Free Healthcare

Too many times people think all they have to do to stay well and healthy is to just take supplements, not realizing supplements alone may not be enough, especially if they are not addressing the root cause.  You cannot fight against the foundation of an unhealthy diet, lifestyle and inactivity, and what will be surprising is that many health improving activities is like giving yourself free healthcare as it is free, or close to it including:

1. Have Fun in the Sun

Soaking up some sun for vitamin D is a great way to help your health. Many are aware of the risks of vitamin D deficiency and the healthful powers of the sun but here is a habit everyone should get used to. 

The best and most cost-effective source of vitamin D is sunshine. If you live in southern climes where you can be outside most or all of the year, just get 15 to 20 minutes of sun daily.  (Add 5 to 10 minutes if you are dark skinned.) That lets your body produce all the D it needs. For northerners enjoy the sun during the warmer months and eat fish, which is rich in D, when you're stuck inside all winter. 

If you want to learn even more about the remarkable health benefits of vitamin D, you can go to www.vitamindcouncil.org, a non-profit organization that highlights the research of the foremost authorities on vitamin D throughout the world.¹

2. Drink Enough Water

One large study has shown that drinking water keeps your blood from getting too thick, and can lower the risk of fatal heart disease.² Surprisingly, the study found that other fluids do not have the same effect. Water is also important for the lymph system, which is our body's way of removing toxins.

How much water should you drink? Fluid needs are highly variable based on your size, your climate, and your activity.  The National Academy of Sciences² set normal fluid intakes according to large studies looking at the average person (adequate hydration was assumed).  According to their study and just about every other published formula , it always comes down to about 6 to 8 glasses of water per day.

For intense exercisers, fluid replacement is another matter and varies according to the sport. Any athlete should work with a trainer to determine fluid needs before, during and after exercise. 

But even if you are paying for some method of water filtration, at a few cents per glass, drinking water is one of the cheapest ways to help your health.

3. Get Your Deep Sleep

Too many want to cheat themselves of sleep.  We try to squeeze in more work or maybe we want to watch a movie or TV show we were interested in, but cheating ourselves of sleep comes at a very high cost.  Not getting enough hours of sleep at night is associated with increased risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. 

Making sure you get adequate sleep will help your insulin sensitivity and thus lower risk of insulin resistance and diabetes.³ This has the added benefit of helping control your weight in the process.

But there's a less understood component to this free health-promoter that a lot of people don't know about. It's crucial to sleep in pure darkness at night.

Our circadian rhythms are profoundly influenced by light. Bright light in the day increases cortisol and promotes alertness. Darkness -- total darkness, that is -- stimulates melatonin production and helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. Even small amounts of light can disrupt melatonin production.

Melatonin not only helps you sleep, but it is also a potent antioxidant. In fact, several studies have linked exposure to light at night with increased risk for breast and prostate cancer.^4,5,6 Further study has found that breast cancer risk increases with low levels of melatonin,⁷ so the connection is pretty clear.

The bottom line is to keep your room dark at night. It will help increase your melatonin production, lower your cancer risk and improve your sleep. 

What you eat and drink can also influence falling asleep and staying asleep. Let's start with the obvious, caffeine. While this should be the first place we look, sometime that morning cup of Joe is just taken for granted, and we forget about all the other caffeinated foods and beverages we are consuming. Remember that caffeine is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, energy drinks and even some over-the-counter medications such as anti-histamines. Some weight loss supplements and non-cola sodas also contain caffeine, so be sure to read labels carefully.

If you are someone who drinks coffee or tea all afternoon long and you have trouble falling asleep at night, start by removing any caffeine sources after noon. If you still have trouble, you may even need to cut back your morning coffee, perhaps trying decaf for a week or two to see if this helps. It can take hours for your body to eliminate caffeine, so it may take awhile to see the benefits.

Alcoholic beverages (your nightly beer, glass of wine, or mixed drink) can even cause sleep disruption.  This seems surprising because alcohol can be sedating and people often use a nightly cocktail to help them fall asleep. But while alcohol may help you initially fall asleep, it can wake you up later on.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol can induce sleep disorders by disrupting the sequence and duration of sleep states, which ends up altering total sleep time.¹⁰ Allowing, time for the alcohol to metabolize out of your system can eliminate the problem.  If you want an evening drink, try having it at least 2 or 3 hours before bedtime. If you are having trouble sleeping, eliminate alcohol altogether to gauge sleep tolerance.

Another sleep disruptor from the diet can be any food to which you may have a hidden allergy or sensitivity.   Since cow's milk proteins are a common food allergen, rather than drinking milk to help you sleep, you may find that eliminating cow's milk dairy products actually improves your sleep.   

When you take in foods that elicit an immune (allergic) response, your body increases its output of stress hormones.  Stress hormones then down-regulate the neurotransmitter serotonin and also the hormone melatonin over time, both of which are needed for a good night's sleep. Any food allergen can cause this to happen, wheat for example. You can experiment on yourself by eliminating both cow's milk products and foods that contain wheat to see if your sleep improves, especially if you have any of the other signs of allergies or intolerances, i.e., frequent gas and bloating, fatigue/low energy or environmental allergies.

Many patients have trouble sleeping because they just aren't getting enough magnesium. A high magnesium diet has been found to be associated with high quality sleep time and fewer night-time awakenings.¹¹ Waking up frequently, agitated sleep and insomnia are all symptoms of chronic magnesium deficiency. If you are experiencing any of the above, invest in a good magnesium supplement.
And finally, certain foods such as cherries, sunflower seeds and walnuts are natural sources of melatonin.¹² Try eating small servings before bed to see if this helps. (If you suffer from acid reflux, be sure to avoid big meals before bed.)

4. Practice Yoga

Om…some say it's the most perfect sound. As I sit in my yoga class, my legs crossed, eyes closed, I repeat this single, syllable tone over and over again.  I soon begin to realize that this low, sustained sound is having an effect on me. The effect is subtle, but there. As I combine my Om with slow deep deliberate breaths, the stress of the day begins to melt away.

Any obstacles or challenges I had to tackle earlier are no longer present, and my complete attention and focus is only on my breath and my Om.  As the class progresses into several different poses, my muscles warm and stretch, leaving me feeling at the end of class as if I had a wonderful massage!

According to the Yale University School of Medicine, findings show that people who practice yoga and meditation at least three times per week reduce blood pressure, pulse and most importantly their risk for heart disease.

After a six-week yoga-meditation program, healthy individuals improved the blood vessel function of the heart by 17%. However, study participants already diagnosed with heart disease had an astounding near 70% improvement in blood vessel function.¹⁴

Another study of 71 participants diagnosed with coronary disease links yoga to the reversibility of heart disease.  Half of the participants added yoga to their medical care, the other half continued with their medical care only. 

Those who practiced yoga had a decrease in serum cholesterol levels of about 23% versus 4% for controls.  In about 46% of the yoga participants, the progression in atherosclerosis was halted versus 33% for controls.  And in about 43% of yoga participants, disease regressed versus 31% for controls. Significant improvements in anxiety levels were also noticed in yoga practitioners.¹⁵

That's just one small study, but it is significant because it included a comparison to controls.  A review of many more studies finds that overall, yoga does produce beneficial physical changes that are measurable, including lowered blood pressure and improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles¹⁶ all of which should lower one's disease risks.

Research continues to link stress as one of the most significant risk factors for the development of heart disease. Yoga and meditation have long been known as a way to relieve stress. But these studies confirm it also translates into reduced disease risks.

5. Walk 30 - 45 Minutes a Day

If a daily fitness walk could be put in a pill, it would be one of the most popular prescriptions in the world. It has so many health benefits. Walking can reduce the risk of many diseases — from heart attack and stroke to hip fracture and glaucoma. These may sound like claims on a bottle of snake oil, but they're backed by major research. Walking requires no prescription, the risk of side effects is very low, and the benefits are numerous:

Managing your weight. Combined with healthy eating, physical activity is key to any plan for long-lasting weight control. Keeping your weight within healthy limits can lower your risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.

Controlling your blood pressure. Physical activity strengthens the heart so it can pump more blood with less effort and with less pressure on the arteries. Staying fit is just as effective as some medications in keeping down blood pressure levels.

Decreasing your risk of heart attack. Exercise such as brisk walking for three hours a week — or just half an hour a day — is associated with a 30% to 40% lower risk of heart disease in women. (Based on the 20-year Nurses' Health Study of 72,000 female nurses.)

Boosting "good" cholesterol – the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Physical activity helps reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL or "bad" cholesterol) in the blood, which can cause plaque buildup along the artery walls — a major cause of heart attacks.

Lowering your risk of stroke. Regular, moderate exercise equivalent to brisk walking for an hour a day, five days a week, can cut the risk of stroke in half, according to a Harvard study of more than 11,000 men.

Reducing your risk of breast cancer and type 2 diabetes. The Nurses' Health Study also links regular activity to risk reductions for both these diseases. In another study, people at high risk of diabetes cut their risk in half by combining consistent exercise like walking with lower fat intake and a 5% to 7% weight loss.

Avoiding your need for gallstone surgery. Regular walking or other physical activity lowers the risk of needing gallstone surgery by 20% to 31%, found a Harvard study of more than 60,000 women ages 40 to 65.

Protecting against hip fracture. Consistent activity diminishes the risk of hip fracture, concludes a study of more than 30,000 men and women ages 20 to 93.

The list goes on and on. Many other studies indicate a daily brisk walk also can help:

• Prevent depression, colon cancer, constipation, osteoporosis, and impotence
• Lengthen lifespan
• Lower stress levels
• Relieve arthritis and back pain
• Strengthen muscles, bones, and joints
• Improve sleep
• Elevate overall mood and sense of well-being.

Keep it Steady

A steady routine is the most important factor in getting the most out of your exercise program. Walking for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week is recommended.

Use these tips to keep you on track:

• During your walks, you should be able to maintain a conversation. If you're breathing too lightly, increase your pace. If you can't catch your breath, slow it down.
• Walk around the local area after lunch or dedicate 15 minutes to walking up and down stairs. Climbing is an excellent way to strengthen your heart.
• At night, trade a half hour of TV for a brisk stroll around the block. Take a friend with you for company or get the whole family involved.

The Best Medicine

Any amount of walking is good, but for the best health results, set a brisk pace and walk for 30 minutes at least 5 times a week. Be sure to check with your doctor on the level of exercise that's best for you.

References

1. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/research.shtml.
2. Am J Epidemiology. 155(9): 827-833.
3. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10925&page=77.
4. J Appl Physiol. 99: 2008-2019.
5. J Nat Cancer Inst. 2001;93(20):1557-1562s.
6. Chronobiology Intl. 2008;25(1):65-81.
7. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203135015.htm.
8. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610161255.htm.
9. Are there foods that help you sleep better? Found online at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/foods-that-help-you-sleep/an01582.  Accessed July 2, 2009.
10. Alcohol Alert, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Alcohol and Sleep. Found online at: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa41.htm.
11. Werbach, M. Nutritional Influences on Sleep - Nutritional Influences on Wellness. Found online at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_249/ai_114820705/.
12. Reiter RJ, et al. Nutrition. Sep 2005;21(9):920-4.
13. Pack, P. Yoga Reduces Heart Disease Risk. www.webmd.com.
14. Yogendra J. et al. JAPI. 2004;52:283-9.
15. Innes KE and Vincent HK. eCAM. 2006; doi:10.1093/ecam/nel 103.