After 32 years of veganism/plant-based eating, I’m convinced that the only way to heal the body is through better food choices and exercise.
Because our society is so fast-paced, we gravitate toward quick and easy solutions to heal ourselves. The latest “innovation” or new way of tackling a problem is always easier and/or takes less effort than its predecessor. For example, for those old enough to remember, the innovation of the television remote meant you didn’t have to get up off the couch and waste energy to change the channel.
Voice recognition systems mean we don’t have to remember as much and waste energy typing. Small innovations like those two, along with many others, have made us lazier as a society. But, it’s also given rise to a major problem: We’ve become less disciplined.
Yes, the word “discipline” doesn’t bring joyous thoughts to your mind, but it’s the most powerful word in the language if you want to be free from disease. Regarding health and wellness, the easy thing to do when you have a health issue is to go to the doctor and get a prescription or buy some type of over-the-counter supplement.
However, those options rarely address the underlying cause of the issue, especially drugs prescribed by a doctor. For example, blood pressure medication can cause your blood pressure to lower, but what caused it to be high in the first place?
And that’s aside from the negative side effects. Only a disciplined effort can take care of the cause, which may mandate some energy expenditure (exercise) and a new way of doing things (better food choices).
Medications mask metabolic problems, they don’t solve them.
It’s time to take the mask off and attack our health problems head-on. In the case of high blood pressure, you may be surprised by how much a slight drop in weight loss will help your cause. That weight loss works best when self-discipline is enforced and mental flexibility is embraced. Resistance to changing the way you do things to produce the desired effect is your greatest enemy when it comes to your health.
That said, the combination of plant-based eating and exercise is not the “easy” way of doing things if your mind is closed. However, when your mind is fertile, plans of action and ultimate results will come easily to you. We’re not talking about rocket science, just the desire to do what is in your best interest, namely plant-based eating and exercise.
A little discipline here and there will be your saving grace.
