As human beings, each one of us has complete control over the way we treat our bodies, what we feed them, and how we feel about them. Every day we make decisions about these things, whether we realize it or not.

This means that we have direct control over our weight and our state of health.

Illness is directly linked to what goes into our bodies and how it's eliminated. In fact, it's well known that what comes out is more important than what goes in.

As a society, we have fallen into the trap of believing that we are not responsible for our own bodies and illnesses. When we experience symptoms of illness, we run to the doctor or drugstore and expect that they will take away the symptoms, instead of doing everything we can ourselves to prevent the symptoms in the first place. It seems we'd rather stay ignorant to the facts than know what our bodies truly need to be healthy.

There's a commercial on television where a girl and a guy both say, "I hate colds." and "Colds are NASTY!" Actually, a cold is our body's natural way of cleaning itself out when it gets overburdened with toxins. Colds make us healthier in the long run!

We don't get colds from germs. We get colds because we allow our immune systems to break down so that we cannot fight off the germs. If we have strong and healthy immune systems, we can be exposed to those cold germs and we won't get sick.

Taking Charge of Our Health

Health is all about taking responsibility for ourselves and gaining the knowledge of how our bodies really work, instead of believing that it's up to someone or something else to take away our symptoms. Why not address the cause of the problem so the symptoms will disappear?

The human body has incredible intelligence. It knows exactly how to heal itself and live in optimum health, if we just allow it to do that. As long as we indulge in unhealthy habits, we don't give our bodies a chance to be healthy.

Okay, so what does this have to do with weight loss?

If you go on a diet but don't have awareness of what's really going on inside your body, it's like trying to fix an engine without knowing how the car works.

Weight loss has everything to do with the body, mind and spirit living healthfully and in harmony. Perhaps our focus should be more on health, and less on weight loss. The amazing thing about that concept is that once your body starts getting healthier, it will naturally come into balance and your weight will adjust itself to whatever your body optimally needs.

So, how does one become healthy and lose weight? Here are a few ideas to start. If you're truly committed to your own wellness, they're pretty plausible and simple.

Regular exercise - our bodies need natural movement on a regular basis. It's your choice whether you move around or not. Check with your physician and choose the best level of exercise for you. No matter what your level of activity, just do something.

More raw foods - our bodies need live enzymes to properly digest food. If we can't digest it, we can't get the nutrients out of it. Cooking food destroys enzymes so food doesn't get properly digested. Simple concept.

In addition, when we don't properly digest food, it doesn't get eliminated properly and is then stored as toxins in our bodies. Remember: what comes out is more important than what goes in. Toxins mean compromised health. The level of toxins in your body will dictate how healthy you are. Simple.

Some people complain that they don't like vegetables. Here's some great news for you - that's entirely a learned behaviour, which means it can be unlearned. Quite easily, too! It just depends if you're committed to learning something new or not.

Intake less toxins - many substances we've come to cherish in our society are actually toxic to our bodies: caffeine, white flour, sugar, sugar substitutes, refined salt, processed food additives, to name just a few. You have a choice what you consume. Feed your body with wise attention. Refuse to be a slave to advertising.

Drink more water - Pure, clean water energizes, cleanses and sustains us. Drink the purest water available. Use your own filter - don't rely on tap water to be pure. Unfiltered tap water may contain chlorine, fluoride, agricultural run-off, herbicides, pesticides, drug residues and too many other poisons to list. Don't drink distilled water.

Making Healthy Choices

There are a zillion diets out there with the "magical combination", but there really isn't one magical formula for everyone. True wellness comes with a lifestyle of health and vitality. It's all about getting into your own groove of doing whatever you can to support your body in becoming healthy, and it starts with a change in attitudes and beliefs.

If you're someone who is trying to lose weight, consider the overall health of your body, mind and spirit, not just what the scale says. Chances are the results you see from this type of weight management will be pleasantly surprising in more ways than one!

One thing I've found is that people who are successful with weight management have one belief in common: living an active and healthy lifestyle is imperative to weight management.