Blog: “Prevention” by Dr. Samantha Durland
One of the most amazing things to me is how we talk so much about prevention in medicine, but we are so focused on the disease. We are somehow so blinded as to why we are all becoming sicker; increased diabetes, etc….
The full answer may be very complex, but a common denominator in it all is actually quite SIMPLE to see.
If our body’s job in this life is to protect us (and it is)
Then, it does not want to get sick.
Chronic stress injures the Body and mind because the living organism cannot heal in this state. Over time this causes the body to break down, lose energy and not feel well. Not feeling well for a long time and not understanding why leads the brain to stop trying. Pretty soon we are on the couch all the time eating potato chips and don’t know how we got there.
The world that we have created is not what our body understands. Our body just wants us to eat some whole foods, drink water, sleep, value ourselves and our community, and move. It could care less about the size of the home that we live in, or what car we drive. It just wants the consistency of a good day– We cannot think into our bodies how to be, they just are. Once we accept this and move within it- we become healthier. Until we realize this, we are going down the opposite path of wellness.
It is so amazing also that as a society we value our cars, our homes, and our cell phones over our own bodies. In reality- our body is the coolest thing ever. The fact that it can regenerate itself, that it has the power of nature in it, the fact that it sacrifices its own self for the journey of the spirit within is nothing less than the most beautiful love story that I have ever known.
Well- think of your body as a car for a moment. You only get one in this whole life–just one. If you lose a tire, the steering wheel, or your windshield you body won’t run as well. If food is fuel (and it is) you cannot put diesel fuel in it and expect an engine that is to run off of unleaded gas to run well.
If you don’t do your maintenance at the 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, 40,000 and so on… then by the time you get to the 60,000 if you have run your car into the ground, no one should be surprised that it does not work well.
Likewise if you get in an accident, your insurance company pays for you to get repaired. But, last time I checked it was my responsibility as a car owner to change m y oil, rotate my tires, and do the maintenance. Why do we think that our insurance company is any different for healthcare? Health insurance is just a 3rd party vendor— it is a business dispersing payments for services that are provided. IT is not a doctor, it is not a nurse, it is not a right or wrong….it is a business.
Wellness is not the job of the insurance company. It is not your sister, brother, or child’s responsibility to help. No, in the end- true wellness is the individual’s responsibility and choice.
It is hard to see that we value our cell phone and Facebook over our own magical lively journeys. We are missing the beauty right in front of each of us….and for what?
I challenge you to put some good gas in, move a little, sleep, say something nice to someone, try….see how your start to feel.
If we have evolved over 100s of thousands of years and we are still here. We are adaptable. We have outlived the dinosaurs. In a cave.
We are doing it to ourselves. We are the ones that are responsible for all of this.
The answer is not hard, it just involves change. And change takes energy. Change starts with a desire, it starts with self accountability, it starts with you, with me, with each of us.
I challenge you to try. Try to be well. But, if it feels hard- you are over thinking it. Being well is really simple. But, in today’s world, simple is so different than what we have created.
I challenge you to start. START today. Don’t stop. Wake up. Try, try again- this journey of life never ends….and I have learned it is not about the end point- it is about learning on the path of the journey- just keep going. Try. Just start.
By making this site, it is an attempt to infuse positivity and energy into as many people as we can reach. We just want to help people get better. We have learned along the way that it takes a village, and it is not about one of it- rather it is about us all.
If you do not get enough from the site and feel that you could use a little more, feel free to come visit us- make an appointment. Look us in the eyes and we will listen, we will stand by you and work on figuring things out.
If you find that this information is helpful, please share it. I find that it takes a lot of bravery for folks to say that they don’t feel well. I do this for a living– I know that most folks don’t feel well, they just think that is the norm. They just can accept this.
I have learned that we can all consistently have a good day overall. Life should be more than surviving – it should be living.
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Learn more about My Simple 7– daily actions to thrive in a strong, healthy, and peaceful body.
