This is cracking me up. Sifting through yesterday's mail I discovered the Costco coupon book. I flipped it over and the entire back side is an advertisement for 4 products. The top of the page says "Your #1 Health Secrets". Find them at Costco. And then it shows Priolsec (#1 Dr. recommended OTC Acid Reducter), Metamucil (#1 Dr. Recommended Fiber Supplement Brand), NyQuil (#1 Pharmacist Recommended) and finally Align, (#1 Gastroenterologist Recommended Probiotic).
Really? These are my #1 health secrets? Nope...not even close! Here's a run down on my "thoughts" on each of these products:
Prilosec, or ANY acid reducer, most likely causes more acid problems that the product claims to solve. The majority of stomach acid problems - like heartburn - is due to too LITTLE stomach acid, not too much. Here's my first "#1 health secret": Forget Prilosac, Tums & Rolaids. Instead, try one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Yep, swallow it and chase it with a sip or two of water. It burns going down but it does the trick, balancing out stomach acid. Cheaper too. All of the other "cures" actually make it worse, creating a cycle of the "more stomach acid", buy more of the same products and around and around you go.
Needing more fiber in your diet? Sometimes a fiber supplement IS needed but why not just look at your diet? My second "#1 health secret": A healthy balanced diet that is not loaded with junk food, fast foods and too much sugar doesn't need "adjusting". If it does, try eating bananas or more roughage, like leafy green veggies or broccoli.
NyQuil, huh? What's the "knockout" ingredient in that stuff anyway? We are all subject to the cold virus but prevention is my third "#1 health secret". Wash your hands...often! With soap and warm water. Use a hand sanitizer, cover your nose & mouth when you sneeze or cough, wipe down doorknobs & handles (fridge, toilet, etc.) in your home regularly. Don't touch your hands to your face, especially your eyes and mouth. If you are getting proper rest, eating right and drinking plenty of water, your body can resist these common colds. And don't forget the Vitamin D3!
Probiotics can be found in a lot of natural, whole foods without adding a supplement. This is something I definitely know about given the fact that living with Crohn's disease basically means I have no good bacteria in my gut (in fact, I have no gut!). Antibiotics for different health issues kill not only the bad bacteria in your body, but the good as well. This can cause problems, and in my case, be deadly. So my 4th "#1 health secret" is kefir.
What's that you say? You've never heard of kefir? It's chock full of probiotics and you can make it yourself! Here's the difference between yogurt & kefer. Yogurt adds to or feeds the "healthy bacteria" in your gut while kefir actually can replace it if it's depleted.
You can purchase kefir starter from most health food stores or health food sections (like at Fred Meyer). All you need is whole milk and if you can get it, raw whole milk is ideal. Just follow the directions on the package and you'll have kefir. It keeps for several days in the fridge and makes EXCELLENT smoothies. (My favorite is blueberry with honey.)
Bottom line, my #1 health secrets don't necessarily come off the shelf at a store. How about adding just being smart and taking care of the body God gave you?
There are so many things we can do to "take charge" of our own health and actually see improvements! Here are a few simple things everyone can do:
1. Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs, half of 150 is 75. Drink 75 ounces of WATER daily. Proper water intake can prevent back pain (usually a sign of dehydration), kidney stones ('nuff said), skin problems and digestive issues. The quality of your water is extremely important. Distilled water is "dead" water. Don't drink it. Most bottled water is just tap water, in a bottle. Tap water consists of chlorine, flouride and other "scary" stuff. Filter it. I can recommend an EXCELLENT water filter that ends up costing about 7 cents a gallon!
2. Cut soda and sugary drinks completely out of your diet. If this is the only thing you can do, major, major health issues have been resolved or prevented.
3. Get the right amount of sleep and during the proper time. I'm TERRIBLE at this! I get plenty of sleep (I need 8 hours) but I never get to bed before 11:30pm. Melatonin, a naturally occuring chemical released in your body, is at it's highest production between 9pm and midnight. The catch is, you have to be able to sleep in a very, very dark room during that time. The benefits of melatonin are vast but here's a key one. That last 10 pounds you keep trying to lose? Try going to bed for a couple of weeks an hour or so earlier and darkening your room (including covering up lighted clocks) and see what happens. Melatonin melts body fat!
4. Exercise. I know, it's a pain and hard to fit in. Walk your dog. Go for a bike ride. If you are heavy and your knees hurt, start out "small". Walk to the end of your block and back. Build up to around the block. Then get up to a few blocks, a mile, a 30 minute walk at least 5 times a week. Find a buddy and cheer each other on. See and feel the difference.
5. Eat several small meals a day. I know, totally flies in the face of our culture doesn't it? I was raised to eat 3 squares a day. Sometimes that is even hard to do. But if you want to lose weight, maintain blood sugar levels (get off insulin as as result!)and maintain your energy throughout the day, eat every 2-3 hours. Small meals are about 220 calories. They should be healthy fruits & veggies, eggs, fish and whole grain cereals. Have one larger meal that is a leafy green meal with healthy protein. Healthy protein is lean fish or meat, about the size of a deck of cards or your computer mouse. This is a great way to cut out snacking & grazing and you always feel full.
6. Vitamin D3 can boost your immune system, helping prevent colds and other viruses as well as shorten the duration if they do catch you. Unless you live ON the equator, you will never get enough Vitamin D from sun exposure. It's just not possible. You might be shocked to know how low your "D" level is. A simple blood test can reveal that. The Vitamin Shoppe brand of Vitamin D3 5000mg (liquid drops) work great. I hightly recommend implement this supplement into your daily regimen if you aren't already doing it. You will notice a difference.
7. Last but not least, spend time doing something fun! And with people you actually like!
Simple, basic, common sense. I'd love to hear your "health secrets".
