Are We Really "Sick" When We Have the Common Cold Or Flu?

Recently, one of my home school science lessonsfrightening. We've been suspended in this disbelief long
with our daughter was based on how animals adapt toenough! We're convinced that if we have the slightest
their environment for survival purposes.symptom (body signal), that we must need drugs to
The lesson described how animals will change asuppress it. Feeling less-than-perfect apparently
variety of things about themselves in order to "adaptrequires medication.
to" or change in response to what's happening aroundWhat is that?? How does that create health? What
them. Some examples were: shedding, hibernation,kind of a message does that send to children?
changing color, and so on.I don't like symptoms any better than the next guy, but
My daughter and I discussed how perfect 'nature' isI usually understand why they're there. Our body will
and how truly amazing the innate intelligence of bothdisplay symptoms (body signals) in response to a
animals and humans is. We agreed that God's prettyWellness equation out of balance: when the amount of
cool!toxicity and deficiency our environment is exposed to
Up until this point, I had decided that I wouldn'tbecomes excessive and surpasses or overrides the
somehow turn this science lesson about animals intoeffects of purity and sufficiency in our environment.
another "mom health lesson"! It would have been SOHaven't met a drug yet that can increase purity and
easy....sufficiency or decrease toxicity and deficiency!! Kinda'
You see, in our family, we don't say the word "sick"have to handle that one on your own!
very often. In fact, it's rare. The kids know that if theyBack to the home schooling lesson...
have a runny nose, or a cough, or they have a littleAs I said, I had decided to pass on this profound
upset tummy, it's their body "adapting" to theconnection between animal adaptation and human
environment.immune system adaptation. I kept the soap box safely
We've said this since the kids were born. The onlytucked away!
reason we 'had' to teach them to refer to being 'sick'We had successfully finished the lesson and were
was so that people outside our home and wellnessdiscussing the details to insure my daughter had fully
practice would understand what on earth they werecomprehended things. Then she was quiet for a few
talking about!!moments. I thought she had gone into a brain haze!
The whole "I'm sick" thing is just a simple sticking pointInstead, she turned to me and said, "I totally get why
with their daddy and me. It actually had nothing to doyou and daddy always say, 'you're not SICK... you're
with our kids - it's a mindset, and a paradigm shift,adapting!'... It's just like with the animals. Only what
we've been teaching in our practice for years.WE'RE adapting to is the crappy environment we
For example, if you experience a runny nose, a cough,create... like crappy foods and not getting enough sleep
and feel wiped out, the common terminology is thatand not exercising and watching too much crappy
you have a "cold" and that you're "sick".television and having a bad attitude... right?"
But ARE you?By George, I think she's got it!! (I don't think I ever
Are you really "sick" or is your body just respondingexplained it using the word "crappy", though!)
perfectly to its environment? Is your body simplyShe continued, "We're really not sick at all when our
"adapting" to what it's being exposed to? Quite often, ifbodies have a cold or the sniffles... or even a flu virus.
you choose to think about it, that "cold" didn't just popOur body is doing exactly what it should do to respond
up out of nowhere. Usually, it follows a period ofto that lousy environment that we created! That's
stress, deficiency of sleep and relaxation, improperwhat a normal, healthy body does."
care of the immune system, poor nutrition, a change inExactly!
seasons, exposure to a toxic environment, and so on.I tried to soften the edges for her a bit by reminding
Sure, it may have something to do with 'everyone'her that we don't consciously choose to feel lousy! It's
around you having a cold... BUT, that certainly doesn'tnot actually our "fault". Yes, it's often a result of toxic
mean you'll develop it. Nope, not at all.and deficient choices we make in the way we move,
It results from excess toxicity and deficiency and aeat and think... but it's also our larger environment that
lack of purity and sufficiency. Just like every otherwe don't have much direct control over. Also, very
disease and condition of lifestyle.few people have ever been told that their choices will
If your choices and external environment have resulteddirectly or indirectly determine their health. Most people
in a toxic and deficient internal environment, you'rewill never hear that from their parents, their family doc
much more likely to develop every little (and big) thingor from mainstream media. Sad. It robs them of the
going around.opportunity to proactively create their own health.
Although you certainly don't enjoy how you feel asThe way we teach it here, "sick" happens when your
your body is adapting to its environment, it IS a perfectbody starts to lose the battle. When the response to
physiological adaptation. Whatever the cumulativethe environment becomes overwhelming to the body,
effect of our internal and external environments is, ouror the body isn't able to meet the demands.
body will respond accordingly.Really, "sick" doesn't happen very often at all, when
So, is our body actually "sick", which implies someyou look at it that way. Even when it does, the solution
malfunction?? Or is it demonstrating perfect health bydoesn't lie in adding more toxicity and deficiency and
responding appropriately to the environment?ignoring purity and sufficiency. We don't get "sick"
The point is, the vast majority of the time, our bodiesbecause of a shortage of drugs and medication in our
are displaying a perfectly healthy physiologicalbloodstream!! We don't get healthy because of adding
adaptation to the environment.them.
So, what's our beef with that? It's the prevailingHealth comes from within.
mindset... it's the paradigm that is so sad, and