Here we are in January, the holidays a recent warm memory and our thoughts naturally turn to spring, renewal and a wealth of health! The ease with which our body is able to do this, especially after (theoretically) a few dietary excesses of the holidays, depends a great deal on our ability to transcend some basic survival instincts.
We are genetically programmed for personal survival. Our body will crave foods packed with sugar and fat to survive the winter, historically a time of scarcity, and store up for the next cycle of scarcity. This is ingrained in the most foundational layer of our consciousness. Our animal mind, sometimes indistinct from our fear mind, is in great fear of death. This is normal.
However today most of us live with, and have adapted to, a rich availability of dietary choices. If we have an urge to eat, we typically do, whether we are truly hungry or not. This genetic tendency will make us crave and consume foods rich in sugars and fats. And you know the rest of the story…with our sedentary lifestyle this necessarily leads to more calories being consumed than burned.
If we (as a society) are unable to consciously understand this and rise above the animal need to survive, the result will be obesity and dis-ease rather than wellness and vitality.
Oh, and then there is the fact of the “convenience” of food. Food that is prepared to appeal to these base instincts often without regard for our nutritional best interests. Food manufacturers are very candid in defending their practice of creating products that are packed with calories and scarce of nutrition. Real food spoils. Cheap calories do not. A simple economical formula that has led to the scary fact that we are the wealthiest of nations and destitute when it comes to wellness.
Good news? Let’s find some. Be aware of what you and your family are eating and the long range consequences of the dietary choices made today. I know I am not alone in seeing the an increasing number of my family members suffering from the effects of “the good life!”.
The fear that kept us alive in our “hunter-gatherer” days may not be serving us well in the world we live in today. If we are aware that our very survival is not hinging on the calories that our lower brain craves, we might make some better choices!
May you enjoy a true richness of wellness in the year of 2013!
IN-JOY,
Perry
Perry
Dr. Chinn is a 1986 Life graduate Seattle area for 26 years and is a board member of the Gonstead Clinical Studies Society. He is the co-creator of the nutritional cardiovascular formula Acctrix (www.Acctrix.com) available at Amazon, co-founder of Unisal Wellness Technologies and is the author of Symphony of Wellness and Soaring Beyond Fear ( www.PerryChinn.com). His book Symphony of Wellness focuses on the science and benefits of the Nobel Prize winning science of nitric oxide for cardiovascular health and whole body wellness. He can be reached at DrPChinn@gmail.com
Dr. Chinn is a 1986 Life University graduate (Marietta), has been practicing for 37 years, currently in NW Montana. He has served as a board member and vice-president of the Gonstead Clinical Studies Society. As a Gonstead technique diplomate, Dr. Chinn is authorized to teach and coach the Gonstead system to other doctors of chiropractic. He is the author of Symphony of Wellness and Soaring Beyond Fear (www.PerryChinn.com), his book Symphony of Wellness (now in an expanded 3rd edition) focuses on the science and benefits of the Nobel Prize winning science of nitric oxide for cardiovascular health and whole body wellness. He is available for keynote speaking and coaching. Dr. Chinn can be reached at DrPChinn@gmail.com