January 9, 2007

It’s True — In Just Five Days You Can Jump-Start Your Health!

Dear Friend,

The New Year brings with it a fresh new chance for change. But sometimes that can be an overwhelming feeling. There are just so many options, choices, and “to do’s.” Where do you begin?

Let me share with you five simple tips that you can do over five days to get a good jump-start on your New Year’s health goals. In less than a week you’ll be well on your way to a happier, healthier 2007. Don’t worry, these tips are easy to do and can even help you save money on top of improving your health. So, let’s get started. Just click on each of the numbers below to see the tip for that day.

Day 1 – Drink More Water

I know this may sound too simple to be true, but all you really need to do today is drink more water. Many people are under hydrated and don’t even realize it. If you consume lots of coffee and sodas you may think you’re hydrating your body because these are liquids, but they act as diuretics—actually pulling water out of your body rather than putting it in.

Stick with plain, pure water. Sadly, you can’t rely on most tap water for this. Even with government standards, public drinking water can be contaminated with harmful bacteria and pollutants. And the chemicals such as chlorine that water treatment plants add to water to try to kill off bacteria have known health risks.

A simple solution is to filter the tap water you use for drinking and cooking. A high-quality filter will remove any stray chemicals or beasties, leaving you with clean, healthful water.

How much water do you need to drink? The arithmetic is simple. Add up the water you lose through your skin and lungs, the amount that gets used in metabolic processes, and the amount that you need to keep your kidneys and bowels in good working order, and you come up with at least half a gallon. You need more if you’re active or you take medications that are filtered out by the kidneys. Bottom line: Drink eight or more 8-ounce glasses a day.

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Day 2 – Get Moving

Your task today is to get moving. (Notice I’m not calling it “exercise,” which sounds too much like such a chore.) Getting your body moving is one of the smartest and healthiest habits you can have. It relieves stress, balances your hormones, and normalizes your waist and weight. It builds your blood, your bones, and your brains.

To get the most benefit, combine aerobic activities with resistance work. The first strengthens your cardiovascular system and the second builds muscle tone and balance. And you don’t need to join an expensive health club to get results.

For aerobic challenge, simple stairs can quickly transform your body. (If you don’t have stairs in your home, visit a convenient public place with stairs—such as your local shopping mall.)

For the first few weeks, go up and down only a few times each session. As you develop your capacity, you can extend your time to 7–10 minutes. Later still, try going up and down briskly for 1 minute, and then walk around slowly until you are completely recovered (often 2–5 minutes); then repeat the cycle 3–5 times. That’s it.

For building strength, use stretch bands or tubes, available at most sporting goods stores. Spend 15–20 minutes working out 2–3 times a week. These bands provide resistance through your whole range of motion to build muscle, connective tissue, and bones. They're versatile and can be used for a complete body workout.

Stretching is also a must for any activity program. When you stretch, all the nerves in the joints being worked check in with your brain, providing balance and preparing for whatever movement comes next. Stretching also promotes circulation in your joints, and keeps you more flexible, adaptable, and alive.

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Day 3 – Evaluate Your Medications

When you get back from your walk today (and after drinking a glass of water) take out all your medication bottles. Don’t forget the over-the-counter medications, too, such as pain relievers, stomach settlers, cough suppressants…all of it.

Check expiration dates and toss anything that’s expired. Next, make a list of everything you take, when you take it, and what you take it for. You may be surprised to find that you’re taking more than one medication to address the same concern.

You should also note if you’re supposed to take a particular medicine with food or between meals. Many people fail to follow these simple instructions, which can greatly impact how a medication is absorbed.

Then, share your list with your doctors and your pharmacist when you next visit them. This is a simple way to eliminate potential drug interactions and avoid ending up on the “medication treadmill,” where you take one medication for a health condition, a second to address the side effects of the first, a third to address the interaction between the first two, and so on.

Streamlining your medications is not only good for your health, but also for your wallet. You can save substantially by eliminating unnecessary medications.

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Day 4 – Check Out Your Food

Today open your refrigerator and your kitchen cabinets and check out your food supply. Remember, good food gives good results. And it’s easy to guess the kind of results you get with bad food.

Look at the labels on your food. Throw out anything with trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, or hydrogenated oils. These are all health hazards in my opinion. But even without these unnatural fats, sweeteners and oils, your food may be far from nutritious as a result of today’s farming and ranching practices.

The owners of factory farms and thousand-acre ranches think in terms of “output” and “profit” rather than “food” and “nourishment.” The result is produce that has less than half the nutrition that produce did when you were a kid, and meat that’s loaded with bad fats and almost devoid of beneficial fats.

The solution is straightforward. Go organic. This will go a long way to ensure that the foods you eat are wholesome and nutritious. I don’t expect you to just rake every non-organic thing off your shelves into the trash. But as you shop to replace what you consume, look for organic products whenever you can.

Focus on incorporating organic dairy and meat products into your diet first because these two food groups can be especially affected by artificial chemicals used in non-organic farming.

Fortunately, organic food is much more readily available and not nearly as costly as it was only a few years ago, so shopping for organics shouldn’t be a chore.

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Day 5 – Take a Quality Multinutrient

Now that you’re drinking lots of water, getting a “move” on, and have cleaned your medicine and kitchen cabinets, it’s time to make sure you’re taking the proper multinutrient each day. Even if you eat organic foods, it’s just not possible anymore to get all the nutrition you need from your daily diet. Abundant free radicals and stress have seen to that.

As for your other supplements, avoid those with “undesirables” in their ingredient list such as propylene glycol, artificial colors and sweeteners, sucralose, and talc.

And to get the most for your money, make sure that the dosages of active ingredients are similar to dosages used in studies for your particular health concern. Too many products contain “fairy dust”—a paltry amount of an ingredient that won’t do you any good.

Do a bit of homework, stick with brands you trust, and forget the rest.

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As you can see, my five tips for jump-starting your health aren’t rocket science. They’re just straightforward, doable advice. In less than a week you can begin building healthy habits that will create a lasting foundation for good health this year and in the years ahead.

To Your Good Health,
 
Dr. Marcus Laux

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