Without it, everything else has little meaning.
Who is ready to have more energy and feel great? Read on.
In order to maintain health, our bodies have several requirements. There is
a lot confusing information out there. So here is a step by step process and
reference resources to create the health you deserve.
The road to health requires the following:
- Drinking plenty of clean water
It is important to drink a minimum of 64 oz of room temperature water per
day. Cold water makes the body work harder and can cause all sorts of
digestive problems and water retention. I carry around a 16 oz water bottle
and make sure I fill it four times a day. Get one for yourself.
Dehydration is a key factor in many chronic ailments like lower back
pain, headaches, allergies and arthritis to name a few. For more
information click ">here!
- Getting plenty of restful sleep
when the body repairs itself, the mind processes the day's events and the
universe or God connects with us. Our bodies function and feel the best
when we are fully rested. For two good resources click here and check out
Sleep Solutions in the Health Section of the Library.
- Exercising
However, the body was designed to move and move it must in order to
maintain health. Muscle contractions move the lymph through the lymph
nodes, clearing debris from our bodies. Without movement, our bodies
stagnate and stagnation leads to disease.
It is important for each of us to find the time and type of exercise that is
right for us. Find something that is fun for you. Do it with a friend. If you
are unable to join a Health Club, then create your own at home. There are
wonderful home video's and simple exercises you can do at home.
Of the many things I have personally tried, what has worked for me is
walking in nature, Jane Fonda's Yoga program and The 6 Week Makeover
Program. I find yoga very relaxing and involves moving my whole body. I
use The 6 Week Makeover Program to address specific body areas needing
extra work. Check the Health Section in the Library for links to these two
programs under Exercise.
- Eating healthy foods
fats, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, enzymes and fiber. We all
agree on this. However, what we don't agree on is what those foods are.
We don't put sand in the gas tank of our car and expect it to run very well.
So why do we do this kind of thing to our bodies?
I give my clients the following general rule of thumb: "When you go
grocery shopping, shop around the perimeter of the store and leave the
middle of the store alone for the most part."
Why do I say this? Because the perimeter usually has the fresh vegetables,
fresh fruits, breads, fresh meats, etc and the middle of the store usually
contains the man-made and over processed foods. Processed foods are
acid forming. The body is very sensitive to its acid/alkaline balance also
known as the pH Balance. When the body becomes too acidic, disease sets
in as the body becomes over-worked trying to protect itself from the acidic
conditions. So basically I'm saying if it grows, eat it; if it doesn't grow,
don't eat it.
Our diets need to be around 75% alkaline producing foods and 25% acid
producing foods. Alkalize or Die is an excellent resource book for
understanding pH effect on the body of specific foods. You can find this in
the Health Section. Check the pH level of your urine first thing in the
morning to see where you are personally. pH strips are available at most
pharmacies.
Healthy foods are made by the source of all that is. They are:
- Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs - fresh or frozen grown
organically. Fruits, vegetables and herbs provide us with
carbohydrates, fiber, enzymes, healthy fats, some essential
proteins, vitamins and minerals. Our diet needs to consist of
80% in this category. - Grains -
- Nuts -
- Lean Fish and Meat, Eggs - cold water fish, lean free range
grown poultry and beef provide protein, minerals and some
vitamins. If you decide to eat meat, it needs to be a side dish of
2oz.
I stress buying organic foods and open range meats whenever possible.
Our commercial soils are depleted and contaminated with pesticides. The
industry jump starts the soils with very acidic fertilizers which lowers the
quality of the produce. Animals housed commercial in tight stressful
quarters and fed antibiotic-laced feed, pass on not only the antibiotics but
their terror as well.
I had no idea how to prepare vegetables and fruits in tasty ways when I
first changed my diet to mostly vegetarian. So I began a search for recipes.
I didn't have much luck in finding what I was looking for until I can across
Christina Pirello's Cooking Show on public television (PBS). I love her
show! I now use her cookbooks to dress up vegetables and create well
balanced meals. Christina began cooking the whole foods way to cure
herself when she was diagnosed with terminal leukemia in 1983. She is still
teaching others to be well today. Check out her cookbooks in the Health
Section.
Once I began to eat this way my psoriasis improved dramatically and I
felt much more clear headed. I highly recommend her books and television
shows. You can find her television schedule for your area on her very cool
web site www.christinacooks.com (just type this in your web browser and
keep your speakers on!) or go directly to www.christinacooks.
com/stationfinder.html.
Other people who have cured themselves of cancer through changing
their life style and the way they eat are Dr. Lorraine Day (see her video's in
the Health Section) and Louise Hay, who writes about her experience in
Life! Reflections on Your Journey. Louise Hay is also known for her book
You Can Heal Your Life. Check the Health Section for these titles, too.
You might want to check out her web site www.louisehay.com (just type
this into your web browser).
Genetically engineered foods are dangerous. The long term effects of
eating these is not well known. For example: What is the effect of a
genetically engineered tomato which has a flounder gene engineered into it
so that it will survive in a colder climate have on someone who has a allergy
to fish? I recommend staying away from these products. The European
markets are closed to genetically engineered products and so is my kitchen.
I recommend buying foods from a store committed to quality foods.
Whole Foods Market is such a store. They are very concerned about the
quality of the foods they stock in their stores. I personally love their
products. Visit their web site to find a store near you. They are listed
under Whole Foods (www.wholefoods.com) or Whole Foods Market
(www.wholefoodsmarket.com) on the Internet. Type either of these url
addresses into your web browser.
Unhealthy foods are either altered by us or created by us and are always
acid producing.
- Alcohol, Tobacco, Coffee, Soft drinks
- Processed foods
- Refined Sugar
- Altered Foods - Anything that says things like: hydrogenated
(this means adding hydrogen to it, changing its molecular
structure) or high fructose corn syrup stay away from. I have
read that margarine is one molecule away from being plastic. Do
a little experiment. Leave a tube of margarine open in your
garage or in a shaded area. In a couple of days you should
notice a couple of things: no flies or fruit flies will go near it,
nothing is growing on it and it doesn't smell any different. So
why would you spread it on your toast? The article asked,
"Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your
toast?" I wouldn't! - Preservatives
variety is the key. So what do you do when you have gone to a cookout
over the weekend and eaten junk food, processed foods, barbecued meats
and birthday cake along with alcohol and coffee? On Monday, eat raw,
fresh vegetables/fruits and drink more water than usual to help your body
recover.
The body can recover from once in a while abuse but it can not recover
when the abuse is a daily routine. If the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.)
is good for us, then why is disease and obesity on the rise? Take a look at
your diet and make the life enriching changes you need to in order to reach
the health you deserve. Begin one bite at a time! The body is amazing in
its ability to heal when given the opportunity. So be kind to your body!
- Breathing clean air
metabolism. It is important to breath clean fresh air. Many environmental
controlled building do not provide this. Symptoms of poor quality air can
range from feeling tired with a slight headache to reoccurring pneumonia or
allergies. Ask that the air filters in your area be replaced periodically and
get outside on your lunch break for a breathe of air. These may help your
symptoms.
Use air filtration systems in your home if you feel you need them, air the
house out once in a while by opening all the windows for a few hours,
change the furnace air filter if you have a forced hot air system in your
home. Quit smoking or do it outside if you must and cut back on how
much you smoke until you can quit.
Fresh air is vital to good health. Without it, we all make poor
conversationalist.
- Cleansing our bodies
- Skin - Take a bath or shower every day or every other day.
The skin protects our bodies from invasion by bacteria, yeasts,
molds, fungi, parasites and some toxic substances. It helps to
regulate the body temperature by sweating when the body is hot
and shivering to generate heat when the body is cold. Cleanse it
with natural cleaning products. Nicholas Perricone MD has
written several excellent books on skin care. Click">here. Check
out the Vitacost link in the Health Section for wholesale priced
cleansing products.
- Hair -
- Teeth - Our teeth are important in the process of digestion and
sound production as in speaking and singing. Unclean teeth can
lead to gingivitis, periodontal disease, tooth loss, abscesses,
septicemia and death. Not to mention the pain of cavities. It is
important to protect the enamel of the teeth. Acidic conditions
created by bacteria and acidic foods can wear away this
protective coating leading to cavities.
- Use soft to medium strength tooth brushes and natural
cleaning tooth paste or baking soda. Tom's of Maine has
excellent products. For more information about Tom's of Maine
products and store locations near you check out their web site
www.tomsofmaine.com or to buy online go to The Drug Store .
- Ears -
- Colon -
- Finger and Toe Nails -
- Maintaining a Healthy Attitude
alkaline producing and negative thoughts are acid producing. This is due to
the types of chemicals they release into out system. Become aware of your
daily thoughts. Do they still serve you, do they enhance the quality of your
life or is it time to retire them?
I can tell you that I felt as though the world have been lifted off my
shoulders when I retired from being "Captain of the World". Constantly
judging the world is stressful. Stop being judgemental and you will be
amazed at how much better you feel.
Use positive affirmations. Feel them, don't just say them or look at
them. Just really feel them! Use Louise Hay's daily meditation CDs like
Morning And Evening Meditations">Click. The subconscious mind doesn't
know the difference between what's really happening and what you are
imagining. Watch the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?">Click to
understand more.
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