Basic Wellness

There are many schemes and plans available that tout wellness, strong bodies and minds, and defy aging. There are basic concepts that do help with all of these issues. However, no person has developed a miracle plan or pill that will do all of this. The following are the basic concepts that each person should be striving towards for wellness.

Everyone needs a full nights sleep. We need 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep in a dark room (see our sleep hygiene section for more help with this). Scientists believe that our bodies are actually designed for 9 -10 hours of sleep. During sleep, our bodies do more than just rest. Simply put, this is when much of the repair processes are performed and we are preparing for another day.

Eat Healthy. As the old saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out”. This could not be more appropriate when it comes to fueling our bodies. The standard American diet (sad) is full of processed foods, chemicals, herbicides, and other toxins. The following are basic recommendations:
Decrease and eliminate sugar and refined foods. Eating these caloric dense foods leads to high insulin levels, which ultimately cause a multitude of problems in our bodies.
Drink mostly filtered water. Most of us do not drink enough fluids. While most city water supplies meet EPA standards, there are still allowable amounts of many things that are not healthy. There are also chemicals in our water that are not regulated. The plastic from the many plastic water bottles used today leaches into the very water you are drinking. Consider using glass or stainless steel to store and transport your water.

Exercise regularly. The benefits of exercise are many and include: better utilization of sugar and less insulin resistance, increase in basal metabolic rate, healthier immune systems, decrease blood pressure, better sleep, better energy, helps maintain bone density, and weight loss to mention a few. There are many opinions about how much exercise is enough. I believe that four times per week with an elevated heart rate for 30 minutes is adequate, more may be beneficial. Start slowly and increase as you tolerate it. Please check with your personal physician before starting any exercise program.

Decrease stress. Most people in our society have too much stress or do not process stress appropriately. Learn to prioritize. Learn to say “NO” without quilt.

Supplements. The best way to get nutrition is thru a healthy diet, but both the US Department of Agriculture and the AMA have previously noted that it is difficult to get the nutrition our bodies need from our foods. These are what I consider basic supplements for every day use:
A multivitamin that is designed to be taken twice a day.
Vitamin C in at least 2 doses up to 4,000 mg per day
Essential Fatty Acids 3,000 mg per day.
After age 40 or if you use a Statin medication for cholesterol control, take Coenzyme Q10 60 mg per day.

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