Health Tips
1. Eat a diet consisting of at least 50% raw foods
This is easier than it sounds. Raw foods contain enzymatic activity and more nutrients than cooked and processed foods. Some simple daily habits will allow you to include more raw foods in your diet. One way is to include a salad of dark leafy greens and assorted vegetables with lunch and/or dinner. Another idea is to include a tasty raw soup with lunch and/or dinner. We can help you with some recipes. Soup made from scratch tastes wonderful and just because it is raw doesn’t mean that it can’t be eaten warm. We can show you how to do this. You can eat fresh fruit, raw nuts and seeds as your snacks. Another option is to include a raw smoothie with breakfast or any other meal. Drinking a large glass of vegetable juice made at home or from a juice bar can also increase your intake of raw foods. If you use dairy products, you may want to consider using raw grass fed dairy products, as they offer much greater health benefits and none of the negative health effects of commercial pasteurized and homogenized dairy products. We can provide you with resources if you are interested. Adding some sprouted foods to your daily diet is another good habit. The nutrient content of seeds, grains and beans increases when they are sprouted. The proteins, fats and carbohydrates found in sprouted foods are more easily digested than their non sprouted form. If you eat grains, you may want to consider using them in a sprouted form such as Ezekiel bread.
2. Eat fermented foods daily
Fermented foods have enzymatic activity, help with digestion and help create the proper balance of flora, which can improve the immune system and overall health. Fermented foods are easier to digest than in their non fermented state. Some fermented foods to consider including in your diet are yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, kimchi, poi, raw apple cider vinegar, natto, sour cream, buttermilk, sourdough bread, rejuvelac and others. There are lots of delicious fermented foods from traditional cultures all over the world. Whatever your ethnic background is, there is probably a traditionally eaten fermented food. We can provide you with resources on these foods.
3. Eat some superfoods everyday
What are superfoods? Superfoods are any food that is very nutrient dense. Often these are wild harvested foods that have not been genetically modified and mass produced so they still have a high of nutrients and vitality. Whenever possible eat these foods fresh, however some of them are difficult to obtain that way so they can be used in the form of whole food supplements. Some examples of superfoods are wheatgrass, spirulina, chlorella, kelp, bee pollen, acai, mangosteen, goji berries, camu camu berries, maca, nettles, dandelion greens, cod liver oil, colostrum, organ meats, elderberry, alfalfa, schizandra, and mushrooms like reishi, shiitake, maitake, agaricus and cordyceps. Fresh wheatgrass juice is a wonderful tonic that can help improve vitality and fresh dandelion greens can easily be added to your salads to increase its nutritional content. We can make some recommendations on high quality whole food supplements that contain lots of superfoods.
4. Take Digestive enzymes
If I could only give my patients one supplement, it would be digestive enzymes. When taking with meals, they help to increase nutrient absorption, optimize digestion and decrease the load on our often overloaded pancreas. I recommend taking a full spectrum plant enzyme product with meals. Taking between meals, pancreatic enzymes, protease plant enzymes like bromelain or an analog plant based pancreatin type product can help the body break down cellular debris and help prevent cancer and other disease. Unless you are eating a diet that 100% raw and fermented foods, I recommend using enzymes.
5. Get daily sunshine and some time in nature everyday
Sunlight and darkness control our circadian rhythms and are important for hormonal balance and overall health. Our pineal gland responds to sunlight and stimulates the whole cascade of hormones. This effect occurs through the eyes and is not achieved if sunglasses are worn. Sunlight is also what up regulates our natural serotonin levels. This is part of the reason for seasonal effective disorder. Sunlight is also responsible for activating vitamin D synthesis through skin exposure. Vitamin D levels have been found to be very low in much of the population. Vitamin D has been found to be very important for health and disease prevention. The darker you skin is, the more exposure you need. This is one benefit of lighter skin tones, more vitamin D can be more easily absorbed in less time. This benefit is not achieved if there is sunblock being used. My recommendation is to get at least 20 minutes of sunlight exposure, preferably in the morning without sunglasses or sunblock. If you live in an area where there is little to no sunlight or your schedule restricts you from getting much sunlight, you can get some benefits from using a sunlight box or visor. We can provide more information and resources for you.
Spending a little time in nature everyday can reap all kinds of health benefits. A walk through the woods exposes you to high levels of oxygen from all the green plants and tends to have an overall balancing effect. Have you ever noticed how good you feel by the ocean or by a waterfall? There are negative ions created from these moving bodies of water and all kinds of other health benefits from these environments. Try to walk barefoot on the earth whenever possible. The earth has an electromagnetic field that offers all kinds of health benefits but wearing shoes with rubber soles act like an insulator to these fields. Walking barefoot on the beach, grass or dirt can offer many health benefits. Strengthening the muscles of the feet by walking barefoot helps improve structural alignment and naturally stimulates reflexology points on the feet. Avoid walking in areas that have been sprayed with pesticides and fertilizers. Recent studies have shown that soil microbes can offer lots of health benefits. These microbes act as important probiotics for our digestive and immune systems and recent studies have shown that they can help to raise our serotonin levels. This may be part of the reason people find gardening to be so enjoyable. So my prescription is to grow some vegetables/flowers in your yard, take a walk on the beach or go play in the mud.
6. Sleep in total darkness
The serotonin that your body produces in response to sunlight is later converted to melatonin in the presence of darkness. You can optimize this effect by sleeping in total darkness, either by blackening out all light in the room or wearing a sleep mask. Another good idea is to dim the lights during the evening to gradually get your system adjusted for sleep and increase melatonin levels. It is also wise to go to bed at a reasonable hour, preferably before midnight and ideally before 10 pm. Strive to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.
7. Get some form of exercise everyday
If you do not have the time or energy for strenuous exercise every day, even taking a long brisk walk, doing yoga or simply stretching can be very beneficial. Try to integrate various forms of exercise into your routine such as aerobic, anaerobic, resistance and stretching. We can help you to plan and individualized routine. Our Movement Specialist can evaluate structural and functional imbalances that you may have and provide specific exercises for your individual needs.
8. Use a castor oil pack and/or skin brushing to improve lymphatic detoxification
A castor oil pack is placed on the skin to increase circulation and to promote elimination and healing of the tissues and organs underneath the skin. It is used to stimulate the liver, relieve pain, increase lymphatic circulation, reduce inflammation, and improve digestion. We can provide you with instructions for castor oil packs.
Dry skin brushing can help to gently increase circulation and lymphatic detoxification. The skin is the largest elimination organ, it is known to be responsible for 10 to 15% of total body elimination, and is sometimes referred to as the third kidney. Buy a long-handled, natural bristle brush. Brush the surface of your skin always in the direction toward your heart with firm but gentle sweeping strokes. Start with the balls of your feet, eventually moving up the calves and thighs. Use this same technique with your arms, starting at the wrists, and motion towards the heart. For the stomach, back and chest areas use circular movements. Avoid the face. You can, however, use downward or circular strokes on your neck area.
9. Have daily physical contact with loved ones and pets
The therapeutic power of touch is very powerful. We live in a society that is often touch deprived. Treat yourself to a weekly massage, you are worth it. There is therapeutic benefit to giving and receiving massage.
10. Do what you love
Whatever it is that truly brings you joy, try to include it in your daily life somehow. Doing this improves our emotional and physical health. It is very difficult to feel bad when you are doing something that brings you joy.
