JOYFUL HEALTH IDEAS

We know through scientific studies and our own experiences that physical, mental and emotional health are intricately interrelated.  There are many resources and health practitioners who can help us discover the solutions that will benefit us in our individual situations.  Here are some thoughts that I have found to be helpful.  Consider any that might apply to you.
  • Take good care of yourself physically.  Your body has an amazing ability to recover from health disasters if you give it the tools it needs.  Eat food that is as fresh and nutrient rich as you can every day.  The optimal diet will include plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, natural grains, legumes and nuts.  Eliminate as many highly processed foods as possible and minimize fried foods. Take multi-vitamin and mineral supplements that contain whole green foods and fruits.
  • If you have been eating a diet that is not highly nutritious and natural, consider a whole body detox cleanse.  Search online or go to your local nutritional supplement store and find a cleanse that you can follow.  This can be just the thing to restore balance and have you feeling reinvigorated.
  • Try an occasional alka-cleanse bath, using alkaline bath salts or a combination of Epsom salts and baking soda.  This can help flush acidic toxins out through the pores in the skin.  For therapeutic purposes, some recommend taking a very hot soak in the bath for up to 30 minutes, followed by an immediate rinse or shower in cooler water.  (Caution is advised for those with certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.)  You can add some organic essential oils and/or scented candles in the room for an aroma therapy effect as well.  Other great bath soaks to try are mineral salts and seaweed soaks.  Check out the products at your natural health products stores or online and use your imagination.
  • Try to spend at least 15-30 minutes a day outside in the sunshine or in a place where you can walk and stretch.   To quote Thomas Jefferson: “The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is the best.”
  • Stay healthier by choosing to be optimistic.  Studies show that those who are optimistic and view setbacks as just temporary glitches are more successful and have greater feelings of fulfillment. Research has shown that positive emotions and laughter boosts the immune system, while negative states of mind and anger can stress the immune system so that the body can’t defend itself as well from diseases.
  • Go on a “mental cleansing diet”.  Just as you would do with healthy eating habits, make it a purpose to change your thinking habits, one day at a time.  For suggestions on doing this, search the internet for “mental cleanse” or “mental diet”.  Write down things that trigger negative thinking and look for ways to eliminate them by “turning them around” and replacing those thoughts with thoughts of peace and kindness.  In reality, positive truth can be found just about everywhere, and especially within yourself.
  • Do your best to live in the present, not the past or the future.  Your past is not your future.  Don’t carry any regrets from the past with you.  You are creating your future now, and every thought you think now will help you do that. 
  • Practice forgiveness.  Virtually all spiritual practices and most mental health experts agree that this is a vital ingredient in being unattached to the past and freeing yourself and others to become their best selves.
  • Think of the essence of the Universe as a loving, caring and supporting system that wants each and every person to live in peace and harmony.  Believe that joy is our natural state of being.
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William James: Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, "This is the real me," and when you have found that attitude, follow it.


Healthy and Delicious Breakfast Smoothie:

Start with 1/2 cup of one of your favorite flavors of low fat nor nonfat yogurt in a blender.  Add about 1 cup of a complementary fruit juice, and then about 1/2 cup of frozen fruit with similar flavors, or mix and match.  Add 1 teaspoon of ground flax seed for omega 3 and healthy fiber.  Blend and enjoy!  It is good to add whole fruit to your drink to get the special nutrients and fiber that juice doesn't have.  Also, during pasteurization many of the nutrients of bottled fruit juice are lost, so buy or make fresh juice whenever possible. 

For example, try blueberry yogurt with pomegranate juice and blackberries; peach yogurt with cranberry/rasberry juice and rasberries or strawberries; orange yogurt with orange juice and mixed tropical fruit.  Add some banana if you like.  Use your imagination!  To make it special, drink from your favorite wine glass or other elegant glassware.

Recommended Reading:
Special Section: 
If you or someone you know has suffered from painful recurring UTIs (urinary tract infections), you may benefit from this: 
How I Have Cleared Up Bladder Infections Without Using Antibiotics 
(Click on the above link.)