You make micro choices every day that impact your health – what to eat, what to put on your body, what you will or will not be exposed to, the air you breathe, the thoughts you think, even the level of stress you deem acceptable. It all adds up to form your total health picture.
It seems these days that it is becoming harder and harder to properly care for yourself. We read more every day how our food sources are tainted in one way or another, how our air is polluted, people are out of work, and the news declares fairly clearly that they believe the country is going to hell in a handbasket. It’s hard not to be stressed out. Your health, however, is not only important – it is the most valuable thing you have and needs to be safeguarded.
So what are you supposed to do? First and foremost decide in your mind that you are healthy. Not that you are going to be healthy, do not put it in a future tense, as the future never arrives and we are always in the present. Decide and tell yourself that you feel fantastic! If fantastic seems out of reach at the moment, go for whatever level is believable to you at this time. I feel “pretty good”, “good”, “darn good”, “great”, “and fantastic”! Even if it’s not exactly currently the truth, just brush that aside for now and humor me. Attitude and mental state are one of the biggest contributing factors to our physical health. Your body will mirror back to you what you say you feel.
Second, when you wake up in the morning drink water. Make it a nice big glass. Your body has been fasting while you are sleeping and water is the best way to wake it up and get it primed for the day. Pop Tarts, though delicious, are not. We as humans are mostly water, and staying hydrated is key for optimal health. Drinking water throughout the day is very helpful. We highly recommend spring water or water that has been put through reverse osmosis in order to remove fluoride and other chemicals which are detrimental to your health.
Stretch and move around. If you have time, go for a walk to rev up your metabolism. All movement counts in your day as exercise so take the stairs, don’t park right next to the door, get up and move around during the day. The old adage “if you don’t use it, you lose it” is true – so keep your body mobile and limber! Weight-bearing exercises are just as, if not more, important than cardio to keep you in strong tiptop condition.
Choose foods that are as close to nature as possible. A great rule of thumb – if you are eating something that comes in a package, read the ingredients. If you can’t pronounce it and don’t know what it is, there is a good chance you really don’t want to be consuming it. If you have time look it up and do some research, but you can never go wrong with organic vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Make sure to wash all of your fruits and veggies well. Even if they are not sprayed with pesticides, many many hands have touched them by the time they arrive at your plate. Meats are best if grass fed, free range and antibiotic free. You are what you eat… but more than that, you are what your food eats too! And some of the things fed too much of the cattle and chickens these days is disgusting. Not to mention the inhumane treatment they receive as our food source. Additionally, steering clear of food dyes, high fructose corn syrup (and newly named corn sugar – it’s the same thing), and preservatives as much as possible is highly recommended. They are far worse for you than you may think.
Even when we choose purposefully to eat well, it is difficult to get all the nutrients in our diets that we need on a daily basis. Many trace minerals have been depleted from our soil and are now at very low levels, or no longer present which means vegetables being grown from that soil no longer contain those nutrients. Processing of foods also breaks down vitamins and minerals so it is important to supplement. Everyone’s bodies are different. There is no one correct set of supplements that fits everyone. A good multi-vitamin along with Vitamin D (5,000IU a day), and Vitamin B12 (1,000mcg a day) and a good antioxidant (such as Acai, Pomegranate, Bilberry, or Hawthorne) are a great base. From there you can add in herbs, supplements and other vitamins based on your individual health needs.
Keep stress levels as low as possible. This is a very difficult one in this day and age but it’s vital to your well being, emotional and physical. Life is meant to be enjoyed. If you aren’t enjoying what you are doing, take steps to stop doing it and move to something else that you do find joy in. This goes for jobs, relationships, friends, living situations – all of it.
Take time to breathe. Oxygen is vital to our bodies and most of us do not breathe deeply enough or correctly. Upon inhale, your shoulders should stay fairly still, breathe in and let your belly expand, then your chest. Hold for a few seconds and release. Repeat till you feel slightly lighter / calmer.
Posture is important as well. Scientific studies have shown that when you are standing or sitting up tall, especially with a smile on your face, it is more difficult to be in a bad mood. Plus it helps you maintain proper muscle strength as you age so that you don’t start to become hunched over permanently!
Internal cleansing, as well as fasting, can also give your body a big boost – The recommended order is to do a colon cleanse first (reason being if you start elsewhere and your colon is clogged whatever else you clear out may just get stuck in the colon causing more problems. When you do a cleanse of any kind, toxins are released and they need a clear exit route!). Then you can move on to cellular level cleanses, kidney and gallbladder cleanses and Candida cleanses (in no particular order). Cleansing is like changing the oil in your car, if its all gunked up the motor will not run at top performance or eventually, at all… our bodies need times of rest and recuperation.
Dynamic health begins to emerge with one decision at a time, one day at a time. Do the right things long enough, and you will get the results you are looking for.
Make your appointment today to come in and create a health plan.
Chiropractor & Nutritionist in Fort Myers, FL.
Chiropractic care is a safe, alternative treatment when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of many conditions. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent them before they start?
Dr. Jason B. Kaster, a chiropractor, and nutritionist in Fort Myers can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.