Health for Everyone ... An Outline of the Basics

As noted on my last post I wanted to list what is basically an outline for health distilled from well over a decade of extensive reading and real-life personal application. It may seem simplistic but it’s all true and to the point.

1. Spiritual health is paramount. If you’re unwell spiritually, emotionally or mentally you cannot be healthy physically. I know it sucks that we can’t compartmentalize ourselves but it’s true. This is the biggest health issue but it’s not exactly the simplest to address. And I’m not talking about “going to church” or seeing a therapist. Minimum to start would be praying (or meditating) and breathing exercises. Research de-stressing techniques. Stress and its triggers are perceived differently by different people. Just start. Be open minded. Love yourself. Take it one step at a time.

2. Stop eating sugar and grains. All of them. At least until you find out your metabolic type. There are different sources to help you do this from “The Metabolic Typing Diet” by William Wolcott, to Dr. Mercola (www.mercola.com) to the blood type diet (“Eat Right for Your Type” by Dr. Peter D’Adamo) or Jillian Michaels, etc. There are many to choose from. Pick your favorite. We’re all different so none will be exact but you will learn the basics. Then if you find out you are in the minority that do ok with grains then put them back in your diet but only the types and amounts that are ok for you. And most importantly, listen to your body. If, for example, you are told oatmeal is ok for you but you feel like crap after you eat it then don’t eat it. Important fact to know: Your body requires glucose (and the corresponding insulin release) in order to store fat. Without insulin the body cannot put fat acids into the fat cell. So if you don’t eat carbs you can’t store fat. However, without the carbs from fruits and veggies you also can’t be healthy. So lose the grains and sugars at least until you are satisfied with your weight. While losing fat be careful with high glycemic fruits (watermelon, cantaloupe, dried fruits, pineapple, etc.) and veggies (potatoes, parsnips) – be aware of them and either eliminate them until you are at maintenance level or limit them.

3. Eat all fruit and most veggies raw and eat lots of them.

4. Find out if you have a problem with yeast and/or parasites and if so address those issues.

5. Have a holistic doctor check your thyroid. In general allopathic doctors are virtually useless when it comes to the thyroid. Get a prescription for natural desiccated thyroid if needed. Synthetic thyroid meds are easier to get but many (if not most) people don’t do as well on them as the natural ones. Personally I don’t feel any improvement with synthetic T4 and only slight improvement with synthetic T3 added to it.

6. Get sunshine, fresh air, lots of fresh water and at least 8 hours sleep in a dark cool room each night (more if you have fatigue). These seem simplistic but they work miracles. To paraphrase one source “Cutting sleep time may add more hours to your day but it subtracts hours from your life. People who sleep 9 hours per night have greater killer cell activity. (Those are the cells that kill bacteria, viruses and cancer.) Lack of sufficient sleep causes brain neurons to shrink and makes people more prone to depression.” (I think this was from “Stress Less” by Dr. Don Colbert.)

7. Exercise (including resistance, aerobic, core and flexibility). Do what you like and what works for you but do it. Don’t expect to be healthy without exercise. Yes, you can lose weight without exercising but you won’t be healthy. We are biological machines created for motion. Be consistent with exercise but don’t buy into the myth that you have to “go hard or go home.” If you like that, great. If you just want to do Pilates and swim, that’s great too. If nothing else jump on a rebounder and stretch.

8. Supplements: Everyone has individual needs but almost everyone needs a multi vitamin/mineral, Essential Fatty Acids, extra Vitamin C, extra Vitamin D, and iodine. The older you are and the more health issues you have the more additional supplements you will probably need like CoQ10, digestive enzymes, calcium, magnesium, extra vitamin E, etc. '

9. Avoid things like micro-waved food, sunburn, EMFs (i.e., cell phones), too much meat (especially red meat), fried food, processed food, pesticides, food additives, chemicals in cleansers and personal products, artificial hormones, mercury fillings, most alcohol, all artificial sweeteners, etc. I know this is easier said than done; but do what you can.

10. After all of this monitor your pH. Buy some testing tape from Swanson Vitamins (much cheaper than your average health food store.) If you eat right, take iodine, and get proper amounts of natural salt and fresh water your pH should be pretty good. An acidic body leads to illness.

11. The ultimate question in the end is “How do you feel?” If you don’t feel well then something is wrong no matter what the test results are or what the doctor says. Listen to your body.