The Last Three Weeks - Thank you

Happy day to you!


The last three weeks have been up there with the best three weeks of my life. Is this a post accident reaction? Maybe.
Ill go through what I have been up to and then leave you with the questions I have asked myself as to why.

I moved to Torquay in Victoria three weeks ago. I left my day job which I believe was causing way to much stress on my body, mind and soul on many different levels. I picked up another job which was a bit of a drive, a lot more physically demanding and longer hours but good environment to work. I can't speak highly enough about the guys I worked with from New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.

I moved in with two great guys Damien and David that are so chilled and relaxed, living with them was an absolute pleasure. As they thought me how to play cricket and kick an aussie footie (AFL) they picket up the hurley's as if they had been playing for years. I was delighted to leave two of my hurley's with them knowing they would be appreciated and enjoyed.

I travelled up the great ocean road to Lorne twice to enjoy the pier and sea, we got some footage and spent the days playing games on the beach. I have put together a couple of Gopro clips that I am sure I will always remember and relish the two days with great company.

I visited a close friend in Daylesford which I worked with on Mt Buller. He has been a very big influence on me with photography, skiing, rock climbing, rock stacking, fishing and gymnastics. We enjoyed a great quality meal which all but the butter had been grown and raised on the farm.

I had my work colleague and friend Benny drop out for a quick visit, who was unfortunately in the crash with me. Before heading to Torquay he insisted in giving me swimming lessons. Thanks Benny.
This guy has an incredible history with sport and health and one of the most powerful minds I have encountered.

 My pal from Dublin, David dropped out for a night. We spent our time catching up, relaxing and got a fresh dip in the sea. David then travelled over three hours to Melbourne to see me off and drop me to the airport. What a generous gesture which I am very grateful for.

My cousin from Laois visited for a night and surf lesson. It turned out to be such a calm day on the beach they refunded us our lesson even do we spent two hours learning and enjoying ourselves. Thanks to our instructor Billie for making the lesson so remember-al and laughing at me every time I fell of the board. We then spent the day on the beach catching up with some hurling swimming and rock jumping. Here is some footage of me teaching Damien how to back flip.

I was delighted to catch up with my team mate Darren "Rusty" from De Le Salle in Geelong before heading home. We always get on so well we don't notice time passing. I look forward to seeing him next year.

The week before heading home I decided to take the week off and enjoy the surroundings of Torquay. My pal Nick (mentioned above) came down for a night. This was when we returned to Lorne and worked on our handstands, photography, rock climbing, working in and working out. Here is bit of footage and images with Nick, myself and Damien.

I got to test run Lacrosse when Kelly kindly brought down her collection of sticks. The motor schools being similar to hurling had me energized and excited by the grace required to catch and toss the ball. My house mates thoughtfully held a going away party in my honour which we enjoyed great company and much fun.

Then, it happened. I met one of my hero's; Ido Portal, and he lived up to my expectations. This weekend was made extra special by my friend Elly a gymnast instructor inviting me to stay at her place in Hawthorn. I cycled in along the Yarra River and enjoyed the more scenic areas of Melbourne.
Here is the group photo from the movement X two day workshop in West Melbourne, a video of some of Ido's movement.

A thirty hour flight ensued.

Back to the mother land.

A big thank you to all who have made the last three weeks so so good.

What has caused this?
Great company?
Great sleep?
Great education?
Great movement?
Great food?

Or all combined which don't add but multiply.

Its been amazing,

Lorcan

Car Crash Game Changer / Steiner Intro

Saturday morning the 9th of November on the way to work I was in a car crash. I was in the passenger seat when the car I was traveling in broke the lights such that we collided with a truck coming from the left. Both car and truck were travelling at about 40mph. I seen the lights where red and said twice, 'red light-red light'. All three people (two in the car and one in the truck) came away injury free. T

To say I am lucky to be alive is an understatement. The car was a 1995 4l Ford Falcon that somehow pushed the truck further then we went. The car was instantly deemed a write off and the truck may well be as well.The engine/engine block took the blunt of the momentum and sent the truck about 15m across the road. I took a picture of the car I was in which you can see. The truck couldn't drive after words and was towed away while police blocked traffic. If we had being going any faster I would certainly came of a lot worse and any slower we would have went below the truck.

So to say I am feeling extremely lucky at the moment is an under statement. It has made me question more apparent/immediate situations in life and question looking inwards to the daily choices I make, or don't make. I have listed some and deem this as a very good chance to learn from my experience and consider them for yourself.

If I had been more alert could I have prevented the accident?

Do I enjoy my job? 

If I had died would I be proud of my influence on the world?

Am I living my dream?

What is my legacy?

What have I learnt from this accident?

What is GOD (I) trying to say to me.

I am not going to make any rash decisions straight away, but to say I am lucking forward to spending three weeks in Torquay is a understatement. Bring on the summer!

Rudolf Steiner over the last few years has come up many times in different areas of my research. I decided to read a couple of his books and further research some of his work.

Last Thursday I went to the Steiner HQ in Victory for one of three Gabriel Talks. I was behind schedule and when I arrived into a room I seen biodynamic farming methods on the projector screen. This was in fact the wrong lecture I walked into but with my interest in Biodynamic farming I decided to stay put. Ill fill you in in more detail what the lecture discussed and benefits of biodynamic farming and what I took away from it. (Cheese & Yogurt)

For anyone who hasn't got a minute to listen to the podcasts I recorded, I really can't stress enough fitting them into your day. If you got a moment to catch up with them I would be very happy with some feedback and/or if you would like to suggest anyone for me to approach to interview in the future feel free to drop me a mail lorcanmulhern(at)gmail.com or via private mail on Facebook.

 Getting a sneaky handstand in on Saint Kilda Beech in preparation for Ido Portal's Movement X workshop next month.

Love and respect.

Lorcan

Day Off and a Catch Up

Its Sunday,

Wow - what a busy two weeks I have had. This has been my first day off in two weeks with my day job and HLC course last weekend, and it feels goooood!


I had a chat with Michael Kilpatrick of www.kilpatrickfamilyfarm.com/ this week. We discussed his farm, the health of the soil, many different aspects of the CSA (community supports agriculture) scheme and even the potential to visit his farm. Michael interned with Joel Salitin who I have mentioned quite a bit. His passion for real food and good farming practices reflect his energy in his produce. I am looking forward to that visit.

On this point, to find out all you need to know about real food get on board this free online event over the next week or so.

I caught up with a client via Skype that is truly smashing every task I have laid out for him. The rewarding feeling of assisting someone with the information for them to reach their goals and get healthy gives me great satisfaction.
In my coaching, I strive to teach rather then tell and believe this will have livelong effects on my clients.
"To give a man a fish feeds him for the day, but teach a man to fish and feed him for life," comes to mind.

I spent the majority of today catching up on notes from the HLC 1. It was truly three days packed with fantastic information which I can't highly recommend enough. Here is the group photograph from the three days. A big shout to Cathy, Jo and Tanya for making the event possible and everyone who attended.

I will be attending Movement X in December  hosted by Ido Portal. I have been focussing my movement sessions on strength and balance, to be more exact handstands. I was delighted today with a seven second freestanding. For anyone thinking sure a little girl can do that , (which is true of course) I hadn't been able to do a handstand my entire life until six months ago.

I have been reading The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D. and am delighted that I have been a big coconut advocator for over three years now. Before I go any further yes coconut oil is approximately 90% saturated  fat, which is why its so good for you.
This is from the back page so I am sure Bruce won't mind.
When taken as a supplement, used in cooking, or applied directly to the skin, coconut oil has been found to;
-Promote weight loss
-Help protect against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and many other degenerative diseases
-Prevent premature ageing of the skin
-Improve digestion
 
Here is a link to purchase.
Sean Croxton interviewed Bruce as well which you can find here.

Warm regards,

Lorcan

Holistic Lifestyle Coach 1 & Real Food Con

Hello All,

I was about to dive in and tell you what I have been learning during the Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1 (HLC1) with the Chek Institute in Melbourne but instead I highly recommend you catch up with my last podcast were Donal Carr who runs many CHEK courses in Australia, New Zealand and the USA discusses in great detail many topics covered in the course. 

How you act and behave can be influenced heavily by love and fear. When I say heavily I mean totally so let me bring the idea to you, are you living with fear or love? Does this effect your decisions with relationships, daily living, activities, well being etc? In the experiences I mentioned on the 26th of September I want you to consider the parents emotions, either love or fear and then for the children while racing.

My instructor for the HLC1 is Jo Rushton, she has been extremely enjoyable to learn from. One point that she has discussed is the importance of the quality of food. This has really hit home with me after working on farms and investing into real food.

Getting your J-E-R-F on! "Just Eat Real Food".

If you don’t know who Sean Croxton is -- I assure you -- nearly all the top natural health experts sure do. 

Because he’s been consistently bringing the very best, brightest minds in alternative medicine together for YEARS. 

The problem is, very few people know how to unlock the incredible health, fat-busting, all-around transformative power of real foods... 

But Sean does. And he’s just announced an amazing new event -- bringing many of the world’s leading real food experts together -- to deliver cutting-edge online presentations. 

Whether you’re looking to burn fat faster... heal candida... cook healthier meals for your family... increase your energy or libido... fix your digestion -- or pretty much ANY other health challenge -- this event is for you. It’s called... 

Real Food Con <<<-- CLICK HERE >>

And when you register (which costs nothing!), you’ll get exclusive access to online presentations from NY Times best-selling authors, leading doctors, top chefs and other experts who want nothing more than to help YOU get healthy. 

(Or if you prefer, you can grab the lifetime “All Access Pass” to the entire program and get an incredible Real Food Cookbook as a gift.) 

Either way, you’re in for an incredible experience as Sean consistently over-delivers on everything he does. 

He lives, breathes and shares this stuff every day... and nothing makes him happier than helping people change their lives -- beginning with the foods we put in our bodies each day. 

To register, go to -this page now-, 

With Love,

Lorcan

Modern Healthy Caveman Coffee

Happy Saturday to you,

I am having an unbelievable time at the HLC 1 with the Chek Institute in Melbourne. I am two days in and wow what a transformational course, already I am happy to recommend to others. Reading Paul Chek' s book How to Eat Move and Be Healthy are the only prerequisites which I have been recommending you to read anyway. (Its in the recommended reading section) But Ill fill you all in in my next post.

Today I would like to share my coffee recipe.

Modern Healthy Caveman Coffee

Ingredients are Approximately Amount but to personal Taste

Organic Cacoa Powder 1 x tablespoon

Organic Tumeric ½ teaspoon

Cold Pressed Organic Coconut Oil 1x teaspoon

Organic Cinema 3/4 x tablespoon

Optional - Locally sourced honey 1 x teaspoon
Rock of Himalayan Sea Salt

Method Add Ingredients to cup add hot water and give a good stir.

I recommend any time of the day

Enjoy,

Focus some time on you today,

Warm Regards,

Lorcan

Happy September to you,

It has been too long since my last blog post.

My day job over the last three months has been working on Mount Buller Ski resort in Victoria, Australia as a full time photographer.

I have learnt to ski confidently and to take professional grade sports photographs on the snow. Due to light conditions - fog, snow, rain, blue skis. I have learnt to adapt quickly to large range of conditions.

I have been extremely lucky that there is a top class gym on the resort, with close to everything I use. I made some small adaptions but have been delighted with set up.

One of the most powerful moments for me during my stay, happened during the Victorian Inter Schools Races. 
Over the last few weeks while covering races I couldn't get over some parents methods to encourage their children to ski faster, literally racing down beside them shouting,"faster -faster". Just as a mother done that very thing her child stacked. I was embarrassed for the mother and felt sorry for the child.
Back to topic, I was shooting race photos for the physically and mentally disadvantaged children and teenagers in the Victorian Inter schools. First off I was blown away by how encouraging and helpful everyone was to each other. Then as I was about half way through the group I heard a grown man crying behind me. The woman beside him asked what was wrong and he just let out," I can't believe it I am just so proud." It was truly a touching experience that I am sure I wasn't the only one to follow suit.
Comparing the too the father and mother mentioned above, I considered which one was benefitting more from participating in the sport, and who was enjoying themselves more. I thought no matter what the mother's son would do, would she burst into tears in shear enjoyment and emotion. Two emotions came to mind, love and fear.

On reading Joe Ermann' s book Inside Out Coaching, he discusses how sports suit people that are genetically designed for that sport and how it is the coach that can have a huge impact on the child which he discuses between transactional coaches and transformational. I really recommend every parent, coach and athlete to read this book.

I would like to thank my employer Mark Woodsford for the opportunity to work and learn in such a fantastic location, the experience has been mind blowing.

The mountain living has opened my eyes to community living which lead me to to interview Jae Sabol. You can find here.

Next on my list to do before heading back to Ireland late November is to attend the Chek Institutes Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1 in Melbourne. I discussed some topics that will be covered with Donal Carr which you can find here.

Warm Regards,

Lorcan

Jack Kruse Interview, Summit, Movement, Nutrition & Whats Coming Next

Hello all,

I am delighted to inform you I have just interviewed Jack Kruse from www.jackkruse.com. I will upload within the next week in full and have some sections with images in shorter versions via youtube.

I got a chance to enjoy the sunset this week with some friends on Mt Bullers Summit. A truly amazing experience which I try to get to as often as I can, thanks to Lia for the photo - you can find more of her work over on Instagram username liajstrike. 

Movement

I have been invited to part-take in a photo shoot of some of the movements I frequently part take in the gym and training area. I  am looking forward to see if my techniques are up to scratch and comparing to older photos for body composition.

Movement I have enjoyed this week, skiing-gymnastic handstands-boxing(very little to like to keep hands sharp)-weight lifting & pull ups -hurling-trampoline training, deep squats.

Nutrition

Considering I am living on a mountain covered in snow you may think its difficult to find great food. Well I was delighted to discover www.hoffmansholisticproduce.com.au only a half hours drive from my home. They provide me with organic& biodynamic vegetables weekly. They deliver which makes it really too easy.

I have been fermenting the vegetables to maximise their potential which increases the enzymes which makes for a healthy digestive system. The energy levels and alertness from their vegetables is excellent which I find to be some of the best I have ever consumed. They do the hard part and source in season high quality vegetables and sort to a box ideal to last for a week. It has been commented to me from people earning a lot more money then me that organic vegetables are too expensive and they can't afford them. 
Well my friends;

For one, they taste a lot better, not to mention they don't contain harmful chemicals. 

Secondly you don't need to eat as much to gain the nutrition as they are so much more nutritiously dense. I hazard a guess at three times but it could easily be more. (This is from some experiments I have been carrying out.) 
A more basic one you can try is;

Take some organic carrots and cook in hot water. Taste the water afterwords.

Take some conventionally grown carrots in hot water. Taste the water afterwords.

This experiment was given to me by an organic farmer who is 66years of age and the only person to score lower then me in my health screen questionnaire. 

You will find the organic carrots water to have a much sweeter taste. The conventional carrots water will be bitter due to being laden with chemicals. Just think of the short and long term effects this will have on your body and mind. 
So when you get high quality stock as well as the food to consume you get more then what you paid for you just have to be efficient. 
Paul Chek has recently done a series on Why Organic? which you can find on his blog paulcheksblog.com. He goes into detail why organic is very important for the soil and your personal health. Be sure to read and view his videos during this series. 

Make the most of today,

Smile, laugh, play - its good for you.

Lorcan

Hello All,

My current location has views that words couldn't describe. Ill let the photo's do the talking this time.

Live in the moment and embrace every second,

Lorcan

Folks, This Ain't Normal-Book Review & Avoid the Supermarket

Good day to you,

Folks, this ain't normal. Joel Salitin Book Review 

Well reading Joel's book I feel like I have had a huge weight taken of my chest, finally somebody that understands real farming and living. This book is a game changer, realising that I am not a lone on this planet with strong beliefs on educating children and people to source their food locally and actually be in touch with nature. I am learning an absolute boat load of information which I am sure you will to.

Joel has a great interest in debating which when reading shows, with actual laugh out load moments - which are very tough to find in books and of course laughing is one of the best stress reducers. 

Joel describes in great detail how it isn't normal for anyone the play video games and even more so how absurd it is for children. On page 40 he lists 10 things you can do to reconnect and re-educate. I am not going to list all ten but will give a couple and my favourite. 

Visit farms and find out where your food is coming from, garden as much as possible - including small animals that are suited to urban settings i.e. hens & rabbits. The last one is to bring your children hunting and if not an option encourage them to go along with other hunters. Field dressing is a skill that has been handed down through the generations of human kind that should not be lost to thinking food comes from the super-market. 

I personally have no problem with field dressing and wasn't introduced to it until I was twenty (a late starter I know). I have found other adults cringing at the thoughts but Joel explains that on his farm children up until the age of about ten love to get stuck in, but by twelve the "I couldn't do that', factor prevails.

Listen to internet radio with Sean Croxton on BlogTalkRadio

This short Ted talk mentions Joel and is presented by an eleven year old.

Link to Podcast Joel Salitin, Paul Chek Q & A with Sean Croxton

I will leave you to read the rest of the book which is a fantastic read that I believe should be made compulsery reading for secondary if not primary school students.

Avoid the Supermarket

I am not saying the people that work in supermarkets are bad people but please open your eyes look at the people in front of you and behind in the super market Q. Think If I continue to eat this highly processed food will I look like this in twenty years, tens years, five years, next year, right now. 

Quite frankly put, any processed food isn't going to be good for you. Especially anything that contains processed sugar, grains, gluten, processed dairy, ionised salt and most importantly anything that states fat free on it. Get to the local farmers markets, look for community supported agriculture schemes and read Joel Salintin's book.

For more information on personalised nutrition I have a on-line service. Please see the services tab for more details and if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Dream Big!

Lorcan

Health is Everything & Sexy Back Summit

Good day to you,

The last week has been absolutely hectic for me.

I made my way down to Melbourne to play a spot of hurling. It was my first game back since I broke my ribs and I really need to fine tune my touch. My Australian team Dan Breens have improved bucket loads since the start of the year which is a real credit to them. I had a great run out and now looking forward to the championship.

Thanks to darkensports for image, well worth checking out his website and Facebook page.

I met up with my good friend and wife on his honey moon and had a great relaxed day touring Torquey. So happy for these guys.

On the way back I stopped in at a local pottery maker and got some great quality cooking items. These will be featuring in a lot of my photos due to there high quality. I can honesty say my organic cacao/turmeric/coffee/coconut oil blend taste even better from my new mug.

And thats only half of whats happening Ill fill you in on the rest in due course.

Be Greedy Health is Everything

Let me explain the title, I have observed people that will literally run themselves into the ground before looking into their own health. Well my friends I have seen the long term health effects to this and it an't pretty. 

An example of this would be working night shifts over a long term basis to support your children's needs for holidays, flash TV's, i phones etc.. I could list a lot of things here but will leave to your imagination.

Well to point out that when you continue this unsustainable life style your own health (physical & mental emotional) will not be running at optimum levels such that your primary role as a parent and role model won't be at its best.

So I am advising you to be greedy for the sake of your friends and family, invest in your own health, eat the highest quality organic foods sourced from the best sources and live optimally. I can of course help with this and cover in very high levels of detail in my holistic life style coaching methods.

When living optimally, your body composition will be of natural athletic build regardless of age. (age is only number) Your ability to live in the present will allow you to appreciate others and have a very clear vision of your dream and legacy. 

For more details view my services area for life style coach.

Sexy Back Summit

Well if you don't know who Sean Croxton is let me introduce him to you. He has an enormous amount of free health information over at undergroundwellness.com and the author of the Dark Side of Fat Loss.

He has hosted two summits before on Real Food and Paleo which had great information. (There is a link to the real food summit in the food section)

He is now hosting the Sexy back Summit which starts on the 19th of this month. You can register for it hear Sexy Back Summit Registration and it is completely free to attend. 

Make today an important one,

Lorcan

Play

I am currently reading Mark Sissons book (which I have linked in the recommended reading section). He talks a lot about play. I have integrated this into my free time and have opted for options that I loved when I was younger.

I used to love art in primary school, not so much in secondary school - I had distractions like woodwork and metalwork to pull me away from choosing it. Then in college I definitely enjoyed many aspects but not so much the pressure deadlines. Well I bought some basic art supplies and got stuck in. From college I had a lecturer that introduced us to left hand drawing which changes the mindset when drawing( for me anyway). I just didn't have the pressure of,' that doesn't look in proportion or that line isn't straight'. Instead I just have, 'ah sure its my left hand - it will be grand'. This I found as a big stress reducer. I highly recommend you give it a try.

Climbing trees. Well growing up my mother used to take us to the Botanic Gardens, The flowers didn't interest me too much but the trees did, climbing them just seemed like the only option. In the back garden at home there is a large pear tree that requires some deli-quit movement to get to the good pears. 

Well the same tree I made my pull up ropes on also turns out to be great for climbing. I got some sudden darts of adrenaline (that lasted some time) up the top with a few slips but fortunately my reactions are as sharp when I was young and nimble.

From the tree climbing I spotted an old ruin with a big pile of rocks. I couldn't resist I went over and started stacking the rock piles. This I learned from Paul Cheks blog that is actually much harder then he makes out. Its a really tough workout that I rotate between gym and outdoor sessions.

(if you look closely you can see rock stack)

For information on gym programs and outdoor sessions feel free to contact me through the about section for details on how you can integrate your PLAY activities into your custom workout and work-in routines.

Health is everything,

Lorcan

Taste The Difference

Happy 1st of May to you.
What an amazing day I just had.
I took the day off to continue my hunt for some real food and boy did I find it! Not the only one hunting this morning - you can see this hawk scanning the fields (action shot while driving)

I got up early to finish some art work, I started just recently. Left hand art.

Hope you enjoy - it is inspired by the style Paul Chek frequently puts on his blog over at paulcheksblog.com ( Have a look !) I thought no better way to try to understand the skill enjoyed then to give it a go myself.
It has been too long since I have been at a Yoga class so I decided to go to the local one. Many thanks to Hayleigh very informative and well trained instructor - I will be getting into that class more often. Hips and hamstrings have tightened up more then I'd like.
I met a local organic farmer at the weekend market and asked to visit the farm. Its not certified nor is it large scale - nice and local. During recent Podcast interview with Niall Davidson he spoke about the connection between the farmer and their product. I now understand what he meant.
The passion Katherine shows from her food is amazing. I had a great chat with her which she fully convinced me organic is at least three times better then conventional food while tasting the tomatoes. Well she was speaking to the converted organic eater but when the farmer tells you who's to argue? and got a nice bag of organic goods to take home. This gave me the chance to get some use out my camera.
We are coming into winter in Australia but the weather today really did remind me of the summers back in 95 and 97 in Ireland-Fantastic. Photos are un-edited to give the rustic feel. Enjoy!








I highly recommend that everyone eats organic food especially fruits and vegetables. When tasting the difference between organic cucumber to conventional its staggering. There is absolutely no comparison. I had the difficulty getting any organic produce in the local super market which I am sure you do to.
Well it's time to get to the local farmers market and buy organic. The health benefits are one thing, the taste is another, but believe me when I tell you this when you make the effort to go to organic farmer the price is less then the supper markets. So three times the nutrition,( a guess I reckon its more), better tasting and costing less as well as knowing the farmer and having a connection to your food. Its a no brainer! Eat organic but not the supermarket stuff the real fresh stuff!
Well how you ask? To anyone in the Millicent area there is a vegetable and fruit box available for weekly collection. Contact me through the about section for details.
Live today, in the present.
Lorcan

24.04.2013

Wow, what an inspiring two days off I have just had. First the two days I had scheduled off became one with a work colleague getting sick. I happily covered his shift yesterday but still got time for an intense squatting, dead lifting and pulling workout. The real highlight of yesterday was an Irish man randomly came up to me in the street and gave me a tour of the local town Millicent and to his family at his home. What an absolutely kind gesture to make me feel welcomed into the town-Irish Spirit is still there!

I spent this morning brain storming on my long term goals which I feel are achievable.

I spent the afternoon hunting out real food which turned out more difficult then expected. I got some grass finished lamb bones which I got some snaps going into the oven for roasting then into the pot for some tasty high fat bone broth.

DOMS has hit my legs very hard, as expected which shall be fun working on on the foam roller soon!

I am delighted and saddened that one of my best friends is getting married tomorrow but unfortunately I won't get home for it. I am sure he will have an amazing day and can't wait to meet him on his honeymoon next week.

This post opens new doors to trains of thought that I encourage you to further research. Jack Kruise inspired - you can read his book Paleo FX that I have in recommended reading section. Enjoy



Guilty by Design
Are architects responsibly for modern day illnesses, sickness, cancer, premature death? Firstly don’t jump down my throat but think for a second. Now just to make this clear I am aware there is no one factor that causes illnesses, sickness, cancer, premature death but an accumulation of many factors, let me continue -is the dwelling we are living in/working in adding to our modern day health problems?
By design we put artificial lights in the center of our living spaces. Thus before day break we get up turn on the lights and are hit by the light, you get a sudden dart of the hormone cortisol. We all now this feeling its uncomfortable and you feel it on your eyes. This has the same effect on your body as bright lights from the sun give you during the day such that as a hunter gather allows you to survive. Now the down side, if you are living in these bright lights before bed time, you seriously affect your sleep quality and hormone regulation. Solution for this that architects, designers etc. can implement into design, don’t put the lights into the ceiling; put them low down and specify much lower brightness such that there is no blue light in the bulb so a yellow/red colour appears. I want you to trust me on this and test it for yourself- stay out of bright light two hours before bedtime and before daybreak in the morning. Give it three weeks and tell me how your sleep quality has changed. Or alternatively don’t put any lights in the house. Force the use of candles and torches.
Next factor; by design sitting rooms are designed around the television. Thus when you come home from work you put yourself in front of the television and waste your evenings. Well another test Ill have you perform. Take your televisions out of the living room disconnect it and put it away. You will find your productivity will increase to levels you never expected. Your concentration levels will increase and when interacting with people you actually listen to them and have a meaningful conversation. Now don’t just replace the function of the television to a laptop and sit there on Facebook wasting your time. (Same for mobile phone) Again reading thrash magazines or garbage “bad news” newspapers. I recommend reading good books that will increase your knowledge and enhance your personal passions and goals. Now to avoid the effects of bright lights for reading use candles, a lamp aimed away from you at eye level – if required wear yellow tinted glasses. So architects, am I opening new areas to your train of thought when designing a living space.
Offices, bright lights & work spaces. By good design we have to design workspaces to use natural light. We have to educate employers about the effects light will have on their employees and break the mould of working 8-6. We must stand together and not allow poor design limit to cost factors that greatly affect human’s lives. This may well be on a town planning level but included in the term architect is good design which effects planning. My solution is to think bigger, don’t allow poor conditions (money, design, materials, location) be factors strive for the best, educate yourself on all levels. And again THINK BIGGER outside the box shit.
Bright lights - smart phones/computer screens/televisions. There is modern day apps (f.lux) that automatically select the light settings that are omitted that can omit the blue light that messes up your cortisol levels. Find them and use them. Simplicity can be key here. Wear yellow/orange lenses and don’t leave your phone beside your bed such that during the night if you wake when you check the time you get a kick from the bright lights.
I have only hit a few points here - scratched the surface possibly - materials haven't even been mentioned ie sick building syndromes that off course can be improved upon but the verdict is still out there. Let me ask you this, is your architect aware of these factors? By design can your home or work space be improved?

Well you hire your architect, you pay your architect. You are responsible for your own health and living space. Make the decision yourself. I can off course add my input into designs. See my services options in services for contact..