What is Health?

Health is the optimum balance of the mind (mental), body (physical) and spirit (social), according to Dorland’s Medical Dictionary.

Health is 100% functioning of all of the tissues and organs all of the time, according to Webster’s Dictionary.

Is your health the way you would like it to be? I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’m at 100% functioning all of the time. Are you able to function to your maximum capabilities? If not, then read on.

What can you do to influence your health in a positive way?

1. Proper diet- In the computer industry there was a saying GIGO-“garbage in garbage out.” The same applies to your body. If you feed the body low vibration, toxic foods, then the body won’t be able to function to it’s best ability. What’s good food choices for health? Natural choices are generally better for you. If you can’t read the label, then it’s probably not good for you. Remember the first few items on the label comprise the bulk of the product. Cut down on empty calories-white sugar and white flour products, Examples of sugars are sucrose, maltose, dextrose, corn syrup. White flour products include: white breads, pastries, pastas, etc. Increase your filtered water intake gradually towards 6-8 glasses per day. The one common thread thru all dietary plans is increased water intake. Increase your consumption of fruits and veggies, especially local varieties. Cut down on red meats and increase consumption of organic poultry, and deepwater swimming fish. Cut down on your intake of fried foods. Use olive oil whenever possible. Take a natural multi-mineral/multi-vitamin daily just to make sure you’re getting what you need, nutritionally. There is a nutritional principle that is important to remember-biological individuality. The above are general guidelines, but you are unique so you need to figure out for your self what is best for you. Different body types, blood types, climates, etc. might need special considerations.
2. Proper exercise- Healthy exercise includes a focus on flexibility, strength, and cardio-endurance. Flexibility is often forgotten as we age, but is extremely important to prevent the stiffening associated with arthritis. Spinal stretches can be accomplished thru yoga, tai chi chuan, aikido, pilates, etc. Recent studies introducing tai chi into nursing homes have shown very positive results- up to a 50% decrease in falls, which are a major cause of hip fractures, etc. Strength training might include weight workouts, pilates, rowing and x-country ski machines (also good for cardio-endurance). Another study done introducing light weight workouts into a nursing home population showed significant gains in muscle strength and lowering of blood pressure after just 12 weeks. If you choose a weight program, be conscious of “The Power of Ten”, slower is better. Cardio-endurance possibilities include: fast walking, swimming, jogging, biking (indoor and outdoor), tennis, x-country skiing, etc. Find something that you can enjoy doing with minimal effort. Understand your own motivators-do you need a class, CD, personal instruction, workout partner, etc.?
3. Proper rest- Unless you are a yogi, you need @ 7 hours of sleep per day. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot make up for missed sleep. Sleep enhancers include establishing a routine before bedtime such as a regular time to go to sleep, no TV watching before bedtime (especially anything violent) and listen to quiet music instead, start a “gratitude journal” wherein you enter a few things that you were thankful for on the day. It gets easier the more you do it.Don’t do any late night eating or drinking. Use a chiropractic cervical pillow to enhance spinal positioning during sleep. Use an air bed, which has individual controls for the sides of the bed and regions of the body.This allows for different body types to be accommodated.
4. Positive Mental Attitude- Is the glass half full or half empty? Stress management is not about what’s happening out in the world it is about what’s happening between your ears. How you view things determines your experiences. So examine your thoughts about money, relationships, work, etc. and see if you can put a more positive spin. Tools to assist are: visualizations, affirmations, CD’s, breathing techniques, etc. Some form of quiet (meditation) time daily is very important. Start with 5-10 minutes and work your way up. Quiet the mental chatter and you’ll be amazed at how present and enlivened you’ll feel.
5. Proper nerve supply- Chiropractic is the only healing art that is dedicated to locating nerve interference; blockage to the flow of information between the brain and the body that controls life function. Chiropractic a natural healing art (no drugs or surgery) that recognizes the innate healing power of the body to move towards health as long as interferences (stressors) are removed. By minimizing the effects of stress on the nervous system and enhancing the nerve flow throughout the body, Chiropractic allows all systems of the body to function to their optimum.

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