What if there was something you could do to change your health? What if you could wake up every morning and jump out of bed and feel fantastic? What would you be willing to do to make that happen?
It really is all about how you eat, sleep, think, move and supplement. This not so comfortable body didn’t happen overnight; instead it was a gradual thickening of your waist and weakening of your muscles. Your recovery from this slide into the next size up is but a decision away and that change in attitude is your gift to you. Get ready for smooth sailing after a few adjustments to your lifestyle.
How you eat determines your level of inflammation and inflammation causes disease. What you eat determines how you feel and eating food that damages your cells can slowly destroy your body in subtle ways. Why wait until you are a physical mess and taking prescription drugs to manage symptoms? What is keeping you from beginning this journey of food discovery? There are a number of books that can demystify the process. The book, The Elimination Diet, by Tom Malterre and Alissa Segersten is the guide you will need to change the way you think about food. No gluten? No sugar? No dairy? What else is left for me to eat you exclaim! Instead, think about what it would be like to feel great by just refusing that donut, soda, and fast food meal. What if you could avoid surgical procedures, painful muscle cramping, agonizing migraine headaches, debilitating diarrhea or constipation just by finding out which foods to never let past your lips? Once you get used to cooking again, you will discover how wonderful you feel by just eating real food.
Another favorite book, The Hormone Reset Diet, by Dr. Sara Gottfried, is easy to follow and gives you the science behind why food is such an important part of living an optimal life. By removing certain foods every three days, cooling inflammation and then adding them back one at a time, you will be able to determine which foods are causing your symptoms. There may be some uncomfortable moments when you decide to eliminate foods like sugar and grains as they are addictive in nature. Grab a partner and go on an amazing journey of discovery and support each other as you learn about the power of food.
So much healing happens when you sleep. A healthy sleep pattern can help you lose weight, heal your adrenals, improve your mood, and strengthen your immune system. Because proper sleep is important for brain detoxification, just using sleeping pills may not be the answer for a restful night as they can interfere with your daytime mental acuity. There are a number of ways to improve the quality and quantity your hours of rest. Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary by keeping it cool, dark, smelling great, and free of distractions such as television, computers and cell phones. Check out the research on circadian rhythms and electro-magnetic fields at http://strongwave.net/circadian-rhythms-health-performance.
Happiness is a choice. It is a phrase, a book, a lifestyle that is a decision away for many of us. From the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, we learn that by becoming aware of your thoughts, especially negative ones, one can become connected to the “you” behind the voice in your head. There are ways to elevate your happiness and feel better about your life. In fact that is the description of an app called Happify. Become your own biggest fan by making a choice to seek out happiness by focusing on methods to improve your thinking. Optimal Living 101 is a fantastic course brought to life by Brian Johnson, the author of the Philosophers Notes.
Why is movement so important? Exercise is a way to produce endorphins which are neurotransmitters that generally make you feel amazing. Better yet, get grounded by putting your bare feet on the ground and moving. Walk on the beach, choose to practice yoga in your back yard, or just decide to incorporate some form of movement and feel the difference it makes when you go about your everyday routine.
Why is supplementation necessary? Even when you have made a conscious decision to eat mostly organic locally grown food, grass fed meat, wild caught fish and avoid inflammatory foods; you still may need to add some micronutrients in supplement form. Vitamin D, which is created naturally from your skin’s exposure to sunlight, is a good example of a nutrient that is vitally important for more than just bone health. If you live in the north and especially in the winter, it is probably necessary to take oral Vitamin D to reach and maintain a healthy blood level of 40-60 ng/ml to promote optimal wellness. Get tested and find out your 25-hydroxy vitamin D level. You can participate in a study called D*Action Project by GrassrootsHealth .
Properly prescribed prescription medications can cause nutrient depletion. An example of a notoriously overprescribed class of medications that can now, unfortunately, be purchased over the counter are proton pump inhibitors or PPI for acid reflux. Among other problems, PPI can cause magnesium deficiency which can lead to muscle pain, nausea, weakness, irritability, hypertension, constipation, abnormal heart rhythm, migraines and other symptoms. If you do not equate those symptoms with magnesium deficiency, you may be given a prescription for another medication to treat them and it may not be what you need.
Are multiple vitamins necessary? How important is fish oil, vitamin C, iodine or any other form of supplements you hear mentioned for health maintenance or better function? Discuss it with a health care practitioner who has studied the benefits of micronutrients.
What will you choose to do to create optimal wellness? Change course and decide to give yourself the best food, the best rest, the best thoughts, the best activity, and the best nutrients to live your best life.