Every man over the age of 40 (and any woman with a husband over 40) needs to read this…
The PSA test is a blood test to screen for prostate cancer. For years it has been recommended as part of routine preventive care for healthy men. The benefits of PSA testing has been a controversial subject for years but more recently has come under the radar because of the recent recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Task Force to stop prostate cancer screening in healthy men.
The following is an excerpt from a blog on the very popular Kevin Pho M.D. site. The analogy sheds light on the realities of PSA screening and really makes you question the risks and benefits of other cancer screening tests that have become a routine part of our health care.
Cancer screening is generally presented only in a positive light in mainstream media. “Early detection saves lives,” is what we often hear. But the reality is more nuanced, and unfortunately, isn’t prone to pat soundbites or inspirational ad campaigns.
Consider the following metaphor that illustrates this phenomenon, starkly told by David Newman, a director of clinical research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Manhattan:
“Imagine you are one of 100 men in a room,” [Newman] says. “Seventeen of you will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and three are destined to die from it. But nobody knows which ones.” Now imagine there is a man wearing a white coat on the other side of the door. In his hand are 17 pills, one of which will save the life of one of the men with prostate cancer. “You’d probably want to invite him into the room to deliver the pill, wouldn’t you?” Newman says.
Statistics for the effects of P.S.A. testing are often represented this way — only in terms of possible benefit. But Newman says that to completely convey the P.S.A. screening story, you have to extend the metaphor. After handing out the pills, the man in the white coat randomly shoots one of the 17 men dead. Then he shoots 10 more in the groin, leaving them impotent or incontinent.
Newman pauses. “Now would you open that door?” He argues that the only way to measure any screening test or treatment accurately is to examine overall mortality. That means researchers must look not just at the number of deaths from the disease but also at the number of deaths caused by treatment.
The potential risks of cancer screening needs to be presented in the same light as its benefits. That includes the possibility of harm from increasingly invasive testing, along with complications from treatment.
Only when this complete picture is presented in the media can patients make a better informed decision.
The bottom line is that men need to be presented with unbiased information on the benefits as well as the risks of early detection and treatment. It may just be a “simple blood test” but the results of this test can open the door to invasive testing and treatment that cause more harm than good.
This daily routine will change your health and your life…
Let’s face it… we are all very busy. Unfortunately, we are often too busy to focus on our health. Stress, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition are killing us slowly. This 30 minute daily routine is a way to multitask for better health. And it is a great way to start the day. This routine addresses 7 of the 8 essentials of health (exercise, sunshine, relaxation, breathing, nutrition, water and attitude).
Take a brisk walk (exercise) in the sunshine (vitamin D) while listening to music and/or praying (relaxation lowers stress hormones). When you return home from your walk, perform four controlled breaths (breathing lowers stress hormones) while focusing on positive affirmations and/or prayer (attitude). Follow this by a big glass of water and a high protein, healthy breakfast (nutrition).
These foundation elements of health when practiced regulary are more powerful than any medication. I guarantee that this routine practiced daily will transform your health and your life.
Controlled breathing:
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
- Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
- Hold your breath for a count of seven.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
- This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
Affirmations: Researchers estimate that 80-95% of our behavior is controlled by our unconscious mind. Affirmations can help you to tap into the power of your subconsious mind and change your attitude. This is a great straight-forward guide on how to write affirmations. Here is a very funny demonstration by 4 year-old Jessica on how affirmations should be done.
Healthy breakfast ideas: ditch the cereal, bagels, and breakfast bars. High carb breakfast foods are devoid of the protein and nutrients that we need to maintain optimal health. Instead, start your day with protein, healthy fats, whole grains, and fruits or vegies.
- Greek style yogurt with organic seeds, nuts, and fruit (fresh or dried)
- Ezekial bread toasted with peanut or almond butter topped with thinly sliced apple and a drizzle of raw honey
- Hard or soft boiled or poached eggs with fruit
- Omelet with vegies topped with a little feta or goat cheese with or without a slice of Ezekial bread
- Steel cut oatmeal topped with nuts (pecans, almonds, or walnuts), berries, and honey
- Smoothie (make sure it is high in protein with fruits and vegies)
How to keep your bones strong…
We talk a lot about heart health, brain health, and gastrointestinal health but we rarely talk about bone health. Our bones are vital to our health, not only providing structure to our body and protection for our organs. Bones also produce red blood cells that carry energy-producing oxygen to the rest of our body and white blood cells that fight infection. Bones act as a mineral storehouse, releasing minerals like calcium and magnesium into our bloodstream. Our levels of calcium and magnesium on a blood test tell us nothing about our body’s level of these mineral because the bones help to maintain the level in the bloodstream. The bones are the mineral “bank”. If you don’t replenish that bank by eating foods rich in minerals then your bone health will suffer.
It is estimated that 52 million men and women in the U.S. have osteoporosis, a condition where the bones become weak and break easily. The epidemic of osteoporosis is happening because we aren’t taking care of our bones. Good nutrition is vitaly important. There are more than 20 nutrients that are needed to keep our bones healthy including protein, healthy fats, >10 minerals (it isn’t just about calcium), vitamins, and hormones. And it isn’t just about the foods we AREN’T eating. Foods and beverages that we eat can be “bone drainers” including caffeine, excessive alcohol, sodas, white sugar and flour. Lifestyle factors can also be “bone drainers” including stress, lack of exercise, and lack of sunshine. Medications can also act as “bone drainers”, most notoriously antacids, acid blockers, thyroid medication, diuretics, and antibiotics.
So how do we reverse this trend?
- Avoid the “bone drainers” above
- Eat more bone building foods like lean protein, vegetables/fruits in all colors of the rainbow, nuts and seeds, legumes, and whole grains.
- Drink plenty of water
- Exercise on most days
- Get 10-15 minutes of sunshine per day
Your bone is living tissue, in a constant dynamic state of renewal, building up and breaking down to create new, healthy bone. There is a simple test that can tell you if you are losing bone faster than you are building bone. The Urine Pyrilinks or N-telopeptide, a simple urine test that will tell you if you are losing bone faster than you are building. It is also important to have your vitamin D level checked. Read more about Vitamin D.
There is an great book on nutrition and bone health called The Whole Foods Guide to Strong Bones. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is concerned about osteoporosis.
Do you think your hormones might be out of balance?
Hormones are the body’s messengers, allowing communication to occur throughout the body. What happens when people don’t communicate with each other? There can be a total breakdown of a process where things do not happen the way they are supposed to happen and errors occur. Usually there is a domino effect where multiple other processes are adversely affected. The same occurs in the human body when hormone balance is disrupted. Hormone imbalance can cause a wide variety of symptoms, most commonly fatigue, sleep disturbances, decreased libido, weight gain, foggy thinking, irritability, and headaches.
The most powerful and far-reaching hormones are the steroid hormones which include the reproductive sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA) and the primary stress hormone (cortisol). To see if your symptoms might fit a pattern of hormone imbalance, you can look at the ADAM checklist for men and the EVE checklist for women. Attention men, you may want to look at the adrenal excess and adrenal fatigue sections (lower right) of the EVE questionnaire for symptoms of adrenal imbalance.
These hormone levels can be measured in the blood but because steroid hormones are fat soluble and require binding proteins to dissolve in blood, the level in the blood doesn’t accurately measure the active levels that are available to the organs and tissues.
Saliva levels are thought to be a better indicator of active, available hormone levels. Saliva testing is more sensitive than blood testing for evaluating reproductive hormonal changes that occur as we age and adrenal hormone changes caused by stress. We can often alleviate the symptoms related to hormonal imbalance with changes in nutrition, exercise, relaxation techniques, supplements. orbio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). If you think your hormones might be out of balance, read more about the 10 Steps to Hormone Balance.
What is a “Detox diet”?
Let’s first review what detoxification IS NOT. Detoxification is not found in a magic potion, special juice or “kit”, ionic foot bath, adhesive foot pad, or infra-red sauna. You can’t buy detoxification on the internet.
Detoxification is the process of eliminating toxic substances from the body, a process that our body is designed to perform every moment of every day. Our body is an amazingly complex system that can accomplish this task with the help of the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and immune (lymphatic) system. However, we need to be in good health and provide our body with the necessary tools to carry out this function. We need specific nutrients for the liver detoxification pathway, plenty of water to filter through the kidneys, fiber and good bacteria for our gastrointestinal system, specific nutrients for the immune system, and optimal hormone function to coordinate the interplay of these systems. Other factors also play a role in the efficiency of this process including the amount of toxins that we are exposed as well as sleep, stress, and exercise.
Key nutrients for liver detoxification include B-Vitamins (from whole grains, fruits/vegetables, nuts/seeds), amino acids (from lean protein), and Vitamin C and bioflavanoids (from berries and citrus fruits). Other supportive nutrients that help neutralize toxins include minerals (selenium, copper, zinc, and manganese); antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and thiols. We also get these vitamins and minerals primarily from whole grains, fruits/vegetables, and nuts/seeds. Thiols come specifically from cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, and cabbage.
A “detoxification diet” simply implies that a person take a specific period of time to cut out unhealthy foods and eat more foods rich in the nutrients that support the body’s natural ability to detoxification. There is NOT one specific correct way to carry out a detox diet. There are 1,249 “Detox” books and 749 “cleanse” books on Amazon.com. There is even a “Detox for Dummies” book.
The general premise of a detox diet is to cut out sugar and flour, all processed foods, sodas, alcohol, caffeine, additives/preservatives/artificial sweeteners, and to minimize pesticides. The result of cutting these foods out would mean eating only whole grains, fruits/vegetables, healthy fats, water, and tea. Some recommend also eating oily, cold water fish during a detox period. Other important factors would include light exercise, adequate sleep, increasing water intake, and relaxation.
Obviously, we should strive to live this lifestyle as much as possible every day. Taking a limited period of time to intentionally “detox” is an alternative for those who are challenged with a busy, high stress life.
11 Ways to stop the smoldering fire of chronic inflammation
Inflammatory and degenerative diseases are on the rise and occurring in younger and younger people. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the body to remove the foreign invadors like bacteria, viruses and toxins and to initiate the healing process from infections and injuries. Short-term, temporary inflammation is important and essential to life. However, chronic inflammation is bad and causes disease.
Chronic inflammation is the common link to inflammatory diseases like asthma, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, and autoimmune disease. Diseases like heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer and dementia have a common link of chronic inflammation and diseases like diabetes feed the fire of chronic inflammation. A blood test called C-Reactive Protein (CRP), when elevated, is a sign of chronic inflammation. The process of inflammation has many contributing factors which “stoke the fire”. Here are some ways you can put out that fire.
- Stop smoking. Smoking causes chronic inflammation and hardens the arteries. Research shows you can reverse all the damaging effects to your arteries within 5-10 years of quitting.
- Eat less omega-6 fats: Oils like cottonseed, safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut, and soy are higher in omega-6 fats. Oils like olive, avocado, walnut, and macadamia are lower in omega-6. Read food labels: processed foods like cracker, cookies, and granola bars typically use high omega-6 oils. Better yet, don’t eat processed foods.
- Eat more omega-3 fats from fish, and nuts. People who eat a Mediterranean-style diet—based on fruits, vegetables, seafood, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil—can lower levels of inflammation.
- Avoid “toxins” in foods like pesticides, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and trans-fats.
- Get active. Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce inflammation. Aim for five days a week of steady exercise (brisk walking, swimming, biking) for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Shrink your waist size. Take a tape measure and measure your waist, right around the point of your bellybutton. If you’re a woman with a waist measurement of over 35 inches or a man with a waist of over 40 inches, you probably have high inflammation. You can reduce your waist circumference by reducing your food portions, clean eating and exercise.
- Get enough sleep. Research has shown that too little sleep (less than six hours) or too much (more than eight hours) results in more inflammation. Most adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep. If you struggle with insomnia, read about the 7 Steps to Fighting Insomnia.
- Reduce stress. High levels of stress hormones can lead to the release of excess inflammatory chemicals. Schedule 15 minutes of relaxation into your schedule every day —deep breathing, meditation, prayer, yoga, music or Tai Chi. If you make this a priority, you will be more productive and less stressed. Read more about the stress response…
- Get your teeth cleaned regularly: Gum disease increases your risk for heart disease likely through the link of chronic inflammation. Those who have inflammation should have dental cleaning every 3 months.
- If you have chronic inflammation or inflammatory diseases:
- Consider a trial of avoiding “nightshade” vegetables (eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes) which can cause inflammation in some people. Read more about nightshades…
- Cook with anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric
- Consider supplementing with herbs such as CurcuPlex (Curcumin from Turmeric) or Boswellia/Willow Bark such as Saloxicin
Five tips to choosing nutritional supplements
1) Make sure the company follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) which means they follow production and testing guidelines that can impact the quality of a product. Look for the GMP seal or a statement that they follow GMP guidelines…
2) Look for companies that voluntarily have their products tested for purity by a 3rd Party (3rd Party Verification) such as USP, Consumer Lab, or NSF. These companies test the product for ingredients and to make sure the product is free of contaminants. Look for these company seals on the bottle or check the supplement company website to see if they have 3rd party verification. Read more about 3rd party verification…
3) Look at what form of vitamins you are getting. Certain forms are better absorbed and utilized by the body. Avoid synthetic forms which are not found in nature and not easily utilized by the body. If the form isn’t specified in the list of vitamins, you are likely getting the cheapest form. Pharmaceutical grade supplement companies usually use the best forms of vitamins. Read more about how to recognize quality supplements.
Vitamin B12 is better as methylcobalamin (Methyl-B12) which is rarely found in over-the-counter multivitamins (they usually use cheaper, synthetic cyanocobalamin*). You can purchase Methyl-B12 alone or get a pharmaceutical grade multivitamin that contain methyl-B12. Read more about forms of Vitamin B12…
Vitamin A – There are over 500 subtypes of vitamin A or carotenoids. Cheaper brands use only beta-carotene. It is better to get mixed carotenoids.
Vitamin E – Make sure to get d-Alpha Tocopherol and/or mixed tocopherols (not *synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol)
Vitamin D – Best form is Cholecalciferol (D3), not Ergocalciferol (D2)
Calcium – From best to worst are these forms: MCHC, Calcium Citrate Malate, Calcium Citrate, and worst is Calcium Carbonate
Minerals – From best to worst forms are chelates (glycinates/methionates), organic acids (citrate, lactate, malate, gluconate), salts (sodium, sulfate, carbonate, chloride), and worst are oxides.
4) Look at the list of ingredients. Most inexpensive vitamins carried at “big-box” stores contain artificial colors, preservatives, high glycemic sugars like maltodextrin or corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils. I assume most people take vitamins to be healthier. You don’t want these unnecessary additives in your supplements.
5) When choosing fish oil, make sure it is made from wild caught fish living in cold water, either from anchovies or sardines (if it doesn’t say cold water or specify the fish source, don’t buy it). Most importantly that the strength (mg) of Omega 3 (look at the nutrition label on the back for EPA and DHA) equals the total strength (mg) of the capsules. Often you get 1,000mg fish oil that only contains 250mg of Omega-3’s. I call that additional 750 mg “mystery oil”. The benefit is in the omega-3’s so make sure it is pure Omega-3.
Eat More of These Foods
Often when we think about weight loss and nutrition, we focus on foods that we shouldn’t eat. So changing our eating habits becomes a negative experience of food deprivation. I like to focus on the wonderful foods that we should eat. Now changing our eating habits becomes something positive.
Foods You Should Eat:
- A variety of colorful fresh vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli, artichokes, avocado, asparagus, cauliflower, sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, and onions
- A variety of colorful fruits such as blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples, and cherries
- Legumes such as kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans (including hummus), pinto beans, black-eyed peas, and lima beans
- Wild fatty fish and sustainable seafood such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, bay scallops, clams, mussels
- Organic chicken and grass-fed beef
- Whole grains such as quinoa, millet, barley, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, cracked wheat, and wild rice
- Nuts and seeds: walnuts, pecans, almonds, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds
- Good fats: Fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil (extra virgin cold pressed), and small amounts of butter
- Dairy: greek yogurt, small amounts of cheeses such as feta, goat cheese, and aged cheeses
- Antioxidants: red wine (in moderation), dark chocolate, fresh herbs, cinnamon
- Beverages: lots of water, green tea, small amounts of coffee
- Sweeteners: honey, Stevia, raw cane sugar
- Desserts: small amounts of dark chocolate
10 Tips for Reading Food Labels
- Read the ingredient list, not the grams of fat, carbs, protein, etc… Quality of ingredients beats quantity every time.
- Choose foods with few ingredients… less than 5, you get an “A”.
- The ingredients should be recognizable and sound like they belong on a recipe, not in a chemistry lab.
- Avoid high fructose corn syrup and foods that have many different sugars (ingredients ending in “ose” or “ol”, maltodextrin, corn sweetener, barley malt, any kind of “syrup”, fruit juice concentrate).
- Avoid anything partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated (trans-fats).
- Avoid any grains or flour that are not “whole”, such as unbleached or bleached enriched flour. Look for the word “whole” in front of the grain (ex: whole wheat flour).
- Avoid artificial colors and flavors.
- Avoid MSG (monosodium glutamate or anything “autolyzed” or “hydrolyzed”).
- Avoid nitrates (sodium nitrite)
- And last but not least… eat more foods that don’t have a food label (foods in their natural state).
Is poor gut health behind the epidemic of chronic disease?
“The digestive canal represents a tube passing through the entire organism and communicating with the external world, i.e. as it were the external surface of the body, but turned inwards and thus hidden in the organism. “- Ivan Pavlov
The GI system anatomically is inside the body but it is our interface with the environment so functionally you can consider it outside of the body. The gut decides what comes in and what stays out. The gut is a circular tube starting from the mouth and ending at the anus, stretching 20-25 feet. The surface area of the gut and thus our interface with the environment is the size of a tennis court.
Proper GI function is a complex process that requires a plethora of hormones, neurotransmitters, digestive and pancreatic enzymes, cofactors, and good bacteria. The gut is central to good health and provides more functions than most people realize:
- Digestion and absorption: most people understand that one function of the gut is to break down foods and absorb nutrients.
- Immunity: the gut provides 70% of our immune function and contains trillions of “good” bacteria which help control the “bad” bacteria, parasites, and viruses from causing disease.
- Detoxification and elimination: the gut is integral in neutralizing the many toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis including preservatives, pesticides, hormone-like substances, and heavy metals. The nutrients that our gut absorbs are required for the liver’s detoxificaiton pathways. The “good” bacteria also assists with detoxification and elimination.
- The “second brain”: the gut’s neuroendocrine system contains more nerve cells than the spinal cord and has a nervous system that functions independently from the brain. The gut contains as many neurotransmitters as the brain and contains ninety five percent of our serotonin so calling the gut our “second brain” is fitting.
“Clearly the gut is an extraordinary organ, which in fact is probably why it has a mind of its own.” Michael Gershon, MD (The Second Brain)
Diseases/conditions associated with poor gut health include not only gastrointestinal conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome but also arthritis; autoimmune disease; cancer; allergies and asthma; dermatalogical conditions such as eczema, rosacea, seborrhea, acne; neurological conditions such as autism, ADD, dementia, and depression; and nonspecific symptoms such as headaches and fatigue. Work on healing the gut and often these conditions improve and sometimes are resolved.
Steps to a healthy gut:
- Avoid high sugar foods and refined carbohydrates
- Avoid medications (if possible) that affect gut health such as anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, acid blockers, and steroids. Always consult your doctor before stopping medications. Work on healing the gut first then consider tapering off medications under the supervision of your physician.
- Lower stress with relaxation techniques and/or controlled breathing (see The 8 Foundations of Health)
- Eliminate food triggers: Consider food sensitivity testing such as ALCAT or try an elimination diet
- Eat a diet high in fiber: veggies/fruits, beans, nuts/seeds, whole grains
- Consider taking supplements:
- Probiotics (to re-establish gut flora) such as Xymogen ProbioMax DF
- Omega 3 (to reduce inflammation) such as Xymogen Omega 820 or OmegaPure Liquid
- Digestive enzymes (to aid digestion) such as Gastracid
- Zinc/glutamine (to heal) such as Xymogen GlutAloeMine, GI Protect, or PepciX
For tips on choosing supplements, read my blog How to Tell If Your Vitamins are Good Quality. If you would like to order Xymogen supplements:
- Click here
- Click on “No, my doctor has provided me with a code”
- Type in “robinson” then the code “wellness”
- Create your account then you can place your order
The 8 Foundational Elements of Health
Without these elements, your body can’t function optimally. If you don’t give your body what it needs, the systems of the body will get out of balance, symptoms will occur, then disease will develop. Think of symptoms as the body’s signal that something is wrong. Medications treat the symptoms, not the underlying cause. Medications often block the body’s normal processes, creating more imbalance. That is why despite taking an average of 12 prescription medications per person (US data from 2004), we are getting sicker from chronic disease.
1) Oxygen/breathing – Breathing is a simple tool that you can use to decrease muscle tension, lower blood pressure, increase good hormones such as Human Growth Hormone, and lower the stress hormone cortisol. Do the relaxing breath exercise before you get out of bed, at the end of your lunch hour, and as you are going to sleep. And do this exercise whenever you feel stressed.
The 4-7-8 (or Relaxing Breath) Exercise
This exercise is simple, takes very little time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of seven.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
2) Water – Your body is made up of 60% water. Water helps to cleanse and filter the toxins out of your system. The best indicator of adequate intake is to drink enough water so that the urine is light yellow. Drink water throughout the day and eliminate sodas, colored water (gatorade, etc…), and energy drinks.
3) Nutrient-rich foods– Think of food as fuel for your body (“garbage in gives you garbage out”). Hippocrates said it best, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Food is the most underutilized tool used by physicians. Much more blogging to come on nutrition. Best rule of thumb, “Eat food that comes from a plant, not food made in a plant.”
4) Sleep – Sleep is when your body repairs itself and repairs your DNA, the genetic material that programs you for developing disease. Lack of sleep is associated with cancer, heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis and diabetes. Adults should strive for 7-8 hours of sleep in order to promote optimal health.
5) Relaxation – there are many ways to promote relaxation – prayer, meditation, exercise, Tai Chi or yoga, laughter, and massage to name a few. Like sleep, relaxation techniques also decrease stress hormones which cause high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and osteoporosis. Take at least 15 minutes per day for relaxation.
6) Sunshine stimulates the skin to produce vitamin D, a powerful steroid hormone that is a major player in overall health and well-being. Deficiency of this essential hormone has been linked to diabetes, cancer, obesity, multiple sclerosis, dementia, and osteoporosis. The majority of your vitamin D comes from sunshine and a small amount from food. Ten minutes of sunshine per day with arms and legs exposed is the best way to boost your vitamin D levels. The best way to find out how much vitamin D you need is to get your vitamin D levels checked with a simple blood test. A good starting amount to take as a supplement is Vitamin D3 2,000 IU daily.
7) Movement: We all need to move more. Our sedentary lifestyles are a significant contributor to the chronic disease epidemic. Similar to above, lack of exercise increases risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Shoot for 30-60 minutes per day of either aerobic exercise, flexibility, or strength training.
8 ) Attitude –There is much evidence that a positive attitude is associated with better health.
- Gratitude: If you start each day thinking about the reasons you are grateful, your attitude will change.
- Forgiveness: Holding anger or resentment towards others only hurts you. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself not for others. Gandhi said it best… “The weak can never forgive, forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.”
- Surrender: We can’t control others and we often can’t control our circumstances so let go of those things.
- Purpose: Find your purpose in this life. What are you passionate about? What gives you joy? What do you feel you were created to do?
- Love: We are created for relationships. Be present with the important people in your life. Bad relationships create chronic stress so work on creating positive and loving relationships.