What Real Health Means to Me

Written by a Riordan Clinic Co-Learner

Health is – my body doing what it is designed to do, restore.

I had never thought about that much when I was eating whatever I wanted to, until I couldn’t anymore. A decline in my health didn’t hit suddenly for me. I was moving along until one day I noticed I wasn’t able to do or eat the things I thought I could. I didn’t realize that my body was breaking down in many ways.

As I look back at my childhood, I realize that I have always had issues with my stomach. However, I didn’t know any different as to why or what was going on. I kept getting sicker and sicker until the rug was no longer under my feet, but pulled out and I didn’t know what had happened. I didn’t know our bodies were designed to heal themselves.  I ate the convenient, man-made food, loaded with things that now make me cry when I study the list of ingredients. Why would the food industry feed me this? My body couldn’t repair as fast as I was eating the poor quality food.

So, little by little, the effects showed up as many different symptoms, which was my body screaming for help. I had to stop and find the true purpose of food – to find the whole form of food – to nourish, heal and protect my body.

Health is that process to me right now and it is forever changing. Just like the seasons, each one prepares for the next. Winter rests and lets the ground heal as we take in what came from the fall harvest.  What we planted in the spring we watch and protect from the hot summer days. The seeds are planted and then joy comes from watching the sprouts pop out of the ground.  Some seasons are longer than others, yet the motive is the same – to grow the best, strongest plant so it can reproduce and make the next generation stronger than the last.

That’s health – to make our bodies stronger, and food is a tool to achieve this. Food is medicine and it allows the body to do what it needs to do – heal and restore. I have an amazing body and, even though sometimes I lose focus on that, it never stops healing.

I am very thankful to be a co-learner at the Riordan Clinic and for Dr. Ron and Dr. Anne, along with ALL the staff at the clinic, who helped me find out the nutrients and food my body needed so I could help it rebuild and restore. Health is letting my body do just that…and I’m on my way! I pray you will find health and happiness along the journey you are on.