I have been pretty healthy for most of my life except for a few accidents and some manageable conditions like mild asthma and allergies. I did have a pretty serious back condition at one point that was greatly alleviated through surgery, but I combine the results of the surgery with a short yoga program that I do twice a day. In this way, I am basically pain free from the chronic pain I used to experience so you could say that I am a good example of integrative medicine!
Some years ago I started to become aware of how strongly diet affects health and the environment, and I read a couple of Dr. Andrew Weil's books as well as a book by John Robbins, Diet for a New America. These influences caused me to not only see my own health in a more holistic way, but also to view how modern methods of food production are causing serious harm to the nation’s health and to the earth itself. I began to implement some significant changes into my life, such as eating organic, greatly reducing my meat intake, eating a lot more green leafy vegetables, and basically removing processed foods from my diet. I strongly believe that I have experienced significant health improvements over the last several years as a result of making these changes.
