Secrets of a Healthy Life

The day inevitably comes when a patient says to me, "I feel great... now what?". In fact maintaining health requires a lot more commitment, determination and time than getting to that point of feeling great. Over the years of helping people reach that point of balance has also demonstrated what needs to be supported in order to maintain that feeling great experience. Of all the systems in the body, there are a few that seem to genuinely protect us from harm and sustain us through life. Those are the lymphatic system and immunity, the liver and elimination and the endocrine system and hormonal signaling. I have found if these three systems are working well, then serious health issues do not occur.

Both the lymphatic system and the liver have something in common which is vital to life... neutralizing and elimination of toxic substances within our body, such as bacteria, fungal elements, poisons, drugs, pollutants and waste products. Centuries ago, we realized that if we maintained a location in a sanitary manner, then many diseases cannot be spread from one person to another. This is also true within the body as well. If we maintain a more sanitary condition of our tissues by supporting healthy elimination, then it is much easier to handle issues when they do occur. I have found that weakness in the immune system occurs when we are battling more than one challenge at a time. A bacterial infection and high stress; a fungal infection and a viral challenge; a serious injury and the flu. These are the times that our systems can become drained and eventually suppressed.

The endocrine system is vital because our hormones are the triggers for so many body functions. It seems that doctors are only looking at the thyroid and only when symptoms are so blatant as to be impossible to ignore. Even then, blood tests may demonstrate levels that are low, but still within "acceptable" ranges. In fact, you could practically be dead and still register within normal lab ranges. Taking the whole of the population and setting your range based on the median average, is not optimal health, but minimal health. So not only developing an optimal testing range, but also evaluating the health of other glands vital to our bodies, such as the adrenals, the thymus and the pancreas is essential to maintaining a healthy life.

So here are the rules:

1) Eat liver-supportive vegetables every day such as broccoli, asparagus, kale, brussels sprouts, red peppers, egg yolks and garlic. These help to inspire better liver detoxification.

2) Take a high grade of milk thistle every day to protect the liver from damage. In fact, milk thistle is not conducive to detoxification, it is instead hepatoprotective. In this way it can be vital if you are taking any prescription drugs at all to protect the liver from collateral damage with this amazing herb.

3) Do a good, comprehensive liver and intestinal cleanse once each year for optimal health. This should be at least 21 days in length, may involve some fasting if desired and should include detoxifying therapies such as colonics, acupuncture, visceral manipulation and sweating. I do not recommend packaged cleanses over the counter at the health food store, as each person’s needs are quite individual. Also, the strength of these products can vary dramatically. Instead seek out a qualified healthcare practitioner who can help you select the best options for you, and guide you through the process.

4) Keep an accurate record of your health history including not just family history of illnesses, but surgeries, injuries, periods of intense stress, emotional traumas, illnesses lasting more than three days or that recur within six months. This is important to identify your inherent body weaknesses and which systems and organs do not work at an optimal level. This can also help you to pinpoint which vitamins and/or minerals you use most frequently as well as tend to lack. Simply taking a multivitamin/mineral supplement may not give you enough of what you need, and may give you too much of what you don’t.

5) Make sure that any multivitamin/mineral supplement is food-based, not synthetic, nor isolates that are added together. For instance, whole vitamin C as it appears in food is not ascorbic acid. That is merely one small portion of whole vitamin C. Without all the components, your body will struggle to recompose the molecules as they appear in nature in order to properly utilize it. Many symptoms that people have are simply as a result of trying to process synthetic vitamins that they are taking.

6) You must move your lymphatic system every day. This can be done by regular exercise, skin brushing, rebounding, massage and lymphatic drainage. I recommend having a session of machine-administered lymphatic drainage every turn of the season for the entire body and then maintain that progress with skin brushing and exercise. Also, you must vary your exercise routines in order to fully provide for movement to all areas of the body.

7) Which brings us to the next essential — flexibility and stretching of tissue. Without stretching and lengthening our tissue, then the aging process will rapidly speed along. We lose collagen over time, but by maintaining flexibility, our collagen matrix can more easily receive blood, food and drainage allowing it to live much longer and maintain integrity for years. Yoga is the best way to do this, particularly when interspersed with massage and regular exercise. Also, varying your routine allows all segments of the body to move, instead of the same ones each time. If you can maintain flexibility, then you will enjoy physical activity throughout the later years in life.

8) Drink as much fresh water as you can. Water helps to flush away toxins, eases bowel function and increases your metabolism. If you want to lose weight, water is the place to start. Even body pain is often a symptom of too little water. And remember, water means just that... water. Not tea, coffee, juice, sparking water or KoolAid.

9) Spend 30 minutes every day alone and in thought. This is an active process, it does not mean sleeping. Instead, it is a way of relaxing and focusing the mind and allowing thoughts to drift through. My grandfather used to believe in walking after dinner each evening and then sitting and looking at the river for a while. It was during this time that he could process his day, gather his thoughts and come to decisions that otherwise might prove to be quite a struggle.

10) Allow yourself to sweat. By preventing perspiration, you are eliminating a much-needed pathway for toxins to be eliminated from the body. Never use an anti-perspirant. Instead simply use deodorants that will not block your pores. There was a lot to be said for women in the 20’s who wore small pads under their arms so their perspiration would not be visible through their clothing. It was more natural and definately healthier.

11) If you are going to wear a bra, be sure that it fits well without restricting breathing or lymphatic circulation. There should be no mark from the bra at the end of the day. Also, do not wear underwire as it restricts lymphatic flow, and disrupts your body’s gentle energetic pathways. When you do not need to wear a bra, such as at home or with loose clothing, then don’t. And never wear anything restrictive to go to bed. This is the most essential time for restoration and rejuvenation.

12) Allow yourself to be late. Do not stress over time — instead realize that you have limits in the amount of things you can accomplish within a period of time. Just because someone else dictates a deadline does not mean it is realistic. Often it is not realistic, and may entail giving up all semblance of humanity to accomplish it. Also, if you do accomplish it, then it is clear that you can and often it will then become expected. Giving yourself time is the greatest gift you can have. This is especially important for sleep. Without enough sleep time, your body is being cheated of its ability to heal.

13) Pay attention to your hormonal system. Do not think for one minute that difficult or irregular periods, constant nagging fatigue or chronic insomnia are acceptable or normal. Be sure to address hormonal issues right away and develop a cycle that is balanced and healthy. I recommend taking a supplement such as Standard Process Symplex F for women or M for men every day to keep your hormonal system in check. This is the one place where pharmaceutical prescriptions are often necessary, either because the imbalances have continued unchecked for too long, or because there is an inherent imbalance in the system that may be genetic. But either way, be sure to pay attention to this important aspect of body health.

14) Eat healthy food. This doesn’t mean you can’t have prime rib or that you have to eliminate chocolate. It means everything in moderation, and that the majority of your daily intake should be fresh foods. Also, do not adhere to a restrictive eating plan for longer than three months. There are essential nutrients in all foods that has been demonstrated throughout history. To eliminate real food in any form will create long-term deficits that will appear later in life. For instance, long-term vegans will inevitably develop acid reflux, have bacterial infections much more frequently and will also lose the ability to digest protein effectively. Instead, balance is the key. So know your limits and fill your plate with your environment every day.

So the final rule is reduce stress and increase happiness. Clinical studies have proven without a doubt that every day of intense stress reduces your life span by a day. And every day that you can actually say you are happy and content lengthens your life by a day. Live to be 100... begin today.