I take loving care of my body. I treat myself with the same level of respect that I give to my dearest friends.

~ Louise Hay Affirmation

Our Editor-at-Large, dear friend, and new mommy, Erica Settino pens our Expanding the Circle column. The premise of her column is that, when considering our actions, we need to think of ALL sentient beings, including our non-human friends. Well, to expand Erica’s “Circle,” further, let’s also consider the one we have the closest relationship with, and all too often neglect – ourselves.

The most basic self-care we are capable of, is choosing what we eat and drink. Over forty years ago, pioneer nutritionist and author Adele Davis, proclaimed “every day you either build health or produce disease in yourself.” No food has a net neutral effect. Everything we consume is either enhancing or diminishing our overall health. There is no “sugar coating” this reality. You eat junk, you create more junk. Conversely, when you choose to eat fresh, clean, real food, you produce vibrant health.

One’s own lifestyle is a highly personal choice. However, if you desire optimal health, you need to honestly assess if your lifestyle is really working for you. Two simple determinants are clearly evident: how do you feel, and how you do look? If you have chronically low energy, and you’re less than thrilled with what you see in the mirror, regarding your weight and skin condition, you’ll probably want to reconsider your lifestyle.

During the 22 years in my natural food stores, and now an additional eleven years in Creations Magazine, I’ve been advocating, and practicing a holistic health lifestyle. Whenever I suggest someone avoid eating certain questionable foods – which in all probability are contributing to their undesirable condition – invariably, the reply I receive is they “rarely eat that.” Well, upon further discussion, I invariably discover most folks have a markedly different understanding of the word “rarely.” The reality is that “rarely” turns out to be fairly “regularly” – as in a few times or more per week. Delusion is a danerous business.

And who could convincingly argue otherwise? Obesity is a growing national epidemic. Four decades since Ms. Davis made her statement, the stakes – and most people – are much bigger. In fact, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health announced that roughly 75 percent of adults, and 25 percent of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Mary Wendt, MD, affirms, in her page 9 article (Why Wintry Comfort Foods Make Us Fat), The hard-to-swallow truth is that our favorite comfort foods are making us all fat and sick, mostly due to high levels of saturated fat and inflammatory protein found in animal products. The extreme focus on meat and dairy in our culture is leading many people down a path to health risks like obesity, heart attack, high cholesterol, and hypertension.

You know, I’ve never been much of a “joiner,” but I really have NO interest in becoming a member of that “75% club.” Rather, my priority is achieving optimal health – not merely being symptom-free.

Back in my natural foods retail days, one of my staffers would laughingly label my recommended products as carrying the “Neil Seal” of approval. While my personal tastes and values certainly influenced my selections, these past 30+ years have provided a credible sample size of what works for me. Granted, there will never be a “one size fits all” solution; I share what works for me with the hope it will be of benefit to others.

Please Read Part 2 here.

Enjoy a Peaceful & Healthy 2016
Neil and Andrea

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