It is that time of year whereby we strive to make improvements to ourselves, our lives and perhaps to even influence those around us. It is a highly commendable goal and with the right intentions that change can be for the betterment of ourselves and those close to us. My goal for the last 5 years has been to improve my own health, spread the word on healthier living as well as to gain more well rounded knowledge on health issues. It is a gradual and progressive course of action. However this should not sway you my dear readers into thinking that I am a health freak. I have my cravings for a good burger, pizza and sweet desserts like anybody else of which I periodically indulge. I simply do not believe in living to extremes and it is more about finding a healthy balance that accommodates diversity for making life enjoyable and fun.
In the face of sickness I do not pretend to be brave. My motivation for making improvements to my health stems from a deep fear of chronic and long term illnesses that can have life changing impacts. Chemo anyone? or how about cardiovascular disease, dialysis, chronic indigestion or even diabetes. These illnesses have become a part of everyday life to the extent that you are confronted with these issues almost on a daily basis. To put it another way, nearly everyone I know will know of someone who is fighting cancer, heart attack, paralysis, kidney disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or diabetes. The toll of these illnesses can mean becoming awfully impaired and very limited in our physical freedom not to mention the long term pain and dependency on medication that becomes almost inescapable. This nightmare does not affect you alone but all who are close to you.
It has become a part of my routine at the beginning of every year to allocate some time to expand my knowledge and to remind myself about the importance of health. I prefer to study sources that are not sponsored and have little to no association with big corporations (as big businesses will often have a vested interest in what is communicated to the public to ensure it does not affect their sales and profit margins). I take this opportunity to recommend 2 excellent documentaries Food Matters (2008) and Hungry for Change (2012). If you value your health and have always wondered about the marketing hyperbole that surrounds our modern food, diet and the limitations of the medical profession you will want to watch both these documentaries. Both are entertaining, highly informative and presented with refreshing honesty and frankness that does not seek to hide the misleading and illusionary nature of product marketing nor gloss over the limitations in modern medicine and the increasing influence of capitalism on the industry.
For tea lovers my personal experience has been, “Improving your health means improving your tea experience”. The healthier and cleaner I have been able to keep my body the more rewarded I have been in terms of my tea appreciation and especially in connecting to the energy of tea, Cha Qi. - Stay healthy!