Earlier this week, I met with a group of women who make it a priority to have healthy lifestlyes.  Sharon Finch and Penny Arnold call themselves the “Grannies”. They are wonderful friends from Livingston, Montana who have been working with natural health for almost 40 years. The Grannies were passing through Becker and got together at Cafe Pawz in Becker to visit with a group of friends who share their passion for a natural approach to health. Sharon Finch of the Grannies started researching natural remedies when her health failed. She shared these thoughts: “Penny and I have studied God's natural remedies for 37 years and it seems we are only at the tip of the iceberg!” 

 

Penny Arnold explained that her interest in natural remedies was a spiritual search. “I believe God has created a remedy for every condition and I began taking classes to learn more”, Penny shared. 

 

Naturopathic medicine is a form of alternative medicine that employs an array of natural practices that are non-invasive and self-healing. Many local residents, including myself, believe in natural medicine.

 

Toni Schulte, Clear Lake, talked about how she struggled for almost a decade with headaches, joint pain, brain fog and an irregular heartbeat. She visited medical doctors repeatedly but found no relief.

She decided to start taking CNHP (Certified Natural Health Practitioner) classes. Toni considers herself a work in progress, and takes steps each day to employ a natural approach to her life and staying healthy. 

 

It seems that many people don’t make their health a priority, unfortunately. 

 

Ann Kuschel, Becker, explained how both of her parents died very young and the profound effect it had on her. Her dad died at 58 of heart disease and her mom (57) of liver cancer. Ann said: “I decided I did not want to go down that same path. I started taking classes that taught me how the body functions and the best way to stay healthy, which included making better food choices, exercising more, reducing toxic chemicals and praising God!” Ann and her husband Ron lead very healthy, active lifestyles free of prescription medications. She admits its takes more hard work to remain healthy and disease-free but believes it is well worth the effort.

 

Jenifer John grew up on a farm and recalls that her family did not go to the doctor very often. She explained that her dad was on prescriptions most of his life and never felt they helped like they should, which led to a general mistrust of traditional modern medicine. Jenifer is a retired psychotherapist and licensed social worker (LICSW) and currently a holistic health coach on a volunteer basis. She feels each of us are responsible for our own health and feels it’s important for her to be genuine and live the lifestyle she promotes. She finds holistic health fascinating and uses a plethora of natural products/practices including essential oils, bach flowers and aromatherapy which help with pain and relaxation. Jenifer also makes a point to eat healthy and manages stress by praying, which dovetails with her Christian faith. She also practices yoga. 

 

My sister, Judy Larsén, has owned PACE Fitness and Wellness in Becker since 2002.  Judy recalled how she was inspired to learn as much as possible about natural health when she got caught up in a cycle of medication side effects while living in Sweden in 1993. She became very weak and started trying to regain her health by using natural things because the medications were not helping her get better.

 

She mostly ate the foods that God has made, did juicing, took high quality supplements, cleansing, reflexology, and tried to make healthy choices.  I have had many opportunities to help people improve their health by using natural things. I have a deep desire to help and challenge people to make healthy lifestyle choices ”, Judy shared. Judy pointed out that there definitely is a place for the medical world, but strongly feels healthy lifestyle choices daily can help people a great deal. Judy believes the following things will help you stay healthy: getting good quality sleep for 7-9 hours each night, exercising regularly, drinking clean water throughout the day, enjoying being outside including sunshine, reducing stress, getting proper nutrition (eating as much organic food as possible), avoiding processed food and taking high quality supplements. Judy believes laughter is important, as well as spending time with the people you love and enjoy. “Being thankful and loving and thinking positive thoughts. Thanking God for your blessings! Helping and encouraging others. Supporting your body's systems, especially the nervous system and the friendly bacteria in the gut. Doing things to get your body into balance and your body has the ability to heal itself!”, Judy commented.

 

My dad often talked about the battle of the bulge we all face. He said the hardest exercise being putting down the fork. If I were 9 feet tall, I’d be closer to my goal weight. Not to undermine the importance of exercise, my dad's words ring true. Obesity in the U.S. has been cited as a major health issue  often resulting in coronary heart disease that leads to death. Overeating is not the only problem. Lack of exercise is a huge issue for many people, as is a poor diet. Our schedules have gotten so busy with both husband and wife working outside the home in many cases. How do we remedy the situation? I know I need to be more committed to exercising and eating foods God has made.

 

In addition to having a healthier lifestyle I also need to remove stress from my life as much as possible. I try to surround myself with people I enjoy being with and also to encourage others. To say I’m a work in progress is an understatement. I take comfort in the old hymn: “He’s still working on me. To make me what I ought to be.” 

 

I’m challenging myself to make healthier choices and I challenge each of you!