TheHolisticParent.ORG The Basics of Health

The Basics of Health

Under the topic of nutrition, I’ve included what makes a healthy person. When one
thinks of nutrition, the thought that comes to mind is usually food. Nutrition can be more
than just food. It’s basically about nourishing yourself, which includes more than just
food. There are several key principles to good health, and I felt this was a good area to
include them.

Sunshine

The sun is essentially what sustains our lives. In our present society, we’re taught that
sunlight is scary because we could get dreaded skin cancer. The truth is it is essential
to spend every day in the sun for a period of time if we want to be healthy. The general
guideline is to spend at a minimum of 15 minutes in direct sunlight a day. This means
sunlight exposure without sunscreen, sunglasses, or layers of long sleeved clothing.
The sun needs to actually touch the skin! Sunlight is so important because it is the
process by which our body manufactures Vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced in the skin
during sunlight exposure. Be sure not to dry off after being in the sun. It is important to
air dry so to speak, so the vitamin D has a chance to become absorbed in the body.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause a whole host of problems including… A deficiency in
Vitamin D can even result in the cancer everyone is so worried about in the first place!
The tricky thing with Vitamin D deficiency is that it is hardly ever recognized or
diagnosed as a cause of disease by conventional medicine, yet it is absolutely
essential to good health. Vitamin D can only be manufactured by being out in the sun.
Taking supplements of Vitamin D can be helpful, especially in winter months, but it is
not nearly as effective as being out in the sun. Adhering to proper guidelines for sun
exposure is also important. As with anything, sunbathing takes good decision making
as to how long to spend in direct sunlight. Getting too much sun and getting burnt can
have complications as anyone who has ever been sunburned clearly knows. Build up
your resistance to the sun slowly. Eating superfoods such as spirulina and chorella
(both can come in tablet form) can help increase resistance to the sun. Slathering on
sunscreen only serves the purpose of your skin absorbing toxic chemicals that your
body then has to protect itself against. If you’re going to be out in the sun, you might as
well get the benefits of it. Your body needs it. Your mind needs it. When you’ve had
enough sun, simply go indoors or cover up with lightweight, long sleeved clothing and a
big hat.

Pure Water

Our water is an atrocity. It contains many chemicals and toxins. It contains left over
pharmaceuticals that are simply dumped into the water because no one stops this
practice. Chlorine is extremely vicious to our bodies. Flouride is a poison. It you want
your body to function at its best, it can’t be bogged down by dealing with all the crap
loaded into our water supply. Protect your body.
Proper Nutrition
This is obviously a given as it is the subject of almost this entire section, but it’s worth
repeating. Your body cannot be healthy and function optimally if it doesn’t have what it
needs to do so.

Exercise

There’s a lot of conflict in the health world about proper exercise, but the thing almost
no one argues about is that the body needs it. I’m not really here to give advice on how
to exercise. I believe in doing what’s comfortable for you, what you enjoy, and simply
staying active. I believe people burn out from various exercise routines all too quickly.
This is one area in which children usually set a good example. They walk, run, climb,
play, and laugh. This is basically the exercise they need. They aren’t lifting weights or
running on the treadmill under fluorescent light. They’re doing what feels natural and
good to them. Exercise is an important component of being healthy. It’s about finding
something that works for you. Send your children outdoors, keep the TV turned off or
better yet get rid of it, and your children will be a step ahead of the rest.

Fresh Pure Air

Pure air is important in terms of reducing toxin exposure to your body. Indoor air is
typically fairly toxic. Most furniture, paint, drywall, and other furnishings all off gas
chemicals that we then breathe. Opening windows is important to allow the air to
circulate. Getting indoor plants can help your indoor air quality drastically. An air purifier
may be an option worth considering as well. Outdoor air is a problem in many
circumstances as well. This area is covered in greater depth in our Toxin Free
Parenting section.

Avoidance of Toxins

This topic is covered in detail in our toxin free parenting section. It’s worth repeating
here as well. A toxin is a biologically disrupting substance. Our body is capable of
handling a certain amount of toxins. If our body becomes loaded with too many toxins, it
becomes inefficient at best and diseased at worst. Our conventional existence in this
country is extremely toxic. Toxins can be found everywhere. If you want to have good
health through a lifetime, it is imperative to avoid as many toxins as absolutely possible.

Proper Sleep

This kind of goes without saying, but for some reason is easy to forget. Sleep is
obviously a biological need. We cannot avoid it. It will eventually overcome us. However,
our society is stressed to the max, and we often don’t get enough rest. This is
especially true at times for children. School and other demands on their time leave
them little time to get the precious sleep their little bodies so desperately need. It is a
parent’s responsibility to ensure proper sleep for the entire family. Sleep will help your
body replenish, maintain health, and function optimally.

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