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10 Simple Ways to NEVER Get Sick Again
By Todd | October 2, 2007
There is certainly no shortage of information about things we can do to maintain an illness-free and healthy lifestyle. Perhaps our biggest challenge is deciphering which nuggets of information are beneficial and which aren’t so great!
Developing a preventative mindset may be the true answer to long-term health, and it is necessary for each of us to implement practices which prevent sickness and disease before they happen.
Imagine never having to delve in the world of doctors, hospitals and pharmaceuticals until the very end (when it’s absolutely necessary).
Wellness guru Dr. Andrew Weil is famous for saying that he wants to live only as long as he is able to maintain a full-range of health, awareness and vitality…and have his life “culminate with rapid decline” at the end. Living as long as we can while being as vibrant and healthy as possible—that seems like a worthwhile goal to me (and the purpose of this article)!
So how do you start integrating preventative measures in your life? Here is a list of 10 practices that will help you stay away from hospitals, feel healthier and live longer:
1. See a Chiropractor
The roots of chiropractic care can be traced all the way back to the beginning of recorded time. Hippocrates, the Greek physician, who lived from 460 to 357 B.C., declares in one of his writings “get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases”. Effective chiropractic care: inhibits spinal degeneration, restores normal nerve supply, improves immunity, allows better sleep, prevents surgery, and slows the aging process. This is preventative lifestyle at its finest.
2. Laugh HARD
Falling on the floor laughing is one of the best things you can do to prevent sickness from entering your life. Laughing boosts immunity, strengthens the heart, and improves lung function among a myriad of other benefits! Making a habit of renting funny movies, going to comedy clubs and watching Saturday morning cartoons like you did when you were a kid (SpongeBob Squarepants is actually hysterical…I have to admit) can add several years to your life!
3. Scatter your Workouts
“Shaking up” your workout routine is a great way to stay healthy over the long-term. Too often we get stuck in exercise patterns that do not promote a diverse experience for the body and mind. Although you may feel like you are doing a really good thing by concentrating on one routine, you may be limiting yourself. People who only do Yoga need to lift weights; people who focus solely on weights need should do more Yoga! Doing the unexpected creates a wonderful “pop of opposites” in the body (a major component of Yin Yang theory). I’m not saying to ditch your favorite workout, but changing it up can strengthen a wider variety of muscles and tendons, increase your heart rate and intensify mental clarity!
4. Sleep at least 7 hours a night
Making a habit of sleeping well is the number one thing you can do to boost your health and longevity, and if you follow no other suggestions on this list try and implement this one. It has become widely accepted that the risk for developing disease increases significantly for people who get less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep each night. Furthermore, lack of sleep has been associated with the worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol, and increases risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Sleeping adequately reduces stress, lowers inflammation in the cells, and makes you more alert.
5. See an Acupuncturist
The basic premise of acupuncture, and much of Chinese medicine, is that all sickness we encounter is the result of obstruction to our naturally flowing life-force (or “Chi”). Practitioners treat conditions that are a result of Chi becoming stuck, depleted or weakened and thus making the individual susceptible to illness. Acupuncture benefits the improvement of physical health conditions as well as affective disorders and instills a feeling of increased mental clarity. Acupuncture is an invaluable tool for long-term and sustainable health (And no, the needles are not bad at all)!
6. Meditate
Meditation is the practice of silencing the mind, and can increase your health and vitality beyond measure. When your mind is silenced and focused on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive significantly more oxygen and other nutrients. Continuous meditation practice has been shown to strengthen the mind, and enables it to execute projects more efficiently. Meditation also leads to the following: deeper levels of relaxation; increased blood flow; a lower heart rate; an enhanced immune system…and it can build self confidence! A truly wonderful way to add healthy years to your life!
7. Perform Cardiovascular Exercise at least 4 times a week
Integrating at least 20 minutes of cardio workout a minimum of 4 times a week is a wonderful preventative measure to take. “Cardio” increases the capacity of the lungs to provide oxygen to the blood and improves the hearts ability to transport oxygenated blood to the cells. What is considered an acceptable heart-rate during a cardio routine depends on many factors (age, weight, general health) but no matter what kind of shape you think you are in you can lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and decrease body fat by consistently getting the heart rate up!
8. Stretch
Stretching prevents injury by increasing the length of both your muscles and tendons. This leads to an increased range of movement, which means your limbs and joints can move further and (often) thwarts injury before it occurs. Stretching also ensures that your muscles and tendons are in good working order and conditions them to handle the rigors of sport and exercise. Furthermore, regular stretching improves blood circulation and increases energy levels! A great time to stretch is first thing in the morning, and is an incredible preventative activity to integrate!
9. Eat Organic Food
In my article The 5 Greatest Foods For Your Health, I covered some fantastic foods for longevity. I did NOT mention the importance of food quality and think it’s important to add “eating organic food” as a critical factor leading to long-term health. Bottom line, you want the least chemicals in your body as possible and eating as much organic fare as you can limits the amount of pesticide and chemicals you ingest. There is much ambiguity in the scientific community concerning the role of pesticides in human disease…but your best bet is to stay as far away from them as possible!
10. Be Wary of Medications
This is the only recommendation on this list that has a negative spin to it (where I suggest “not” do something) but I think it’s important to note the potential dangers of our pharmaceutical friendly society. There are tens of millions of people in the U.S. alone dependent on drugs, and I think its necessary to ponder whether or not this is a good thing. Although proponents of pharmaceuticals will point to the increasing longevity of human beings as a sign that they are good for us, I think what is really needed are some new statistics. Perhaps something like: “longevity while living with independence, strength and happiness” will do the trick. For more information about the drawbacks of pharmaceuticals, read my article on 8 Realizations About the Pharmaceutical Industry.
In conclusion, cultivating a “preventative lifestyle” means habituating a way of living that inhibits illness from ever taking a hold of you. Amid all the clutter out there it is absolutely imperative for each of us to begin taking responsibility for our own health. The recommendations in this article are holistic and timeless, and can get you on the right track for living 100+ years with full awareness and fulfillment…so try them out!
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Topics: Productivity, Alternative and Holistic Healing, Spirituality/Meditation, Nutrition, Health |
Todd, I needed this article LAST WEEK before I got sick
.
Posted by: Peter on October 2nd, 2007 at 9:33 amNo. 10. It’s easy to say that when you don’t fight a daily battle with depression. Drugs have kept me alive. Not happy, at least alive. You can’t possibly imagine how it feels to have everything you’ve ever wanted in life and want desperately to kill yourself.
Honest, it’s not just whining.
Posted by: Dave on October 2nd, 2007 at 9:57 amGreat article. A little late for me, but from now on!
Posted by: Ian on October 2nd, 2007 at 10:52 amDave, I am sorry to hear, and you’re right I do not know how that feels. I hope some of the other recommendations were helpful, and I like your blog!
Posted by: Todd on October 2nd, 2007 at 11:11 amThanks, didn’t mean to be mean. Just in pain today.
Posted by: Dave on October 2nd, 2007 at 11:36 amI know how that feels, Dave… I managed to get over it, myself (I don’t suffer from depression for more than a couple hours at longest now), but I do remember it. It really stinks to feel like you don’t care about anything, like nothing is important. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.
Posted by: Jason on October 3rd, 2007 at 6:43 amVery intersting, please detail what you meqan by ‘Cardiovascular Exercise’
Posted by: val dobre on October 3rd, 2007 at 8:46 amHi Val– You can use the cue “warm and slightly out of breath” to gauge your aerobic activity, or you can get more precise and use heart rate. I recommend the heart rate method for calculating a target heart rate (more exact). Aerobic exercise falls in the range from 40% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. Again, these #s will vary according to age, health and other factors but you can plug in your own values to find your aerobic range on many health sites…there is a good one at emedicinehealth.com! Hope this helps,
Posted by: Todd on October 3rd, 2007 at 10:06 amHi,
Posted by: Jennifer Mannion on October 4th, 2007 at 1:53 pmThank you for posting this article. I have used a lot of the methods you used and similar ones to heal myself of several chronic illnesses and chronic pain. I was told I could not do it and would feel worse. The mind is very powerful and you can use it to aide in healing. I am not against all medications — I know there are people that can’t be without some. But I think it is important that an integrative approach is used and that doctors start telling patients medications are not the only mean of controlling pain. If I had taken my drs. advice and stayed on the meds and taken them as prescribed I would be in very bad shape right now. I was only on the pain pills a short time and already was needing more and was becoming less tolerant of ANY pain when they worse off. Instead I am pain free and pain med free. Thanks for the post! Jenny
Jennifer, this is GREAT feedback. Wow, amazing story about “if you would have” taken the drs. advise…I hear this all too often. I am glad you were able to figure things out by taking responsibility for your own health!
Posted by: Todd on October 4th, 2007 at 3:58 pmHi
All said above in the article is fine. However I would like to stress on effects of emotions and health.
Anxiety, Anger, Fear and Grief to be precise.
These are primary negative emotions and we get it all in different measures every day.
Any attempt to maintain health or prevent diseases will not bear fruits unless this aspect is not dealth with effectively.
What to do then?
Simply ventilate freely; Speak up and discuss every things with somebody every day.
(An example in context;Women suffering from primary breasy cancer who have attended group of women suffering from similar illness and have discussed their emotions,survived twice as long as those who fought it alone)
Posted by: Deepak K Tibrewal on October 10th, 2007 at 4:45 amHi Dr. Deepak– I 100% agree with you on the negative health affects of anxiety and stress. They cause “silent inflammation” in the body and can lead to many health problems…thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Todd on October 10th, 2007 at 8:43 amThere is also the issue of keeping our body’s ph alkaline. Nutritionally, this means eatin 2/3 more alkaline foods to 1/3 acidic. Here’s the rundown: Acid: Meat, Milk, Sugar, Coffee, Tea, Wheat Alkaline: You guessed it, most fruits and vegetables.
Ayervedic medicine has an interesting outlook on nutrition and health: They include all the flavors that tastebuds perceive at each meal–so they are satiated. Those flavors are: salty
Posted by: SootheSayer on October 12th, 2007 at 10:12 pmsour
sweet
bitter
umami (monosodium glutamate sensitive)
[…] 4 Effective Practices for Gaining PerspectiveHow to Maintain a Healthy BrainThe 5 Greatest Foods For Your HealthWhy Your Smallest Actions Define You10 Simple Ways to NEVER Get Sick Again […]
Posted by: 25 Fun Ways to Pamper Your Body and Increase Vitality! on October 18th, 2007 at 9:16 amIn my opinion, what we eat can heal us. Preferably the veggies and the fish.
Thanks for this great article.
Would certainly like to know more about Cardiovascular Exercises.
Best regards.
Posted by: Funny Being :) on November 9th, 2007 at 5:54 pmThank you Funny Being–
Yes, cardio is VERY important for preventing sickness. Getting your heart rate up at least 4 times a week can add years to your life!
Todd
Posted by: Todd on November 10th, 2007 at 2:30 pmunfortunately i already do these things and i still got sick last week.
Posted by: Nathan on November 18th, 2007 at 3:21 pmIm sorry to hear that Nathan, but it happens. I hope we can agree that implementing these methods certainly helps in preventing sickness…?
Posted by: Todd on November 18th, 2007 at 7:41 pmI hope you feel better, Todd
Heyy.. im 16 years old. female, and i never get ill, i thought it was a bit wierd so i googled it and came acros this website . readin al these things kinda make sence, i laugh alot, i do randum bits of exersize, i try to meditate, i dont take medicines at all!(evan wen i do sumhow get ill) and i sleep good. people are always goin on sayin how helthy it is to drink lots of water, and eat fruit.. but i never ever eat fruit! dont lk the taste, i dont drink water! its to plain , and i dont evan have breakfast cos i dont like serial . and from not doin al that.. i never get ill. its pretty wierd.. would lk to kno why i dont get ill.. anyone got any ideas please??
Posted by: hollie on July 3rd, 2008 at 9:06 amalso i think knowing ur own mind, prevents u from getin sick, just genualy bein happy .
Posted by: hollie on July 3rd, 2008 at 9:07 amgreat advice
Posted by: iskra on August 24th, 2008 at 5:03 pmGreat advice and comments. I’ll work on incorporating.
Posted by: Donna on November 17th, 2008 at 9:05 pmI agree with Hollie, to know your own mind-nice! and Dave, sometimes a med is necessary. They aren’t all bad, they are created to help manage the chemicals in our body. I’m on a tummy med that allows me to avoid surgery for a hiatus hernia.
One concern though, doesn’t regular chiro and acupuncture get expensive?
Hi.. Im 24 years old. Male, and i never get ill, i thought it was a bit wierd so i googled it and came acros this website . readin al these things kinda make sence, i laugh alot, i do randum bits of exersize, i try to meditate, i dont take medicines at all!(evan wen i do sumhow get ill) and i sleep good. people are always goin on sayin how helthy it is to drink lots of water, and eat fruit.. but i never ever eat fruit!and from not doin al that.. i never get ill. its pretty wierd.. would lk to kno why i dont get ill.. anyone got any ideas please?? & also u can mail me on rksaccount@gmail.com
Posted by: Rakesh on December 23rd, 2008 at 2:49 amHi, I am 9 years old and my mom is always ill. She takes the pills that was prescribe for her, but she seems to be getting worse. She resently came of all the medication she was on, because the medications has to many horrible side affects. I showed my mom this article and she along with my help will be doing everything on this list, because it’s time for her to try it another way. Everything you wrote is correct. Thank you!!!
Posted by: Alexis on April 11th, 2009 at 9:32 pmHi Alexis, thank you so much for the nice words and I am SO glad this article was useful for you and your mom. Let me know how everything goes…and the amazing thing about our health is, we have the power to change it INSTANTLY if we so choose. Buy for your mom the book “Spontaneous Healing” by Dr. Andrew Weil, it can change both of your lives!
Posted by: Todd on April 13th, 2009 at 11:24 amMuch love,
Todd
The pro and con of medication. I don’t like too much medicine. Ever since I was small I’ve problems to swallow even the tinniest pill. Only when I’m really bad ill I seem to be able to do it without problems, till I feel better again. My body preventing me from big mistakes I think.
Posted by: Billigflug on April 14th, 2009 at 9:51 amI’ve seen with my grandmother what wrong medication can do. She had pains everywhere, so they pumped her full of pills and medicine. The result: She still hurt, but she was not able to tell anymore if she was home and she didn’t recognize people anymore. It was such a bad time and I’m so glad, my mother talked with the doctor, he stopped most of the pills and my grandmother is now back to normal again.