DIY Health starts with what you eat!

Eat organic foods. Do not eat GMO’s, which have been banned in many of the countries of the world. If you are not up to date on the studies, you can search GMO and Health problems and come up with a whole bunch of scary stuff.  Why take the risk of eating something that is man made when nature provides all you need? Just for fun, go to  santomovie.com – a soon to be released film.  It’s science fiction, but it’s not. Check out the trailer.

Shop local when ever possible and plan your meals around the organic produce available in your store. If the price is a little higher, just think of the cost of being chronically sick when you are older. Think of the cost of unhealthy foods affecting your child's body.  Paying a little more is worth it to be able to provide safe,  healthy foods for your family.

DIY Health- the building blocks of good health

DIY health requires that you maintain your good health as much as possible.  One way to do this is to get enough nutrients. I know, you are growing your own food, all organic. You are making cheese, Yogurt, and pickles. You are eating nothing that has been processed. That still does not guarantee you are getting your nutrients.  Taking high quality whole food supplements is a really good way to maintain your health.  I recommend people take a multivitamin & mineral  supplement, extra C, D, a Trace mineral supplement, co-enzyme Q10,  and probiotics.  Then, if there are other health issues, supplements that are specific to those issues, like joint support supplements for joint pain.

DIY Health Care Tips- It's really about staying well...

Stress reduction is important because the less stressed you are, the easier it is for your body to stay healthy and another way for you to avoid researching and treating disease.  This is another topic that has been covered over and over.

 Just a couple of tips; you may not be able to control stressful situations, this is life and they occur, however you can control ( with practice) your reaction to them. Just two minutes of deep breathing can reduce your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, increase your lung capacity, increase your immune response and a number of other things. When you are really stressed out and think you don’t have two minutes to breath it’s exactly what you should do.  You do have two minutes, in fact, you need those two minutes of deep breathing to become aware of yourself, to become mindful, so you can handle your stressful situation.

Rest your way to "mindfulness"

 Some of the most important things you can to to maintain your good health ( and thereby avoid having to research and treat conditions) are also some of the most obvious, and most overlooked simple things.  Like getting enough rest.  Many DIY’ers are turning their backs on the 70 hour work week and non-stop business that have characterized the past years.   DIY often means saving money, so you can work less and embrace a lifestyle that is more conscious and healthier.

 Getting enough rest, and enough play time is just as important as working.  Sleep often, and enough. Sleep more in the winter, less in the summer. Sleep regular hours. Make your sleep place a retreat from the world.  Resting is important too. This means that sometimes you relax and unplug and just “laze about”, giving yourself the time to feel what you feel, think what you think and reconnect with your inner self. The popular term now is “mindfulness”, this is how mindfulness comes about.  Make time for play, doing joyful, silly, fun, exciting, relaxing things. You might call this “Hobby time”, and it does effect you in a positive way right to the core of your physiology.

Enough Water= Better Health

What can I say about getting enough pure water? What can I say that has not already been said?  Dehydration is the most under rated health problem of our time? Our water supply is not what it used to be?  You have heard it all before, but let me repeat just in case you haven’t gotten it yet.  Water is important. Other drinks don’t count. If you are having health problems make sure you are getting enough pure water every day. Tap water is not pure. Neither is bottled water. Get a water filtering unit for your home, use glass to store water, and a tip you may not of heard before:  put a liquid trace mineral supplement in your pure filtered water and watch your energy levels increase. Your body will appreciate these trace minerals at a cellular level, and of course, that’s where your energy production starts!

DIY Health- are you balanced?

pH balance is one of the most important things to check in your body if you are having health issues. A imbalance in your pH can lead to inflammation, immune system challenges, and a host of symptoms such as stomach problems, allergies and chronic pain.  pH balance is easy to check, you can do this at home. Get yourself a package of pH test strips and follow the directions.  The directions will include a nice color chart to compare your test strip to after you wait the required time. You will also be instructed to “take an average” of your pH over a period of time.

This average will give you a good idea if your pH balance is off. If it is, search online for information on how foods effect your pH. Change your diet and continue testing your pH until you find a healthy balance for you. If changing your diet doesn’t get you back in balance, you can take all natural pH balance supplements,  I like Young Living’s AlkaLime.  Changing your diet can only be good for you if your pH is off, even if it’s not quite enough to balance you out.

DIY Health- A most effective tool for your "Doctors" bag.

Learn what homeopathy is, and get a good book on homeopathy for your home.  Homeopathy is safe, it’s effective if you choose the correct remedy, and if you choose the wrong remedy there are seldom any side effects.  Start building a kit of common remedies to keep on hand.  While you are at it, find out if there is a classically trained homeopath near you and file their number for future reference. I say classically trained, because in some states homeopathy is not licensed so anyone can read one book about the subject and claim to be a homeopath.  If you have to call on a homeopath for help, you want one that is really trained to do the job.

Start with the Basics

Preventing health care problems is a lot easier than “treating” conditions. Start with that. Are you doing everything you can to prevent problems? Are you drinking enough pure water? Are you eating all natural organic non- GMO foods? Are you getting enough rest? Are you exercising?  Do you have habits that are going to make you sick over time?

It amazes me the number of people that refuse to change these basic behaviors because it’s too much effort, but they are fine with spending enormous amounts of time,  energy and money researching their “condition” and going from one DIY remedy to another all the while getting more ill.
If you are going to practice DIY health care, start with the basics.

When Searching for Health Information, Search Wisely

Build a DIY health library, and fill it with resources that are up to date.  I went to a prominent health web site run by a medical institution. I looked at the nutrition information. It was 20 years out of date. The site was recently updated but the material was stick in a time warp. Sometimes the sources you think might be the best are not. 

I can find better nutrition information in Laurel’s Kitchen, a 30 year old out of print natural foods cook book. 

When you are searching for information to take care of your health, search wisely. Always look at the source of the information carefully, and don’t discount information from someone who is “trying to sell you something”.   Food Matters is a great site for nutrition information, and yes, they are trying to sell you something. You don’t have to buy if you don’t want to.

 By the way, while we are on the subject of selling you something, I’m a chiropractor and I want to sell you on getting adjusted. It’s something you can’t DIY (please don’t try!)  Studies show that regular chiropractic patients  see MD’s less, spend less on Health care, and remain active and self sufficient longer than those who don’t get chiropractic adjustments.

  I also am a member of Young Living and I want to sell you on being one too.  Yes, I do make a small commission on any sale, however I want you to be a member because then you can get the most  pure essential oils  which are one of the best tools you can put in your health tool kit, and Yl makes the most pure therapeutic grade oils. I’m sure of it. They also spend a lot on research and development of oils,  testing and growing plants for oils, and compiling research which they share with the world.  That benefits not only us, but future generations of DIYers. For more information on Young Living, contact me, member # 28314.

DIY Health -a note on tools. Yes, you need tools!

There are many reasons people choose DIY health care.  There is a growing mistrust of pharmaceuticals, and a re-awakening of knowledge of natural healing.  There’s also a growing interest in becoming more self sufficient in as many areas as possible.  For some people, it just comes down to cost. In many ways, DIY health care can save money. 

I’m all for it, however when it comes to health care cheapest is not always the best choice. Think of it this way, if you are going to maintain your car for many years, do you put the cheapest oil in it? Do you buy the cheapest tires? Do you skimp on the brake pads? Probably not. 

When it comes to DIY health, be sure the tools you use really are the best. Here’s an example: One of my friends tried “treating” her daughters ear infection with an essential oil purchased at a health food store. She didn’t know that the oil was a poor quality, she figured it said “natural” so it was fine. It was cheaper than the therapeutic grade essential oils I had recommended and she went with it.  Her daughter had an allergic reaction to the chemicals the” natural” oil was cut with, and ended up in the hospital.

If you are going to use supplements, herbs and essential oils to “treat” a condition, get the best. Make sure the quality and purity are guaranteed, and always look at the source. If it’s a bargain, there is probably a reason.

Do It Yourself Health Care

This is the first in a series of Health care tips for DIY ers. I hope you will share these tips with all your friends and family members who are becoming more self sufficient. It is my hope that this series will assist all you DIYers to take care of your health, and your loved one's health in a safe way.

The first DIY health tip I want to share with you is this:  Don’t hesitate to call a health care professional when you need help. Now, I know there may be a number of reasons you don’t want to call a doctor, and I agree that staying away from doctors as much as possible is a healthy idea.   However, you can’t “treat” a condition if you don’t know what it is.

Sometimes, a diagnosis from a heath care professional is exactly what you need to DIY. Consider this: A friend of mine self diagnosed a cyst. She “treated “ the problem naturally. It didn’t go away. She waited and waited and the cyst became larger. By the time she threw in the towel and consulted a doctor, the cancer had spread to her nose and eye lid. She’s undergoing reconstructive surgery to replace the tissue they had to remove.

Scary? You bet it is. If she had gotten a diagnosis before she self treated things would have turned out a lot different.  If you are self “treating”, and you are not getting the response you want, don’t wait more than two weeks to get a professional diagnosis. Remember, you don’t have to follow instructions given by a doctor. If you choose to self treat rather than go the medical route, well that is up to you, you have the right to make that decision. At least you know what you are “treating”.

Happy 2014! and tips for DIY Health!

Hi and Happy New Year.  I hope it's full of good things for you!

This year I'm going to focus on a series of tips for DIY ers,  The "Do It Yourself" movement has really gained speed, and a lot of people want to be able to take better care of their health with out a doctor involved.

I can understand and appreciate this. I think it's great! Prevention is the most important thing for DIY health, because if you prevent illness, you never have to diagnose or treat illness. If you prevent chronic disease, you never have to treat chronic disease.

Check back each week for DIY tips.

Essential Oils from Young Living for pain relief

It's been a while, I spent the last 6 weeks involved in a charity program I run every few years. It takes months to plan, then a few weeks of non-stop activities. The events were very successful this year, and I'm thankful for that.

Soon as the programs were done, it was back to the real world, and preparing my home for the winter. If you live in the northeast, you know what I mean.

This past weekend I cleared out the rest of the fallen leaves and got the flowerbeds put to sleep. Then I tackled the parking lot and driveway, which meant leaf blowing and weed whacking. those tools are heavy, and designed for someone with arms longer than mine.  My arms were sore by the end of the day, and although I wore gloves, my hands were dry and rough.

That's where the oils come in. Therapeutic grade essential oils, like the ones produced by Young Living are the best for easing sore muscles and can be used for other things as well. I used a combination of 1 drop black pepper ( a analgesic) 1 drop basil ( anti-inflammatory) and 1 drop wintergreen ( mints are soothing to muscles), to rub into my sore muscles.  Wow! does that feel good!

For my rough hands, I mixed 1 drop of lavender with 1 drop sandalwood, and added it to a tiny bit of Young Living's Genesis hand and body lotion. It soothed my skin and softened my hands with a delightful smell to boot!

There are many ways to use the oils, and if you would like to learn more, you can contact me at northstarnotes@aol.com

All Looks, No Substance

Why do you think so many people have digestive problems? It’s not because they’re getting old, and it’s usually not because they eat spicy foods. It’s because they eat too much of the wrong foods, and don’t take care of the inner workings of their body. Over-the-counter digestive aids won’t solve the problem, but changing your diet might.

One of the common mistakes people make is to think that highly processed foods that look attractive and feel good to the touch are healthy as well. I believe that white-flour products, which look nice and feel soft, are some of the most damaging processed foods on the market. Not only is the flour stripped of its nutritional value, it’s made into some of the least healthy foods you can buy, such as cakes, pastries, and cookies that are also loaded with sugar and fat. On top of that, many people develop sensitivities to wheat and I have to wonder if that’s because of the stripped-down, processed wheat products we eat.

Do you still eat white bread? Do you feed it to your children? During the processing of white wheat flour, much of the nutritionally rich parts of the grain are removed; what’s left is then bleached white. When this process was first developed, it was expensive; only the very rich ate foods made with white flour. White bread was considered a nicer, cleaner product than whole-grain bread. Its softness was attractive, although that means it has less substance.

As with so many products, if the rich have it, the masses want it. So techniques for producing large quantities of white flour were developed, and soon everyone bought it. We eat it because that’s what our parents ate, and their parents before them, and so on, all the way back to the generation that felt that eating white flour made them more like the rich. That’s not a good reason to eat a food that has less nutritional value than other products on the market.

If you want to help your body maintain a healthy digestive system and you care about the nutrients you get from your food, one of the things that has to go is white flour. If you’re willing to make that change, congratulations! Change your white-wheat habit a little at a time—as with any other change, a step at a time works best. If you have children, this can be a challenge. For some reason, kids seem especially attached to white bread. Remember that kids learn their attitudes about food from their parents. Bad habits are inherited, along with bad health.

Introduce children to whole grains by introducing such foods as something special. Start with the more processed whole-grain products and work up to less processed. How do you tell which is which? The squeeze test. The softer it is, the more processed it probably is. Many people are turned off by the texture of whole-grain products because they’re used to spongy-soft breads, cakes, and cookies. Whole-grain foods don’t have to be rock-hard, but their firmness may take some getting used to.

Don’t be fooled by highly processed foods masquerading as whole-grain products. Learn to read the ingredient labels. How much whole-wheat flour is used in the product? What other types of flour are used? A general rule of thumb is the more ingredients it has, the more processed it is. You can also generally say the more ingredients that you don’t recognize and can’t pronounce the names of, the more processed the product is.

Many grocery stores now carry whole-grain breads, rolls, and tortillas. For whole-grain hotdog buns, pita bread, and cookies, and cake, pancake, and waffle mixes, you may have to shop at the health-food store. Many such stores have bakery sections where you can get everything from donuts and croissants to fancy wedding cakes, all whole-grain.

For those of you who bake from scratch at home, start substituting some of the white flour in your recipes with whole wheat. It does change the texture somewhat. Each time you bake, add more whole-grain flour, until you’ve adapted your recipes and whole grains are the only grains you use. (Hint: Use more liquid than you would with white

flour; whole-grain bread tends to be more dry.) There are many great whole-foods cookbooks on the market today to help you make the transition. 

Of course, like most changes you make in your diet, going whole-grain doesn’t mean you can never eat white flour again. On special occasions, you might still want to serve an old-fashioned white-flour cake. That’s OK, but you might discover that, after you’ve eaten whole grains for a while, the white stuff no longer seems attractive. Use whole-grain products daily, and use white flour occasionally, if you like.

Make this change and you’re on your way to increasing the nutritional value of your diet as well as ensuring that you have a digestive system that works well enough to do its job without the help of over-the-counter drugs.

FaceBook pages

You can connect with us on Facebook! Go to your FB page and enter North Star Essential Oils in the search box. You will find us right there!  The oils page  presents new information on essential oils use. "Like" the page to have this information at your fingertips. You can also search Young Living products through the page, and order right there.

You can also search North Star Natural Health Center and find the office FB page, with health updates posted 3x a week.

Share these pages with your friends and family, so everyone can learn, in small manageable informational steps, how to live a healthy lifestyle.

You don't have to be a Doctor to help others become well.

It seems to me that many people desire to help others.

 Often, it's easier to take advice from someone you know than to look up information on the web or make an appointment to see a health care provider.

 I bet people you know have challenges with getting good sleep, having enough energy, aches and pains, headaches, or finding and maintaining a healthy weight. All of these challenges, and many more,  can be met safely and effectively with Essential Oils, and you don't have to be a Doctor to help others experience and use the healthful gift of essential oils.

If you would like to learn more about how to help others with essential oils, please contact me. I can help you get started learning about and helping others with essential oils.

A Safety Net for the Highwire of Life

From the first breath, humans thrive on the love and affection given to them by others. A landmark study done in the 1950s showed that baby monkeys who were never touched did not do as well as those that had a furry fake mother substitute to cling to, and they in turn did not do as well as those with real mothers. Since that time it’s been shown over and over that to flourish, babies need to be touched, and to be truly healthy adults need the companionship of others.

When we are children, we need hugs, kisses, and encouragement from our parents, siblings, relatives—and our teachers, who often become very important gauges for measuring our self-esteem. By the time we’re in our teens, a change has taken place. As we mature, we may hesitate to give and receive hugs and affection from our parents. It also becomes awkward to display affection freely with our friends, especially if they happen to be of the opposite sex, and even more, if they’re boys, if they happen to be of the same sex! All the while, we still need to touch and interact with other humans so that we can develop fully.

As we mature, most of us pair off with a mate, who then becomes the sole source of the affection we need. Hopefully, our mates actually do provide all the affection and interaction we crave, but sometimes they don’t or can’t. If you’re fortunate, you have a huge family of relatives who are comfortable with communicating, hugging and kissing—if your mate can’t fulfill your hug quota, your relatives can. In our modern, mobile society, however, many of us live hundreds or thousands of miles away from our relatives. If that’s the case, whom do we turn to?

As we get older, we also get busier. School, work, and family take up much of our time, we start to lose touch with childhood friends, and we often don’t have the time or skills to make new ones. How did you learn to make friends when you were a child? Well, often you were in school, seated next to someone whose last name began with the same letter as yours. Or your family moved next door to a family that had a child who was about your age. In some ways, these friends were made by default—whoever happened to be there became your friend. We couldn’t get around, so we got along.

As modern adults, we are so much more mobile, and our choices become much more numerous. Are you going to make friends with your neighbor? Well, if you have something in common, perhaps you will. But you’re just as likely to drive some distance to spend time with someone from work, where many people find their friends. But what

happens if you work in a job that isolates you? What if you’re in a position where it’s not appropriate to fraternize with coworkers or customers?

Building a social network is important to your good health. If you have a loving, supportive mate and a large, affectionate family, you’ll still crave friends whom you can talk to and play with. If you don’t have a loving mate and an affectionate family, then your friends will be your social network or safety net—where you’ll turn when you need a hug or practical assistance.

Think about this for a moment: Whom do you call if your car breaks down and you need a ride? That’s a good way to assess your network of friends. If you can name a handful of people you could comfortably call, then you’re doing well. If you can’t name a single person, it’s time to get building. While you’re thinking about it, how do you respond if someone calls on you for help? You have to be a friend to have friends.

Your social network provides the companionship you need when times are tough as well as when you want to share some sort of celebration. Sometimes just the sharing of everyday events with someone you can relate to will help to provide insight, clarity, and balance. That sharing is as important as the sharing of big events, be they good or bad.

People need to know they are not alone, that someone cares. That’s what your friends do for you, and you do in turn, for your friends.

Building a social network isn’t that hard, but you have to make a point to do it. Actively seeking new friends is an interesting and possibly challenging goal, but I know you can do it. If you’re a little shy, remember that many others are as well; often they, too, need more support and companionship, and are just as challenged by the thought of making new friends. It’s a rare person who isn’t touched by someone reaching out.

Where can you meet new friends? Well, if you’re a parent, your children’s friends, school, and activities give you many opportunities to meet other parents who probably have something in common with you. If you have no children, then volunteer organizations are a good way to meet others with similar interests. Kids or not, church is always a good bet for meeting others with similar values, and sports leagues and clubs can put anyone of any age in touch with others they have something in common with.

It may be that you already have some potential good friends. You may, however, need to cultivate those relationships. This means making time for that person in your busy schedule. Maybe it’s just a phone call to say, “Hello, what’s going on in your life?” Maybe it’s a lunch date with someone you’ve not made time for lately. I think e-mail, Face book or other social media  are

great ways to keep in regular contact; it’s quick and easy, and can be answered at the recipient’s convenience. Just a note to say “I’m thinking of you” is a nice way to grow a friendship. Over time, the notes usually develop into phone calls and,as the friendship develops, into meeting for lunch or dinner.

When you’re building new friendships, don’t forget that listening is as important as sharing information. And don’t hesitate to be choosy about your friends. Getting to know new friends is similar to dating: As you get to know someone, you may discover that their values or beliefs are not in line with yours. Sometimes that’s okay, and sometimes it means that being close friends with this person may not be a good idea.

Make it your new habit to cultivate friendships. Put yourself in situations where you can meet new people. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and call someone, explore new friendships, and make time for new people. Your new social network will help sustain you when the going gets tough, and will support you as you celebrate all that the good life has to offer.

Identify your Food Allergies

Many foods are known to cause allergic reactions in people. If you can identify the foods that affect you and remove them from your diet, you’ll be much more likely to live a longer, healthier life.

Food allergies come in several forms. A clinical allergy is one you just can’t ignore, an obvious cause-and-effect relationship of a food you’ve just eaten to your body’s response: Each time you eat a tomato, you break out in hives. Another form of allergy is a sub-clinical allergy. Sub-clinical allergies are not so obvious, which is why they can be more dangerous. You eat a tomato, and a while later you feel jittery or fatigued, or you come down with a headache, or your blood pressure rises. You might or might not notice the symptoms, and you’re unlikely to make a direct cause-and-effect connection. Sub-clinical allergies can go on for a long time unnoticed; meanwhile, your health suffers.

Food allergies can manifest in many ways. Headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, stomach problems, attention-deficit disorder, panic attacks, insomnia, depression, chest pain, nausea, rashes, dry mouth, increasing or decreasing blood pressure, and blurred vision—all of these can be symptoms of allergic reactions to foods. If you constantly eat foods you’re allergic to, your body remains in a state of alarm, focused on fighting your food.

This is only a partial list of possible allergic reactions. Because such symptoms are often mild, continuous, or caused by other health problems, food allergies are often overlooked because many of these symptoms are treated with drugs to alleviate the symptom itself; the cause is not explored. Identification of food allergies and elimination of the offending foods from the diet can sometimes save you from the ill effects of drug treatment for symptoms attributed to other health problems.

Take a close look at your diet. If you’re tired, don’t feel as well as you’d like to, or have health problems that you’ve never fully resolved, food allergies may be the cause. A skilled allergist can assist you in assessing your diet, as can a nutritionist. Many alternative healthcare practitioners are experienced in working with food allergies. The route you take to discover which foods you are allergic to will depend on what type of practitioner you go to. An MD may use skin-sensitivity or blood tests; a nutritionist is more likely to use a diet diary and an elimination-diet protocol. Alternative practitioners may use both. Choose the approach you’re most comfortable with.

Knowing your family history may help you determine if you have food allergies, and, if so, to identify which food or foods you’re allergic to. In many cases, your relatives may not know they suffered from food allergies, but they may be able to tell you what foods “didn’t sit right with them.” If you recall that Uncle Leroy suffered from hives whenever he ate strawberries, then there’s a chance you might be allergic to them as well, though your symptoms might not be as obvious. In your case, the allergy might manifest not as hives, but as increased blood pressure.

But once you find out what you’re allergic to, you must eliminate it from your diet. This can be a challenge. For instance, wheat is a very common allergen. If you’re allergic to wheat, you must avoid anything with wheat flour in it. Obviously, this means bread, cakes, cookies, pancakes, pasta, wheat cereals, and the like. But things get more complicated when you realize that many processed foods also contain wheat. You have to learn how to read labels and identify what is in your food. Wheat can be found in products ranging from hotdogs to gravy to beer.

Once you eliminate from your diet the foods you’re allergic to, you must give your body time to adapt. Symptoms such as fatigue may take some time to dissipate. In many cases, a person is allergic to more than one food, and a series of tests or food eliminations must be done before the person can regain their health—if you don’t see immediate results, don’t be discouraged. Check to be sure that you’ve identified all the foods you’re allergic to, that you’re no longer eating any of those foods in hard-to-identify forms (read the labels!), and hang in there. Elimination of offending foods can make a huge difference in your health. Congratulations for being strong enough to make a change that matters.

Eating is Not a Sport

           For most of us, food is something we take for granted. It entertains, occupies, or even sedates us. Eating takes the place of social interaction for some people; for others, it is a replacement for love. Eating can even be an addiction.

But if we in the United States want to remain healthy, we must change such attitudes about food. We must recognize food for what it is: fuel for the body. I’m not saying that food can never be anything but fuel for the body, but a healthy attitude about food recognizes that, first and foremost, food is fuel. Food can occasionally serve other purposes—as in celebrations or rituals—but only secondarily.

I know a woman who is married to a diplomat and who travels around the world. She told me one day how amazing it is that Americans have such easy access to food, day or night. The US is a nation used to 24-hour convenience. She felt that this was the reason that so many people here are obese—it’s just so easy to get food. She told me that, in many countries she had lived in, there are no convenience stores—there is no “quick stop” for food, snacks, and sodas. Restaurants open twenty-four hours a day are rare or nonexistent, and stores don’t carry the abundance of foods we expect and get here. But while we are blessed with so many choices, we may be taking this abundance for granted, and endangering our health at the same time.

It’s thought that eating less increases life expectancy, and in most cases decreases the chances of disease. I’m not talking about eating so little that you qualify as having an eating disorder, but about eating fewer calories at each meal than you probably do now—about paying attention to the size of the portions you eat, eating balanced meals, and cutting out snacking.

I’m also talking about being conscious of what and how much you eat. When you get the urge to snack, ask yourself: Why? Are you really hungry, or are you filling some other need? An urge to eat can be caused by a low level of certain brain chemicals or an imbalance in blood chemicals. If you find yourself eating all the time, talk to your doctor about looking at possible biochemical reasons for your overeating.

If you crave certain foods, have a nutritionist check up on what your diet may be lacking. I find that people who crave fast foods often lack Omega 3 fatty acids in their diet; by taking an essential fatty acid supplement, they get rid of the cravings. If you eat to fill an emotional need, counseling may be of help. If you eat because you’re bored (many people do), get a hobby or do volunteer work. If you eat merely because the food is there, don’t bring junk food home.

Don’t eat on the run—set aside time to eat. I know that this can be a challenge in today’s busy world, but begin with at least one meal a day and work your way up to more, as you can. Taking time out for a meal doesn’t mean you have to sit at the table for hours. It does mean sitting down and taking enough time to taste your food and chew it thoroughly—in short, it means eating in a relaxed manner. And when you do, turn off the TV—look at what you’re eating.

Give fueling your body the respect it deserves—after all, everything you eat is going to be transformed into you. That amazing fact deserves some attention. As you become more aware of this transformation and truly acknowledge it, you may find yourself becoming a little more choosy about what you eat.

If you appreciate your food as fuel first, it will have even more meaning when you use food to celebrate. Food is entertainment when you cook a gourmet meal and share it with friends. Food is celebration when you observe holidays with traditional foods, such as a big turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. There’s nothing wrong with occasionally using food for entertainment or celebration or even comfort, as long as it’s the exception, not the rule.

The next time you’re tempted to overindulge in a meal or to buy and consume junk food, consider giving to your local food bank instead. Rather than filling your stomach with unnecessary food, fill your heart with the spirit of giving. It will add to your chances of living a healthier life.