An Ode to Healing

There’s a lot of talk about this thing called healing. We use it like it’s a cliché, like ‘it is what it is’ or ‘just saying’ but in fact, healing is no joke. It can hurt, feel awful and it’s certainly not linear, so it can be frustrating and discouraging as well. I often think of healing being like an onion (what???). It’s a peeling back of layers on the journey to the heart of things. In uncovering layers, we see ourselves differently; uncovering feelings and expressions of ill health and how we tell our stories.

Years ago, almost everyone who knows my story knows that I recovered my wellness from a life-threatening disease with only months to live. I changed everything about my life, from my food to how I stayed fit to how I moved through my days. But I never peeled back enough of the layers to the heart of my truth and fifteen years into living my new ‘perfect’ lifestyle, my arrogance reared its head and took me down like being hit by a city bus.

In 1998, a brain stem aneurysm nearly stole my life from me…again. I can remember being more afraid in this setting than I was with cancer because what could I do now that was different? I already ‘did everything right.’ I ate well; I exercised with yoga; I meditated.

Relying on conventional medicine saved my life but, left me adrift, unsure of how to come back; what to do now. It is a hard lesson to discover that you know absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things. I was brought to my knees, my life cracked open.

It took a phone call to my teacher and mentor, Michio Kushi to open my eyes. I had come home after 12 days in intensive care with the diagnosis that very low levels of vitamin B12 had caused my aneurysm and that I would supplement with injections for the rest of my days because I don’t store B12 as most people do.

Why wasn’t food enough? Didn’t we get all we needed from food? I thought supplements were a sign that we didn’t know how to make balance with food.

Michio listened to my headache-fevered rant before asking me one question: Why did I think that I didn’t need rest? In my evangelical fervor for helping people make healthier choices, I had crossed a line that was robbing me of my own wellness, working each and every day as a private chef to as many as three families a day and teaching cooking on weekends.

I found my balance after much self-reflection; I still work hard, but I balance it with rest. We eat well; we stay fit and hydrated. We take time off and we play…a lot.

I tell you this because in our modern world, it’s so easy to get lost. Our devices dictate our lives with alarms and appointments; notifications and scrolling. We are ruled by what others want of us; think of us.

We all have obligations that we must fulfill. We must show up for work, for our families and for our loved ones. But can we find a balance that also allows us to rest and recharge…and heal?

Burnout is a very real, very dangerous modern plague that leaves so many of us tired, frustrated, even angry.

How to solve burnout so the body can heal?

The power of plants and nature cannot be overstated.

For me, the path to wellness is simple (setting aside acute conditions that require specific ways to heal). Healing can mean different things to different people, but there are a few fundamental considerations that demand our commitment if we are to even begin to move forward toward healing any condition, from burnout to cancer and everything in between. Restoring balance is not complex, but demands that we do it, now. Not tomorrow or when it’s more convenient, but now.

Hydration

Everyone talks about the importance of staying properly hydrated, but did you know that many reports tell us that 75% of adults are chronically dehydrated, drinking less than 2 1/2 cups of water daily?

When properly hydrated, we feel clearer, stronger, fresher and more energized.

Proper hydration is simply 1 liter (4 cups) of water for every 55 pounds of body weight. You can see how most of us (me included) often do not consume enough fluid in our day.

Eating soups, fruits, cooked vegetables contribute to hydration, but nothing hydrates like water. And remember that if you are thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.

Food as Medicine

You knew I was going to write about food, right? Eating a plant-based diet rich in unprocessed foods like whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruit, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds and good quality fats can smooth your path to wellness in ways you can only imagine.

Eating unprocessed foods and ensuring you enjoy a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats will put you right as rain in no time, giving you energy to burn and a clear-eyed vision of your path forward.

Cooking at home is key. While there are many restaurants and home delivery services touting the health benefits of their food, nothing…nothing beats cooking for yourself. No one knows you better; no one knows what you need more than you do; no one can nourish you like you can. And sure it’s fun to eat out once in a while, but most of the delicious food you consume will serve your healing best if it comes from your kitchen.

Also remember that plant-based eating provides lots of natural moisture in the foods you are choosing, making it much easier to stay hydrated.

Rest

I can tell you firsthand that the consequences of not resting can bring you to your knees, literally. I learned the value of rest when, after ignoring all the signs of burnout, pushing forward always, I nearly lost my life a second time.

Don’t wait.

We live in a time where we hear the same mantra: achieve; achieve; achieve. Go; go; go. We always want more and are never content: more money, more stuff, more food, more, more, more. When is it enough? Billionaires were interviewed some years back about what they wanted in life now that they had achieved what they had. Did they answer that they wanted to help improve public education; work toward eliminating hunger and homelessness? Did they dream of better healthcare, equal pay for all? No. Independently, they all gave the same answer: more. They wanted more.

Now there are those who have altruistically given their fortunes to improve the world, but most people just want more. And for that, we work, without rest to accumulate more and more.

And our wellness pays the price.

We all need a purpose; a reason to get out of bed in the morning. My teacher used to say that our goals should always be just out of reach so we continue to strive. But not for stuff; let’s all strive to leave the world a little better than we found it for future generations.

Connect

We all love our phones, for business and pleasure. We use them to stay in touch with people we love; for work; in emergencies; for entertainment (such as it is); for connection.

None of those connections can remotely replace our face to face reality. None of those can replace a coffee with a friend or loved ones; dinner around a table with people we love; walks with friends; workouts with friends…friends; friends; friends!

It’s time to replace our virtual world with a return to the real one, with its joys and sorrows, triumphs, defeats and overall messiness. A human connection is what makes us…human, so don’t wait. Drop everything; make the call and connect with someone.

During the pandemic, I made a vow to never ever again be too busy to stop work and meet a friend for coffee; a vow I have happily kept and have been the better, more joyful person for doing so.

In the end, love is all there is and there’s no app for that.

Move Your Butt

Moving, from yoga to walking to gardening all the way up to running, weight training, swimming and biking is essential to any path to healing and to staying well.

We have all read that long periods of sitting are equivalent to smoking with negative impacts on wellness. Yikes!

With the computer work so many of us do (looking in the mirror for this one), it’s easy to sit for hours, especially when we are ‘on a roll’ with a project or presentation…or cookbook. I know for me, I need to set an alarm when I am working on a book so that I get up and move for 10 minutes every hour. I am soooooooo much more productive than I am if I just sit and marinate in my work.

And getting outside in nature, even for a few minutes’ walk can life your mood, clear your thinking, stop you from snacking and increase your productivity…and your health.

So move that gorgeous body of yours, gently or intensely…or both and reap the benefits.

Become a Nature Lover

Getting out in nature, even for a few minutes every day changes everything when it comes to healing our bodies, minds and spirits.

Studies show that breathing fresh air in a natural setting; taking in the sounds of Mother Nature help us to relax and a relaxed body is less anxious, stressed and more in tune with what is going on.

Even in a city, there are little oases of nature: parks, community gardens, your own patio or garden can realign you with nature. I am convinced that one of the reasons we struggle so much with so many things is that we no longer feel the earth under our feet or the breeze in our hair. We live in sealed environments, regulated to keep us in perfect harmony with…what? Not nature.

So get outside, rain, snow, sleet or dark of night. And enjoy it.

Healing is a deeply personal, winding road of a journey that takes more twists and turns than we can imagine. In the end, there’s no end; there’s no such thing as perfect health. So enjoy the ride and remember to stop along the way and appreciate life for the amazing gift that it is.