The patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life. Don't take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop.
— Quentin Regestein
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There are so many “Top 10” lists for health and wellness, but most of what I’ve seen focuses on one specific thing – i.e. “Top 10 Super Foods” or “Top 10 Exercises”...
Here is my “Top 10 Basics For Health”
1. I can’t say enough about water. It is one of the most important aspects of health. A good rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces. That is, if you weigh 140 pound, you should be drinking 70 ounces of water daily; more if you exercise. Click here for a more in-depth look at why.
2. What goes in, generally, must come out. You eat 3 to 6 times per day. With this you should optimally be having bowel movements 2 to 3 times per day to eliminate all the indigestible fibers. If it is not coming out, where is it and what is it doing? The answer is that it is building up within you. The longer "stuff" stays within you, the more time toxins have to leach out of that 'stuff' and back into your body. These toxins may contribute to the development of cancer, atherosclerosis and many other diseases.
3. Take a good look at what you eat every day. Do you see any patterns or habits? Do you have the same breakfast every day? Do you eat some form of wheat every day (cereal, breads, pasta)? Do you often have the same type of dinner that consists of meat, potatoes and veggies? Eating the same thing over and over puts stress of the digestive tract and opens the door for increasing sensitivities due to overexposure. Break your habits. Vary your diet.
4. Food is our energy. It is part of what gives us life. If you don't feel energized after you eat, something is wrong. Did you eat too much? Or did you eat the wrong thing or combination of things? The fact is, having to take a break after a meal (think nap after Christmas dinner) is not a good thing. Help your digestive tract by making proper food combining choices. One of the worst choices is the North American standard meat and carbohydrate type of meal. Carbohydrates are digested much easier in the stomach than meat proteins. This often results in gases building up as the carbohydrates ferment while waiting for the meat to digest. This leads to indigestion, heartburn, and burping. These are not "normal" symptoms to have after a meal. You should always feel good after eating.
5. Cleansing is important and a missing link in today’s society. It is necessary to give your body a rest at least once per month to let toxic buildup get out of your system. This is one of the easiest ways to feel rejuvenated. There are many varieties of cleanses and you should talk to a health care professional about what would be best for you.
6. Do a stress inventory on your self, which is as simple as asking yourself, “Am I stressed”? You’ll know if you are if you are honest with yourself. When you are stressed, your digestive system does not work so well and nutrients do not enter your system efficiently. Paired with poor food choices, things really can start to go wrong. Take time to relax. If you are eating while stressed make better food choices to ease the work of your body. Breath. One of the easiest ways to deal with stress is to breathe. Take deep belly breaths. You can do this anywhere, and it's entirely free!
7. Cravings are not normal; at any point in your life. If you are having cravings it is your body's way of telling you that you are deficient in something, or that something is wrong. It is important to figure out what is wrong. For example, if you are craving sugars you may have a Candida overgrowth - that's a yeast overgrowth, the bad bacteria. Candida feeds on sugars and can then cause all kinds of symptoms, from chronic stuffiness to lethargy, headaches, and weight gain.
8. Get a grip on snacking. This is probably the biggest factor in one's weight and overall health. Make it a point not to eat past 8p.m. If you feel that you absolutely must munch on something while watching your favourite show, learn to love something super healthy, like bean sprouts. They are considered a "super food" and are full of nutrients. They are very easy to make yourself. Learn how.
9. Make your first bite count. For too many people, the first 'food stuff' to hit their stomach in the morning is coffee. Be conscious about what goes into your stomach in the morning. Make that first bite something healthy, something that lasts for a while and energizes you. This is the way your body needs to wake up. Not with caffeine.
10. Just because it is organic, does not mean it is good for you. This applies mainly to pre-packaged products. They can still be loaded with sugars and salts. Organic cookies are still cookies. Although the ingredients may be better than the average cookie, they are still mainly empty calories. Read the labels.