Rage Against The Dying Of The Light

Are we sleepwalking into chronic ill health?

Why is it that most people relate health to medical treatment? To me that’s a bit like a ‘shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted’ attitude. I take the opposite view, but then I would wouldn’t I …

I relate health to a good diet, (and I’m no martyr to healthy eating. I enjoy a packet of chipsticks and some licorice lozenges once in a while) exercise, fresh air, lots of good quality sleep which according to experts like child sleep consultant near me, doing a job that gives me a great sense of satisfaction, taking my supplements as and when, having periodic colonics (of course!) and getting some ME time, when I can. Not necessarily in that order, I might add.

It’s very important to me, that I spend time with the people that I love, and who love me, and I connect with them not just on a physical level, but mentally and spiritually too.

I want to delay medical intervention for as long as I possibly can. Now don’t get me wrong. If I’m involved in a car crash, then take me to A&E forthwith, or if I’m diagnosed with cancer, I would find it very difficult to decide chemo, or no chemo. I would do my research, and consult, not just experts from conventional cancer medicine, but experts on treating cancer from a natural medicine perspective too. I would also consult my inner and innate wisdom. No-one has a crystal ball, and we can’t predict what our future health is going to be. However, I do like to think that the things I’m doing, on a daily basis, to maintain my good health, are going to pay dividends in my later years.

I’m a very independent person, and find it difficult to rely on anything and anybody.  It’s part of my character. It is, therefore, anathema to me to wait to get ill. To not do anything to prevent that, and then expecting the NHS to fix me, (to me that would be relinquishing control) without me doing my bit to prevent that, well it’s just not going to happen.

I don’t want to die of some awful, painful disease, where I’m literally wasting and rotting away in a Hospital bed.  That reminds me of Dylan Thomas’ poem, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night:

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175907

We should all ‘rage’ against the ‘dying of the light’.  I’m assuming, of course, that he’s talking about death and dying, and that we should fight it as long as we can.

What do we mean by ‘health’.  Very few people have any idea at all. They just believe if they get sick, the NHS will fix them, and the right treatment will restore their health.  I’m not convinced.  If more resources were put into the importance of  good food, lots of fresh air, exercise, and social activities, we would have less chronic, degenerative diseases.

Ramble over.

Linda Booth – Naturopath & Registered Colonic Hydrotherapist

IBS, Digestive Health & Gut Disorders Clinic

Nottingham Health & Wellbeing Clinic, Plains View Surgery, Mapperley, Nottingham.