10 Keys to Activate Your Body’s Natural Healing Power and Reverse Chronic Disease

After reversing my own auto-immune disease, diagnosed as probable Multiple Sclerosis, I became a licensed psychotherapist for 22 years and founded a wellness center, The Miralinda Center for Well-Being, in Scottsdale, AZ to help others in their quest to reverse chronic disease and live healthier, happier lives. This article includes some of the most powerful and effective tools I used to recover and remain symptom free to this day.

1. Don’t identify with the disease.

Shortly after being diagnosed, I was fortunate to be referred to a medical doctor who practiced integrative medicine, which means she combined traditional and complementary medicine. She viewed her patients holistically, looking at the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of their illness. She prescribed several natural remedies to assist my healing; but the most important thing she gave me was the recommendation to avoid identifying with MS. She said, “don’t put yourself in that box– disease is a sign that the body-mind-spirit is out of balance. Just focus on getting more balance and harmony in your life and healing will begin. The next nine tips will help you focus on restoring balance and harmony to all aspects of your life.

2. Upgrade your Nutrition

My naturopathic physician put me on a very strict diet: No sugar, white flour, caffeine, alcohol, or processed foods and recommended I limit my red meat intake. He urged me to start shopping at health food stores, to buy organic, and to be diligent about reading labels to identify “hidden” ingredients, with names that fool you into thinking you are getting something healthy. This diet worked miracles in my recovery. Upgrade your diet—it is well worth the effort.You can begin by following a paleo- type diet (search Paleo diet books on Amazon, or go to a bookstore.), or, if you are vegan or vegetarian, then focus on adding more plant proteins, (nuts, seeds, fermented non-GMO soy, beans, legumes; and eliminating refined sugars and grains (this means anything with sugar added and products made with white flour). Actually reducing grains has been proven to be one of the best ways to upgrade your diet and health due to the altered state of grains today. Two excellent books that explain the damage our modern grains are causing are Grain Brain, and Wheat Belly, and Practical Paleo.

Second, eat organic as much as you can. Organically grown foods are more nutrient dense, and toxin free.

Third, start reading labels and learn the misleading names for sugar, (such as high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, dextrose, cane sugar, are just a few)—there are over 50 names for sugar used in food labels); MSG ( Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Yeast Extract, Autolyzed Vegetable Protein, Malted Barley) and white flours (Unbleached wheat flour, wheat flour—any grain that does not read, whole wheat, or whole rye, etc., is processed)

By eliminating these foods from your diet, your body will know you are taking better care of it— healthy, clean food promotes healing at every level. Your cells will thank you.

3. Don’t view your illness as horrible, or terrible.

This includes asking, “Why me?” “What did I ever do to deserve this? or take on the attitude that you just want it to “go away.” Of course, no one likes the debilitating symptoms that accompany disease, or the inconvenience, pain, cost, or any of the other things associated with chronic illness. But, these kinds of thoughts don’t promote healing. They delay it. There’s a saying, “What we resist, persists.” And, it’s true.

Instead, try shifting your perspective. Experiment with viewing illness as a gift, a sign that your life is out of balance and lacking harmony. Take a deeper look, where are you out of balance, out-of-integrity, or off-track in your life? Maybe you’ve been feeling trapped in a job or relationship, or maybe you’re working too much and not eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, or taking good care of yourself. Be honest. It can save your life. Awareness is powerful. Acceptance is potent medicine.

4. The body knows how to heal itself.

If you just give the body what it needs, it will heal. This includes hopeful, positive and loving thoughts and feelings, as well as sufficient sleep, pure water, whole, natural foods and clean air. You increase your oxygen intake from exercise and deep breathing.

On the other hand, fear is the enemy of wellness. Begin to see your body as a self-organizing, self-regulating, self-healing organism. It knows what to do if you support and nurture it. This will shift your perspective to a more relaxed, confident mode, and promotes healing.

5. Find the meaning in your illness.

Your body has wisdom, and your illness is your body trying to get your attention to make some adjustments in your life. Your body is also your greatest teacher, as your illness has profound learning opportunities.

Studies in heart disease have shown a strong link to Type A personalities, lack of social connections and fear of intimacy, besides, of course, poor diet and lack of exercise. Links have been found between diabetes and childhood depression, and arthritis has been linked to critical people and perfectionists, while breast cancer has research to support that a lack of self-nurturing, or over-nurturing others, and long-held resentments appear to play a part.

Louise Hay’s classic bestseller, You Can Heal Your Body explains the beliefs, thoughts and emotions behind most all illnesses, and has been a constant companion of mine for decades, and has helped me to discern the messges and meaning of my symptoms, then providing positive, healing affirmations to counter the negative thoughts.

6. Work with your doctor and search out alternative approaches.

Become an active member of your medical team. Ask questions. Read. Educate yourself on your disease/condition. But, also educate yourself on all the natural healing modalities available. Read books on nutrition, exercise, relaxation, self-nurturing, yoga, and other wellness topics. Your health depends on you being informed and motivated to create health and wellness vs. illness and dis-ease.

7. Pray and Meditate

Enlist the most powerful force in the universe—God— or whatever you call the force that is greater than yourself—the universal energy that created all that is. There is ample research to prove that people who pray recover more quickly from heart surgery, and other illnesses.

Meditation allows you to listen to God and to feel the loving, healing presence of the Divine. It also allows you to hear the subtle messages of your body, develop your intuition, and empty your mind from all the endless chatter. It reduces overload and overwhelm. Studies done by Dr. Herbert Benson, a Harvard trained physician, and director of the Body-Mind Clinic in Boston, MA show that mediation lowers your heart rate, respiratory rate and reduces stress and pain—all conducive to healing.

8. Learn to self-nurture.

Self-care is a touchy subject. That’s because our society largely views self-care as selfish, slothful and overly indulgent. —-Victoria Pennington, writer

While it’s not always easy to take time for yourself, self-care is the foundation of wellness and good health. Our culture doesn’t encourage putting yourself first, but if you don’t take good care of yourself, who will? And, besides, you can’t really take good care of others, if you don’t take good care of yourself—think, oxygen masks on airplanes—they always tell you to put yours on first. Learn to create more “me” time each day—spend it relaxing, meditating, exercising, reading, pampering, journaling, or having fun. Your body will reward you.

Want more help? Want to live your best life yet? Enroll in my upcoming 8-Week Course, “Reverse Chronic Disease and Live a Healthier, Happier Life in Just 10 Minutes a Day, www.10minutewellness.com

9. Take responsibility for your health.

Most people prefer a “magic pill” or some other kind of “quick fix” to get rid of their symptoms; and want someone else to “make them all better.” But, there are no real quick fixes or magic bullets, and no one can heal you, but yourself. You may lessen symptoms, or even make them “go away” temporarily, but that is not the same as healing. The same imbalances will still exist, and another set of symptoms will appear down the road until you take charge of your health, and tune into your body, mind and spirit to make any changes needed.

It also involves creating a vision of yourself as a healthy person. Whatever you hold as a vision for your life will manifest. Know that you are in control of your health and well-being, and you are perfectly equipped to find the tools and information needed to turn any illness around.

This does not always mean that you get rid of your illness. But, true healing means that you become healthier, happier, more in control, and more at peace with whatever health condition you have. You stop feeling like a victim, or helpless to affect your disease. That is true health—Harmony in your body, mind and spirit.

10. Practice healthy habits daily.

This step is about discipline, building healthy habits, and transformation. You make a choice –based on your values—to be healthy and feel good. You do the things you need to do to be your healthiest, happiest self—even when you don’t want to do them. You choose energy, harmony, living your dreams, being there for your loved ones, being able to do the things you used to do and the things you enjoy. You choose love, peace, pain-free living, joy, and a life you love. It is its own reward.

 

Want more? Want to live your best life yet? Enroll in my 8-Week Course, Activate Your Body’s Natural Healing Power , Reverse Chronic Illness and Live a Healthier, Happier Life in Just 10 Minutes a Day. You can register on my website, www.10minutewellness.com