This is the beginning and where you blame all the things you’re born with. 😉 Include true allergies, (not intolerances!), pre-dispositions, family history, and trauma. This also includes your faith or spirituality.
Another way to think about it is the variables that you have little-to-no control over. Having a peanut allergy isn’t up for debate but saying you’re hypoglycemic can be. At this moment you may be reacting this way- but once your body is not in a survival state and able to heal, you might be able to go longer periods without eating, even intermittent fasting. So, conditional afflictions don’t go here in foundation. Your symptoms are telling you something; your body is in dysfunction. This can be changed.
The protocol for wellness is individual but doesn’t cater to the habits that kept you sick. If you’re sick now- this system is designed to take you to wellness, not enable you to stay unwell. So, saying you don’t eat breakfast- tells me you’re used to not eating breakfast. It doesn’t mean you cannot or should not. Get used to reminding yourself that the way you knew before- is gone. A new and better way will emerge, and it will fit you perfectly. Ideologies that you currently subscribe to may change and adjust- and that is ok. You are making a more solid foundation with better choices.
Everyone is different. Listening to your inner knowing is paramount. Absolutely reject any kind of groupthink that says otherwise. For example: “Diabetes Runs in my Family so I am at a really high risk.” No. Reframe: “For generations my family has abided by the same diet and lifestyle that resulted in metabolic imbalances such as insulin resistance and blood sugar dysregulation.” The second one is the truth, the first is an excuse. It’s not your fault that you believed this in the past. Many have grown up in the era of Tylenol and TV dinners. They’re quick fixes to a larger issue. The truth is, when you have pain- your body is sending a message that there is something to see; a problem to solve to get you back to wellness. Numbing it will result in continued stress on the body which causes other issues.
Learning to consider the issue can help create a more solid foundation.
Considering the issue can look like this:
I have a headache.
Where is it located?
Back? Front? Everywhere?
Have I had enough water/electrolytes?
Was I exerting myself to extend beyond what I would normally sustain?
Am I stressed?
Is something happening in my life that needs attention?
Did I sleep enough?
Was it restful?
Have I overdone it in some way?
Taking a Tylenol offers short term relief with long term side effects. Sometimes it is warranted, but it should not be the default choice when there is pain. No pain killer should be unless there is an emergency, or an acute situation at hand. If it’s your go-to, then this is contributing to your current state.
If you’re stuck in a place where you see no other alternative than to take pain medication daily- please know that there is another way. Try to break it down and look at your body as a series of parts to a bigger puzzle. That puzzle is your life- your lived experience! This process requires radical honesty, self-love and grit to stick it out. Here’s what I tell myself: It was hard to live in pain and fear every day- my choice of hard is going to be getting the cause of the problem- not placating it with band-aids forever*.
**Notice the asterisk, EVERYONE needs a band aid from time to time. And- NO ONE is capable of maintaining perfection; so, if you do take a step back- you do not shame, ever, ever. You build confidence in yourself by simply observing that it happened- and using it as information that whatever past coping mechanism you may have fallen back into is information that an issue needs to be addressed.
Frequently my headaches are because I’m dehydrated or deplete of minerals. Stress also plays a role. So, I might grab a big glass of coconut water- this is like nature’s Gatorade- chock full of vital minerals magnesium and potassium- things we lack by not being mindful about them. Half the time this alone can help my headaches- and I have had them, to excess my entire life. There are a lot of options here: a glass of juice with a little high-quality salt might help. A glass of structured, alkaline water could do wonders as well.
I would drink my fluids outside. Get some sunshine and fresh air, roll my shoulders and neck, take some deep breaths, and reevaluate where I am. Observe- don’t be the pain. You are not your feelings or what you are feeling- Feelings WILL pass. You are the awareness behind the feelings- not the feelings themselves. Pain naturally makes us feel afraid- but it is simply a message.
I’m using this headache as an analogy for everything. Any ailment. Anywhere, anytime. We can break it down and solve it- with little effort if you just take the time and steps required.
I might have slept funky- and that’s something I cannot change.
I might have an injury that causes the pain. Etc etc etc.
Pain requires and deserves thought. Pain is a message from your body that something needs to be addressed- not numbed.
If you have unresolved trauma- understand that it cannot be compartmentalized away. Unresolved trauma can absolutely manifest itself as pain and disease. The first step is acknowledging the pain and trauma. Pushing it away and pretending it does not exists will not help you get to wellness, it will hold you back- and could literally be the ONLY thing causing your symptoms. THAT is why it MUST be addressed in your foundation. Find someone to talk to, (even me- I'm here for you!) and unravel the feelings associated with your trauma. Remember- You are NOT your feelings, you are simply an observer of them. You must feel it- to heal it. The feelings associated with your trauma are not forever. Once they aren't a "hot button" in your memory, you'll be able to roll over the memory without coming undone. Currently, if you trauma is unresolved- every time you touch on the topic with your thoughts, your body will react the same way it did when the trauma happened. Panic, stress, pain..... fleeing the trauma, repressing it and shoving it aside will only ensure this happens every single time you think of it.
Take some time to sit with your trauma without distractions. No phone, no TV- just you and your thoughts. Feel the sensations that come up when you think of the traumatic event. Name where you feel them in your body, (heart racing, short of breath etc). Tell yourself, out loud if you have to- that you are safe. You are not in that place again. Communicate with yourself, cry, yell and process all of the emotions that come up. Remind yourself over and over why you are addressing them: "I am feeling this sadness and anxiety NOW so that I can heal and move past it." "I am not my feelings or emotions, I am an observer." "This feeling is temporary and I will move past it." "I love myself enough to deal with this now so that it doesn't arise later." This communication with yourself is very important to heal the trauma.
Finally, FAITH is a huge part in foundation. I will not define YOUR faith, but I will say it is essential. No matter what you believe, even if it just in yourself, you must commit to recognizing the order of things is larger than us individually and that we humble humans do not know it all. In fact, much of my faith stems from the simple observations of nature. We can listen to our bodies and understand what they're saying. Recognizing that our true gift of being alive includes our body and its ability to heal. If you need evidence, please review the last scab you picked. Did you ever doubt the blood would stop flowing? Your body knew exactly what to do. Have faith like that- in your ability to heal. Or by whatever divine source you wish- it is a gift to heal, and your body was perfectly designed to do it. Having faith also should include some gratitude. It's one of the simplest ways to reset your frame of mind. Do an exercise daily of what you're grateful for. For how long? Until you remember what an absolute blessing it is to be here having this experience.
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