THERE ARE FOUR PILLARS OF GOOD HEALTH;
- Water:good hydration is incredibly important, we need water to lubricate our joints and muscles, to help us digest and assimilate our food and nutrients, to lubricate our colon (a healthy colon should have a bowel movement within one hour of each meal). Just like the radiator on your car, we need water to regulate our body temperature and control inflammation. Your blood is 80% water and 20% solids as we get dehydrated our blood gets thicker requiring higher blood pressure to move the blood through the body. Your brain uses 20% of your blood flow and is at the highest point in the body, as blood flow to the brain is restricted we experience problems with vision, sense of smell and taste, hearing and possibly memory problems and/or dementia. Our lymphatic system has five times more lymphatic fluid than there is blood in the body. Each cell receives blood as nourishment and the cell eats and digests, just as you eat and digest. Each cell also passes waste products into the lymph system; there are approximately ten trillion cells in your body pooping into your lymph system. Picture taking a bath on Monday and deciding not to drain the water from the tub, then we bathe in the same water on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and by Friday we are trying to figure out if we will get cleaner getting in or staying out of the tub. This same thing is happening inside your body. If you are not drinking enough fresh water to clean and purify your body, you will become more toxic leading to poor health and less vitality. Call 622-224-3255.
- Nutrition:It is estimated that 90% of all illness are related to our diet and lifestyle. Your risk of getting cancer from genetics (family history) is less than 7%, while 80 to 90% is related to diet and lifestyle. Why is that? If this is true then why doesn’t someone warn us about these risk factors and dangers? Unfortunately the answer all comes down to POWER, POLITICS AND PROFIT! Ask yourself – “Are You The Author Of Your Life? – Or A Character In Someone Else’s Novel?” When it comes to food and medicine you must realize the food industry and the pharmaceutical industry spend more money in advertising than any other industry. The pharmaceutical industry alone controls over 65% of all advertising dollars spent and the food industry comes in as a close second. So let’s get real about who cares about our health. The food industry has become an advanced science on how to addict you to their products; cola drinks for example have the equivalent of 12 teaspoons of sugar in one 12 ounce drink, the sweetener is Modified Corn Syrup which is addictive and fattening. What better marketing tool to get you addicted to a fattening beverage, as you put on more weight, you will consume more. What else do they add to their product? Caffeine which increases your stress levels and leaches the calcium out of your bones, and finally they add Phosphoric Acid which is like a drain opener for your intestines. It is not uncommon for people to drink several of these beverages per day; so what happens when you consume one 12 ounce drink? First your blood glucose level rises triggering the release of insulin which then causes your glucose levels to drop below normal; this causes the body to find some way to increase the glucose level into a normal range, which usually involves eating more sugary foods. One 12 ounce drink will lower your immune system by 50% for up to six hours. Continued use of these products will soon lead to other health issues such as diabetes. Well if this is so bad for us why doesn’t the medical or pharmaceutical industry warn us of these problems? The answer? POWER, POLITICS AND PROFIT! Obviously if you are fat and in poor health you will seek medical help and probably buy medications to counter act the problem. When food and drink cause digestive problems we take an antacid or other digestive aid to reduce our stomach discomfort; these products stop the proper digestion of foods and cause constipation. The two leading over the counter drugs are antacids and laxatives. I will go into greater detail on this in the book I am in the process of writing, the title of which will be – “Are You The Author Of Your Life? – Or A Character In Someone Else’s Novel?” . In the meantime focus your attention on eating “whole – real – live foods.” When shopping at the grocery store focus your attention of the foods along the sides and the back of the store, this is where you will find the vegetables, fruits, fish, meat, etc. Nearly everything else in the middle of the store is processed, refined, taste-enhanced, and preserved to increase the food industry shelf life and profits. If a product has a label on it, it is processed. Shop and eat from your brain, not from what tastes good or is addictive. For more on your individual health program contact our clinic; our Mission is to “To EDUCATE, MOTIVATE and EMPOWER the individual to take charge of their own health.” Call 622-224-3255
- Sleep:It is incredible how many people have poor quality sleep or a lack of sufficient sleep. In our busy life styles we cram more and more into our day (and night) and with the advent of the cell phone we could go on for 24/7 if our body could keep up with us. As we evolved we would be active during the day, when the sun came up, and we would rest and sleep when the sun went down. This meant that in the summer time when days were longer we would be more active, we would eat more food, which was more abundant during the growing season, and in the winter time when days were shorter we would sleep for longer periods which would help conserve our strength, warmth and energy output when days were shorter and food supplies less abundant. As a rule of thumb a healthy individual should sleep approximately 8 hours a day, there are some people who can get by on only 6 hours of sleep, if those six hours are the deep, restful, abundant sleep referred to as REM sleep. Don’t confuse sleeping only six hours due to the necessity of getting to work or some motivator other than having a true deep restful – restorative sleep. If you are anxious, stressed or have an over-active mind you may turn to a sleep aid; this is a drugged form of sleep and will not give you the Restful-Restorative sleep that you require to maintain good health. Pay attention to your meal planning; ideally you will want to eat approximately 3 to 4 hours before bedtime, this will allow your body to digest your food before you go to sleep. It takes two to four hours for the average meal to digest and requires the energy equivalent to walking approximately five miles. Remember your body was designed to slow down once the sun goes down, so your digestive process will now take longer to complete. People often complain about waking up very tired in the morning; well if you ate a heavy meal just before bedtime, your liver and digestive system will now take much longer to digest, which means your digestive system has been working most of the night when it should have be resting and restoring it’s energy. Pay attention to what you drink and how much you drink before you go to bed; do not drink sodas or sugary drinks, caffeinated drinks (including chocolate milk), alcohol in moderation may be help you relax, but beer tends to be a stimulant and may upset your sleep. Too much fluid may cause you to get up at night to pee; this becomes more of a problem as we age because the muscle structure of our bladder, intestines, and abdomen become weaker. Constipation is also a contributing factor for incontinence; for men as we age the prostate gland swells restricting the flow of urine causing weak urine control and increased trips to pee at night. These problems can be prevented or treated with proper healthcare and lifestyle practices. Call 622-224-3255.
- Exercise: No you don’t need to spend hours at the gym, or be fanatical about an exercise routine, but – movement is important, along with the other three pillars of health – Water, Nutrition, and Sleep. If you drink the proper fluids then your metabolism will function efficiently without over eating or eating foods that weaken your immune system, quality sleep will give you the energy to move and be healthy. If you enjoy a strenuous workout at the gym that’s fine, but if you are like so many that don’t have the time, motivation or energy then try this walk for thirty minutes a day for three or four days a week. Become more self-aware of your daily habits and lifestyle; if you are overweight take steps to improve your diet, digestion and elimination. If you need help or ideas on how you can become more empowered give us a call at Pasaporte a la Salud your Passport To Health. Our Mission is to “To EDUCATE, MOTIVATE and EMPOWER the individual to take charge of their own health. Call 622-224-3255.
Ask Yourself; “Are You The Author Of Your Life? – Or A Character In Someone Else’s Novel?”
Warmest regards,
Richard
Richard Smithee
U.S. phone 520-841-6107
Mex. phone 622-224-3255
www.pasaportealasalud.com.mx
Richard Smithee
U.S. phone 520-841-6107
Mex. phone 622-224-3255
www.pasaportealasalud.com.mx
