When You Are Sick, Rest.

If you want to live a longer, healthier life, one important habit to develop is the ability to say no. This comes in especially handy when you’re not feeling well. If your body is in the process of fighting off a cold, healing a wound, or fighting an illness or chronic disease, then it needs rest. If you don’t rest, your body won’t have enough energy to heal. One way to rest is to just say no to all some of those things that life calls you to do each day.

Granted, there are certain things you can’t avoid unless you recruit someone else to do them for you—for instance, taking care of the children. It’s pretty hard to say no to a diaper that needs changing or a toddler who needs breakfast. Maybe you have a friend, neighbor, or family member you can call on to help you when you don’t feel well. Don’t wait till you’re sick to find someone—just as you’ve probably made a plan for hiring a babysitter in an emergency, make a plan for getting help when you’re sick.

If you adopt the healthy habits you’re learning about in this book, you won’t get sick often. But when you do, getting well should be a top priority, and learning to recognize the first signs of illness is vital to avoiding illness. In our society, when we don’t feel good, we’re pretty much expected to pop a pill and go on about our business. That’s not a very healthy way to take care of our bodies. Some signs to watch for include unusual fatigue, sweating, chills, heightened sensitivity to temperature, excessive thirst, loss of appetite, or unusual muscular discomfort. When you start to get sick, immediate rest may be all that’s needed to stop the illness in its tracks.

If you’re not well, don’t hesitate to take a day off from work. I know that this can be difficult, especially if you work for a small company that may not have someone to cover for you, or if you do a job that no one else can. However, it makes no sense for you to go to work sick, possibly exposing others to your illness as well as making yourself sicker.

If you feel ill, your concentration and productivity won’t be up to par. If you continue to push yourself, your illness may drag out for days, ultimately costing the company more than giving you a sick day would have. Stay home, rest, get well fast, and get back to work. It’s the economical choice.

Many patients tell me they can’t afford to take a day off for illness. I understand that some companies don’t offer sick leave or sick pay. Make it a point to stash a few days’ pay, just in case you get sick and will have a smaller paycheck because of it. If your company does offer sick leave and sick pay, use it when you need to. Don’t go to work sick because you’re saving your sick days for a vacation.

Clear your calendar of any nonessential tasks and concentrate on your health. When you stay home sick, make sure that you behave like an ill person. That means rest. Don’t try to catch up on all those projects around the house you’ve been putting off. Don’t take work home with you to do while you lie around—rest means resting your brain as well. Stay in bed all day. Sleep late. Lie on the couch, read, or watch TV. Baby yourself. Don’t exert yourself—save your energy for healing. Rest is essential to getting well fast.

Don’t let your family intrude on your down time. Explain that you need extra rest, and stick to it. Have other family members do your usual household duties. Take time off from any sports you play, or any exercise that you normally do. It makes no sense to work out when your body needs to be putting all its energy into healing.

The act of getting well requires a talent for saying no to the world. Cultivate it. It’s important to know when to put your health first, and to be able to stick to it. It’s an attitude and a habit that might come in handy in other areas of your life.

Create a Ritual to De- Stress

Stress is a fact of life. It comes in all shapes and sizes. It comes from inside us, in the form of our reactions to daily life. It comes from outside us, as the world around us does not always conform to our wishes. You can’t escape stress. It will never be totally gone from your life. You just have to “deal” with stress and learn how to counter the negative effects it can have on your body.

Stress causes complex chemical reactions in your body that can affect your internal organs. Over a long period of time, stress can cause headaches, heart problems, digestive disturbances, reduced immune function, insomnia, asthma, allergies, pain in the body, and irritability. And that’s just a list of the most common effects of stress. Everyone is affected differently, and everyone reacts differently to stress. The only thing we all have in common when it comes to stress is the fact that we can’t escape it.

Everyone has to combat stress on a daily basis. Stress can be many things—the alarm going off when you haven’t rested enough, interacting with co-workers you do not enjoy, financial or relationship worries, or changes in your life and routine.

Eating right, getting enough rest, and exercise can all combat stress. So can laughing. We know that your attitude and mental state can greatly affect your health. It’s hard to be stressed out when you’re giggling.  I think that creating a ritual to de-stress that works for you can also combat stress. “Ritual,” in this sense, means a procedure regularly followed. It is something that you decide to do regularly, in basically the same way, whenever a good de-stressing is needed.

My favorite ritual for de-stressing is to snorkel in the swimming pool. Now, I’m sure my neighbors wonder what the heck I’m doing out there in wetsuit and fins, splashing around in mask and snorkel and looking at absolutely nothing on the bottom of the pool. That’s okay—regardless of how silly it looks, it’s how I relieve the stress of the day. I enjoy the bit of exercise I get paddling around, and the fact that I’m under the water, where it’s quiet and sheltered from the world, just makes it my favorite place to relax and let my cares float away. This is something that I can do regularly, without taking a lot of time out of my day. I can do it in any weather, any time of day or night, and, after the initial cost of equipment, it’s free.

Now, what is your de-stressing ritual going to be? Ideally, it would be something you could do easily, almost anywhere and anytime. Make it easy—don’t choose a ritual that adds more stress to your life. Pick something that takes between twenty and sixty minutes, depending on how much time you feel you can give yourself on a day when you’re stressed out. Stress is often related to a lack of time, or feeling rushed. We don’t want to add to that. Many times stress is related to financial issues, so choose something that won’t cost more than you can comfortably and regularly afford.

Maybe your own personal de-stressing ritual is something you do alone, or maybe it’s something the whole family can do together. Maybe it’s a walk along a favorite wooded path, watching a favorite movie, taking a long bubble bath, shooting a few baskets, listening to music (while wildly dancing around the living room), doing deep-breathing exercises, working in the yard, banging on your drum set, or flying your plane. Your ritual may involve some form of exercise, like a long run. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe you find relaxation in spending a few minutes meditating. Just as stress itself is different for everyone, so is the de-stressing ritual. The key is to find the activity that works best for you, one that tells you that, whenever you do this activity, you are releasing the stress of the day. This will make it all the easier for you to make a commitment to performing this ritual whenever your stress levels are getting out of hand.

MSG, Artificial Sugar and other Unmentionables...

Chemicals that do not naturally occur in foods are not supposed to be in foods. That makes sense, doesn’t it? Why would you want to eat things that have been proven, over and over again, to negatively impact your health?

From the dawn of time, our bodies have been powered by chemicals that occur naturally in the food substances that grow around us. Artificial ingredients are just that—artificial, meaning that they do not normally occur in your food, and your body does not naturally digest them. Many studies over the years have shown that artificial ingredients can cause health problems. So why are you still eating them? Just because the human race is smart enough to make artificial food doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

A friend of mine came to my office complaining of headaches. She was given a chiropractic adjustment, she got a massage, and she still had headaches. Because headaches are often related to diet, we talked about what she ate. It turned out that she regularly had chicken lo mein at her favorite restaurant, which used MSG. I asked her to order it without the MSG next time. “But MSG makes the food taste better, doesn’t it?” “Well,” I replied. “It’s a flavor enhancer. But which would you prefer: a headache every day, or food that tastes the way it is suppose to taste?”. She eliminated MSG from her

diet. The headaches went away.

It amazes me how many foods still contain MSG, when we’ve known for years that it can cause health problems. Read the labels of the food you buy. Don’t think that, just because you weren’t violently ill the last time you ate MSG, that it doesn’t affect you. It just means the effect is subclinical, which means “not bad enough to notice.” But the effects can build up over time until they manifest themselves as a serious health problem.

Studies have shown that there is a connection between food colorings and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD, or hyperactivity). That statement alone should be enough to make you change your eating habits. Look at all the prepared foods on the market that contain colorings, many of them specifically marketed to kids. One company even dyes red tomato ketchup green or purple so our kids can be entertained by their food. Such things make me wonder about the sanity of the human race.

Could this be why so many kids today are taking prescription drugs such as Ritalin? We fill our children full of chemicals in their food. The chemicals speed them up. Then we give them prescription drugs to calm them down. If you are a parent, I know that you want to protect your kids from things that can harm them. You monitor their friends, what they watch on TV, what they do online. You also need to watch what they eat.  The examples I’ve given are meant to alert you to the dangers of artificial, chemically enhanced food.

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen with health problems that decreased or cleared up entirely after they quit using artificial sweeteners. Artificial sugar has no calories because the body can’t digest it. You ingest it and it just sits there in your body, building up year after year. That is not healthy. Next time you visit your local supermarket, take a look at the endless shelves of diet sodas—one of the most terrible foods you can put in your body. Terrible because it’s a fluid of artificial color, artificial flavor and artificial sweeteners, three of the things that you should avoid if you want to remain healthy. Look at all the other products that contain artificial sugar. Are you going to eat it again? I hope not. The next time you reach for an artificial sweetener, think of it as eating Styrofoam. Just say no.

I had a biochemistry instructor whose rule of thumb was “If it ain’t natural, don’t eat it.” Don’t put unnatural substances in your mouth. You learned that when you were an infant, crawling on the floor and shoving in your mouth anything you could grab. Your parents followed you around, snatching things out of your mouth and saying “No! Not good! Don’t eat that!” If you have kids, I’m sure you remember doing the same for them. The same thing is true for chemicals in your food. They’re unnatural substances that aren’t good for you, so don’t eat them.

I admit that this can be a challenge. However, there are ways to avoid most or all chemicals in food products. First, learn to read the labels. Don’t purchase products that have chemicals in them. You don’t have to be a scientist—just don’t buy products if you read the label and can’t identify what the ingredients are.

It used to be that if you tried to eliminate all chemicals from your diet, your diet became very limited. Nowadays there are many all-natural alternatives to your favorite chemically laced foods.

I was thrilled when, some years ago, a natural-foods company came out with an all-natural substitute for my favorite crunchy snack food. With no artificial color and no MSG, I was in heaven. You may have to shop at a health-food store to find a wide variety of products without chemicals. Luckily, the health-food industry is flourishing; each year we have more choices, more widely available, to more communities.

I don’t think sugary sodas are good for you, but I’d much rather see a person drink a soda with real sugar and more calories than one with a sugar substitute. If you’re worried about the calories, drink less soda.

Choose foods that are as close as possible to their original natural state. ( that means with the least amount of ingredients on the label) Your taste buds will adapt over time, and that food will taste just as good as you thought it did when it contained MSG. Put your health first. Work on a more pure diet. Eliminate the Big Three: MSG, artificial colorings, and artificial sugars. Congratulate yourself for taking steps to improve your health. Every chemically enhanced food you say no to is a small victory, and small victories add up to big gains. Now start to eliminate some other chemicals, such as artificial flavorings and dough conditioners.

Remember, no one is perfect. Eliminate as much as you can as often as you can. Think of it this way: Eating a few pounds of those chemicals over the course of your life is less destructive than eating tons of them. Every time you choose an all-natural alternative, you add to your chances of living a longer, healthier life.

Further Reading

A Consumer’s Guide to Food Additives, by Ruth Winter, MS

The Ritalin is Not the Answer Action Guide, by David B. Stein, Ph.D.

12 Healthy Things to do While sitting in Front of the TV.

1) Stretch. Learn some easy stretches that can be done seated (like the ones you learned for sitting in a plane or to do at your computer) specifically, isometric movements, ankle and wrist rolls, and finger, arm, and leg stretches. What could be easier? No equipment necessary!

2) Breathe Deeply. Tons of material has been written about the benefits of deep breathing—and it’s so easy to do. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Hold those tummy muscles tight! Breathe with full expansions of the lungs and chest.

3) Lift Weights. Not large weights—tiny ones. I use two-pound weights that wrap around the wrist or leg. Will this make you a body builder? No way, but it will tone up those flabby arms, give your muscles a little workout, and burn more calories than you would just sitting there. Both lower and upper body can be exercised while sitting. Be sure you lift correctly—even a two-pound weight can be dangerous if used improperly.

4) Ride an Exercise Bike. You know, the one in the den that you bought but never rode? Why not move it into the living room? Unsightly? I hide mine behind a large potted plant and can pull it out easily when I turn on the TV. You’d be amazed at how fast and painless 30 minutes or an hour of aerobic exercise can be when it’s accompanied by your favorite drama or comedy show. Some experts recommend that you not exercise at night. I say exercise whenever you can, regardless of the time of day. Most people watch a few hours of TV a night—ride your bike during that first program you watch.

5) Trigger Your Trigger Points. Trigger points are areas of sensitivity and malfunction in your muscles. You can find them by pressing gently on your muscles. Trigger points are the areas that are tender when you press on them; and they may also feel harder than the muscle tissue around them. Call around to health stores or chiropractic offices to find someone who carries a trigger-point tool. One brand, the Knobber, comes with a booklet on how to use it, including information on where your trigger points are likely to be located. With a trigger-point tool you can even reach those tender areas on your back. Go easy at first—if you press too hard, you’ll be sore the next day. Start with mild pressure and work your way up to more.

6) Exercise Your Face. Like all other muscles in the body, those in the face benefit from exercise. Because true health includes healthy self-image and self-esteem (and looking younger seems to contribute to those), include facial exercises in your health routine. There are books and videos available to teach you how, and promoters swear they look twenty years younger after they’ve firmed those loose facial muscles. The videotape I have suggests that these exercises can be done anywhere, even standing in line at the bank or grocery store. But if you’ve seen the faces you have to make to execute these exercises, I think you’ll agree: the privacy of your own home is a better idea.

7) Massage Your Feet. This one can be done alone or as a family affair. No, you don’t have to know much about massage. Just remember the golden rule: Don’t push so hard that it hurts. Use some massage oil; an inexpensive cocoa butter from the drug store will do. (You can add essential oils if you like.) Put a towel under your foot so you don’t get the couch oily. Get the whole family involved, relaxing side by side with one person’s foot in the next person’s lap. (In some healing traditions, it is thought that different areas of the sole of the foot represent different parts of the body, and that by massaging the foot you are, in essence, massaging the whole body.)

8) Floss Your Teeth. What better time to floss than in the 30 minutes it takes to watch your favorite sitcom? That’s enough time to do an extra-complete job of flossing (which, by the way, should be done at least once daily).

9) Drink Water. How many TV shows do you watch a day? Why not drink one 8-oz. glass of water at the beginning of each show? It’s always good to drink more water, and this routine will get you closer to drinking your recommended daily allowance.

10) Enjoy a Pot of Herb Tea. There are so many herb teas on the market, why not sample a different one each evening? Remember, many herbs act as medicines, causing your body to react in certain ways. Choose teas that make your body healthier: maybe green tea, which is known to contain antioxidants; or chamomile, to help relax you; mint, for the digestive system; or even an iced, fruit-flavored herb tea instead of that soda you used to drink. Some herb teas contain caffeine or other stimulants; read the labels.

11) Snack Healthfully. If you must munch in front of the TV, pick things that are good for you. A traditional favorite is popcorn, which actually is healthy if you don’t smother it in fat and salt. I know that microwaved popcorn is so easy, but read what’s in it. Then try an air popper instead. It doesn’t take much longer to make than the microwave variety. Measure the butter and salt you use, and then, each time you make popcorn, reduce the amounts by a little bit. Or try it instead with garlic powder and pepper, or Cajun spices. Remember to measure your snacks—don’t take the whole box of low-salt crackers into the living room. Count out a single serving (read the label!) and put it on a plate. Have fruit or veggies, a yogurt shake, or a small salad.

12) Last But Not Least, hold your loved ones. The more a person is held, hugged, and loved, the healthier they are. Cuddle with your honey, and let the kids sit in your lap.

Snuggle the whole family—include the pets—on the couch. A 30-minute snuggle session with those you love is timeless and priceless. Each time you watch the tube, it’s an opportunity to express your love. The average American watches 21.5 hours of TV a week. That’s a lot of hugs.

What is a Good Breakfast, and how quick can I make one?

 

To “break-fast” means to break the fast of the night-to put food into your body to start your day. Do you ever go eight or nine hours during the day without eating? Probably not, but that’s exactly what you do when you’re sleeping. Your body continues to move throughout the night (an average of forty times), your metabolic processes continue, and you rebuild cells that are old or damaged. You may not be as active as you are during the day, but don’t be fooled into thinking that your body does nothing at night.

After your dinner is all digested, your blood-sugar levels are balanced, as they should be. Then, over time, they begin to fall, just as they do between meals during the day. By morning, the fuel value of your dinner is all used up and your body is running on empty. When your body doesn’t receive food for a number of hours, your metabolism slows down to conserve energy.

You may not feel hungry in the morning-it’s been so long since you ate that your body interprets the situation as “no food available,” and your metabolism slows down. You know what that means-your body starts to store calories instead of burning them, and it stores them in the form of fat. But eating breakfast in the morning signals your body that there is food available, and that it’s okay to start using the food for energy. Your metabolism goes back up, and you start to burn calories rather than store them. This is why, if you want to lose weight, eating breakfast is so important: A fresh supply of food signals your body that it’s okay to burn calories. Breakfast is also important for producing energy in the morning. You wouldn’t expect your car to run without gas; why would you expect your body to run without food?

When it comes to breakfast, there are two kinds of people: those who love that first meal of the day and those who can’t imagine eating in the morning. Regardless of which type you are, or whether you have a light diet shake or a full breakfast, your first meal of the day should produce a steady supply of energy and stay with you for a few hours. That means your first meal of the day should be a balance of protein and carbohydrates. Coffee and soda do not count as breakfast foods. Nor do sugar and caffeine, which give you a false start; the energy they produce wears off before long lunch.

If you’re hungry in the morning, you enjoy breakfast, and you have the time, an elaborate meal of organic whole-grain waffles (easy on the sweet syrup!) and soy sausages is ideal. Eggs and toast are also a balanced meal of carbohydrates and protein, as are eggs and fruit or potatoes, pancakes and bacon (or a soy substitute for bacon), or muffins served with yogurt or cheese.

We’re programmed to eat cereal, toast, juice, and milk for breakfast, but those don’t add up to a great morning meal-they’re all carbohydrates with very little protein. In many parts of the world, fish, grains, meats, and vegetables are featured for the first meal of the day, and these constitute a more balanced meal. On a recent trip to Hawai’i, I stayed in a resort that caters to tourists from Japan. Their breakfast buffet included fish and rice (balanced protein and carbohydrate), a deliciously different way to start the day. You don’t have to limit breakfast choices to “breakfast” foods. If you really enjoy carbohydrates such as cereal, toast, or a low-fat, totally organic (of course) whole-grain muffin for breakfast, have a glass of soy milk to add protein to the meal, or a glass of water with protein powder.

If you’re one of the many who have a hard time eating in the morning, my advice is to at least drink a small glass of juice with protein powder. Better yet, have a protein shake; it’s quick, easy, loaded with nutritional value, and tastes great. And it’s not at all heavy, so you won’t feel as if you ate a big breakfast. This is also a good choice for those of you who have little time in which to get up and off to work or school in the mornings. Another good choice if you’re in a hurry is a protein bar.

You’ve probably seen TV commercials depicting a loving parent sending a child off to school with a toaster pastry for breakfast. This is a terrible thing to do to a child. To encourage a child to eat white flour and sugar for breakfast is to set up that child for obesity. If the kids are running late, give them a couple of protein bars: one for breakfast, one for a mid-morning snack. Studies show that children who eat breakfast have higher grades than those who don’t. Your brain is like the rest of your body: In order to function properly, it needs food.

Further Reading

 

A Real American Breakfast, by Cheryl Alters Jamison

Laurel’s Kitchen, by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Bronwen Godfrey

The Breakfast Book, by Marion Cunningham

Love Your Job, Love Your Life

       Let’s face it: The only place most of us spend much time besides our homes is at work. In fact, we may spend more time at work and with co-workers than we do at home with our families. You can’t possible be healthy if you hate your job. You can’t spend 40-plus hours a week in an environment you don’t like and remain healthy.

We know that attitude affects health. Let’s look at how your job can affect your attitude. Working day in and day out at a job you hate will increase the stress in your body and, over time, will reduce immune-system function, decrease digestive function, increase blood pressure, and cause other biochemical changes that will reduce your quality of health.

One study showed that job satisfaction was the most important indicator of whether or not a person injured on the job would be able to heal fully. If a person was unhappy with their job before the injury, they were less likely to heal and return to work than those who were satisfied with their jobs.

If you lose sleep, if you come home exhausted, if you dread Monday morning, if your boss or co-workers intimidate you, if your boss or company has unrealistic demands, if your co-workers don’t treat you with respect, or if your work environment is hazardous or unhealthy, then you’re more likely to get sick.

When someone is in an abusive personal relationship, we encourage them to get out of it, and sadly shake our heads in disbelief if they don’t. But when someone is in the same type of relationship with their boss or job, we call them “dedicated,” a real “go-getter.” Would you accept your spouse or friends screaming at you? No? Then why accept that from your boss? You deserve to be treated at all times with respect by your boss, regardless of how your opinions may differ or what mistakes you may have made.

Your company should be kind to its employees. If it is not, you should be looking for another job. You should not put up with hostile or unkind coworkers. You have the right to work in an environment free of harassment. You also have the right to say “Enough.”

Some people are expected to work many more hours a day than full time. It’s one thing to be hired to work sixty hours a week, and quite another to be hired to work forty hours a week and then be regularly expected to work sixty hours. I know that lots of people do it, but does that mean it’s right? No, it just means that it’s common. If you’re being asked to work more hours than you were hired for, and it’s making you exhausted, stressed, unhappy, or all three, maybe you should be looking for another job.

I’m not saying you should march into the boss’s office and quit. But take a serious look at your work situation. If you’re not happy with it, start by identifying why you’re unhappy. Is it the tasks that make up the job? Problems with your boss or co-workers? Are you working too many hours? Is your work environment uncomfortable? Once you’ve identified what makes your job unhealthy for you, work with your Human Resources department to make changes that will benefit not only you, but every employee. If you feel you can’t work with your boss or company on positive changes in the workplace, then it may be time to look for another job.

Is it possible that you’re unhappy because you’re in the wrong line of work for the person you are? Your true work might be something totally different from what you’re currently doing. If you work at a desk but would like to be outside all day, or you love to interact with people but your current job means that you work more or less alone, then maybe a career change is in order. As they age, mature, and change, many people find themselves in careers that no longer suit the persons they have become. If this is happening to you, acknowledge your ability to grow and change, and embrace the need for a new career. It’s bound to be better than the old one you’ve already begun to hate.

If you decide it’s time to find another job, start by making a clear commitment to yourself to keep looking until you find something that really fits you. Use all the resources available-the Internet, job fairs, networking with friends and business associates. Make yourself a regular at the job-placement and career-counseling centers at your local university. Use trade journals and trade fairs to explore other companies. Keep an open mind-who knows what might come your way?

While you’re exploring the endless possibilities, remember that you’re looking for a change. It’s easy to get into the rut of looking only at a certain career classification, or certain hours and certain wages. Take the chance of at least exploring outside your usual realm. You may find that a company offers a similar job, with similar wages and a better work environment. Or maybe it’s a totally different job, one that actually makes you smile, but the wages are lower. Then it’s time to decide what’s really important, your money or your health. Making less money may be okay if it means less stress, fun co-workers, and more interesting work.

You may even find a new job where the wages are higher, the boss actually works with you and not against you, and the other employees treat you like a member of the family. It could happen. All I’m saying is that you don’t know until you start looking around.

You spend a lot of time at work, your health is important, and you deserve to be happy. If your job is adversely affecting your health, choose to make a change.

Further Reading

Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow, by Marsha Sinetar

What Color Is My Parachute?, by Richard Bolles

How to Find The Work You Love, by Laurence G. Boldt

Finding Your Perfect Work, by Paul and Sarah Edwards

What Should I do With my Life?, by Po Bronson

www.jobhuntersbible.com

Laughter is the best medicine!

 Ever hear of the term “psychoneuroimmunology”? No? Well, let me tell you all about it.  Psychoneuroimmunology is the science of how mood affects the immune system and overall good health. It’s not really a new science ­—doctors have always seen a difference in how a person’s attitude and life circumstances can affect their rate of recovery from illness. However, now it’s been officially discovered, studied, and named.

It has been proven that a good attitude contributes to your good health, and that laughter makes you healthier. Studies show that a positive attitude and laughter can increase the number of white blood cells in your body. White blood cells are the ones that fight such invaders as bacteria and viruses— you want to have lots of white blood cells. They’re essential to the functioning of your immune system. Studies also show that depression causes a lack of those same white cells. When you’re depressed and thinking you just want to die, your body actually begins to stop fighting disease.

 Studies also show that children laugh 300 times a day, adults only three times. That is sad. Why does laughter leave us as we age? Have we adults become too serious for our own good? Increasing your joy and laughing more will increase your chances of living a longer, healthier life. With that in mind, make it your mission to add more laughter to your life.

 How do you do it? Well, how about watching a comedy show or movie? If you’re feeling down, a movie that makes you laugh could be the best medicine. Record your favorite sitcom each week so you can watch it again when the need for laughter arises. Keep a stock of comedies on hand, or have recordings of your favorite comedians available for listening to when you have the blues. I like to start each day by reading the comics. The library has whole books full of comics. The internet has comedy central.

 You probably have friends who know how to make you laugh; after all, a shared sense of humor is one of the things that attracts people to their friends. If you’re in need of a little laughter therapy, call those friends. Make sure they know they can call you, too.

Check your e-mail, FB, twitter and any other networks you are involved in. You know how you get those stupid jokes and goofy photos from people you barely know? Well, this may be the time to click Open rather than Delete. You might luck out and find that today’s offering really is funny.

            Take some time to think about what makes you laugh, and have a laugh list ready for times when you’ve had a rough week or are feeling blue (when you’re sad or stressed is not the time to be figuring out what to do). Pull out your laugh list and take action on one of your ideas. Let yourself go, and enjoy. Beef up your psychoneuroimmunological system. You’ll be healthier for it.

Further Reading

Anatomy of an Illness, by Norman Cousins

#5 Sound Sleep and Sweet Dreams

Chapter 5 The Health Manifesto, a simple guide to living a longer healthier life published by Dr. Joan Coff

 

Restful sleep is important to long-term health. Sleep recharges your body, and is the time when your body repairs the wear and tear of daily living. There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of getting a restful night’s sleep.

First, you might need to change your bedroom. If at all possible, make it a sleeping-only place with just a bed and nightstand. Most of us also store clothing in the bedroom. If you can, keep your clothes in the closets and remove the dresser, which often becomes a “clutter holder.” Remove the computer, the exercise equipment, the TV, the desk, and all other clutter. Think of this as setting the stage for restful sleep.

Watching TV or playing computer games are activities that stimulate the brain. If you’re awake enough to want to do these things, get out of the bedroom. Don’t watch violent programs or the news right before bed. Studies show that just watching such programs stimulates the manufacture of certain chemicals by your body. These are not the chemicals that make you sleep!

Turn off the radio or stereo. Your brain is supposed to be resting (or, according to Carl Jung, processing the events of the day), not listening to music. If you can hear the world outside, or feel you can’t sleep in total quiet, invest in a “white-noise” machine. You can use a box fan (they hum), or an inexpensive natural sound machine with such choices as “Ocean Surf” and “Spring Rain.”

If you live in an area that’s artificially lit all night by streetlights, parking-lot lights, or security lamps, then dark shades and curtains are essential. When you set the stage for restful sleep, you want it to be as dark as possible.

Choose a firm mattress, the best you can afford, then add padding. The idea is to support your spine and to cushion your muscles. An “egg-crate” mattress cover or a feather bed will work equally well over a firm mattress. Pick sheets and covers of a soothing color and that are soft to the touch. Make sure the room temperature is set properly: not too hot, not too cold, but just right for you.

Now the stage is set: How do you get ready for sleep? First, get into a routine: Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each day. Take at least half an hour before bedtime to unwind. Take a bath, drink a cup of herb tea, or listen to soothing music. If you like to read, choose light reading-and by “light” I don’t mean the latest best-selling horror novel. If you have a lot on your mind, spend a few minutes writing your cares down in a notebook; it’s a way of putting your troubles to rest for the night.

Remember, changing your habits takes time. Set the stage, get into a routine, and give yourself a chance to adapt. If you still can’t sleep, use natural herbal sleep aids that relax your body without making your sleep drug-induced. Sweet dreams!

Further Reading

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep, by Norman Ford

Exercise Doesn't Have to be a Chore! Chapter 4

 

What hasn’t already been said about exercise? It’s a topic that’s been talked and talked and talked about. I know you know that exercise is good for you. So why haven’t you been doing it?

In case you’ve forgotten, exercise strengthens the body-the muscles, bones, and heart. It burns calories and helps keep you trim. It increases oxygen in the body. It gets your blood flowing and your heart pumping. It makes you sweat, which takes toxins out of the body. Exercise can elevate your mood, and is a fantastic form of stress relief. Exercise can make you sleep better. And fitness is in-exercise even makes you more attractive to potential mates.

I have a confession: I don’t like to “exercise” any more than you do. As far back as I can remember, I’ve preferred reading a book to running around outside. As a child, I was no good at sports, and I’m still not that interested. Yes, I did my time working out in the gym, mainly because I had to be able to do it myself if I was going to recommend it to patients. I did become strong, but I didn’t enjoy the process that much. 

Now you know where I’m coming from when I say that exercise is important and you really should find a way to include it in your life. But how do you find time for at least twenty minutes of exercise, three times a week?

You can start by walking with your kids or spouse-make exercise a family-time activity. A 30-minute walk each day will give you time to catch up with what’s going on in your family, and bring you closer together. You could also put the exercise equipment in front of the TV, and each day choose one 30-minute program that you enjoy to be your cue that it’s exercise time. You’ll be amazed at how fast thirty minutes on the exercise bike can fly by when you’re watching something you like.

I know one person who walks every time she gets into a long conversation with a friend on her cell phone. All the time she’s talking, she’s walking around the back yard. You can also lift small weights while watching TV or talking on the phone. Walking for twenty minutes while you talk on the phone may not seem like significant exercise, but it’s a lot better than sitting while you talk. Every little bit makes a difference.

Discover a new sport. If you’re like me and were not very good at sports as a child, you probably think you can’t play sports, and haven’t tried since. But, encouraged by friends, I learned to golf and ski at the age of forty. I was thrilled to discover I could be good at sports, and even more to find that there really are some exercises I don’t mind doing. I don’t golf or ski three times a week (I wish I could), but the once or twice a week I do is better than the nothing I used to do.

Join a sports league (the phone numbers are in your local paper). Leagues are designed to promote sports; they love new members, and most leagues welcome beginners. Take some type of regular sports lessons, and practice between lessons. For instance, ice rinks have beginning skate and hockey classes, and have regular hours for you to practice your new skills. Check with your local college or university for continuing-education classes. I like to swim; it’s another painless sport for me. My point is to encourage you to discover a new sport you can fall in love with; if you do, “exercise” will never be the same.

If you want to try the gym—I recommend it—hire a trainer to help you learn how to exercise without injuring yourself. If you get hurt at the gym in the first few days you work out (and most people do if they don’t have help), then you won’t want to go back. If you can afford to work out with a trainer each time, especially in the beginning, do so. I found that having an appointment at the gym made it a higher priority for me; once I got into the routine, I continued on my own.

Get out on the dance floor! Zumba, Jazzercise, belly dancing or other aerobic classes can be really fun. And what about dance classes? Exercise, meet new friends, and learn a new skill at the same time-what a deal! Where I live, we have a Country and Western dance club that offers lessons twice a week for a very small fee. I hear that there are also square-dance and swing clubs. Maybe you have a local heritage club you can join, one that teaches folk dances. If you already know how to dance, go out and shake your booty once or twice a week. Exercise can be so much more than lifting weights.

These days almost every town has one or more Yoga centers, and although it looks easy, Yoga can be a great exercise that tones and strengthens not only the body, but the mind as well. The whole family can participate, learn the yoga moves, and then practice at home together as well.

Exercise creatively. Volunteer to walk dogs for an elderly neighbor, or help in their yard. I met a member of the Aloha Patrol on the beach at Waikiki. Patrol members walk up and down the beach assisting tourists and alerting the police to problems. The volunteer I spoke with got plenty of exercise and met people from all over the world. Make an exercise outing to the local zoo or art museum, where you have to walk to see the exhibits.

Remember, you can make a big difference with a little exercise, and you can exercise even if you aren’t “athletic.” You can exercise without lifting a single weight. You can find a sport that you love. You can make exercise a social activity. You can make exercise creative and fun. And you can pat yourself on the back for every effort you make to include exercise in your life.

Avoid Medications if Possible- chapter 3

I do not advocate that you should never take medicines. Sometimes you have to, but the average American is way overmedicated-if not from their MD, then from their own medicine cabinet.

Drugs should be taken only when absolutely necessary. Do you think that a drug is safe just because it’s sold over the counter? Take a look at the statistics on deaths from non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as Tylenol and ibuprofen. Remember, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Every drug you take has side effects. These side effects may be small (some are large), but over time, they add up.

To give you an example of how much American culture depends on drugs, look at the fact that our homes are built with a place to store our drug supply. Who doesn’t have a drug cabinet in their bathroom? What does that say to our kids, who are supposed to “just say no” to drugs? We’ve taught them from childhood that drugs make them feel better. Remember orange-flavored “baby aspirin” and Children’s Tylenol?

Most of us take drugs to make our symptoms go away, to make it easier for us to ignore the warning signals our bodies are giving us-in other words, so we can ignore our own ill health. A symptom is a signal that something is wrong, like a warning light on your car’s dashboard. When one of those lights comes on-maybe it’s the oil light, or the brake light-it’s telling you there’s a problem somewhere that needs to be fixed. You wouldn’t continue to drive your car with one of those little red lights glaring at you. You’d take your car to the mechanic to see why the light is on, and fix the underlying problem.

Think of your body as being exactly what it is-a vehicle that can’t be replaced-and think of your symptoms as your dashboard warning lights. Hiding the discomfort with drugs doesn’t make the problem go away; it merely lets you ignore it until it gets much worse and medical intervention is needed. This is not the way to take care of your body.

To reduce your drug use, you must fix the underlying conditions that are causing the symptoms. An example: If you constantly have indigestion and find you have to take digestive aids or antacids, that means your digestive system is not functioning correctly. But why? Maybe you need to change your diet, stop eating foods you’re allergic to, quit eating on the run, and add friendly bacteria to your diet.

If you have headaches all the time, rather than popping aspirin after aspirin, you need to ask, why do I have headaches? Clearly, it’s not because of a lack of aspirin in your system. Remember, you’re not supposed to be in pain. Patients often say they just have “normal” headaches. Headaches are not normal, but they are common. Lots of people have them, but that doesn’t mean they are normal; it just means lots of people have them!

If the headache warning light on your particular dashboard is the one that keeps flashing, maybe you need to have your neck bones adjusted by a chiropractor. Maybe those tense muscles need to be worked on by a massage therapist. Maybe the MSG in that take-out Chinese lunch you have every day should be eliminated. Maybe you need a new eyeglasses prescription. Maybe your computer screen should be moved to eliminate glare. Maybe your teenager needs to turn the stereo down. Maybe you have a brain tumor.

A brain tumor? Am I kidding? No. Many people consume drugs to cover up symptoms that turn out to be signs of a very serious problem-a problem that could have been caught much earlier and treated much more effectively had the patient only listened to their symptoms rather than covering them up.

Before you reach for a drug, ask yourself: What could be causing this symptom? Look for drug-free solutions for your health problems. Ask a nutritionist, chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncturist, homeopath, or some other provider of drug-free healthcare for advice. Ask your MD what you can do besides take drugs.

Remember, each time you take a pill to cover up a symptom, you’re allowing the underlying problem to get worse. And the longer that problem is there, the harder it will be (and the more it will cost) to fix.

One more thing: Be a good example to your kids and empty your medicine cabinet. Keep only what you’d need for an emergency: bandages, ipecac syrup, and antibacterial salve. You can keep your toothbrush.

Further Reading

 

How to Raise Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, by Robert Mendelson,  M.D.
Confessions of a Medical Heretic, by Robert Mendelson,  M.D.
Under the Influence of Modern Medicine, by Terry A. Rondberg, D.

Chapter 2 of The Health Manifesto- a simple guide to living a longer healthier life

Chapter 2

Complete Nutrition in Sixty Seconds

Your body has to have the proper food to function. To your body, food is not a sandwich or a plate of pasta, but the tiny components that help make up those foods: vitamins and minerals. Think of it like this: Would you expect your car to start and run properly each day if you never put enough oil or gas in it? Of course not. You can’t expect your body to run without the proper nutrients.

 Vitamins and minerals are absolutely essential. Imagine that each of the bazillion cells of your body has a furnace. Vitamins and minerals are the fuel for these microscopic furnaces-your cells burn them in complex chemical reactions that give your body life. Without fuel, these complex chemical reactions can’t take place, and your body will begin to break down. At first, this deterioration may not be as obvious as your car running out of gas, but over time you’ll notice a lack of health and energy, and a slowness to heal.

 Patients often tell me that they eat enough, so they don’t think they need to use vitamin and mineral supplements. You may eat enough (actually, most Americans eat too much), but how nutritious is the food you eat? What is the day’s nutritional value of, say, a bowl of sugary cereal for breakfast, a fast-food lunch, and a microwaved dinner? Not what your body needs for the day, that’s for sure.

 I believe it is impossible to get all the fuel your body needs from the food you eat, even if your diet consists entirely of organically grown, naturally produced fresh foods that are not packaged or processed. Do you know anyone with a diet like that? Neither do I. Supplements are the only way to ensure that you’re getting the fuel you need for optimal health.

 How will taking supplements affect long-term health? Let me ask you this: Does your car last longer if you change the oil and lube it regularly? Of course it does. So will your body, if you give it the proper supplements. Not only will you have more energy, but your body will have all the building blocks it needs to replace damaged cells (remember, your cells are constantly being replaced).

Would you ask a bricklayer to build your house without enough bricks, or without mortar? No, you would not. Don’t ask your body to rebuild its damaged cells, day after day, year after year, without the vitamins and minerals it needs to do the job.

 Now you understand why you need to take supplements. But which supplements should you take? Take a supplement that’s all natural, with no sugar or artificial colors. Learn to read the label. One brand I won’t name has such good advertising that lots of people take it, but it’s really not that good. A large, expensive advertising campaign is not the place to go to find solid information about good vitamins.

 Good vitamin tablets can be large and expensive. They’re usually large because their all-natural ingredients are not so condensed and compressed that your body can’t break the pill down. You can cut or crush them. Good vitamins also usually smell terrible (another result of using all-natural ingredients), so hold your nose. And good vitamins usually cost more. But in this case, you really do get what you pay for. That doesn’t mean you have to buy the most expensive brand, but it does mean you should choose the best vitamin that will fit your budget. This investment in your most precious possession-your health-will save you money in the long run, in your healthier older years.

 The science of supplementation is very complex. Vitamins and minerals work together to fuel those little fires in the furnaces of your cells. Too much of one vitamin or not enough of another can affect how well and how steadily that fire burns.

 As a general rule, take a high-potency multivitamin, multimineral supplement daily, as well as extra vitamin C. “High-potency” means at least twice the required daily amount, or RDA. (Most people don’t know that the RDA is how much of a given substance your body needs for basic functions under conditions of no stress and no illness. Do you know anyone like that?) Add other supplements if you need them and can afford to. Most health-food stores have well-trained supplement salespeople who can help you choose a multivitamin. Even better, consult a nutritionist well versed in supplementation.

You might add extra coenzyme- Q and vitamin E for your heart, glucosamine and chondrotin for joint health, calcium and magnesium for bone strength. The list goes on and on. Talk to a nutritionist or read a book on vitamins and their use.

 Many people say they don’t have time to eat right. Fortunately, it takes only a minute to down your vitamins in the morning. Keep your supplements somewhere that you’ll see them, so you’ll remember to take them. Or put them near your toothbrush, on the breakfast table, or near your car keys-anyplace you look each morning will do. I keep mine by the coffeepot.

 Always read the label. Most vitamin dosages are based on taking more than one tablet at a time. Some vitamin bottles tell you to split the dose into one tablet three times a day. I find that this doesn’t work for most people, who are out of the house all day. I’d much rather see you take all three tablets together in the morning than to have you take only one a day because that’s all you can conveniently remember.

 Taking vitamins every day is one of the best ways to ensure future good health. Make a promise to yourself to stop by the health-food store and stock up on fuel for your body.

Further Reading

Nutritional Almanac, by Lavon J. Dunne

First instalment of the book "The Health Manifesto", written by Dr. Joan Coff

 Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.

You know how the saying goes, and you’ve probably heard, over and over, that you need

to drink more water. The question is, why?

 Water is known as the universal solvent. The type of atoms in a water molecule (two hydrogen atoms attached to one oxygen atom, or H₂O) give it such a charge that it bonds to everything, as a magnet does to metal. Water flows with gravity, so it pulls things apart and carries them away. Water carries molecules you need into your body, reacts with other molecules to cause good chemical reactions in your cells, and attaches to waste products in your body and carries them away.

 Imagine a water molecule already bonded to something that it can’t easily let go of, like the heavy metals found in many water sources. The water molecule already has its hands full, so it can’t pick up waste products and take them out of your body. The water molecule also has a problem getting into your cells, because the heavy metals it carries

make it too large to go through the tiny “water only” doors in your cell membranes.

 Picture a person who comes to a Halloween party as a bunch of grapes. This person represents a water molecule, and the purple “grape” balloons attached to this person

represent the metal molecules attached to the water. This person spends the whole party standing on the patio because they can’t squeeze through the door. If you’re drinking water that’s not pure, you have water, water, everywhere, but not a drop for your cells to drink.

 Ideally, the water you drink is H₂O molecules bonded with minerals. Once in the body, these minerals easily detach from the H₂O to perform important chores for your body. The H₂O then either enters cells to quench their thirst, or attaches to waste products and leaves the body via urine or sweat.

 But tap water is clean, you say. Well, it may be clean, but it’s not pure. Tap water is filtered to remove dangerous bacteria and some of the metals, but don’t forget that other compounds are then added, such as chlorine and fluoride, which bond with the H₂O. The tap water in the United States is better than the unprocessed water in many parts of the world, but it’s not pure H₂O by any stretch of the imagination.

Among the easily available types of purified water, water filtered by reverse osmosis is,

in my opinion, the best. It is pure H₂O molecules. In nature, these molecules would be taking minerals into your body. Minerals are collected from the earth as the water flows across it. To reproduce this natural scenario, add liquid minerals (available at the health-food store) to your reverse-osmosis water before drinking.

You can buy a reverse-osmosis filter for your sink. A filtering unit may cost in the low hundreds of dollars and last a lifetime; the filters must be changed on a regular basis. You can also buy RO water in bottles at any grocery store; if your store doesn’t carry it, they can order it. (If you’re thinking you can’t afford this, look at the priorities section of this book  in chapter 39 and remember how much you spent on Christmas last year. Wouldn’t a water filter be a nice family gift this year?)

Drink lots of pure water every day. Other beverages, such as tea, coffee, and sodas, don’t count—remember, we don’t want anything bonded to the H₂O except the minerals your body needs to function. Some people tell me they can’t drink a lot of water because they don’t like the taste. Pure water has no taste, so that shouldn’t be a barrier for you.

 What, you ask, is “lots” of water? Well, let’s go for the standard formula: take your body weight in pounds and divide it by two; that is the minimum number of ounces of water you should drink each day. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, you need to drink 65

ounces of pure water a day, or eight 8-oz. glasses. That will probably be a challenge for many of you. How do you manage it? First of all, don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink! Intracellular dehydration causes the thirst mechanism in the hypothalamus to tell you that your body is thirsty. What this means is that, before you even feel thirsty, your brain is already dehydrated.

 Always use at least an 8-oz. glass or cup for drinking. When you’re thirsty, drink a whole glass rather than a few sips. Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, before any other beverage. Keep a water bottle with you during the day, and drink a glass of water at every break you have. Make a commitment to drink your quota of water before you drink any other beverage, or a commitment to drink a glass of water with every other beverage you choose throughout the day.

 Some people have told me they don’t have time to drink enough water. But if you don’t have time to drink a glass of water, you have serious time-management issues that need to be addressed. It takes just 60 seconds to down an 8-oz. glass. You have time.

 Have a glass of water first with your meals, and then have another beverage if you desire it. Have a glass of water each time you talk on the phone, read a book, start viewing a TV program, or have a snack. Have a glass of water before bed. When you wake up at night to use the bathroom (and you will), drink another glass.

 Yes, you are going to have to urinate more often—but that’s the idea. You’re giving your body enough water to be flushed clean at all times. There are always exceptions to the rules; for instance, when you’re about to get in the car and drive for hours. In such cases, maybe you’d want to decrease your water intake until the end of your journey.

 That covers the water we drink. What about the water we bathe in? Did you know that your body absorbs chlorine through the skin? In my opinion, that’s not a good idea (think of your cells being bleached by chlorine). Any chemicals your body absorbs must be processed, and that makes more work for your body. Chlorine is toxic.

 I recommend you also buy a shower water filter that removes chlorine. This type of filter is relatively inexpensive, lasts a long time, and, I believe, will contribute to a longer, healthier life. Besides that, you’ll love the soft, silky feel of your skin and hair after showering without chlorine!

 

Further Reading

 

Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, F. Batmanfhelidj, M.D.

The Sierra Club Guide to Safe Drinking Water, by Scott Alan Lewis

The Drinking Water Book, by Colin Ingram

Essential Oils for Kids, Teens and Tots

Join us Monday September 17th at 6:30 pm for a workshop on using Essential Oils on Kids. Would you like to keep your family healthy without the use of medicine? Would you rather manage the symptoms of illness like runny nose, fever& headaches with out over the counter drugs?
Would you like to learn about non-toxic toothpaste, soap, lotions and such for the whole family?
Then join us for this  workshop!  You will have an opportunity to try essential oils first hand and discover the difference that Young Living Essential Oils can make for you, and your family.

RSVP to  (315) 635-2739. The class will end at 7:30, with another 1/2hour available for questions.
The location is 92 East Genesee Street, Baldwinsville 13027