The 5 Percenters.

The Good Medicine that adds 5% to our health over time.

The 5 percenters

I have an illness that has no approved treatments. The only control I have over the illness is choices that make small 5% differences. It doesn’t seem like much, but over time they add up and can mean the difference of a day in bed, in pain, or having a few good hours to accomplish something. These 5 percenters are as good as any experimental medicine I have ever tried. The negative side effects are minimal to none, they can be adapted to my needs and the benefits extend to other areas of my life. They are small things, but together they add up and can contribute in a meaningful way to your physical and mental health.

There will be a blog post going into depth on why each of these can have a positive impact on your health. The 5 percenters are:

• Creating as good medicine.

• Food as good medicine.

• Movement as good medicine.

• Nature as good medicine.

• Community as good medicine.

Creating as good medicine. Creative acts have been seen to have measurable effects on our physical and mental health. Making, and even sometimes just viewing art, can influence our stress hormones, aid our immune system and regulate our emotions. Art has been shown to stimulate neuroplasticity aiding the treatment of illnesses including Parkinson's and dementia. It can decrease pain perception and improve our quality of life. It is also a tool that can cut through isolation and connect us to others. For more on creativity and the brain and body see this post.

Food as Medicine. (Soon to come)

Movement as good medicine. I know, I know, you don't want to hear about how yoga can cure you one more time. This is different I promise. All it takes is 5 minutes of movement to reap the many benefits such as increase life span and quality of life. How's that for a start? What about fighting off the side effects of deconditioning that could be intensifying and adding new symptoms to your condition? Sound interesting? Read this post to learn more.

Nature as medicine. (Soon to come)

Community as medicine. We are not an Island. (Soon to come)