Nourish those cells.

As I write this I am thinking of three people that are in the midst of their cancer journey, two dealing with very serious health issues and one on hospice making a transition to the life after. I am sure you have at least one name swimming in your head.  I wish it was not so.  Realistically, health, or more accurately lack of health, (dis-ease), is all around us. 

Imagine for a moment a fairy land where everyone is perfectly healthy.  Where each human lives with only what is necessary and grows their own food in a small garden next to their humble abode.  Extra food or unique foods grown are used to barter with neighbors who also wish to share their abundance.  Living off the land, consuming what nature has provided and being kind and generous.  Each, exercising self-compassion by taking time to be alone and contemplate, experience nature, love and connect with others and work the small bit of land provided.  How beautiful... a land without toxins, cigarettes, caffeine, drugs, genetically modified foods, alcohol or stress of any kind.  A land where humans consume only what nature and their own hard work provides.

Skreeeeeetch!  Did you say no caffeine?  I know, I probably lost you well before that.  I probably lost you at "lives with only what is necessary".  We are human after all!  Living in the land of opportunity. A magical place with a system of health care that can fix anything that might be wrong with a pill or a procedure or a cocktail of sorts. The land of the free. 

Fairy land does not exist. Instead, we live in the other land.  Where the pursuit of pleasure is our mantra.  This land of opportunity has a shadow offering of indulgence.  We are bombarded with products that are bad for the earth and harmful to its inhabitants, but make profits for a few and therefore allowed to be sold, marketed and consumed.  We live in the land of Amazon and instant gratification.

At the same time, we live in the land of the free. And with freedom comes choice. Choices that silently assault our body that eventually catch up with us.   Choices to nurture every cell of our body and be of benefit to the cells of others we come in contact with. Be they natural, animal or human, we can choose to be in relationship in more healing and regenerative ways.  

How?  

Take the Opportunity in your Freedom to make good Choices and use Health to Care for you.

1.     Eat food from nature.   

2.     Enjoy the outside.  

3.     Give your body a cleanse from toxins (environmental, stress, politics, social media, alcohol, nicotine, chemicals in your food, etc.).

4. Take a moment and marvel at the human body's intelligence to heal itself.

Did you know that your red blood cells renew themselves every four months?  Other life expectancies of cell types, according to How Stuff Works as well as Daily Mail, include:

  • Liver Cells regenerate every 150-500 days

  • Stomach and Intestines, up to 5 days

  • Lungs every 2-3 Weeks

  • Skin every 2-4 Weeks

  • Brain and Eyes - These cells are as old as our age and for the most part do not regenerate. However, in the brain we have the olfactory bulb controlling our sense of smell and the hippocampus which is an area that allows us to learn and do, in fact, regenerate. In the eyes our cornea can regenerate in as little as 24 hours.

You have the power to help your body rejuvenate in whatever state you find yourself.  When you begin making choices that take care of you, you become able and willing to take care of others. Then this other land begins to look a little more magical.

Here is a suggestion. Make a double batch of "Magical Mineral Broth". Pour it into mason jars, give half to a friend with the invitation for you both to sip it throughout the day.  Rebecca Katz offers this recipe in her book "The Cancer Fighting Kitchen" where she suggests to those going through chemotherapy to drink at least this to assist the body to heal.   By taking the time to choose ways that nourish your cells, you give them the power to regenerate.  This happens by the sheer intelligence of this human capsule we are blessed to steward. When we share this gift with another, the intelligence is magnified.

Sip and slow down just enough to hear yourself living.