Monday, June 23, 2014
Creating Healthy Habits: Starting Off in the Right Direction
1:49 PM | 
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
By Melissa Dengler, ND
I
am sure that we have all said from to time that we need to eat better or
exercise more. We often will be inspired to make changes whether it be with New
Year’s Resolutions, plans to fit into your summer bathing suit or after being
inspired from watching a movie or reading a magazine article. Let’s face it, everyone wants to get better
yesterday. People come to my office with a myriad of complaints. Everything
from irritable bowel to fatigue to hormonal imbalances to diabetes. Most people
come to my office with a poor understanding of healthy eating, no exercise,
unmanaged stress, and toxic overload. This leads them to feeling fat, fatigued,
depressed and in pain. The majority have been to doctor after doctor and placed
on one medication after another…all to no avail. They are frustrated of being
told it’s normal to feel sick and they are tired of being tired.
So why
is it so hard and complicated to get and stay healthy? I suggest it’s not…. if
we master the basics. So what are those basics? Here
is a simple take-home list of rules for everyone who wants to take steps to
live a healthier life.
Eat Right. Eating right means we need to consume whole,
unprocessed foods. Studies have shown that animals who cut their calories in
half live longest and that obesity in animals accelerates aging. Fat is
pro-inflammatory and increases our stress hormones. Any excess body fat is
taking you down the path of increased illness. Excess body fat creates the
environment where cancer is likely to grow. Eat light, clean (organic), unprocessed
and mostly plant based.
Drink Right. A healthy body is made up of 2/3 water. To really
drink right, we need to make sure the water we consume is clean and filtered.
Remember to add 4 ounces of water for every 15 minutes of exercise or intense
heat you experience.
Think Right. In order for us to
think right, we need a healthy brain. The structures in the brain are water and
fat. We need to provide the brain with enough water and omega-3 fats, mostly
found in cold water fish. Managing our stress and exercise are also keys to a
healthy brain and thinking right.
Move Right. In order to move right, people need to move naturally
and preferably in nature. When you exercise, your brain and muscles will be
better, stronger and smarter.. Intense physical activity will also increase growth
hormones, which are the most powerful fat-burning hormones. A good move right
tip: In order to get the best workout possible and to release the growth
hormones, you need to break a sweat.
Sleep Right. Your brain is more
active when you sleep than when you’re awake. The whole body is going through a
cleansing, nourishing rejuvenation program when you sleep. Your immune system
is calming down and the body is settling down from stress hormones. In order to
sleep right, how much sleep do we need? Generally most people need between 7-8
hours of sleep a night. The best sleep right tips are to listen to your body,
stay away from electronics before bed, do some reading, do not have any light
source in the room and create a cooler environment.
Poop Right. The primary job of the colon is absorption. To poop
right, you need to eliminate waste in a timely manner. If you don’t eliminate
that waste in a timely manner, you are essentially poisoning yourself with what
you have absorbed from the bowels. If you have good elimination patterns, have
the right amount of fiber, water and neurologic tone, you should eliminate
whatever you put into your mouth and swallow between 18 and 22 hours.
Love Right. When looking for lasting love, forget what looks right,
forget what you think should be right, and forget what your friends,
parents, or other people think is right, and ask yourself: Does the
relationship feel right to me? A healthy relationship is when two people
develop a connection based on: mutual respect , trust, honesty, support, fairness/equality,
separate identities, good communication and a sense of playfulness/fondness.
Talk Right.
All good relationships require
communication. In talk right – we discuss two ways we need to talk – through
our cells and to ourselves. Our bodies are made up of billions of cells. These
cells talk to each other, to their neighbors and to themselves. Additionally,
you need to focus on the way you talk to yourself. We know that when people
have positive self-talk and a positive attitude, they have a stronger immune
system, a greater ability to fight off cancer and subsequently they live
longer.
These
are things to strive to get right everyday. Begin today. And then do them again tomorrow. And the next
day. One day at a time, for the rest of your life. May it be long and healthy!
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