How Are You?

The very first question on my Health History form is, "What is your name?"  Names of people, like names of vitamins, have meaning.  Most times a person lives up to the meaning of their name without  the intention to do so; my Cadence is musically inclined, my Sean is giving and considerate, my Kendra knows everything, but if you ask them what their names mean they wouldn't be able to tell you.  It is the same for vitamins and the fruits and vegetables that deliver them; beautiful representations of what they have to offer without intending to be anything more than a fruit or a vegetable or a vitamin.

Another question on the form is, "What are your health concerns?"  I believe health can be brought about by food.  Think of a blueberry.  A cherry.  A cranberry.  A round cut from the center of a carrot.  All are round and full of color and represent the eye: all are delicious carriers of essential vitamins and minerals that support good vision.  What about salmon, pink and clear; walnuts and almonds, with their creamy white, smooth flesh; eggs with their elasticity and definition:  all are good for healthy skin.  Apples are good for clear lungs.  Oranges are good for clean kidneys.  Garlic is good for the heart. -Foods do a fascinating job representing the organs they support but we can only reap their benefits if we eat them.

Another question still, "What do you typically eat?"  Food selection can define a person in nutritiously predictable ways.  Food has energy, vitamins, and nutrients to balance the energy, vitamins and nutrients within the person who eats it.   If energy is lacking, chicken or fish, coffee, and dark colored fruits and vegetables can bolster a bounce.  If clarity is coveted, nuts, seeds, citrus, tomatoes and red wine can carry it through.  When rest is desired, whole grains, calm animals, herbal tea, dairy, stew and skipping the stimulants will deliver. -The energy and nutrients of the food you eat becomes who you are - and how you are - whether you intend it to or not.

The last question on my health history form is, "What is one thing you can do to improve your health right now?"  The answer is different for everyone, I am finding out, for food is not the only health concern people cultivate.  Health is a multifaceted concept that rests in the bed, that walks to the bus, that pays for the water, that cries and bleeds and smiles and breathes.  Health is fed by laughter, by love, by encouragement, by education, by accidents, by reward, by conversation, and, among many others, by food.  -You may not intend to live up to your name and you may not intend to become your food, but you can have intentions that will develop and define your health...  and ...you've already begun.

When all else seems complicated, eat real, simple, whole, naturally occurring food.  Wash in the vitality with water.  Make sure you support your vitamins with vitamins and, as always, remember to wash your hands.  When you are wondering what else is on my Health History form, click on the 'Make a Connection' tab above and I can walk you through it.  All I need is your name~

Anna~