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The following article was written by Karla Walter and presented at the NSDHS May 2, 2007 meeting:
Being healthy is a simple way of life if you choose to commit to the basics of life.
Once you make the commitment, the body then has the tools to either turn your health around or maintain your healthy state.
There are only 7 items to maintain life. Constantly checking these 7 items places the body in the best position to remain healthy. However, most people dismiss the simplicity to being healthy or don’t know how or why the importance of these items is needed.
It’s a funny thing being healthy, the majority of people only seek attention when they get sick and therefore are part of a sick care system, not a health system.
The emphasis is on you to take responsibility to be healthy, not the practitioner to whom you visit. The list below is the basics of life. No matter where you live in the world only the items in this list matter.
Air, Water, Sleep, Shelter, Exercise, Nutrition, Mind/Spirit
- Air - Breathing – the quality of the air you breathe. It is the one action that we do automatically to keep us alive and if we do not have it for as little as 3 – 5 minutes we die, yet people give it no thought at all. Learning how to breathe deeply into your lungs and not the top third will bring more oxygen into the body. Fast, shallow breathing expels carbon dioxide too quickly and has many bad effects on our physical and emotional health. Slower, deeper breathing, combined with the rhythmical pumping of our diaphragm, abdomen, and belly, helps turn on our parasympathetic nervous system--our "relaxation response." Such breathing helps to harmonize our nervous system and reduce the amount of stress in our lives. This of course, has a positive impact on our overall health. Yoga breathing exercises for example is one option to learn deep breathing.
Other areas of poor quality air are in homes or offices. Products that produce out gassing, invisible pollutants. Removal is by high quality filters that do not produce ozone as ozone is a toxic gas.
- Water- the type of water that you drink and how much? Is your water high in acid or does it have minerals to support your body? Be mindful of plastic bottles that leach petroleum into the water, find a level 6 or 7 plastic bottle to carry, refill the bottle and be kind to the planet. Humans are the only animals on the planet that have made drinks from chemicals. Many times people have cravings because they are dehydrated. Dehydration is responsible for many ailments.
- Nutrition – food – supplements. Humans are energy beings and require energy coming into the body through food. Vegetables are the main source of minerals and vitamins. Experiment with eating a variety from each level of the earth to get you started. Above the ground (all large green vegetables), on the ground (onions, sweet potato, zucchini, butternut squash etc.) Below the ground (carrots, parsnip). 5 – 9 different vegetables per day with each one being only a ¼ - ½ cup in quantity. Protein is required every day, through red meat, white meat, fish or legumes and grain combined. Portion size is the palm of the hand for red meat (4 ounces) or the whole hand for white meat and fish. Vegetarians must work at their diet every day with protein. Eggs, almonds, peanut butter are not enough of the right protein to form strong healthy cells. Organic “fresh” non processed food is the top priority. Many foods that are processed and have binders and fillers which in turn may have a detrimental affect on the body. If it’s white leave it out. When a person removes a lot of processed food from their diet, many symptoms from emotional to physical may in turn be removed. The example here is spicy foods that give people heartburn or gastric reflux. When we know that a food or beverage causes symptoms leave it out instead of taking antacids, don’t let your ego rule your taste buds. The Pepsi demonstration was to show how reactions from processed items when ingested have many and varied effects.
Purchase high quality supplements where the binders will not harm your health.
Supplement fillers to avoid:
- Sodium laurel sulfate (foaming agent in shampoo).
- Aluminum silicate (talc)
- Artificial colors (FD and C)
- Sodium benzoate (preservative that destroys friendly bacteria)
- Propylene glycol ( anti freeze is used as an anti crumbling agent)
- Cornstarch
- Sugars
- Shellac
- Coal tar
- Petroleum products
Microwave experiment: take two plants, water one plant with boiled water that has cooled from the stove and water the other plant with water that has been micro waved and then cooled. Continue this for 10 days. Which plant is healthy? This is a wonderful visual experiment to see how plants absorb the micro waved water. The same process is happy to your own body.
- Sleep – The body repairs when it sleeps. Poor sleep leads to poor health. Be sure to have a mattress that supports your body. Go to bed at days end with thanks for a wonderful day. Children are told to go to bed to rest so they will not be tired the next day or out of sorts. The same message applies to adults, age is no different. Working on the computer stimulates the senses, it does not relax a person, so avoid at night.
- Exercise – 30 - 45 minutes every day, minimum. Walking, jogging, swimming, etc. There are no excuses for people not to exercise in one way or another. Moving around the dental office is not exercise.
- Shelter – Home and Clothes: clothes made from natural fibers: cotton, silk, bamboo, hemp, wool are the best quality for your health. Natural fibers assist in the rhythm of the natural electro magnetic field around the human body. Synthetic fibers distort the natural rhythm. Your home is your castle the safest place you go to. Make sure it is supporting you and not making you sick. Like the office out gassing products from carpets and furniture be mindful to purchase and use natural products.
- Mind / Spirit – remove the chatter of gossip, anger, bitterness and fill your mind with conversations that are positive and uplifting. It may be time to turn off the T.V. so the mind does not get bombarded by violence or a constant of so called bad news. Watching T.V. for short periods of time, watching funny programs or items of interest can be uplifting.
Making decisions is very important, removing the word try. “Trying”, is like lying, it leaves people in no mans land. Whether you or some-one else are going to do something, be precise.
Stress: delete the word stress and get in touch with what the emotion is. Example: tired, angry, disappointed, sad etc. The emotion then can be dealt with and not swept under the carpet, leaving you feeling happy, joyful and positive about yourself and your health.
You are the most important person and checking in with yourself is your first priority to keeping you healthy. Once you have incorporated these simple steps, it is easy and effortless to assist family and friends to do the same. Next is the very important role as educators to pass the information on to those who you encounter each day to make their lives healthy, fun and positive. Now you know you’re moving in a positive direction of being healthy.
Thank you.
Health and Happiness
Karla Walter
Understanding Your Health Inc,
636 Church Street, Suite 601,
Evanston, IL 60010
847 733 8133
www.understandingyourhealth.com
karla@understandingyourhealth.com
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