of the body requires water. While it is possible to live without food for weeks, body shuts down without water in days. Your body temperature is regulated by water as your skin sweats, helping your body to eliminate toxins and absorb vitamins and minerals. And your blood requires water to maintain proper balances of minerals and even to be ablet to move oxygen through your bloodstream. Without water, your body simply cannot function.
We are constantly losing water. Most of us don't think about just how much water our bodies expel during the course of a day. In fact, ideally, we should drink half our weight in ounces per day. Just breathing releases moisture into the air and out of your body. Any extra strains on the system, such as a hot summer day, or a good workout, or even stress, increase the amount of water both used and lost.
Here are a few interesting facts about water as well:
- 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated
- The thirst mechanism in approximately a third of the US population is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger
- Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism, which then makes it harder to lose weight
- Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue
- Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers
- A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on a computer screen or on a printed page
Dehydration produces stress, chronic pain and many degenerative diseases. Having a dry mouth is not the only sign of dehydration. Actually, by the time you "feel thirsty" you are already in the dehydration process. Approximately 75% of your body is water. Your brain is approximately 85% water. It is water that energizes and activates the solid matter. If you don't enough water, body functions will suffer. Dehydration does produce body system disturbances, particularly (1) the immune system, rendering it less effective and less responsive, (2) low oxygen and high acidity bodily environment that is more suited for cancer cell development that healthy, normal tissues, (3) the molecular metabolism of the body.
The purest form of water is distilled water. If you have a quality distiller it effectively removes (1) bacteria and microorganisms including viruses, (2) soluble inorganic salts such as fluoride, sodium, nitrates, (3) organic chemicals like pesticides, PCBs, THMs, etc., (4) radionuclides (trace elements in rocks and soil as a consequence of radioactive decay or uranium-238—such as radon, radium, uranium, etc, (5) heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, arsenic, lead, etc. and (6) soluble minerals. It has been erroneously said that because distilled water is "hungry water" (due to it's lack of minerals) that it is bad for the body. Actually, because it has no minerals it will pull inorganic minerals from the joints and soft tissues of the body where they should not be and often contribute to issues such as arthritis, but it will not pull the organic minerals that are actually being used by the cells of the body.
In summary, water is incredibly important. More important than food, truly, because you cannot survive many days without it.
If you are looking to de-toxify your water, please view my affiliate page at Waterwise.com for products such as high-quality water distillers and shower-head filters.
- Attitudes and Thoughts
Although not often considered to be part of what is involved in health, our minds are incredible and they do play a significant part in our health. Every word you say is communicated to your body...and the physical body actually responds. Tell yourself long enough that you are sick, and you most likely will become sick. In fact, some people have felt poorly for so long that they've forgotten what it is like to feel really great. Many people don't know that getting up in the morning with ease after a good night of sleep (without sleeping pills) and being grateful for another day, living comfortably, energetically and without pain, and having enthusiasm for life is all part of good health and feeling great.
The real question is, perhaps, "How much do we want to be well...not only disease-free, but truly in good health?" We can improve our own health. In fact, most people can turn around ill health and regain their strength. Our good health, though, requires a commitment of discipline and follow-through in several areas, including that of our attitude, desire and thinking.
- Lifestyle
All the factors mentioned above are considered to be part of "lifestyle" and they have great impact on our health. Everything we do has an effect on our health. Cheryl will help you understand how your lifestyle is building or tearing down your health, and teach you what you can do to maintain or regain good health.
Several factors have worked together to create the health that you are experiencing today...whether it is very good or very poor. But whatever your situation, if you desire to gain greater health or maintain the health you now have, Cheryl can help you get or remain on track.
Ready for a Consultation?
Whether you are concerned about a particular weakness or illness, excess weight or low energy, or whatever other health issue, perhaps a consultation with Dr. Cheryl is the place to begin.