ARTICLES

What is Wellness? Wellness is the state of optimal well-being, having an improved quality of life resulting from enhanced physical, mental, and spiritual health. 

I believe that maintaining balance is the key to life. Balance is achieved by having all aspects and facets of your life in sync and in a harmonious state.  When one is out of balance, their mental then physical state suffers.  Psychosomatic disorder in the School of Psychology acknowledges that theory. As a result of unhappiness, anxiety or stress due to personal problems, physical symptoms may develop. We are all familiar with the headache that develops as a result of stress. Similarly, other physical symptoms can develop. These include nausea, abdominal pain and chest pain, breathlessness, diarrhea and muscle pains to name a few. How can we remedy that?  Well, different strokes for different folks. But, as a general guide, we should all try to adopt the practice of Total Wellness.  Everything should be done in moderation because having equilibrium leads to a  life "harmonious".

 Live & eat healthier. Here’s the plain truth of the matter-   If you smoke, quit! If you drink like a fish, cut down, or stop altogether. Some of you feel that you need foreign substances in order to enjoy life, how wrong you are!  If you’re sedentary most of the time, try to get some exercise in your daily routine. Exercise does not have to be aerobics or high impact movements.  It’s simply any movement that elevates your heart rate.

 (e.g.walking, daily chores such as vacuuming, yoga,sex, etc.) Get the point?  Start moving!    

Eat what you want, but if you know you eat too much, cut back.  Portion control is key to healthy living. You do not have to give up foods you love, if you want that chocolate cake, go for it...chocolate is healthy for you (the darker the better)! Cut back on lots of “anything” (sweets, grease, salt).I don’t believe that food is only for sustenance, it should be an enjoyment as well. Remember, moderation is key! If you eat a lot of processed foods, limit your intake, and go the natural route once in a while.  Processed foods require a great deal of chemical “processing” in order to get to its final state. (E.g. enriched flour….it isn’t naturally white, it takes a factory using chemical components to strip it and process it to that state), therefore removing necessary nutrients vital to our body’s health and well being. 

*    HHH Services will be your personal life consultant, helping you achieve a healthier you. 

Mental health has to do with how you feel about yourself, how you feel about others, and how you are able to meet and handle the demands of life. Your mental state is determined by the mind's thoughts and thought- processes.  Thoughts are a controlled phenomena.  Therefore, you have the ultimate power to control how you feel about yourself and how you respond to the environmental factors around you.  Negative thoughts produce negative energy. Negative energy hinders our growth as individuals, and it plays a role in certain misfortunate events that may occur within our lives. The key to healthy living is positive thinking. Positive thinking gives you the ability to see the upside in every situation you may face.  Learn to empower yourself. Get to know your strengths and weaknesses. Know your abilities, and try to gain understanding through your experiences. You will come to appreciate who you are. 

• Positive thinking
• Empowerment
• Positive self image 
• Confidence 
• Empathy
• Understanding
• Tolerance of others

These are some key words that you should work on perfecting. Be optimistic, and see the positive where there may be negatives.  When you have a healthy dose of confidence, no one can bring you down.

Spiritual health is not so easily defined in my opinion.  Spirituality has a broad meaning, and the meaning is open to interpretation.  But the basic ideology of spirituality encompasses one seeking a higher truth (done in solitude- not communal), trying to achieve a higher level of wisdom and understanding in relation to their place in the world; therefore trying to gain that understanding how it ties in to the Universe and to a higher power (God). Spirituality is the spirit’s/soul’s search for freedom from earthly ties, seeking out a special relationship with God/Most High.  You’ll rarely ever see an atheist trying to achieve “spirituality”. Spirituality, however, is not to be confused with being religious. Religion is more structural in its practices and beliefs, and most times has a leader as head - to lead the flock, so to speak.    Religion is a social order that I’m not a big fan of. But, religion is very necessary to maintain order in society; and some people need that sense of community to help them cope. Both practices of spirituality and religion have common ground in that they require a level of faith and belief in a higher power (Most High/God). Hey, whichever practice works best for you, do it! 

Now, on to Alternative vs. Western Medicine. Judging from my writings thus far, you’ve probably guessed that I’m for the Alternative School of Medicine.  (e.g. Ayurveda school, holistic school, etc.) Alternative schools of medicine differs greatly from Western Medicine in that they use old world techniques generally in the form of natural nutritional supplements, enzymes, diet (meaning food and drink intake, not the deprivation of food), detoxification (which can be achieved with sauna, colon cleansing, herbs), change in life style, stress control, and prevention methods. 

 The Holistic practice dictates that you take the WHOLE person into consideration (body, mind, spirit, and environment), then comes up with techniques to help treat that person holistically. Western medicine is very different in that it tries to suppress or treat a condition, ailment, or disease by prescribing and dispensing drugs. It focuses on treating the ailment, with no further concern on the trigger, possibly stemming from the patient’s life situation(s).  Unfortunately, this is big business in the Western world, and pharmaceutical companies will not be pleased if our healthcare system tries to incorporate Alternative practitioners into the system.  Integrated therapy is a good idea. It encompasses both schools working hand in hand….sounds too idealistic?  Maybe. For now, try taking matters into your own hands and start with good nutrition.  

-Authored by Tesheca LaRose,   CEO & President of HHH Services