From outside the box

I have been into health, nutrition, and exercise my whole adult life. And like anybody who has, I think I can say that I've learned a few things over the years. I understand that what works for one person may not work for another. One mans medicine may be another mans poison. The same is true for exercise. With that being said, I would like to share some things that have worked as well as some things that have not worked for me....

Chiropractors have never helped me at all, although I've tried them many times over the years. I've heard other people talk about how a chiropractor changed their life, and that's great. After 20 years of going to different chiropractors for back problems and finding that I got better results from massage or even muscle relaxers, I gave up on them. Just as I cannot be hypnotized, can't dance, and can't wiggle my ears, I also cannot get any results from having my spine messed with.

You can work out until hell freezes over but if you do not have the proper body for developing large muscle tone, it ain't gonna happen. You can get stronger and bigger, but not everybody can get muscular.

Jogging is not good for large people or people with flat feet. These types are better off doing a low impact aerobic like bike riding.

Herbs and drugs do not mix.

Once a cold has started it's cycle, there is nothing that is going to knock it out. Prevention is the best remedy by keeping the immune system strong. For me, most sickness has been a result of stress more so than bad diet. If I'm not stressed, I don't get sick. The single best pill (capsule, herb, remedy, or anything) I have found for keeping my immune system strong is kyolic garlic.

A healthy alternative to butter....cold pressed oil, such as walnut or almond, with a little salt added. Celtic sea salt is a great alternative to iodized salt. It has not been stripped of healthy minerals that your body needs.

Vitamin pills are over rated. They are hard on your digestion and are not properly absorbed by the body. Better to get your vitamins from food sources. Minerals are more important to good health than vitamins.

Meat is not a good source of protein. Eating protein to get protein does not work any more than eating hair to have thicker hair. Amino acids build protein. When you eat protein it must break down into usable amino acids that can be rebuilt as proteins. Better to eat foods that are rich in amino acids like grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. That's why the largest, strongest, and longest living animals on earth are vegetarians.

Sugar is more fattening than anything. Honey is fattening but at least it has some nutritional value.

Your body is made out of minerals so it make sense to eat foods that are rich in minerals. They say you are what you eat. I'd rather be a mass of calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium than a walking ball of starch.

Never eat anything with hydrogenated oils.

Drugs and surgery should only be used as a last resort, not a first choice. I never take drugs when I have a cold, however, a couple of times over the years I had pneumonia and tried but failed to cure it naturally. Both times it took antibiotics to knock it out.

As you age it becomes even more important to work your body. Use it, move it, and work it everyday. Lifting weights as you age, even light work outs is important because it is your muscles that hold your frame together and keeping them strong keeps you from having many of the aches and pains that goes along with aging.

I never mix fruits and vegetables, the enzymes are not compatible and can create digestive problems.

My list of the healthiest foods (super foods) are....Spinach, brown rice, fresh carrot juice, sea weed, and lentil sprouts. If you want to learn about sprouting lentils, ask me, I'll be glad to share.

Sleep is more important than diet or exercise. I have always said that since we spend a third of our life in bed and a third of our life on our feet, it's worth investing in good shoes and a good mattress.

If stress is keeping you from getting your sleep, learn to let it go when you go to bed. I have learned that it helps to forgive yourself for not worrying about something. At night try telling yourself that you promise you'll pick the stress back up in the morning, but for now, I'm going to let it go long enough to fall asleep. It works for me!

Meditation is great for relieving stress as well as keeping yourself in touch with your higher consciousness. However, the idea of meditating for an hour a day is not very compatible with our fast paced lives in western culture. You do not have to go into a trance or reach a state of nirvana to get benefits from meditation. Whenever you have a few moments just relax and stop thinking. Allow your awareness to become the part of you that witnesses your thoughts, then if you have to think, at least you are watching the thoughts and not being the thoughts. I do this practice at stop lights or whenever I have a few seconds that I do not have to pay attention to something. It's amazing how refreshing this quick meditative exercise is for the psyche as well as the body.

Massage your scalp everyday and you'll always have thick hair.

Use the word "love" everyday. Tell your child or your mate everyday that you love them or declare out loud that you love something. "I love my life" or "I love living in Chico" or "I love the weather today"....just love something out loud. It creates a shift in your attitude. Want to get really radical? Declare out loud that you are loving a bad experience that your having and watch how fast the experience changes....watch how fast you start changing.

That's all I got for now. Peace, love, and good health to you....