Blog
It’s Up to Us: Generation Z
Maddie King
We hear it all the time. “It’s up to you to change the world.” We have heard it from our teachers, our parents, our politicians. We have been taught from a young age, that the mark we leave on this Earth will have severe implications for the rest of generations to come after us. It’s up to us. For some, maybe these words have had an impact on them, and they have changed the way they think and act in their day-to-day life; scared of what the outcome would be if they don’t change their ways. For others these words hold no gravity, and they go in one ear and out the other, no matter how many times it is heard. But in all reality, it really is up to us. Our actions really do have a severe impact on our planet. Our teachers, our parents, and our politicians weren’t lying. Generations before us have failed, or at least have not set us up to enjoy the most healthy, beautiful Earth as possible. That leaves us, Generation Z, to clean up the mess that was made before us. The generations to come after us will be left with the Earth we leave them. It’s up to us.
Credit: “If my parents don’t pay the price… – Melbourne World Environment Day 2011” by John Englart (Takver) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
As Generation Z, the lifestyle that we choose to have is going to pave the way for generations to come. That is why it is crucial that we create a lifestyle full of sustainability, healthy ways, and of mindfulness. As intimidating as it may sound, having the fate of the Earth resting in the palm of our hands, there are things that we can do in our daily lives that may seem insignificant, but can actually have positive everlasting effects. This does not mean I am asking you to hold rallies promoting a healthy environment, or to take to the courts to implement change. Start off small, with something as simple as going for runs outside instead of ordering an expensive Peloton bike to work out. Or possibly try to do more research before buying your clothing, be mindful of what you are purchasing and how it is made. Something as miniscule as switching what cleaning supplies you use in your household to something more sustainable and better for the environment can really go a long way. Imagine if everyone followed this trend. Sometimes, the littlest actions can have the most gratifying effects.
“Running” by Lake Mead National Recreation Area is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Our Earth is depleting rapidly, and unfortunately, we cannot keep up at this pace we are going if we want to have a happy and healthy Earth for our children and grandchildren to come. Change needs to happen. And that change comes from us: Generation Z. We are the people who have the most power and possibility to change the way that generations before us have treated the Earth. This is something that needs attention now. Something that requires change as soon as yesterday.
Only the Beginning
Lisa Goodkind
The first question that I asked the consultant rheumatologist when he gave me the diagnosis that I had Rheumatoid Arthritis was “will I end up in a wheelchair?”
Many years before I had worked with a woman who had this long term autoimmune disease and I remember her telling me that this was going to be her destiny. “Not if you take the drugs” he swiftly responded as he routinely doled out a leaflet and a prescription. And so ended the ten minute appointment that was to turn my life around and reshape my future.
That was 2 ½ years ago and I am now symptom free. No drugs.
My initial reaction was deep sadness, helplessness and a belief that my future was going to be very different from how I had imagined it to be. My symptoms had manifested in a noticeable way about 3 months before when I had begun to experience pain in my hands which were fixed in a claw-like position in the night and on waking. The pain had begun to spread to my toes, my wrists, my elbows and my knees.
That night I cried for a long time and then started to research the condition and ways that I might manage it. I spent the whole night on my computer and by the morning I had a plan. I was going to commit the next month to doing everything that I could possibly do to try and improve my symptoms – and I was not going to the pharmacy to get the prescription made up just yet.
My first point of research was to see if there was a Facebook group where I might find other sufferers, so that I could see what they were doing to help themselves. I was particularly inspired by one group in which the members were trying to heal themselves naturally.
From the next morning my new life begun. I went from being a pasta-eating carnivore to being plant-based. I stopped eating meat, dairy, gluten, sugar and various other inflammatory foods and started to gorge on organic and brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. My morning cappuccino was replaced with celery and other juices galore. My family were incredibly supportive, and my husband and twins all became vegan overnight to support me with my new protocol (this lasted about a month, but I was hugely appreciative of their efforts).
My body’s reaction to my change in eating habits was incredible. Within a week my hands started to unfurl and my pain began to retreat.
When I saw another rheumatologist a month later, I was already feeling about 80% better. The rheumatologist said that I should still take the drugs, however at that point I had no intention of doing that as I was firmly committed to forging ahead with my own recovery plan. I told everyone around me that I was healing myself and I would get better. From a supposedly irrecoverable disease.
During the two years that followed I engaged in a fierce and unwavering determination to heal myself and I became an avid researcher. I committed to try something new each week to try and help myself. I addressed every aspect of my physical being, life, lifestyle and spirit during that time. After a few months I decided to embark upon training in nutritional therapy and then functional medicine (a system of medicine that looks to heal using natural means and addresses causes rather than symptoms).
This year I hope to qualify in both modalities and to start practicing so that I can help others with chronic health conditions.
While experiencing the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis was painful and upsetting, I have found the experience to be incredibly enlightening and I feel profoundly grateful to have been thrust in a direction where I will be able to help other people who find themselves in a similar situation. Because when something feels like ‘the end’, it really might be only ‘the beginning.’
lisa@goodkind.co.uk
LET’S BE REAL
You may have heard of Ubuntu, an African proverb which states “I am because we are” or “humanity towards others” . You may also know the saying “It takes a village to raise a child”. The common denominator is togetherness, helping one another, raising healthy families and trying one’s best to live a healthy lifestyle.
Ok well that is a tall order. I am realistic in the fact that mentally and emotionally we may want to change things in our life which give us a better quality of living but let’s be honest. It is hard to get started. It is equivalent to stopping a train on a dime and turning it around to go in the other direction.
The urgency here though is that the train has already derailed in the form of health, sleep patterns, weight, maybe even anxiousness. The 4 for a dollar meals we eat to save costs, end up costing us $2000 in hospital bills or medical bills.
The clothing we get from China which costs $5 when made by children, costs us our souls by turning a blind eye to sweatshop production for the sake of fashion and our vanishing moral compass.
For us, it is time to turn the train around and find better ways to live, work, act, BE. We want to dialogue here and share regimens, products, and insight which has helped us individually, with each other. Many of the best products I have tried which helped me from a health perspective, I just happened across through conversation where someone recommended it.
Let’s face it, good food, clothes, and healthcare should be free but it’s not. The next best thing is sharing, connecting, and giving to one another as an eco-community.
Real food, real clothes, real materials used in real products. Let’s be real.
Love,
El
