We Live in a Sick Society, Part 4....The Cure

Curing our Sick Society

In my own opinionated way, I have laid out what I think are some of the "illnesses" (real and/or figurative) our society suffers from.
The cure?
The cure is not an easy pill to swallow.
WE are the only ones that can effect a cure.

Step One:
Take responsibility for your own health.
That, by the way, is the ONLY step.
That means that if you are ingesting in any way anything you KNOW is unhealthy for you, STOP IT!
Smoking, drinking to excess, white sugars, too much fat, etc.
Shop as organically as possible. Garden, raise livestock for your table if you can. Buy local. Use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning whenever possible.Get as much plastic out of your home as possible.
Look into herbal medicine for everyday aches and pains. Avoid OTC medications as much as possible.
Exercise. Even if you have difficulty doing so, exercise at least a little. Then a little more, every day, do something physical.
Watch less t.v. Move your t.v. OUT of your bedroom! You'll sleep deeper and longer without it in there!
Question your doctor. Don't demand antibiotics for every sniffle! Always ask for treatment options that do NOT involve medication. If your doctor is the type to use his prescription pad at the drop of a hat...find a new doctor.
Eat more salads. Eat more vegetables. Try to have at least one or two vegetarian meals a week. Eat more whole grains.Eat more beans.
Cook from scratch all you can. Bake your own bread, make your own tortillas.
Pack your lunches for work. Pack your children's lunches for school. Better yet, if you are able, home school!
Cut your portion sizes.Get a water filter or water filter pitcher and drink more water.
Drive less, walk/bike more.
Read labels. I'll say that again...READ LABELS. Know what you are eating, what you are feeding your family, what you are cleaning with, etc.
Do all of the above for your children as well!
Give your kids healthy options for snacks. Involve them in gardening, take them to the Farmers Market with you, let them help in the kitchen. 

Make decisions with your wallet. DON'T buy Monsanto products. Try to stay away from the "big box" stores.
"Buy American" is not just good for country, it is good for your health. Other countries do not do the inspections and have the quality control we have in this country.
Again, check those labels! For example, many of the canned vegetables on Wal-Marts shelves are grown and canned in China.They use pesticides and herbicides not allowed in the US. Honey in many groceries is a "blend" of honey from several countries. Sometimes it contains HFCS. ONLY buy local honey! Much produce, meat, honey and fruits that come from South America are similarly suspect. Argentina and Brazil have allowed Monsanto to run agriculture in much of their countries, so many of the products from those countries are GMOs or have fed on GMO corn, wheat, etc.

I know, I know, it seems like a lot to do to reclaim your health.
But once you take the first few "baby steps", it becomes second nature. I have not completed all of the above myself, but I am working on it!
I read the labels. I avoid doctors, OTCs and chemical cleaners. I buy organic and/or local as much as I am able and we are in the process of banishing sugar from the house.
We garden, raise livestock and have home raised eggs, milk and meat.
I have just started getting rid of all the plastics and petroleum-based materials in our home...that's a VERY tough one, by the way!
Take a first step, even if it's a baby step.