As a professional health care practitioner I get a lot of questions about health. So to give you more information, here are some fundamentals of health where common sense can help you enjoy a healthy and happy life.
- Food. All food is not bad. Fake food is, however, your enemy health-wise. Whether the latest article decries salt, sugar, fat, or meat, they all lead to the same conclusion: Eat real food in moderate proportions, and cook your food yourself as much as you can. If you eat whole foods – fruits, veggies, whole grains, unprocessed, unfrozen, free of preservatives, made by you at home with fresh ingredients – you avoid all of the perils of an excess of anything. The major problem with food in our present-day society is that much of it is so processed. Because processed food tends to be packed with excess calories, salt, or chemicals, it kicks off an inflammatory state in the body, which is not meant to handle super-saturated nutritional bombs. So eat simply and well, most of the time, and help your body out immensely.
- Sleep. Get some. Sleep is the time when your body takes itself to the shop and runs the repair software. If you’re chronically not getting enough sleep you’re behind the curve on oxidative damage, a natural byproduct of all metabolism. That damage to cells builds up, which is how we age. If you are tossing and turning, get up out of bed, stretch, do a headstand, lie on your back with your feet up the wall. But whatever you do, don’t just lie there and struggle. Do something to quiet the mental or physical discomfort that is keeping you up. There’s no rule on hours, you know when you’re getting just enough.
- Exercise. It’s all about sweat. A lot of exercise teachers shy away from saying you have to actually sweat, but you do. You don’t change your cardiovascular state or your energetic state if your workouts don’t include sweating. You also don’t get the detox that is one of the main benefits of exercise. So find a way to sweat at least 3-4 times a week.You can run, or go on a machine at the gym. Most people experience good sweat in about half an hour. You don’t need to go on a StairMaster all day, but once your shirt is sticking, that can be the simplest sign that you’ve moved your body enough, and moving your body is something that needs to be done regularly to be healthy.
- Enthusiasm and admiration. You can find enthusiasm or admiration for anything – life, work, a chore, a problem, your job. Even with your irritating coworker you can find something that can be liked. The mind will hold onto a whole lot of junk that works to wipe out enthusiasm. But you have to realize that there’s no such thing as something being 100 percent negative. Nothing in life is 100 percent perfect and conversely nothing in life is 100 percent full of faults. There are pluses and minuses about everything and everyone. Try to focus on the pluses of people and situations.This will reduce anxiety and bring up your enthusiasm and zest for life. Enthusiasm is like spring cleaning the storage closet of your head. Splurge on it!
Contact Lawrence health Wellness Clinic at 519-746-4144 for a complimentary exam and assessment of any health symptoms you may be experiencing to help you get on the road to a happier and healthy life.