Six Health Secrets for Staying Young

Health secrets to staying young and disease free

Every day we shape our destiny by what we think and do. We are living in a time where the impossible can become the possible at any moment. It is estimated that in the year 2010 medical knowledge was doubling at the rate of every 3.5 years. In 2020 it is projected to be 0.2 year or just 73 days.¹

And yet, even with all this expanding knowledge, chronic, degenerative diseases are on the increase. Today, the risk of dying of anything before you are 40 is really very small. But starting at 40, you enter the zone of the 7 deadly diseases.

How deadly are they?²
According to the World Health Organization 2012:

• By 2030, almost 23.6 million people will die from cardiovascular disease, mainly from heart disease and stroke. These are projected to remain the single leading causes of death.
  
  
• Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2008
  
  
• About 30% of cancer deaths are due to the five leading behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol use
  
  
• Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980
  
  
• 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight
  
  
• Worldwide, 35.6 million people have dementia and there are 7.7 million new cases every year

We could go on listing statistics all day, but you can research it yourself at WHO 2012. The point is, heart disease; cancer; stroke; diabetes; arthritis; osteoporosis; and Alzheimer's, will send millions of people to an early grave this year. Not thousands, but millions! Obviously, something has gone terribly wrong in our lifetime. But, we're acting as if all of these diseases are just a part of the normal aging process. Not so! There is nothing normal about degenerative disease. Many of these deaths are totally unnecessary; that's the tragedy.

Consider this; we're living on average until our mid eighties. And they say as time goes on we're going to be living until we're a hundred. We weren't really designed to last that long. If we are going to live to a hundred, then we've got to do the second half of the century in really good shape. What's the point if you've got osteoporosis or diabetes or you're so obese you can't get out of the chair? You've got to be able to get up everyday and have zest for life and think, "how am I going to make the most use of today". How long do you plan on living? What if you could live to 100 and beyond, without the pain and disease that most people think comes with old age? Is this possible?

Is it possible?

The body is an amazing self-maintaining and self-correcting organism. This is true as long as we keep it healthy and in balance. Unfortunately, we frequently fail to either recognise this importance or simply lack the necessary information on how to achieve health and balance naturally. Natural strategies that are easy to follow, highly effective, and affordable, are the answer to restoring, maintaining and enhancing health.

There are six fundamental, natural strategies to maintaining that balance. I call them health secrets because they have been lost to a society that relies on fast food, miracle potions, and instant weight loss for healthy living.

There's a lot of misinformation about what it takes to be healthy. For example, we all know about reducing fats in the diet and the importance of exercise. However, some fats in the diet are essential and resistance exercise is more beneficial than aerobic exercise alone. If you want to live a long and healthy life, start now, and follow the "Six health secrets to staying young and disease free". Click on each secret to learn more.

Health Secret 1: 
Build and maintain your muscles lifelong

This has to be one of the most important, and often overlooked, considerations in maintaining good health as you age.³ Muscle is the powerhouse of the body where almost all your energy is created by burning fat, carbohydrates and protein. Healthy, lean muscle mass is also vital to the immune system as well as reducing the risk of diabetes and osteoporosis. Exercise your muscles with resistance training 5 days per week for a minimum of 30 minutes to stay lean for life. To be sure you are losing fat rather than muscle, monitor your active tissue mass with a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis.

Health Secret 2: 
Drink plenty of clear, filtered water daily.

The human body is 50-80% water. According to Dr Michael Colgan, we're "just big hairy bags of water". Every life giving and healing process that happens inside your body... happens with water. Dehydration of as little as 2% loss of body weight results in impaired physiological responses and performance. 75-80% of people suffer energy loss due to minor dehydration…a common cause of daytime fatigue. The Australian NHMRC recommends adult males should drink a minimum of 2.6 litres, and adult women 2.1 litres per day.⁴ 

Health Secret 3: 
Eat a variety of whole food antioxidants everyday

The science behind the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables is exploding greater than ever before. There is no denying the research…fruits and vegetables prevent and even reverse disease. Nutritional supplements can not replace the hundreds of health giving phytonutrients found in a single piece of fruit or vegetable. Current thinking emphasizes 5 to 9 serves per day depending on your age and activity level. The Australian Government is advising less at 2 fruit and 5 veg.⁵

Health Secret 4: 
Supplement your diet with Essential Fatty Acids

Low-fat foods are common nowadays, and for very good reasons; but eliminating all fat is not a good idea. Your body needs two essential fatty acids to function properly. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats in the correct ratio are vital for good health; especially the brain. One of the best balanced sources of these fats is cold pressed flaxseed oil. Supplement your diet with two teaspoons (10gm) of quality flaxseed oil, daily. For a full list of recommended dosing, see the Mayo Clinic reference⁶ below.

Health Secret 5: 
Maintain an alkaline diet.

Nothing will age you quicker than acidic diet. Human blood pH should be slightly alkaline (7.35 - 7.45). Below or above this range means symptoms and disease. An acidic pH can occur from an acid forming diet.⁷ The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If your diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, calcium and magnesium will be drawn from your bones to buffer the acidity. Aim for a diet containing 60% alkaline foods and 40% acid foods.

Health Secret 6: 
Reduce stress and release negative emotions

The idea there are interactions between the mind and the immune system has been proved by research called Psychoneuroimmunology.⁸ It’s true…the mind and emotions play a role in many diseases, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, gastrointestinal problems, and autoimmune disease. Realistically, there will be always be times when you fall prey to negative emotions. You can train yourself to recognize these feelings and address them, before they "hijack" you and take you prisoner. Meditate or simply take some time out to deal with stress. Treat yourself to some energy healing or seek the help of an NLP practitioner to release any negative emotions that are impacting your life. 

References:

1. Challenges and Opportunities Facing Medical Education; Peter Densen, MD; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3116346/
2. WHO Fact Sheets; http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/en/
3. Dr Michael Colgan, Colgan Institute; http://colganinstitute.com/index.php
4. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC); https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/
5. http://www.healthyactive.gov.au/internet/healthyactive/publishing.nsf/Content/fact1
6. Mayo Clinic, Flaxseed and flaxseed oil, Dosing; http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/flaxseed-and-flaxseed-oil/dosing/hrb-20059416
7. Cunningham E (October 2009). "What impact does pH have on food and nutrition?". J Am Diet Assoc 109 (10): 1816. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2009.08.028. PMID 19782182.
8. Michael Irwin, Kavita Vedhara (2005). Human Psychoneuroimmunology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-856884-1.

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