Paleo Diet: Raw Paleo Diet and Lifestyle Forum

Raw Paleo Diet Forums => Health => Topic started by: CitrusHigh on August 16, 2012, 09:09:07 pm

Title: Happiness in Health
Post by: CitrusHigh on August 16, 2012, 09:09:07 pm
How many of you consider yourselves happy?

How many consider happiness part of health?

And how do you define happiness personally?

I'm asking because there seems to be a lot of (unmerited) crassness and anger here on a board that is supposedly run by and frequented by, a lot of healthy people. Physical health is only one aspect of overall health, and to me, happiness is a huge indicator. I know people who are not especially healthy physically but extremely happy and pleasant to be around, and nothing seems to get them down. I wouldn't consider someone who is physically healthy (functioning and a certain minimum level metabolically) to be any more healthy than someone who is obese or has cancer but is extremely happy in spite of it.

We know that negative emotions correlate with the formation of atherosclerosis and we also know that negative emotions/stress have an epigenetic impact on health over all, where if there were two identical twins, and all else being equal, one is grouchy all the time and feels like a victim, while the other is happy and views the world positively, their physical health eventually diverges respectively. This is just a hypothetical example for the purposes here, but can be seen in reality, twins, if grown in different environments, with different stimuli and perceptions of those stimuli,  (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v464/n7292/images/4641130a-i1.0.jpg) will develop differently, whether, slightly as in this image or greatly as in this one... (http://starstorage.blob.core.windows.net/archives/2010/2/7/health/sf_pg04twins.jpg)

Happy/positive emotions tend to correlate to good physical health, though not always as mentioned above, and vice versa.

I understand why some are unhappy, atheists (i'm not saying there are not happy atheists out there, there are, but most tend to be cyncial IME) who have no real purpose except to just plod along, no passion. Others who are wrapped up in the drama of things and living in fear, others who have biochemical issues, and some who have rigid dogmatic views that smother their ability to appreciate life in all it's flavors and nuance. 

How many can honestly say that happiness is their baseline state and only rarely do they experience constricting emotions such as anger, fear, hate, sadness, guilt, etc? If you can't look at yourself honestly and say that you are happy, that a smile and cheer are standard to your countenance then I encourage you to find whatever it is in life that evokes that in you. Not fleeting things like partying, materials and money, those can certainly augment your happiness or be and expression of it, I'm all for pleasures within this illusion, but I'm talking about a deep and profound happiness that begins deep inside you, that is imperturbable and not swayed by your circumstances, that you carry with you wherever you go and which is fully contagious to others. Life is too short to be a grouch or sad or fearful, everyone can agree that it is far more pleasurable to be happy than the alternative, so spend time cultivating happiness and gratitude for all the wonderful things we get to experience in this world!
Title: Re: Happiness in Health
Post by: goodsamaritan on August 16, 2012, 09:49:57 pm
I think it depends on the stage of healing and awareness.

When I first started healing and found out how the pharma western medical industry was so severely criminal in its involvement in disease creation and propagation... I was immensely angry... then fought back productively and to this day help awaken people from their idol worship called the medical industry.

I'm happy and thankful that people do get well, my closest family and friends and people who read my work and the propagation of ideas I help enable (like this forum).

I still lack money... probably the last thing missing.  I'm guessing I can crack that.  If many of us can cure cancer here, we can crack the making tons of money part.  So how do we join the Rothschilds in world domination?


Title: Re: Happiness in Health
Post by: Suiren on August 17, 2012, 04:22:38 am
Quote
How many can honestly say that happiness is their baseline state and only rarely do they experience constricting emotions such as anger, fear, hate, sadness, guilt, etc? If you can't look at yourself honestly and say that you are happy, that a smile and cheer are standard to your countenance then I encourage you to find whatever it is in life that evokes that in you.

Me!  :D But I was always more of an optimist, even when I was ******* sick and had a bad life. Maybe bad luck does not exist, but to me then it felt like I just had the worst luck and I kept dragging on.
Quote
anger, fear, hate, sadness, guilt
Okay, the only one of these I have REALLY experienced on a regular basis was probably sadness. Hate...dunno, I am kinda lame when it comes to hate, I just don't waste my time with it...anger...nah, I get accused of being too peaceful or "freaking Buddha", sometimes I want to be angry but then it just makes me laugh. You would have to do something really crazy to get me angry, like the reasons people kill for. Guilt - never, I don't do things to feel guilty about. Fear - only lately but nothing crazy, just tend to be overly protective with my son and worry about people around us because I fear something happening to him.

We live a very happy life. "Soul Mate", "best friend" husband and the cutest, cuddliest, funniest, smartest baby on earth...haha. I think it may be sickening to some ;), but I can positively say that in the future I will get wrinkles from laughing so damn much (especially at the baby, babies are better than comedians)
We barely have money at the moment and have been struggling since 2010, but it does not affect happiness itself since we are still able to live. Plus I know it will get better, we just had to start from 0.
Title: Re: Happiness in Health
Post by: LePatron7 on August 17, 2012, 04:46:03 am
I'm pretty happy most of the time. And with my new found health I'd say I'm happier than usual.

I'm down about not having the high paying job I used to have. But I'm still pushing forward and plan on getting a high paying job in no time. Then going back to full raw paleo.
Title: Re: Happiness in Health
Post by: Chris on August 17, 2012, 04:57:12 pm
How many of you consider yourselves happy?
How many consider happiness part of health?
And how do you define happiness personally?

IMPO I believe health is the greatest gift that we can give ourselves. You can only achieve great health through proper nutrition. This diet involves/demands openness, patience, dedication, and will power. You can take this diet as far as you want to go with it, or as little as you want. But, you have to have direction and a plan, in order to achieve your desired results. In order to find enlightenment, you have to search for it first. It doesn't just fall into your lap, just because you eat some raw meat or raw fish. I believe that our environment, the choices we make in our lives, and the souls that are embedded within us, control our tendencies/personalities more than nutrition does. Nutrition can give us all the nutrients our body needs to function properly. But, that won't guarantee happiness/enlightenment or total nirvana. That comes from within. By soul searching, following your heart, and using your brain. Nutrition is only one piece to the building block.

Happiness to me is excepting and loving myself for who I am. It's learning/sharing ideas with others. It's following the RPD, and interacting with members in this Forum. It's backpacking and riding my motorcycle. It's discovering new places and experiencing new things. It's learning about health and nutrition. It's spending time with my nieces and nephews. It's developing new relationships/friendships with people.
Title: Re: Happiness in Health
Post by: joej627 on August 20, 2012, 06:49:39 pm
I agree for sure.  Faulty emotions and belief systems affect us 24/7.  I have been studying a lot of work with Dr. Hamer and Recall Healing lately.  They use conflict-related biology to help people cure illness.  I think that diet is a very large part of health.  I believe that an emotional wound can be an even bigger part for some.  When looking at the people who live the longest in the world, you almost always find a few things.

1. Spirituality is GIANT in their lives.  They have a good relationship with God, the universe.  They have healed their family systems.  They have lost all these "negative" emotions you speak of from their daily existence.  They just let go all of the negative and make forgiveness and humility their baseline state

2.  They eat somewhat healthy.  I have seen people living to 120+ years that were NOT on raw paleo diet.  I honestly think that they just don't overeat so much as they have good spirituality.  Fruits/vegetables is usually the focus with less heavy foods.

3.  They have PASSION.  They are usually helping other people.  They are making plans.  They have a VISION for what they would like to do in the world.  For some of us growing up in the "medical" industry, this may mean helping to change what is wrong with the system that is set up currently