What do you think of when you hear the word health?

Sometimes we use words so often that after a while it loses its meaning. In other cases a word is abused to a point that it's interpretation is the complete opposite of what it used to stand for. So think about it... what does "health" mean to you?

Personally, I believe health is the balance between our mental and physical being. Whether you meditate or exercise, work or play, you should maintain a balanced lifestyle to achieve optimal health. Typically people associate doctors or medication with the idea of health, but when you think about it doctors prescribe medication to people who are not in optimal health.

Indirectly, my father taught me a lot about health. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung (small cell) and Liver Cancer in 2010. Before the cancer appeared, my father was already struggling with physical disabilities due to severe back and neck trauma. He endured pain the last 12 years of his life, but ultimately cancer was his death sentence and he passed 6 months after being diagnosed. I watched my father's health decline rapidly as he went through “treatments” the doctors recommended. I remember thinking there has got to be a healthier way, but trusted what the doctors had prescribed.

It wasn’t until after my father's passing that I began to understand just how important my health really is. From that point forward I committed to being more responsible with what I put in my body. I set out on a mission to learn more about where my food was coming from, how it was grown, handled and ultimately ingested. This paradigm shift lead me to prefer organic fruits and vegetables and parlayed to sourcing locally grown organic foods.

Today I've taken it to a whole new level. While I live in the suburbs and never thought I'd develop a green thumb, with a little bit of effort and eduction now I grow most of my own vegetables. My appreciation for food has been heightened and I know exactly what I'm putting in my body. Next step, share this feeling with the world!