Five Ways to Heal Your Life!

Let's face the facts: Many of us are unhealthy and living lifestyles with bad habits that encourage an even unhealthier lifestyle -- and a shorter lifespan.

But... You can heal yourself. You can change your habits. You can change how you eat; change the pills you take; change the way you see the world.

Let's Look at Five Ways You Can Change and Heal Your Life!

1. Plant Medicine vs. Pharmaceuticals.
Two types of plant medicines can totally transform an unhealthy addiction to pharmaceuticals for "solving" all your problems, when all pills do is mostly mask those problems. Sadly, more than half of all Americans take at least one prescription drug -- and of those who take prescription drugs, the average number of different pills taken is four. More than four billion prescriptions are filled annually -- totaling more than $360 billion. Natural herbs and supplements are needed by many because of the poor food choices we eat and the malnourished soil in which those foods are grown. Psychedelic plant medicines (such as psilocybin, ibogaine, ayahuasca) -- while still in the early stages of research -- have shown dramatic effects in easing depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, addictions (drug, alcohol), eating disorders, compulsive behaviors, and dementia. These substances are not miracle cures, but they do give people the tools to deal with their illnesses -- rather than suppressing them. The early results are convincing and offer a brighter future compared with lifelong pill-popping

2. Real Food vs. Processed and Factory Food.
The U.S. population is the fattest of any Western country; we have the highest obesity rates -- and many health issues arise from our poor Standard American Diet (SAD), which consists of ultra-processed/convenience foods, added sugar, inflammatory fats, and too much sodium. (Both sugar and sodium are added to almost every item you find in the grocery store and most fast foods.) Most people consuming the SAD also do not consume much fresh fruits and vegetables and do not buy organic (which means they may also be buying GMO and pesticide and hormone-laden products). Real foods are the core ingredients in recipes -- not foods that come from a can, a box, or a fast-food counter. While many Americans feel stressed and time-crunched, there are thousands of simple meals that can be made in less than 30 minutes; not all meals need to be a major production. Yes, organic food is generally more expensive, but not all the food you purchase has to be organic.


3. Love vs. Fear and Hate.
So many people, sadly, seem focused on fear and hate -- which leads to higher stress levels, anger, anxiety, and mental illness. Letting go of hate and fear can lead to a calmer, more relaxed state, leading to greater happiness and joy. Fear and hate negatively affect our immune system, making us weaker in defending ourselves -- and in some cases, accelerates aging and early death. Fear and hate can also affect our brain function, leading to feelings of fatigue, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Love, on the other hand, is a force of goodness and well-being. Love reduces stress levels, boosts our immune system, and relieves physical pain. Being loved and showing love for others can actually help us live better and longer lives. Plant medicines can help in this realm too by helping reduce ego (which feeds on fear and power), opening people up to being vulnerable, and deconstructing fears and replacing them with love.


4. Nature vs. Concrete Jungle.
If there is a silver lining to the pandemic, it's that people got the chance to work from home -- realizing that home did not need to be in the middle of a city or crowded suburb, but could be in a rural area, surrounded by nature. Studies conclusively show that time spent in nature has multiple healing properties: helps fight depression and relieve anxiety; lowers blood pressure; promotes cancer-fighting cells; and improves cognitive functioning. Yes, you can get these same benefits from nature if you live in a city and regularly spend time in its parks, but the concrete jungle increases our exposure to air pollutants and toxins, raises our blood pressure, intensifies our fears and anxieties leading to a reduced immune system, and detaches us from the natural world.


5. Sustainability vs. Industrial Farming and Monoculture.
Stop buying tasteless, toxic tomatoes and strawberries that are produced from industrial farming... and buy from your local farmers and ranchers. We have become spoiled in wanting all our foods available year-round, and that has led to a myriad of negative consequences, including increased transportation, monoculture and GMO varieties bred to produce the "best" fruit/vegetable, and increased use of pesticides and herbicides. The same issues arise with factory farming/ranching of animals, dairy, and eggs; in most cases, the animals are treated cruelly, injected with hormones and antibiotics, fed GMO corn and soy, and killed inhumanely. Smaller ranchers encourage their animals to roam pastures and consume the food meant for them -- grasses, legumes, clover, etc. -- and only use antibiotics when absolutely necessary. Sustainable farming and ranching works in harmony with nature, helping restore and nourish the soil (rather than the depletion that comes from factory farming), adds diversity of foods produced, reduces water and energy consumption, and produces better and healthier foods.

Final Thoughts on Healing

You have the power to change your life, heal yourself. Simply taking a few simple steps and conducting more research for yourself will lead you to a path of healthy thinking and living. You may not be able to accomplish or even accept all five of these suggestions, but even changing a few will have dramatic effects on your outlook and on your life.

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Dr. Randall Hansen is an advocate, educator, mentor, ethicist, and thought-leader... helping the world heal from past trauma. He is founder and CEO of EmpoweringSites.com, a network of empowering and transformative Websites, including EmpoweringAdvice.com.

He is the author of the groundbreaking Triumph Over Trauma: Psychedelic Medicines are Helping People Heal Their Trauma, Change Their Lives, and Grow Their Spirituality and the well-received HEAL! Wholeistic Practices to Help Clear Your Trauma, Heal Yourself, and Live Your Best Life.

Dr. Hansen's focus and advocacy center around true healing ... healing that results in being able to live an authentic life filled with peace, joy, love. Learn more by visiting his personal Website, RandallSHansen.com. You can also check out Dr. Randall Hansen on LinkedIn.