Found this in the Natural Solutions magazine November 2008. These were all suggested by Holistic Doctors:
1.Never Skip a Meal. When you don't have enough fuel to burn your body uses adrenalin. Good for quick bursts of energy but takes a toll on your body increasing blood pressure and heart rate from the stress hormones released.
2. Make Lunch your biggest meal. Your bodies digestion slows down before sleep and your peak digestion time is between 10am and 2pm. Eating during that time a big nourishing meal will give you plenty of energy and keep you from eating too much at dinner.
3. Quit Grazing. If you continue to eat often throughout the day your body cannot fast and burn fat where the detoxification process takes place.
4. Breathe like a baby. breathe through your nose with a full deep breath. This triggers the parasympathetic nervous system causing you to feel calm. You will take more oxygen in more efficiently , in turn this allows your metabolism to be more efficient.
5. Pump iron to sharpen your mind. When we develop our muscles we also change the neuronal patterns in our brains. Do muscle training 2- 40 min sessions weekly and make sure you lift heavy enough weights for your muscle to fatigue.
6. Get your Rest. When you sleep you metabolize excess stress hormones like adrenalin and cortisol in the body. These hormones lead to cellular inflammation which is known to be the root cause to all chronic degenerative diseases.
7. Eat Warm Foods. According to Chinese medicine too many cold foods chill your body, slowing your circulation and weakening your digestive fire leaving stagnation in your body.
8. Express gratitude. Sharing emotion like joy and gratitude bring you good health. In Chinese medicine every organ is associated with an emotion. Take responsibility for your own emotional state and keep a healthy attitude.
9. THE 70% RULE. Don't do anything beyond 70% of your capacity. Such as eat until your are 70% full. This way your digestion wont slow down. Everything in moderation.
10. Slow Down. Don't cram and become energy depleted, this leads to illness.
11. Get an annual physical. You could be overlooking something and it helps to have someone to feel comfortable with to talk about your concerns and complaints and receive proper dietary advice, tests etc.
12. Find your passion. express yourself and do something you love to do everyday. WE need to stay connected to things we love to feel the sense of joy and happiness.
13. Get Out the measuring tape. The circumference of your waist is more important than weight. A large waist can increase your risk of insulin resistance which raises your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Women should have no more than a 35 inch waist and men should measure 40 inches or less. Cut down on food intake, exercise more.
14. Stop late-night nourishing. Eating late disrupts your bodies natural sleep cycle. eating late leaves you more likely wake up less hungry and your more likely to skip breakfast, this turns into a nasty cycle of bad eating. If you must eat something eat a piece of fruit or have some herbal tea.
15. Get a dose of D. Americans lack sufficient vitamin D which leads to cancer and other disease. the body needs lots of sun or supplemental vitamin D
I personally agree with these suggestions for living a healthy lifestyle. I would like to add that eating fresh organic fruits/juice for breakfast. Do not combine fruit with anything else for at least one half hour before or after you consume fruit. Fruit is quickly digested alone but when it is combined with other foods such nuts or starches or protein, the body will break that food down first and the fruit will ferment and not digest properly causing gas and bloating.
Not only do fresh fruit and vegetables contain generous amounts of vitamins which help regulate metabolism and help in the conversion of fats and carbohydrates into energy but they are also known for protecting the body from major diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Juices that are made from fruits with rich colors such as grapes, pomegranates, cranberries, and blueberries are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. The best types to drink are fresh juiced vegetables because they do not raise insulin level. Best to make fresh fruit and vegetables juices yourself because there are no hidden preservatives or sugar which are items that should be examined when reading labels. 100% fruit juices are fat-free, nutrient-dense beverages that are rich in vitamins, minerals and naturally occurring phytonutrients that contribute to good health. I am a firm believer in eating as much raw organic fruits and veggies as possible on a regular basis.
When heating foods remember that you are killing the enzymes that our bodies need for optimum health, so cook on as low as possible. Exercise is extremely important. Staying active keeps you physically and mentally healthy. Also try to meditate and relax regularly, especially if you live a high stress style.
WATER WATER WATER!! Extremely important to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water everyday! Aside from aiding in digestion and absorption of food, water regulates body temperature, blood circulation, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells and removes toxins and other wastes. If there isn't enough water, wastes are not removed effectively and may build up as kidney stones. Symptoms of dehydration can include heartburn, low back pain, headaches, mental irritation and depression. The best water to drink is natural mineral water. Pure water or filtered water is also a good alternative although they lack significant amounts of minerals.
Taking deeper breaths through your nose. This should be practiced on a regular basis. Getting Sufficient oxygen is extremely important for optimum health! Get enough sleep! Lack of sleep causes all types of illness both physically and mentally a emotionally. The body needs to sleep at least 7-8 hours per night. It is when you sleep when your cells rejuvenate.
