06.01 – What Health Really Is

Can we define health?

Yes we can. Conventionally, a lack of obvious disease is regarded as a state of health. In actuality about 99% of our brothers and sisters are diseased in some manner, regardless of outward appearances.

Health may be defined as having fullness of function. Health means complete well-being, inner and outer harmony, vigor, strength, mental acuity, in short, total fitness.

Perhaps no better statement of health has ever been made than that of Dr. Herbert M. Shelton. I’m happy to quote his definition:

Health is a condition of perfect development, a state of wholeness and harmonious development and growth, an adaptation of part to part of the organism, or organ to organ, with no part stunted and no part in excess.

In this state of organic development lies the perfection and symmetry of beauty. Beauty is simply the reflection of wholeness, of health. It is easy to demonstrate that the forms and proportions of humans and every animal and plant which are in their highest and most useful state are the most beautiful and therefore the most healthy.

When every bone is of the best form and size for its service in the body, there is perfect proportion. When every muscle is fully and proportionally developed, with just enough of fat and the cellular tissues to round out the muscles, we have the highest beauty of form. When the texture of the skin is finest, when the circulation of the blood most vigorous, the blood well-nourished and freed of all waste, there is the glow and charm of the finest complexion.

The highest beauty is the expression of the highest health. Partial beauty, fading beauty or decaying beauty – these are but expressions of partial, fading or decaying health.

When we suffer any impairment or impediment we cannot be said to be in a state of optimal health. We may be in a relatively high state of health but to the extent we do not enjoy perfection of body function, we are not completely healthy. Nevertheless, continually improving your own state of health is worth every effort you make. Perfection is impossible, but getting close to it feels wonderful!