Tips for getting a correct approach to health

I've battled health complications in my lifetime, and, thank God, I have recovered my health in most circumstances. Right now, I am free of symptoms, except for excess weight, and feel the healthiest I have felt since I was 20 years old. I'm 54 and that's saying quite a bit.

Considering that health fact, I figured I'd document my approach, so that I can remember and be prepared in the case of dealing with future health challenges.

First of all, I've learned that many, many, many and many symptoms can be attributed to dehydration, and have determined to drink an appropriate amount of pure water, exclusive of other beverages. Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, of Watercure fame, recommends half your body weight in ounces every day. So if you weight 100 lbs., you should be drinking 50 ounces a day. His book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water, is an excellent beginning in understanding why many symptoms are indicative of dehydration.

In conjunction with the water, I have learned that mineral-rich sea salt is essential for the body to balance the body's water content. Therefore, I have eliminated, to the highest degree possible, all refined salt in my kitchen, and avoid it where I can in my foods. The curezone.com has a page about salt, http://www.curezone.com/foods/saltpage.asp which goes into extensive detail about the subject. Trust me, I helped myself stop retaining water and swelling by adhering to a salt and water intake regimen.

So far, the changes have been fundamental: lots of water, and unrefined sea salt instead of refined and iodized and processed salt. Pretty simple and straight-forward. With those 2 changes alone, one will be able to avoid many common complaints.

Next, avoid refined foods, boxed foods, packaged foods, canned foods and anything with preservatives and is over-processed, esp. with high heat, which denatures food. For example, corn flakes are corn mash extruded into the flake shape. The extrusion is done at high heat, which ultimately denatures the grain.

In order to explain how I came to be devoted to the no-refined-foods approach, I need to share Dr. Hyman's book, Ultrametabolism. A great discussion of reasons to avoid processed foods and explanation of nutrient-dense foods to emphasize in one's diet.

To go further into the unrefined foods approach, I submit Dr. Weston A. Price's book,
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration , which goes into detail about his investigations, in the 1930s, of indigenous people and their positive eating habits. He is called the Darwin of Nutrition and has a lot of good, common-sense connections between excellent health of non-modern diet eaters, and the poor health of modern diet eaters. Another source that supports Dr. Price's methods: Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon. Both Hyman and Fallon could be considered proponents of "functional foods" and "functional medicine" although their approaches are different.

Be picky about your food, particularly looking for local foods and organic foods. Dr. Mercola offers tips for eating healthy without breaking the bank:

The following 14 tips are the best of the best to get high-quality food on a budget:
1. Choose local foods over organic foods. Often, locally grown foods are raised according to organic standards at a more affordable price.

2. If all that’s available or affordable is fresh, conventionally grown produce, buy it, wash it well at home, and eat it.

3. Look for local farms and food coops offering raw dairy products, eggs, produce, and grass-fed meat. This will allow you to cut out the middleman and save money. Buying in large quantities, such as a side of grass-fed beef, can also save you money in the long run as long as you have room to freeze it (and you consume it before it goes bad).

4. Skip prepared or pre-cut foods, which can cost up to double the amount as the unprepared versions.

5. Plan your meals ahead of time (including cooking large batches and freezing some for later) so you don’t splurge on expensive, unhealthy fast-food at the last minute.

6. Pass on junk foods like potato chips, soda, cookies, candy, and other snacks. These are a complete waste of money, even if they’re “organic.”

7. Buy lots of fresh veggies, they’re usually less expensive than canned versions (just make sure you use them before they go bad).

8. Only buy what you need. Keep track of what’s in your pantry so you don’t double-up on foods unnecessarily.

9. Clip coupons and use them when you can (but don’t buy something unhealthy just because it’s on sale).

10. Watch the register when you check out of the grocery store. They often ring up wrong prices, at your expense.

11. Shop with a calculator so you can determine if it’s really a better deal to buy something in bulk or in a larger size.

12. Watch weekly specials, and be aware of what’s really a good price. You can often find organic produce on sale for less than conventional produce if you know what prices to watch for.

13. If you have the space, grow your own fresh veggies such as greens, broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans, etc.

14. Remember this rule of thumb: Fresh food is always better than frozen, but frozen is better than canned. (from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/24/how-to-shop-for-organic-foods-without-breaking-your-budget.aspx ).

Last, I want to mention natural hygiene and natural food. Lots of info, including fasting with water and lots of veggies.

This is a basic overview, highlights only, of the fundamental and important ingredients to achieving pain-free, symptom-free living. If you find yourself in poor health, there is much more to know and to find out about your situation. This document does not exactly address that situation.

History has happened . . . write it down

Most important events since May : presidential campaign and elections; economic crisis; summer is over, school started; we're all healthy and well, thank you God!

One of these days, one of us will be sharing memories about where we were and what we thought during these events, some of which are truly historic. Blogging gives us all a chance to keep track of the stream of consciousness or at least recent reflections on things.

Yay!! Obama!! Excited and hopeful! Proud! New ammunition for my 9 year old's study habits . . . you might be President some day!!

Awman! There goes my IRA . . . grit those teeth and keep up with the health because you'll be working for another 20 years at least . .

Summer was great! School starting again, hmm, Isaac is not excited. We'll see how it goes. This is the year to starting mush into brains, 4th grade here we come!!

Health and vibrancy . . . a wonderful gift. I earned my yellow belt in Taekwondo, at the same time Isaac earned his black belt. Felt very very very blessed!!

Along the way, California Native Plant Society plant sale . . . bought some eriogonum, salvia apiana, epilobium, then went to Mission Nursery for a couple more: heteromeles arbutofolia, and baccharis pilularis. Wanted atriplex but didn't find it at the CNPS sale.