I got taken out by a bug. One of two bugs to be precise. Was it a seasonal beast or the boogie man of 2019? I do not know, but I spent 2 days in bed with aches and a fever and the last two days with just about the worst runny nose I can remember.
I don't get sick often these days, maybe once every 2-3 years. Compare that with 2-3 times a year, back when I paid no attention to the state of my body and let addictions fuel me. Daily ingestion of popular cola brands and oily food seemed to be the #1 cause, when I cut both down to once or twice a week and made sure I ate more nuts and green vegetables, I got sick a whole lot less.
There was a 5 year period where I didn't get sick at all, and it coincided perfectly with the time that I didn't have access to any sweets that I liked, and so my sugar intake dropped dramatically.
There is also stress and emotional suppression that can cause all kinds of illness, but then again, most bad habits occur, or at least begin, as coping mechanisms so if you pay attention to each chain of events, I do believe there are always ways to be healthier, even without so-called professional treatment.
A few years ago I learned that doctors don't necessarily learn about nutrition, and it shocked me, although it explained a lot. Would you trust an auto mechanic who doesn't know that gasoline is flammable? How about the institutions that hire such people?
Note: I am not an expert in health or anything, I take 0 responsibility for anything you do with what I say. It's absurd that I need to state that, but that seems to be how legality works in many places.
All I know is that TCM theory has been life changing in more ways than one. Even without knowing the specifics of each acupuncture point and how they relate to each other, just the awareness of my muscles and tendons and being able to tell accurately where is tight with a few deep breaths, being observational about which foods effect me in which ways.
In my experience, all physical maladies are our body or souls way of telling us something, and there are very few which can't be cured, or at the very least managed through lifestyle adjustments.
In general, muscle tightness is where problems begin. They can be caused by diet, emotional stress, physical overexertion without proper rest and recovery, bad habits, being unaware of environmental factors (temperature, dampness, dust, mold). The organs and muscle system, according to TCM, have a corresponding relationship to each other. If a certain organ is overstimulated or understimulated, it can effect on a certain muscle pathway, and vice versa. If you don't believe in qi, it's ok, you only have to believe in blood flow.
The goal is to make sure that blood flows to every muscle and to every organ without obstruction. This is how good health is obtained, and also how most illnesses can be alleviated.
The only issue with TCM is that the relationships are INCREDIBLY complex, so my secret has always been: massage everywhere, find what's tight and focus on it, every day, and limit foods that are more likely to cause issues (oil, hot chili, caffeine, sugar, raw foods). None of these have to be eliminated unless one is particularly disruptive to your system, but all should be managed. There are certain issues which are more aggravated by certain stimuli, for example, raw foods tend to be bad for an underactive digestive system and spicy foods for an overactive digestive system.
I never intended to write about my overall view of health today, but there it is! Instead I wanted to talk about why I believe I got sick, but I guess that's a post for another day now!
I still trust doctors with emergency care, I believe they are usually good at keeping people alive, but definitely not at keeping them healthy. I could talk about my own experiences, but I'd rather not waste my breath.
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