Healthcare for A Healthy Life

Healthcare with Natural Remedies - Nutrition, Exercise, Water

By Richard Ruhling

Dr. Lester Breslow, Dean of the School of Public Health at UCLA did a 10-year, federally-funded study of Alameda County residents. He found seven simple habits meant an average of 11 years advantage, but the extremes-those who observed all seven and were "happy" had a 30-year advantage over those who broke all seven rules. The study fit the NEW START concept above.

People who smoked, drank, were obese, unhappy, who failed to exercise or drink five glasses of water, who failed to get 7-8 hours of sleep and who ate no breakfast lived 30 years less than those whose habits were the opposite of the above. We look at each briefly.

Nutrition: fruits and vegetables are known in nutrition as the protective foods. The dark greens are among the highest in vitamins and minerals. Sprouted whole grains, barley and wheat grass are exceptional. Uncooked food has enzymes that some cancer survivors say are helpful. Beans and peas balance the protein in whole grains to make it more complete, but even a potato has more protein per dollar than most meats which also are high in cholesterol, fat and no fiber.

Exercise: Outdoor exercise of a practical nature like gardening is great. Aerobic exercise like jogging, hiking, racquetball, soccer, basketball and swimming are better than tennis or bowling. I like stair climbing, chin-ups, pushups, sit-ups (no gym membership needed). Daily is best.

Water: 5-6 glasses a day are the goal unless you are overweight; then an extra glass (8 oz) for each 25 lbs overweight. Vegetarians need less because high protein works the kidneys.

Sunlight: When cholesterol was discovered as a cause of heart disease (Framingham Study), they thought people would not give up meat, so they changed the fats from butter to margarine and from lard to Crisco. The polyunsaturated fats lowered cholesterol, but those fats went to the skin where the sun then became a risk for skin cancer when it never had before. We now know sunlight is beneficial; it converts cholesterol to Vitamin D which prevents osteoporosis.

Temperance: This means abstinence from harmful substances like tobacco and alcohol, but not so obvious are a long list of potential problems from tea, coffee, food additives, flavor enhancer and excitotoxins. A huge overlooked danger comes from prescription drugs which have made medical care, the #3 cause of death in the U.S. Journal of American Medical Assoc, July 26, 2000. People become toxic to medicine that doesn't cure, but relieves their symptoms for weeks, months or years. When they get a headache, they go for another prescription instead of eliminating the drug that caused it, putting them on a slippery slope.

Air: Fresh air is best. Nature not only takes our carbon dioxide that we exhale and converts it to oxygen by a process we know at photosynthesis, but plants put a negative charge in the air that is beneficial. Animal research suggests protection against cancer, for example.

Rest: In Breslow's study, 7-8 hours of sleep at night was best. Recent studies show night shift workers have a higher risk of numerous health problems. And a Swedish study showed heart attacks went up 10% in the spring when daylight saving time meant getting up an hour earlier.

Trust in Nature: "Nature heals, not the physician" said Hippocrates. 45 years of being called Doctor has shown me that many of man's interventions, especially with drugs, but too often with surgery, only made the patient worse off. A Harvard cardiologist, for example, told 60 Minutes that 85% of the patients who came to him for a second opinion did not need heart bypass surgery. It was good for the surgeon, but little if any advantage for the patient.

Trust in God: We say it on our money, but we are entering a time when, without money, our trust in God may be tested. This area of life reflects on our basic attitudes. People tend to be givers or takers. When we understand that God loves us and is benevolent toward us, it helps us "pay it forward" to the next person. And in so doing, we are often blessed with a happiness that we would probably not have otherwise.

Richard Ruhling, MD, MPH, board-certified in internal medicine became Assist. Prof. Health Science at Loma Linda University (1974-78) He recommends his favorite book on life and health for low cost at http://www.BestHealthBook.com

His website suggests meaning in current events that are fulfilling Bible prophecy, predicting the economy crash, and that's not all, http://www.theBridegroomComes.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Ruhling