The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and health/pleasure/joy won the day! Instead of working in my study, carrying out tasks which are most certainly important and definitely need to be done, we chose to put on our walking boots, take advantage of the glorious day and get out into Nature. And that led me to learn, or at least remember, a valuable lesson.
The Medmerry Nature Reserve in West Sussex is run by the RSPB and we have walked through it on numerous occasions in the past, particularly in autumn when it plays host to vast flocks of migratory birds - but we have obviously have not been able to do so since the beginning of the pandemic. The RSPB state that they “base our work on good analysis of the threats facing birds and the environment. We see a problem, work out what is causing it, and find ways to put it right” and this struck an instant chord in me because of its similarity to my approach to health, nutrition and Dynamic Ageing – although as I mention below, I like to pre-empt the problem! But there was another lesson to be learned.
The Reserve is a combination of intertidal mudflats and salt marshes, farmland and grassland, saline lagoons, freshwater ponds and ditches, as well as scrub and the shingle beach with its wonderful views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. It also has its own very personal history, dating back to just 2013, when the Environment Agency used it to create a flood protection scheme after the heavy rains of June 2012 resulted in extensive flooding in the area. It was described as a “realignment scheme” and a project to sustainably manage the local inland flood risk.
Part of this plan was the construction of a defensive, 7km long “flood bank” which is one of the many paths which one can walk throughout the Reserve. Another part of the plan was to carve out a breach in the shingle, which gives the sea water somewhere to go during high tides and storms. The result? Environmental success with new habitats for all sorts of different species as well as the migratory birds – and successful flood management for everybody and everything which lives in the area by prevention.
It is this blend of prevention and defence which is so relevant to our health. So often a prospective client will say to me that there is no need to address a condition now and they prefer to wait until it becomes a problem. No, no, no!!! Deal with the monster while it is little. Realign. Take action NOW, before a condition develops. Future-proof your health. Give your body all the support it needs. Build solid, natural, life-enhancing foundations. And if you are into MidLife&Beyond, learn NOW all about Dynamic Ageing.
If a health issue is actually perceptible, however slightly, it is already too late for prevention and it is crucial to embark on the defence and protection phase. If you have regular difficulty locating your keys, start supporting your brain health NOW! If your digestion is all over the place, don’t wait until your doctor prescribes antacids, take action NOW! If your joints are sore, let alone swollen, find out how to heal them naturally NOW! If you are putting on weight rapidly and in all the wrong places, take steps NOW to shift it! If you are tired all the time, change the way you eat NOW! For goodness sake don’t sit back and wait – get in there early, do something, make a start and move forwards NOW! Learn to use nutrition and lifestyle changes to prevent poor health and disease, and build some good, strong, natural defences, thereby making the rest of your life the best years of your life. It is never too early, and it is never too late.
Just a reminder to join my free Facebook group, Let’s Age Dynamically. It is a private, safe environment for all of us, men and women, well into MidLife&Beyond where we can talk about any health challenges which are facing us as we grow older and learn to age dynamically and by design, rather than passively and by default. I look forward to seeing you there.
