Read an Excerpt
The Proactive Health Solution
By Nadia Yacoub Cavallini AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2014 Nadia Yacoub Cavallini
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4817-5882-6
CHAPTER 1
A Vision of Hope for Health Care Reform
What is optimal health? There could be a wide range of descriptions, depending upon whom we ask. Biologically, the human body is incredibly fascinating, with its intricate blend of parts and systems. From a medical standpoint, an oncologist would describe it as a body that is cancer-free, whereas a cardiologist would focus primarily on the criteria for a healthy heart. Aside from the substantial physical considerations, however, there are numerous other viewpoints. A psychotherapist is mainly concerned with evaluating and raising a consciousness of mental and emotional wellness, while a preacher is called to help save and bolster mankind's spiritual condition in hopes of promoting greater world peace.
Indeed, optimal health appears to be a conglomeration of unique and numerous sorts. For all practical purposes, however, we can summarize optimal health as a healthy mind, body, and spirit. This fundamental concept shouldn't be grasped only by holistic gurus. If individuals from all walks of life could quickly identify this notion, surely that would mark the path into a revolutionary era. For many people, an adjustment of perception is necessary. Optimal health does in fact, encompass more than the physical body, and to this extent, we're all a work in progress. A new paradigm is underway. It's time for a change, and many strides are yet to be made within the health arena, both individually and collectively.
Faith and Truth
The crusade toward optimal health requires some faith, so the first juncture of this journey begins by gaining a vision of hope. Don't believe that you have to see it to believe it. You have to believe it to see it! Lose the demons of despair and discouragement. Instead, start envisioning and believing that it's possible to transform your body and to receive restoration and healing in every aspect of your health. When you keep a vision that's filled with hope, you'll gain the faith necessary to believe in the best. "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
Of course, your faith (or lack thereof) may be a private matter, from both a personal and religious perspective, yet it can have a profound impact on your life and well-being. What we each personally believe could very well be independent of our so-called faith in God per se. While nobody wants to miss the mark, our beliefs and thought processes may or may not be aligned with the truth. Just consider the offbeat, organized faith-based religions that have fallen prey to deception. There have been enough people victimized or brainwashed, all in the name of their fanatical faith. Historically, we can observe the devastating effects of such religious fanaticism. For instance, the Jonestown massacre, led by Jim Jones on November 18, 1978, destroyed 918 lives (276 of whom were children). Before the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, this deadly tragedy marked the single largest loss of U.S. civilian life in a non-natural disaster.
On the other hand, some people have no professed faith at all, yet they live by goodwill and bring no harm to others. Certainly, there will always be plenty of differences and extremes regarding matters of faith. Whether you're a religious scholar or a religious skeptic, this is irrelevant; you're still entitled to your own opinion. You're always free to choose what to think and believe. However, good faith that provides hope, healing, and restoration to your mind, body, and spirit can only come from God, the source of all sovereign power and truth. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
So amid the spectrum of human free will and much traditionalism, can we find some common ground? Yes, it is possible, for aside from any particular ideology or lofty religious doctrine, the truth is universal; it is a supreme reality that carries tremendous power. The more enlightened you are by the truth, the more power you'll have to transform your life and health. Knowing the truth can help you release chains of bondage and improve well-being on many levels—mental, spiritual, or physical. For instance, have you ever noticed that when you finally forgive someone who has caused you deep-rooted bitterness, this actually makes you feel better? If you've never done so, you should try it. There is tremendous power in forgiveness. When you release toxic emotions that have been long bottled up, this is for your benefit—it improves your entire health and well-being. Whenever you discover the truth, whatever the truth may be, you'll find freedom in its power. "Then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free."
Many people struggle to improve their health because they haven't yet come to terms with the truth. Instead, the self-imposed limitations of fear have kept them stuck in a cycle of doubt and negativity. Going through the motions of a fitness routine doesn't exactly count. Why? It doesn't necessarily lead to a healthy lifestyle transformation. If we truly want to live a healthier lifestyle, inevitably changes will need to take place. Psychological barriers, personal hang-ups, and bad habits need to be broken, yet left to our own devices this may not occur. That's because each of us, in our own human capacity, has limited strength; our tactics and coping mechanisms fail. However, when we approach our desire for change by placing faith in something greater than ourselves, we open a new path for personal transformation. With God, miracles are possible.
Whatever name you use, a higher power is available to help you transform your life and health for the best. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me, and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.'" This isn't about being religious. It's about whether you personally choose to seek a higher source of power to help you transform for the better, all the way around—in mind, body, and spirit. When the time is right, you'll just know. The reality is that if you're ever going to experience optimal health, then you need to nourish not only your physical body in a proper way, but your mind and spirit as well. Make no mistake; they're all connected.
Your emotions tend to follow your thoughts. If you think negatively, how does that make you feel? Although depression can be triggered by a biochemical imbalance; sometimes it's your own discouraging thoughts that create chronic depression. Everybody feels down occasionally, but ultimately, how does one cope? What are the telltale signs of healthy versus unhealthy behaviors? Alcohol and drugs have long been common vices, and nowadays it's no secret that people use food much in the same way to try to escape from their emotional pain. When obesity becomes the result, a cycle of neurotic behavior will follow, which only makes matters worse. It should be clear that these types of coping mechanisms are bound to fail. So how in the world does anyone get out of this funk? Again, in order to break such unhealthy behavior, we must each be willing to face our own moment of truth.
The truth will clear your head and set you straight from the inside, out. It can free you from unhealthy addictions and steer you to make better decisions. When your thoughts are aligned with the truth, this helps you get a grip on your emotions. Besides, who really enjoys being around a drama queen (or king)? It's true that sometimes our emotions can get the best of us; we're only human. In order to be healthy, however, we need to direct our thoughts and energy toward what's constructive, not what's destructive. If your mind is always flooded with negative thoughts of discouragement, then it's time to prepare for a mental battle. This battlefield takes place in your own mind—nobody can think for you. You must discover your own truth to fight off thoughts of deception and discouragement. The Bible says this is a battle you must fight with faith: "Fight the good fight of the faith." If you seek and meditate on God's word, this can cleanse your mind with the truth. "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." "Jesus answered, 'I am the way, the truth and the life.'" "For this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." When the truth pierces your heart, it's an experience that can change you forever on many levels.
In time, you'll discover that striving to reach optimal health is an integration process. The progress you make along this journey will strike a healthier balance between your mind, body, and spirit. Each of these dimensions is interconnected and if one is out of sync, this can indeed affect another. Consider, getting a deep-tissue massage. Relaxing your mind during the massage deepens the rejuvenating effect upon your body and calms your spirit. When you have peace of mind, this will have quite a different effect on your body than an anxious mind-set. If your mind is consumed by worry, you may stay up all night, tossing and turning. Or perhaps all that mental anxiety will trigger an overeating impulse, which certainly takes a toll on you physically. One dimension of health (the mind) has had an effect on another (the body). Initially, you may find it unrealistic to gain any sense of balance, but as you become more aware of these connections, it will get easier. For now, just understand that the closer you are to reaching and maintaining this ideal balanced state, the healthier you'll be.
This is viewing the broad scale of how your mind is integrated with your body and spirit, but it's certainly nothing new. Ancient wisdom pointed to this reality long ago, through the study and practice of yoga, which helps to balance the chakras. A "chakra" is a system of energy that runs throughout your body. There are at least seven main chakras, sometimes referred to as energy meridians, present in the human body, and every part of the body has an associated chakra. Each chakra has a connection with one of the endocrine glands, as well as with a certain group of nerves called a plexus. The chakras regulate the flow of energy throughout your consciousness and each vibrates at a different frequency. The state of flow of the energy is determined, therefore, by what you decide to think and feel and the way you choose to experience the world around you. When these energy systems flow smoothly, you experience wholeness, but when the energy is blocked, you experience tension. If the tension continues to mount, it could eventually manifest physically as a symptom. In yoga, when we hold certain poses, this helps to release tension in different parts of the body and brings balance back to the individual chakras.
Whenever we experience health setbacks of any sort, we should take a moment to observe our mind-set. If we want to experience optimal health then we must focus our thoughts on life and wellness, not on death and disease. Regardless of our circumstance, we can begin to affirm and believe it's possible to be healthy. God can heal our infirmities. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, what is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." It stands to reason that if optimal health includes the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of our well-being, then we need more than just a "nutrition and exercise" program.
Yet in the midst of trying to adopt an integrated approach toward optimal health, we also need to learn how to proactively manage our lifestyle. Shockingly, Western society, as a whole, still hasn't fully grasped either concept. That is, most people are so far off base when it comes to proactively managing their lifestyle that they barely can muster the time to entertain the idea of basic physical health, let alone optimal or holistic health. Collectively, we've failed miserably in both of these areas, and nationally, we're facing a health care crisis for a reason. If we stay on this beaten path and continue to neglect the root causes behind our health issues, then we're only going to dig ourselves deeper into a bottomless pit. Trying to solve this massive problem in a fragmented way is not the answer. Managing our lifestyle and health calls for a great deal more. We need something that is innovative, comprehensive and upheld within a reliable structure.
What's Health Care Reform?
There has been much confusion in the United States about health care reform in recent years. As soon as we hear those words "health care reform," it's likely that a political debate will follow. However, we shouldn't confuse health care reform with politics, insurance policies, pre-existing medical conditions, or a public option. There will always be different debates and pros and cons regarding these types of matters. The reality is that health care reform has been necessary for a long time on a global scale, not solely in the United States. The health care crisis is absolutely massive; it's now a global problem. We must change our perception, however, about what we consider health care reform. It should not be viewed merely as the allocation of insurance dollars and the forcing of insurance coverage upon the millions of currently uninsured.
Stipulations, regulations, and public policy regarding insurance coverage should not be misconstrued as "health care reform," per se. While those are certainly important matters to consider, if we only refer to health care reform in this regard, it leaves us with a fragmented view. Division and frustration are sure to follow. Most people can sense something is not right but can't seem to put their finger on it. There's a reason. At the grassroots level, it's just not realistic to put that much power into any bureaucratic system. As individuals and citizens of any country, we're still personally responsible for our own health. If any society is ever going to make significant strides regarding health care matters, it must teach the development of healthy habits to empower all individuals—this lies at the heart of true health care reform.
That doesn't mean that government shouldn't intervene where needed. There's no doubt that people can benefit from an organized system, but we need clear-cut direction, education, and expertise. In the end, however, we must never lose sight of our personal responsibility. We, as individuals, hold many answers to our health issues, and this will always be our personal privilege, regardless of any jurisdiction. Within the Obama administration, the United States has taken a historic step to try to fix the health care system. In the process, however, it has overlooked many elements of health care reform by being reactive instead of proactive. Administered by itself, it lacks the proper groundwork for a successful health care overhaul, not because some people won't benefit from it, but because it's mostly concerned with paying for the consequences of poor lifestyle habits, rather than preventing them in the first place. There are repercussions, individually and collectively. We're still in dire need of so much more, in spite of how many visits we make to the doctor's office.
The real reason behind this health care dilemma is not that people don't have the proper coverage or can't afford health insurance, although that could certainly contribute partially to some problems. This issue has a significantly wider and deeper magnitude. If people were proactive in adopting a healthy lifestyle, we wouldn't be faced with the health care predicament of this era. A sensibly revised health care system requires a great deal of education about the development of healthy habits. We need a revolutionary solution—an educational tool, that will help guide and empower all individuals—and we need it now.
Today, we can begin to alter the health of our future. The Proactive Health Solution (PHS) is an intervention that can stop the worsening health cycle. It offers a comprehensive, practical way to help pull societies out of the downward spiral by empowering each of us individually and teaching the development of healthy habits to all. My practical experience of working as a personal trainer was the inspiration behind the design of the PHS. After consulting with many people of diverse backgrounds, ages, and professions, I recognized a common need. Although everyone came to me with different fitness objectives and a unique life story, each struggled with similar lifestyle issues. I discovered that aside from any fitness program, it was this dimension of developing healthy behaviors and discipline that people needed the most, yet the basic direction to do this was missing. I knew it was necessary to create something simple yet powerful enough to help guide, motivate, and empower all individuals to become proactive with their health.
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Excerpted from The Proactive Health Solution by Nadia Yacoub Cavallini. Copyright © 2014 Nadia Yacoub Cavallini. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
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