Nutrition

The American Dietetic Association has recently stated that a vegetarian diet can supply all the necessary dietary ingredients to maintain good health. Also the prestigious Mayo Clinic supports a plant-based diet. More researchers, nutritionists and physicians realize the benefits of a "Go- plant-based" diet. Fruits, Vegetables, nuts and grains help prevent many diseases and cause others to disappear, mostly due to its anti-inflammatory proprieties. 

A vegetarian diet supplies the most antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals with the least amount of calories. Those brightly colored foods have a bonus added to this - they fight disease! They are abundant in health-giving nutrients.

Are you worried about Protein? Don't need to. It can be obtained from many sources that do not bring disease. Peas, beans, nuts, whole grains, even some vegetables contain protein. A diet high in meat and animal fats stimulates atherosclerosis that leads to heart disease. We must not forget that large quantities of protein overload the kidneys and can produce disease.

Furthermore I highly recommend you to watch the "Forks over knives" documentary. There is a high chance it will challenge your view on health and diet!

Exercise

Our generation more than any other in history suffers the consequences of sedentariness. We are addicted to sitting on the couch watching movies, TV, games and sports. Almost 20% of the children are overweight or obese. This makes them prone to diabetes type 2 and other health problems not mentioning the consequences on adults.

Exercise can help control our weight, increase lung capacity, improve blood pressure and strengthen the heart; it lowers the cholesterol level and improves the blood flow in arteries. It relieves stress, depression and improves sleep without need of medication. Exercise also stabilizes blood sugar, counteract osteoporosis and it prevents cancer. It is a very good tool to decrease back problems. And the list can go on...

Some suggestions: Start slowly and increase effort progressively. It is better to exercise before meals than after. Allow time to warm up and cool down. Do it with a good friend or in a group for it is easier to stick with it. 

A well done exercise program is one of the best investments you can make. It will help you look better and feel better every day!

Water

Our bodies are 70% water. Therefore keeping well hydrated and knowing what and when to drink is essential for our health. Hydrotherapy, water applied externally to the body has shown to have a very good effect on our immune system. It is also used in healing arthritis. 

We have a bad habit to choose coffee, coke, a milk shake or a glass of wine instead of water. When there are hot days we'd rather have a soda. It is important to remember that all these create an osmotic overload in our blood stream. Only plain water has the capacity to make our blood flow smoothly. One study showed that men who drink 5 glasses of water or more have 54% less risk of heart attack than those who only drank 2 glasses.

Water is important for weight loss as well. It's been proven that people who drink water 20-30 minutes before the meal, eat 75 kcal less at that specific meal.

What happens if you don't drink enough water? Your kidneys have to work extra hard to eliminate toxins and chronic lack of water in the body is linked to bladder cancer. Fatigue and headaches are common symptoms of lacking water. It is good to drink water before you can actually feel thirsty for thirst is a sign of dehydration. The best is to drink 8 cups/ day.

Also enjoy hot and cold contrast showers: hot helps the pores to open and eliminate toxins and the cold stimulates the immune system.

Remember to use water in abundance for a good health and vitality!

Sunlight

Who doesn't love sunshine?

Just 15 minutes spent in the sun around 12 am helps the body produce 10.000 (IU) of vitamin D which has proven to have a preventive effect against cancer. Sunshine also protects from the so called: melanoma, a form of skin cancer (European Journal of cancer, 2011).

Nevertheless we must avoid sunburn. This can be done by using adequate sunscreen for our skin type and avoiding sun exposure during the hot summers.

Sunlight reduces the risk of developing many types of cancer like breast cancer, colon, prostate, lung, stomach, pancreas, and kidney, studies show.

It also strengthens our bones since the vitamin D produced by sunlight exposure helps Calcium absorption from intestines and allows the Calcium to deposit in, building strong and healthy bones.

It's been shown that immunity is increased by sunlight bathings, which gives our bodies resistance against infections. How exactly does this happen? While blood cells and antibodies increase their number when we spend time under natural sunlight.

Sunlight also promotes a sense of well-being. Daily exposure to natural sunlight will boost melatonin production, which improves sleep. Combined with exercise, sunlight prevents and treats depression.


Let us then shed some light to prevent dark diseases. Enjoy sun!

Temperance

Did you know that tobacco only kills 1200 americans every day? In our society balance has lost its true meaning. This principle is marked by moderation and personal restraint.

Imagine you buy a nice Mercedes, the car of your dreams for which you've saved for years. You invite your best friend to come along for a ride and head towards a nice buffet. Once arrived there, you see there is not space for parking. The only space you find nearby is between two poles but you soon realize it is too narrow to fit the car in. Your friend tells you: 'Leave it here.' 'I will scratch the car if I do so.' 'Oh, come on, you'll just get a scratch on the right side. Not a big deal.' Would you accept his proposal? Most likely you'd think it would be foolishness to do so. Yet how many times we "scratch" our own bodies by not being temperate, whether through overeating, overworking, lack of sleep, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, etc.

Temperance really means to abstain from anything that is harmful and use in moderation things that are good. Common-sense changes in your lifestyle can really improve your life quality and add years to it.

Plan to be balanced and enjoy life in its fullness!

Air

We can live weeks without food, days without water but not more than several minutes without air!

Ask anybody that suffers from asthma how important air is. I know because I have suffered from it myself. A recent study estimated that 30% of childhood asthma is due to environmental exposure. Millions of people live in areas with bad air.

But even if you don't live in an area with lots of woods and fresh air, it is important to open the windows of your room and keep the air circulating, thus avoiding high concentrations of polluting substances that can be a source of colds, flu, headaches and other respiratory problems.

Take a deep breath and fill your lungs with fresh air!

Rest

Today as never before we live our lives under pressure. Pressure to graduate, to get to the next level, to have a good income. Our society doesn't seem to have time to rest properly. People think that staying late into the night will accomplish that which they pursue.
But studies show clearly that sleep depravation affects negatively the ability to accomplish cognitive tests. (Plicher and Waters, 1997)

Furthermore Mark Mahowald, proffesor of neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School says that any amount of sleep depravation diminishes mental performance. Chronic sleep loss may not only increase the severity but also hasten age related diseases such as: diabetes, hypertension and memory-loss. (Lancet, 1999)
Here are some tips on how to get a good sleep:

•  Active exercise during the day
• Sunshine exposure
• Maintain a regular schedule
• Go to sleep on an empty stomach
•  Keep a positive thinking, counting your blessings
• Try a Sabbath rest. This will enhance work performance on the other six days.