Systemic Health
Wholesome economics, nourishing social systems, supportive infrastructure, thriving ecology.
Known by systemic analysis.

This domain includes the environment and its effects of the health: clean air, clean water, toxins, mold, dust, etc.; as well as, our socioeconomic system and the resources available for healthcare.

Realizing that we are embedded within a healthcare system, with both positive contribution and negative effects, we can better navigate the sometimes difficult terrain of hospitals, insurance companies, doctors and large healthcare programs. The healthcare system in the U.S. leads the world in caring for acute illness with sophisticated drugs and surgery, but is not as evolved in the area of preventive medicine and chronic disease care. While we may be working to change the systems for the better, we do have the systems that we have, today. Thus being realistic and attempting to work well with the current situation assists us in our health, as does well-intended suggestions for improvement.

We allocate resources to assist in maintaining our health. Finding appropriate health practices that are cost effective and fit within our cash-flow is important. It is also part of our overall health plan to address our financial condition. One of the greatest stressors for some people is not having enough money. This stress often gets suppressed into the body and can cause disease and inflammation. Having an appropriately designed system and plan for managing our income and expenses can relieve this stress and thereby directly contribute to our health.

Being aware of the various social systems we participate within and managing our energy and time to not overindulge or become addicted is important to our well being. The power of texting, Facebook, Twitter, email and other social networks can be enticing. Maintaining supportive social connections is associated with longterm health, but striving to maintain balance is important. Also recognizing that electronic communication is not a substitute for face to face relationship is equally important.

The environment we live within effects health and well being dramatically. We can take into account toxins in our homes, in our foods, in our skincare products, as well as in our air and water and wider community. While we can never completely control the environment arounds us, we can make changes that help support health and healing. And we can be involved in supporting changes in society that result in a healthier environment for all. Avoidance and continual detoxification from chemicals, unhealthy micro-organisms and even electromagnetic radiation is an important part of staying healthy over a lifetime.

This is the systemic expression of our genetic inheritance. Genes turn on and off in different situations, conditions and environments. Understanding this and working with a practitioner to beneficially influence gene expression can be a useful part of a skillful health program.If we identify particular genetic predispositions with lab testing, the next step is to affect how these genes express themselves. Eating broccoli and kale or ingesting particular nutritional supplements literally turns on the expression of beneficial genes while turning off the expression of carcinogenic genes.

We can recognize that we are also living within an interconnected ecology of living organisms which is critical for our wellbeing, from the bacteria in our digestive system to the landscape around our homes, to the watershed from which all our drinking water comes. Certain behaviors can throw these systems out of harmony and into wild fluctuations. Other behaviors can assist in restoring balance. Becoming aware of the different levels of ecology we live within can allow us to make better, ecologically sustainable choices and live more vital lives.