With both of us having experienced the pitfalls of an ill-matched marriage, we cautiously took on a new lease of life and married three years later. A great move!But much more than our marital status was changing. We were gaining insights into a more positive lifestyle and adopting a ‘natural’ and organic way of eating.
As a young man in Yorkshire, Michael was an aspiring racing driver. A passion he still enjoys – as a spectator! Cars and the skills of drivers are a constant source of fascination to him.
However, from those youthful years, on through most of his life, his health was not easy. His skin problems were an extreme embarrassment, frequent bronchitis and difficult digestive/elimination processes didn’t add to the joys of life. Of course, smoking and drinking didn’t help much either – but hey, life’s a party!
Michael had married, emigrated, had two boys and proceeded to contribute to his new country. The previously mentioned health issues were still dogging him but he had become resigned to this being normal.
Mairi looks back to her early teens, where things went rather strange for her. She began “spacing out,” at times mentally sharp enough and other times unable to concentrate at all, with frequent exhaustion. Every now and then she would visit a GP in the hope of help only to be met with a blank look as she described her symptoms. This was in both Scotland and South Africa. She was given everything from sleeping pills, tranquilisers, pep pills, etc., and was eventually referred to a psychiatrist.
None of this helped. By now her marriage was over and she was the sole supporter of her son.
Believing there had to be a remedy to her “space invaders,” she began looking into homoeopathy. Her condition was instantly diagnosed – hypoglycaemia. An obvious connection to the sugar binges she went on. Great – so now, no more goodies.Distraught, she went into denial about the connection with the great comforter.However, the seed was planted and, at a later stage, she began looking into nutrition for herself. With a new understanding, everything changed.
In fact, so dramatic was the change, that Mairi changed direction work-wise. She studied various approaches to natural healing and immediately set out to improve Michael’s health when they met.
He, at this stage, was on cortisone for degenerative arthritis of the spine and was due to return for his annual injection in about a month’s time.
That was in 1990. He never went for that injection; so quickly did his body respond to being treated with respect.Encouraged by this development we began looking at everyday things that may have been having a positive or negative impact on our lives. One of them was the stress we were living under in South Africa.
In 1990 Nelson Mandela was released from Polsmore prison. The struggle was almost over and there was much rejoicing. Preparations were soon under way for the first democratic election, with mixed feelings of trepidation and excitement and, in 1994, when Mandela became president of the New South Africa, the world celebrated with us.
There was no bloodbath. The man had pulled off a miracle. Relief was almost palpable, and it was an event that anyone who was in that country at that time will never forget!
South Africa, historically, was never a peaceful country, but living there one accepts the way of life (high security, constant vigilance) as normal life.
While on holiday on the Isle of Lewis (Outer Hebrides, Scotland), it hit us just how stressful our lives were in S. Africa.
We looked at our values while hill-walking one a crisp sunny December morning. Looking down on the village, we became aware that no-one there was fearful of the rape, murders, kidnapping, ‘necklacing,’ etc., that were a constant threat and source of stress in S. Africa. In fact our ‘normal’ behaviour was totally alien to the islanders. They were relaxed and didn’t even know it!
So, knowing full well we would be leaving behind the lovely weather that afforded an outdoor lifestyle, in 1998 we decided to move to Lewis.
We left a comfortable home and garden. Said farewell to our friends (some had already left anyway) and moved into a 60 year old house we had bought in 1997.
Shortly after, Michael was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He was operated on and the tumour successfully removed, and for that we are so very grateful to surgery.
However, the outcome of all this is that we have become more and more aware of the impact that nutrition, stress and chemicals have on our lives and we have adopted a ‘natural’ and organic way of living.
Thankfully we have good tap water where we live but, even so, we filter it.
We have been horrified and left feeling rather helpless at times, in the face of chemical onslaught on our food and home. Household cleaners, deodorants and toothpaste. Hormones and anti-biotics in the food. Margarine being promoted as a healthy product while only one step away from being plastic! Not even birds, rats or insects will go near it in the garden!
Remember the saying “An apple a day ….”? Well, these lovely fresh looking apples are often gassed to preserve them for a YEAR. They are also dipped in wax to make them shine. Where do you get proper natural health-promoting goods these days?
Through searching the Internet and responding to selected articles and adverts in the media, and listening and talking to people who know what they are talking about, we have found items and products that support our philosophies. We have not become tree huggers or turned a deep shade of green. For us, it has been simple changes that leave us and the environment feeling good. We still socialize and do not try to scare or convert anyone. Our values are private, yet we feel that the people should not be duped by advertising or marketing hype.
If you are interested, therefore, in joining us and discovering more knowledge with us, drop us a line at info (at) BeWellAgain.com
We now live on the Scottish mainland in a mortgage-free house overlooking wooded hills and a distant island. We're within 40 minutes of the city centre and 10 minutes from a sandy beach with spectacular views. Michael's internet career started bearing fruit about 2 years ago and Mairi has kept her part-time job as a Counsellor only because she enjoys it. We take frequent breaks to our favourite places... of which there are a growing number. We are very grateful for our lifestyle and the satisfying sense of liberation it brings. We continue to live and learn as healthily as reasonably possible. It pays dividends!
Wishing you wellness...!
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