Self Care Awakening 2020
Heather and I are very excited about a new addition to our Self Care Awakening curriculum. Premiering next Tuesday, January 21st at 6 PM/PT (9 PM/PT) we will be broadcasting a weekly program entitled Healthy by Choice.
“I hope you live a life you’re proud of.”
Healthy by Choice 2020
Heather and I want to wish our subscribers a very Happy and Healthy New Year. As we all build our Global Wellness Community, it is paramount that we continue to share and disseminate information that empowers anyone to be Healthy by Choice.
What started a few years ago as a tagline, “Healthy by Choice not by Chance,” has developed into a battle cry for many of us. Our current healthcare system is broken, and it will take each one of us to turn the tide from a treatment and management of disease approach to a disease prevention focused system.
Currently, the United States leads the world in chronic disease and pharmaceutical consumption, however, we are facing a global health crisis due to the increasing burden of chronic disease. Currently, chronic diseases are responsible for 70% of deaths worldwide. Over 50% of us live with at least one chronic illness and 33% have two or more. People who suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and arthritis experience limitations in function, health, activity, and work, affecting the quality of their lives as well as the lives of their families. According to the World Health Organization, chronic diseases are by far the leading cause of mortality in Europe, representing 77% of the total disease burden and 86% of all deaths. Ninety-seven percent of health expenses are currently spent on treatment, with only 3% is invested in prevention.
Chronic diseases are interrelated, have common risk factors and are largely preventable. It is the scope of the Self Care Awakening series to provide information to empower anybody to live a healthier life.
If there was ever a time for a Self Care Awakening it is NOW.
Regrettably most everyone reading this article has experienced chronic disease in their lives, either personally, a family member or someone they care about. It is our purpose and our passion to change this and empower everyone to Be Heathy by Choice and not leave their Health to Chance.
To help facilitate this, Heather and I are very excited about a new addition to our Self Care Awakening curriculum. Premiering next Tuesday, January 21st at 6 PM/PT (9 PM/ET) we will be broadcasting a weekly program entitled Healthy by Choice. The objective of the program is to provide simple, easy solutions for a healthier life. We will be including a live Q&A section at the conclusion of each week’s presentation.
Please plan on joining us and inviting guests so that together we can all help anyone Be Healthy by Choice.
To Join the broadcast click this link and follow the prompts www.theroyalalliance.com/live see you on Tuesday.
The ABC’s of Self Care Y
Let’s talk about WHY or more specifically, Why Self Care?
“I think of self care like the airplane mask warning. When emergencies happen and the mask drops from the ceiling you are supposed to help yourself first. Then proceed to help others to put on their masks.”
The ABC’s of Self Care Y
Our series the ABC’s of Self Care is winding down. This week our series on the ABC’s of Self Care continues with Y.
For Y, let’s talk about WHY or more specifically, Why Self Care? It just so happens this is the theme for an upcoming presentation that I will be giving in Toronto in a little over a week. This will be an incredible event with many talented speakers from all over the world. The event will kick off with the theme, Be Healthy by Choice. I must say that I am very honored and humbled to be the first speaker and set the tone for the rest of that day’s presentations.
You can find more information about this event at http://torontosummit.net/. Tickets are still available, and I invite you to join us for two days of great life changing information.
To answer the question, Why Self Care? All we need to do is look at the status on health care. We have blogged on this before in Health Care Crisis: Part. 1 and Part 2.
The incidence of chronic disease as our biggest killer and health problem is not segregated to the U.S., it is a global problem. Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Disease rates from these conditions are accelerating globally and advancing across every region and pervading all socioeconomic classes according to the World Health Organization. Currently, one in three adults worldwide suffer from two or more chronic conditions.
The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that as high as 80% of our world’s biggest killers can be prevented. I concur and am of the belief that just a few simple self care principles can lead to a vibrant heathy life.
Most people have become ambivalent towards chronic disease, thinking that they are just a normal part of aging. We are under a constant bombardment of advertising telling us so and that we shouldn’t worry because whatever disease they are talking about can be treated and managed. Here is a paraphrase of a recent advertisement from what use to be our corner drug store and is now called your local wellness center. The advertisement says, “there are 26 million Americans with diabetes, and 74 million are at risk, don’t worry, we can treat and manage your diabetes, so you can lead a normal productive life”. I almost fell out of my chair when I first heard this commercial. Then I got angry. It is a brainwashing, inferring that chronic disease is a normal part of life. It is not.
Most chronic diseases can be prevented, however, most are treated and managed with pharmaceutical intervention. The U.S. fills 4.3 billion prescriptions annually and treating chronic conditions account for 86% of our nation’s health care dollar. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) states, “pharmaceutical consumption continues to increase globally driven by a growing demand for drugs to treat aging-related and chronic diseases.”
As many of you know, Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance is the battle cry for the Self Care Awakening and is the core of the content and information here on the Self Care Hub. Our health is our own responsibility and the choices we make every day can improve or impede our health. It is our goal to inform, inspire and empower anyone to be healthy. This is Heather and my WHY, it is our purpose and our passion for all to BE HEALTHY BY CHOICE.
We have a solution for the health crisis, health care needs to become Self Care. It all starts with our own individual plan for a healthy life. The Nikken Wellness Home and Active Wellness Products provides simple, easy and affordable choices to accomplish this goal. Our and fellow self care advocates mission is Every Home a Wellness Home.
If this resounds with you to be part of a dedicated passionate team in a worthwhile cause to help yourself and others, please contact the person that shared this article with you so everyone can Be Healthy by Choice. It may also become your Why?
Next installment will be the letter Z, time for some zzzz’s, then I’ll start to ponder what to write about. Sleep Matters.
The ABC’s of Self Care, the Letter U
Did you hear on the evening news last March about the research on plastic bottles of water?
“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves. ”
This week our ongoing series on the ABC’s of Self Care is concerned with the letter U. It is fortuitous that this week Heather and I received an article from a fellow self care advocate that she recently published in her home town newspaper. Thank you to Laura Frei for an Unselfish addition the Impetus. We welcome all self care advocates to join our cause to empower everyone to be Healthy by Choice. If you have an article or information that you would like to share, please contact us.
Here is Laura’s article.
Did you hear on the evening news last March about the research on plastic bottles of water? A study was done on 259 bottles and the water in more than 90% of them was found to contain tiny pieces of plastic, so small they were impossible to detect without lab equipment. The news report stated that the plastic was the same as found in the bottles' caps. (editor’s note: to read more on this see, Water Matters, Planet in Peril)
I found the study's results to be quite alarming even though I do have access to a healthy alkaline water system alternative. The Waterfall, a gravity-flow, counter top, pure alkaline unit, with 8.5-9.5 pH, comes from Nikken, a 43-year old research and development company originating from Japan. Nikken develops energy-wellness, self-care technologies which replicate the earth's natural energies. If you are not filtering your water, your kidneys are. Water is such an essential part of our bodies, so we need to make sure it is safe, healthy, alkaline water.
Nikken's Waterfall technology starts with a high-tech, multiple-stage filtration system based on natural minerals to clean the water without chemicals, then important minerals are added back in along with an enriched oxygen content. Structured and alkalinized, mineralized and magnetized, describe ways that promote healthy water. This makes the body's cells have deeper hydration, increased energy, and enhanced immunity.
A good friend of mine said she'd like to try the water so I took a gallon to her. She told me a few days later that she had been married for sixty years and during that entire time, she had experienced stomach aches. But after drinking this water, she said she no longer had them. I was thrilled for her and her wonderful health results. I thought to myself, "This is why I do this."
Dr Antonio A. reported this observation. "After thirty plus years’ experience as a chemist and physician, I had occasion to test the "living water" system. It provides the highest of quality filtration, adds important minerals, corrects the pH balance, organizes the molecules into healthier clusters and enriches the oxygen content. On many occasions I have observed resolution of sleep disorders, remarkable increases in energy and stamina, desired weight loss, reversal of mental confusion, accelerated recovery from surgery and clearing of many disease processes"
I know that having access to healthy, clean, alkaline and mineralized water is extremely vital to everyone's health and well-being. Plants love it, pets choose it if given the choice, and when the mineral stones are replaced after a year, they can keep on benefiting when worked into the soil of our house plants and gardens, enriching those areas with vital minerals, also.
Thank you, Laura, for sending this article for us to include on the Self Care Awakening. Keep up the good work. As we all know Water Matters and that we all need to drink half our body weight in ounces of healthy water every day. It is a vital component of the Nikken Wellness Home and one of the ways we can all Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance!
ABCs of Self Care; H-J
The Nikken Wellness Home is a multi-faceted solution for many of our requirements to be healthy and a simple solution to many health issues. It’s main focal point is that it makes healthy choices easy on a day to day basis so we can all Be Healthy by Choice.
The ABC’s of Self Care H,I & J
Pure water is the world's first and foremost medicine. Slovakian Proverb
H- Yep, for most of you that know me, I’m sure it is no surprise that H is for Hydration. We have previously blogged about the importance of staying hydrated and the consequences of dehydration in the Impetus quite a few times.
Life cannot exist without water! We are water-based beings, comprising about 70% of our body. It is the most important nutrient we consume every day of our lives. Humans can live up to 40 days without food but can die in three days without water.
Water is not just a beverage choice. However, many of us choose just about everything else to drink other than water. Researchers estimate that about 75% of people in the US have a mild chronic dehydration. This can lead to many health issues such as fatigue, joint pain, weight gain, headaches, ulcers and high blood pressure. Chronic dehydration may affect your organs and lead to kidney stones, cholesterol problems, constipation, and liver and muscle damage. What if you could reduce or alleviate these symptoms by just drinking healthy water?
Everyone has heard drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day. This is insufficient in my opinion for proper hydration for most us. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces per day of water. So, if you weigh 160 pounds, 10 glasses or 80 ounces per day is a good rule to follow.
As part of our Wellness Home our choice for healthy water is Nikken PiMag water from our Nikken Waterfall. The most efficient and cost-effective way of providing yourself and your family is filtering tap water.
The Nikken PiMag Waterfall® converts tap water into fresh spring-like water. Using a multistage process which filters, alkalizes, mineralizes, ionizes, energizes and oxygenates water. The Waterfall provides great tasting water which is easy to use, affordable and a healthy water choice. Water the way nature intended it.
We shot a couple quick 2 minute videos showcasing the PiMag Waterfall. Take a look : ).
I- For this letter let’s talk about Immunity and ways that through Self Care and the Wellness Home we can have healthy immune systems.
The purpose of the immune system is to keep infectious microorganisms, such as certain bacteria, viruses, and fungi, out of the body, and to destroy any infectious microorganisms that do invade the body.
Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System
"Sleep’s the only medicine that gives ease.” Sophocles
One night of poor quality sleep or insufficient sleep can drop your immune efficiency as much as 60%. Sleep deficiency and stress overload increase the hormone cortisol, prolonged elevation of which suppresses immune function.
Sleep is not only about how many hours we sleep, but more importantly about quality of sleep that we are receiving. A significant component of sleep quality is dependent on our sleep environment. For that reason, the foundation of the Nikken Wellness Home and our personal choice, is the Nikken Kenko Sleep System.
Eat medicinal mushrooms
Mushrooms have been employed by herbalists for centuries. Some species have been used as far back as 3,000 BC. More recently, studies have been devoted to the relationship between mushrooms and immune response. *
Part of our Wellness Home includes Kenzen® Immunity. This product is a combination of 14 different mushrooms, including rare varieties not available in conventional mushroom products.
Each is carefully chosen for its specific profile of compounds, each structurally different at the molecular level. It would be almost impossible to include all these various types of mushrooms in a regular diet. Kenzen Immunity combines them to provide a wide-spectrum range of natural biochemicals. In addition, each species is grown under laboratory conditions that optimize its beneficial ingredients.*
Eat more fruits and veggies.
Increase your consumption of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, which will provide your body with the nutrients your immune system needs. A study in older adults showed that boosting fruit and vegetable intake improved antibody response to the Pneumovax vaccine, which protects against Streptococcus pneumonia.
The Wellness Home provides a number of consumable products just for this reason. Jade GreenZymes® and Kenzen Super Ciaga® are ideal for busy people to provide their bodies with healthy vegetable and fruit consumption in a fast, easy, economical way.
Consider probiotics.
Studies indicate probiotic supplements reduce the incidence of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.
One serving of Kenzen Vital Balance® provides more probiotics than 10 servings of yogurt and is part of our daily regimen. Prebiotics and probiotics support gastrointestinal and immune system health. * In our Wellness Home, we look forward to starting each day with a delicious shake.
J- We will end this week’s discussion with the letter J for Joint Health.
It is estimated that 1/3rd of Americans suffer joint pain. These can be mild to severe depending on the condition. Many times, this relief can be as simple as drinking more water and staying Hydrated. In other cases, anti-inflammatory medication either prescription or over the counter products are used.
The Wellness Home provides natural solutions in the form of Nikken Magnetic Support products and KenkoTherm® Support Wraps. In our home we routinely use them for joint issues. These are supportive and comforting and can be worn while playing sports or other activities.
One other product I personally use daily is Kenzen® Joint. I frequently refer to this product as WD-40 for joints. I have recommended it to many people and they love this supplement. It is provided in easy to swallow soft-gel capsules with superior bioavailablity for rapid absorption.*
Kenzen® Joint is an advanced formulation that nutritionally supports collagen, bone and connective tissue repair. This formula has a high concentration of cetyl myristoleate and combines this with glucosamine, methylsulfonylmethane and compounds from the boswellia plant, which has long been used in Ayurvedic and other complementary practices. * Cetyl myristoleate possesses natural surfactant and lubricant properties, in support of smooth joint movement.*
Another staple in our Wellness Home is CM Complex Cream. Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just a weekend warrior, Nikken CM Complex Cream can help soothe the discomfort that comes from living an active life. CM Complex and Kenzen® Joint is endorsed by the estate of Dr. H. W. Diehl, the National Institutes of Health researcher who discovered cetyl myristoleate.
I trust that our readers are getting the message that the Nikken Wellness Home is a multi-faceted solution for many of our requirements to be healthy and a simple solution to many health issues. It’s main focal point is that it makes healthy choices easy on a day to day basis so we can all Be Healthy by Choice.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Adaptogens Help You Adapt to Stress
Adaptogens are a class of herbs that help bodies adapt to physical and environmental stress. They help ease the stress response by helping to regulate important hormones that cope with fatigue, a common condition of chronic stress. Adaptogens offer numerous health benefits, and the better known ones include:
Adaptogens Help You Adapt to Stress
By: Nikken
PUBLISHED ON September 8, 2017
Adaptogens are a class of herbs that help bodies adapt to physical and environmental stress. They help ease the stress response by helping to regulate important hormones that cope with fatigue, a common condition of chronic stress. Adaptogens offer numerous health benefits, and the better known ones include:
- A boost for the immune system1
- Support for managing a healthy weight2
- Increased physical endurance and mental focus
- Reduction in discomfort caused by poor health3
- Encouraging a balanced mood4
To qualify as an adaptogen, an herb must be completely safe, non-toxic, have broad uses for health and specifically must help reduce stress, both mental and physical.5
Stress actually is supposed to exist only in short bursts, which our bodies are geared to deal with well. However, the ongoing stress that exists as a part of modern living causes our adrenal systems to work constantly and suffer from overload. This in turn causes our bodies to get knocked out of balance. We most commonly experience this imbalance in our digestive systems and low energy levels. Adaptogens work by helping the hormones of the adrenal system to balance out and counter adrenal fatigue. In the same way, some adaptogens help shorten recovery times after exercise or intense physical activities.
One of the adaptogens that is well known even in the western world comes from the tradition of Ayurveda: Ashwagandha is so valued that it is referred to by some as “Indian ginseng.” Studies show that those who consume ashwagandha “enjoy dramatic improvements in how they handle and feel stress. It is also taken to keep the mind sharp, and for energy.”6
Another adaptogen is one of the hottest herbal commodities on the market today: turmeric . Just about every benefit has been attributed to consuming turmeric in one form or another. Used generously throughout Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric has been shown to promote circulation, relieve joint and muscular discomforts, and enhance the functions of the liver.7
Adaptogens have been part of the Eastern vernacular for centuries. In more recent years, the West has adopted them for a natural approach to Active Wellness and longevity. Nikken continues to combine the best of eastern traditions with western technology: Ashwagandha and turmeric are both contained in the Kenzen® Clarity and Kenzen® Cleanse & Detox formulations.
- Seely D, Singh R. Adaptogenic Potential of a Polyherbal Natural Health Product: Report on a Longitudinal Clinical Trial. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: eCAM. 2007;4(3):375-380. doi:10.1093/ecam/nel101.
- Panossian A1, Wikman G, Kaur P, Asea A. Adaptogens exert a stress-protective effect by modulation of expression of molecular chaperones. Phytomedicine. 2009 Jun;16(6-7):617-22. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2008.12.003. Epub 2009 Feb 1.
- Vyas P, Thakar AB, Baghel MS, Sisodia A, Deole Y. Efficacy of Rasayana Avaleha as adjuvant to radiotherapy and chemotherapy in reducing adverse effects. Ayu. 2010;31(4):417-423. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.82029.
- Smirnova MD, Svirida ON, Ageev FT, Forfanova TV, Vitsenia MV, Mikhalov GV. [The ability to use meldonium as adaptogen in winter in patients with cardiovascular disease]. Kardiologiia. 2014;54(10):51-6.
- http://www.medicinehunter.com/adaptogens
- https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/what-are-adaptogens/
- https://www.yinovacenter.com/blog/live-longer-live-stronger-10-of-the-best-herbal-adaptogens-for-anti-aging/
Don't Let the Flu Bug Bite
Extreme weather conditions wreak havoc. Cold, flu, bronchitis and pneumonia lead to misery and even death. What can we do to help maintain good health with all the germs around us?
Stay Healthy through the Flu Season with Active Wellness
By Nikken
Original Publish Date: Jan. 12, 2018
Extreme weather conditions wreak havoc. Cold, flu, bronchitis and pneumonia lead to misery and even death. What can we do to help maintain good health with all the germs around us?
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University conducted an experiment that suggests the more restful sleep we get, the better our chances of fighting off respiratory bugs. The scientists worked with 153 healthy men and women who agreed to be quarantined and injected with cold viruses. Monitored over the next five days, those who slept less than seven hours nightly were nearly three times more likely to contract colds than those who slept eight hours or more. The researchers measured how deeply the people slept in addition to the number of hours, and the people who had better sleep quality were the ones more likely to fight off colds.1
David Katz, MD, founder of the Yale University Prevention Research Center and author of Disease-Proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes Us Well, explains that “our bodies need seven to eight hours of sleep in order to stimulate an immune response from our ‘natural killer cells,’ which attack viruses. Sleep is my most reliable defense against infection.”2 There’s nothing comparable to the Kenko Naturest® Mattress Topper when it comes to helping you with restful sleep!
Here are some other suggestions to help prevent or shorten colds, flus and respiratory viruses:
- Eat protein. Douglas Kalman, PhD, RD, director of nutrition and applied clinical trials at Miami Research Associates in Florida says, “Research shows that diets too low in protein can deplete the immune system. So I make sure to get protein-rich foods throughout the day, especially fish, eggs and yogurt.” 2 Nikken makes it easy with nutritional pea protein in Kenzen Vital Balance®!
- Drink lots of water. Paramedic Kristina Economou of Monterey, California says, “As a paramedic, I never know what germs I’ll be encountering, so I drink water constantly to flush toxins out of the lymph system.” 2
- Use a water bottle. A kindergarten teacher in Atlanta, Georgia, Cheryl Lassister says, “I never use water fountains or the railings on stairs. They’ve got the prints of hundreds of germy hands and mouths. And they don’t get sanitized as other surfaces, like sinks. I’ll use my own water bottle!” 2The PiMag® Sport Bottle not only serves as your personal water bottle but it also has a built in filter, so you get alkaline water without sediment!
- Get massages regularly. A massage therapist in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Christine Nelson says she doesn’t just give massages, she gets them. She explains, “I receive massages once a month to increase my circulation, which boosts immunity by nourishing cells with more oxygen and blood. It also makes me relaxed and less stressed. When you’re less stressed, you’re less likely to be a germ magnet.” 2 When you feel like a quick massage, there’s nothing easier than the hand-held KenkoTouch® with its warming pulsation in three speeds or the MagCreator.
- Take care of your gut. According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 70 to 80 percent of the body’s immune tissue is located within the digestive system, so boosting your immune system really requires a healthy gut.3 For efficient G.I. Tract support, Kenzen® Lactoferrin 2.0™ is both helpful and convenient!
- Drink tea. Murray Grossnan, MD, ear, nose and throat specialist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California says, “I drink hot black or green tea with lemon and honey. Drinking the tea and breathing in steam stimulates the cilia—the hair follicles in the nose—to move out germs more efficiently. Lemon thins mucus and honey is antibacterial.” 2
Wise diet and lifestyle choices can improve your health and well-being. For your well-being, Nikken provides choices in support of Active Wellness with its nutritional supplements, water and sleep products.
1 https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/dont-let-a-cold-get-you-down#1
I Heart Self Care for My Heart
Our hearts are pretty amazing. However, keeping our heart healthy is our biggest health challenge. Our hearts need some Self Care.
Self Care for Your Heart
The heart beats about 2.5 billion times over the average lifespan. Every minute, it pumps about five quarts of blood through a system of blood vessels over 60,000 miles long, equal to about 2,000 gallons of blood every day. Pretty amazing. However, keeping our heart healthy is our biggest health challenge.
Ischemic heart disease and stroke are the world's biggest killers, accounting for a combined 15 million deaths in 2015. These diseases have remained the leading causes of death globally for the last 15 years.
Anyone can develop heart disease. It occurs when a substance called plaque builds up in your arteries. When this happens, your arteries can narrow over time, reducing blood flow to the heart.
The term “heart disease” refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type is coronary heart disease, which can cause heart attack. Other kinds of heart disease may involve the valves in the heart, or the heart may not pump well and cause heart failure.
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year which accounts for 1 in every 4 deaths.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men.
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of heart disease, killing over 370,000 people annually.
- Every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. Of these, 525,000 are a first heart attack and 210,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack.
Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease and it is affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (47%) have at least one of these three risk factors.
Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including:
- Diabetes
- Overweight and obesity
- Poor diet
- Physical inactivity
- Excessive alcohol use
Even though 25% of the population takes statin medications to control cholesterol and despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.
Heart disease may be a leading cause of death, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it as your fate. Although you lack the power to change some risk factors such as family history, sex or age there are some key heart disease prevention steps you can take to reduce your risk.
The Mayo Clinic recommends the following seven strategies to prevent heart disease.
1. Don't smoke or use tobacco
Smoking or using tobacco of any kind is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Chemicals in tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels, leading to narrowing of the arteries due to plaque buildup (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a heart attack.
2. Exercise for about 30 minutes on most days of the week
Getting some regular, daily exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease. When you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater. Physical activity can help you control your weight and reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
3. Eat a heart-healthy diet
Eating a healthy diet can reduce your risk of heart disease. Two examples of heart-healthy food plans include the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan and the Mediterranean diet.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help protect your heart. Aim to eat beans, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, lean meats, and fish as part of a healthy diet.
Avoid too much salt and sugars in your diet.
4. Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight, especially if you carry excess weight around your middle increases your risk of heart disease. Excess weight can lead to conditions that increase your chances of heart disease including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
5. Get enough quality sleep
Sleep deficiency can do more than leave you tired throughout the day. It can harm your health. People who don't get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes and depression.
6. Manage stress
Some people cope with stress in unhealthy ways such as overeating, drinking or smoking. Finding alternative ways to manage stress such as physical activity, relaxation exercises or meditation can help improve your health.
7. Get regular health screenings
High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. But without testing, you probably won't know whether you have these conditions. Regular screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action.
A recent CDC report found that approximately 80 percent of deaths from coronary artery disease, a name for heart disease caused by narrowing of the arteries which leads to reduced blood flow to the heart, can be attributed to preventable factors like obesity, poor physical activity, heavy drinking, eating unhealthy foods and not keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol under control. These lifestyle changes could also prevent about 50 percent of stroke deaths, the report's authors added.
As with many of our chronic health issues, prevention is the key. The Self Care Awakening is about becoming aware of and making choices for a healthier life. Our battle cry of “Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance” is our mission.
Our Favorite!
Self Care Awakening, The Impetus
These four concepts are easy to understand but are vital for our health. Self Care is a practical and simple way of Being Heathy by Choice and not leaving our Health to Chance.
The Impetus: A New Mindset
Some 20 years ago, I came to an awakening regarding my own health and well-being. This journey has led to the information we discuss in the Self Care Awakening. It is about a few very simple concepts. It is about Being Healthy by Choice and not by Chance. The reality is, if we leave our health to chance, chances are that we are not going to be healthy. The major impetus for the Self Care Awakening is to bring this and other aspects of good health to light. To do so we first need to become aware of the problem or what are the reasons that so many of us are plagued with so many different chronic issues. This is a relatively new problem and maybe it is one that we have created ourselves.
In the early 1900’s the major cause of death was communicable diseases (infectious diseases). The top three were pneumonia and flu, tuberculosis, and gastrointestinal infections. In 2012 the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published a retrospective look at causes of death from 1900 to 2010. Deaths from infectious diseases have decreased dramatically, while the proportion of people dying from cancer has more than tripled. If we look at current trends, cancer rates are going up, heart disease and stroke are increasing, Type2 diabetes is nearly epidemic and a host of other chronic issues that contribute to our mortality.
The first question to ask is why? What has changed in the last 100 years? Have we changed much biologically, or have we altered everything else around us? I think the latter is the more logical answer. The world we live in today is much different than that of the 1900’s.
I think many people believe that chronic disease or issues that impact our quality of life are normal. Let me unequivocally state, chronic disease is not a normal part of life. How many times have we heard someone say, “That’s just part of getting older”, as if the headaches, joint/back problems, weight gain, blood sugar problems, memory problems (and the list can go on and on) are just a “normal part” of life.
Here is a paraphrase of a recent advertisement from what use to be our corner drug store and is now called your local wellness center. The advertisement says, “there are 26 million Americans with diabetes, and 74 million are at risk, don’t worry, we can treat and manage your diabetes, so you can lead a normal productive life”. I almost fell out of my chair when I first heard this commercial. This is a brainwashing, inferring that diabetes (chronic disease) is a normal part of life. It is not! The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease control (CDC) estimate that as high as 80% of our world’s biggest killers can be prevented. I concur and am of the belief that just a few simple self care principles can lead to a vibrant heathy life.
In a span of a little over a 100 years chronic disease has become the number one killer worldwide accounting for nearly 70% of all deaths. Chronic diseases and conditions—such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis—are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics show that 50% of Americans age 18 and above have at least one chronic disease, one out of four have two or more. By the time we are 65 years of age, 80% of us have one or multiple chronic diseases. Treatment of chronic conditions represents 86% of our nation’s health care dollar.
Americans currently fill 4.3 billion prescriptions per year. While representing 4.4% of the world’s population the U.S. consumes 75% of prescription medications. In 1993 the average prescription per American was seven, it nearly doubled to 12 ten years later.
A 2013 study from Mayo Clinic researchers revealed how many Americans are on prescription drugs and it's a lot of us. The study, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, stated that seven out of 10 Americans take at least one prescription drug, and more than half take two. About one in four children took one or more prescription drugs in the past month, compared to nine in 10 adults 65 and older. In 2013, patients between 50 to 64 years had an average of 19.2 prescriptions per person. Prescription drug expenditures are growing faster than any other part of the health care dollar.
Let’s face it, we are taught our entire lives to be consumers of modern medicine, especially pharmaceutical medicine. When we were young and had a headache, our moms gave us baby aspirin. They didn’t ask when we last drank some water. This behavior continued as we grew. If we think that there’s a pill for everything that ails us (and many do), we have missed the whole point of prevention and self care. We are taught to treat rather than prevent, to react rather than be proactive about our health.
The Self Care Awakening series was designed to bring back common sense and some sanity to what I consider to be an insane notion that chronic disease is a normal part of life. It's not, but if we look at it statistically most our population have chronic health issues.
We think being healthy is difficult when it's pretty simple if we make some of the right choices. Our health, good or bad, is about our personal choices. Knowing this I think it’s safe to say that we would all prefer to be healthy. Our tag line, Be Healthy by Choice, not by Chance is a simple but very empowering statement.
Within the Self Care Awakening we look at four vital areas that lead to a healthier life.
- Environmental toxicity and our body burden “the pollution in people” and what we can do personally to limit our toxic exposures and reduce our body burden of toxic chemicals.
- Water Matters discusses the importance of hydration and what happens if we don’t drink enough water. This chapter also talks about different choices for healthy water that we consume and bathe in.
- Sleep Matters addresses the fact that many of us walk around every day sleep deficient. Sleep is considered by many of us to be an unproductive endeavor, when it is our most productive physiological activity.
- Weight Matters concerns itself with excess sugar consumption and what we can do to limit our intake by simple easy choices and achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
These four concepts are easy to understand but are vital for our health. Self Care is a practical and simple way of Being Heathy by Choice and not leaving our Health to Chance.
Be Healthy by Choice and not by Chance