Rewind the clock for three decades. We find ourselves at a time when the family would sit together around the dinner table, discussing their day while enjoying a meal that was prepared mostly with love and care. This time spent together allowed everyone to grow closer and offer a sense of security. It’s also the foundation of good health and where family members pick up healthy practices. Anti-Aging specialists Dr. Craige Golding and Dr. Carel-Piet van Eeden explain more.
What is the definition of happiness?
For many, it’s a combination of the following:
- Peace
- Quiet
- Contentment
- Security and;
- Fulfillment
Recent years have seen a rise in the diagnosis of ADHD and other levels of the autism spectrum disorder. Also, pharmaceuticals are quickly prescribed in order to restore peace and quiet in a home. What can we do from a lifestyle point of view to bring back the old-fashioned happiness and connection? That is, without limiting ourselves and our families to the use of external chemicals?
Sleep
An essential part of any lifestyle adjustment is getting enough sleep. According to Harvard Health, the appropriate quantity and quality of sleep you get has an influence on nearly every element of your health. Click on this link to find out how you can get your sleep schedule sorted. You will absolutely enjoy better health for it.
Family time and exercise
Much has been written about the importance of family activities, and this cannot be overemphasized. It has become common practice to spend “me-time” in a gym and to focus on our fitness there. An option would be to start practicing sports and other activities together. For the adventurous, there’s a weekend hike in the mountains. For those less inclined to rough it, group sports like cricket, netball, and volleyball are good ideas. Being outside helps with serotonin, detoxification, and Vitamin D. It also helps to strengthen family bonds.
How about a walk in nature, even forest bathing, with a guide teaching us about the medicinal and nutritional use of plants? This leads us into one of the most important things to discuss.
Diet and health
Introduce McBroccoli instead of fast food into your daily diet. Get enough good oil. The gut has a direct effect on the brain and mood – feed it good food and the mind will follow. The unfortunate reality is that means of our food sources are nutritionally depleted through commercial farming practices – even foods labeled “organic.”
Integrative medicine takes these things into account, and we look at adding some basic nutraceutical supplements, such as N-acetylcysteine, vitamin D3, omega 3 and curcumin. These supplements help the body in much the same way as dinner table meals did years ago, and can greatly contribute to a healthy family unit.
The case for integrative and functional medicine
Integrative and functional medicine is the future of medicine. Avoid toxins and toxic people, and nourish the body with healthy food and supplements. Give the body what it needs and remove the toxins. Allow it its own capacity to heal, which it does.
Who are the authors?
Dr Craige Golding, is a specialist physician in anti-aging medicine. He admits that the term ‘anti-aging medicine’ is perhaps not the best description of his field of interest. “It tends to suggest a focus on the exterior, giving the impression that it’s all about wrinkles and Botox treatments”. But Dr Craige’s focus is much broader than that. Anti-aging medicine is really about the prevention, early detection and reversal of the chronic diseases that become more common with age, and which constitute nearly 90% of the illnesses doctors treat on an ongoing basis. Dr. Golding MD, ABAARM, FAARFM, FICT, FCP (SA), MS USF, Member: NUGO, AAAM is a Specialist Physician, Anti Aging Physician and the chief medical advisor in private practice in Johannesburg, South Africa. He practices integrative medicine combining natural medicines, nutraceuticals, bio-identical hormones, intravenous treatments, allopathics (where needed) and many other medical biotechnologies to enhance the health of his clients.
Dr Carel-Piet van Eeden started his journey in integrative and energy medicine in 2001 through Shiatsu and Reiki. He continued on to become an Independent Reiki Master and has been teaching this form of energy medicine since 2005. Being an eternal student, he has been adding to his repertoire of modalities ever since.
