After the holiday rush is over and the leftovers are finally gone, many of us take stock of our lives and habits. Some have made resolutions for the start of the new year, vowing to make lifestyle changes, some are more honest with themselves and skip the tradition altogether. Well here are some suggestions for (pardon the cliché) the new millenium, that may be some of the most important changes you’ve ever made. How about pledging to make this year the year you decide to live longer, age slower, and feel better?

For way too long most of us have ignored our health until it is in peril. Unfortunately, this is the modern medical model. Our established mainstream healthcare system is a crisis intervention system. It pretty much does nothing until something breaks down, then valiantly springs into action to save the day.

Now, if you are going to have a health crisis there is no better place in the world to have it than here. We simply have the best care available in the world when you have become very sick, traumatically injured or severely infected. I thank God for that, but strongly recommend that you and I do everything we possibly can to avoid taking advantage of our remarkable medical technology.

While there are many things, both great and small, that you can do to live healthier and feel more energetic and vibrant, these are some of the most important.

1. Quit smoking: If you do smoke, then quitting smoking is the single most important thing you can do to improve your health. If you skip the rest of the list you will still remarkably improve your life. Smoking assaults virtually every system and cell in the body. Sure, you’ve heard it all before, but if you really understood just what a powerful killer it is you would be too scared to take a puff. Simply put, smoking is the closest you can come to a guarantee that you will become seriously ill as you get older and that you will die sooner than you should.
2. Take vitamin supplements: I strongly recommend that you begin to take certain proven supplements to safeguard your health. We now know that, even if you eat a picture perfect diet, you will be unable to get all the nutrients you need for optimal health. The RDA values published on food labels are the levels you need to avoid deficiency diseases like scurvy or beriberi. These levels are not high enough to prevent cancer, heart disease and other dangerous diseases. Taking vitamin C (1000 mg.), vitamin E (400 IU), and selenium (200 mcg.) daily, dramatically reduces your risk of heart disease and cancer. I also recommend a good quality multi vitamin to be sure you get essential trace minerals.
3. Lose weight: If you are overweight, lose weight. The closer you are to you ideal weight the better, if you are overweight, any weight loss is a plus. Americans are arguably the fattest people in the world. This is because we eat the most highly processed and refined diet. Aside from increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, to name a few, cancer research has found that 24% of all cancers are linked to obesity.

   One prominent nutritionist once said Americans suffer from oversconsumptive undernutrition. That means we eat too many empty calories, but are malnourished because our foods are depleted of nutrients. I recommend a balanced, gradual approach to weight loss. The programs I use in my practice results in about a 2-3 pound per week fat loss while maintaining muscle mass. This is the healthiest rate, and also greatly increases your chances of keeping the weight off. If you can’t do it on your own seek professional advice.

4. Eat more unprocessed foods: This means more vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits in their natural form. These foods are richer in fiber and nutrients, and usually lower in calories. Studies have concluded that the average American diet is made up of 66% fats and refined sugars. That leaves one third of our diet to supply 100% of the nutrients essential to maintain health and fight disease. The numbers don’t add up. I also recommend that you eat organic produce whenever practical to reduce pesticide residues.
5. Eat less starchy carbohydrates and sweets and more vegetables: Yes, we love our pasta, rice, bread, potatoes and sweets. Unfortunately these are high calorie foods that supply little else. Overconsumption of carbohydrates increases the risk of diabetes, obesity, and is the quickest way to raise your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. (That’s what I said, and it’s based on scientific studies and human physiology). Instead, try your best to eat more vegetables of all sorts. Two to three servings at each meal are ideal. And make the time to spice and prepare them. For some great veggie ideas buy a vegetarian cookbook.
6. Get off the couch: Movement is life. The lack of it is just the opposite. Physical activity is essential to every system in the body. That includes cardiovascular, digestive, immune and neurological systems. Check with your doctor, then engage in whatever activity is appropriate. Walking is my personal favorite, as most people can begin a walking program fairly easily.
7. Reduce your intake of hydrogenated oil: Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil is oil that has been chemically modified. Margarine, vegetable shortening, and most of those butter substitutes are hydrogenated oil. They are in virtually every prepared cookie, cake, and snack food. They are used because they extend shelf life, but they interfere with the body’s normal metabolism. They interrupt proper hormone production, increase blood pressure, reduce HDL levels (good cholesterol), make inflammatory and allergic conditions worse, and have been linked to increased breast cancer risk. Instead use old-fashioned butter, or even better, olive or flaxseed oil.
8. Drink plain, pure water: Eliminate soda and reduce your juice intake. Both are extremely high in sugar, and soda contains phosphoric acid which can lead to calcium loss from bones. Only water counts as water, and it is essential to every system in your body. Shoot for six to eight glasses per day.
9. Get the sleep you need: 80% of Americans are sleep deficient. Your immune system kicks in to high gear when you sleep, and the body heals and regenerates during that time. It’s true that everyone needs different amount of sleep, but most of us don’t get what we need. If you are really getting what you need, you’ll wake up easily in the morning, feeling refreshed, and you will not doze off during boring activities later in the day. Even ½ hour to one hour more of sleep per night can have a big pay-off.
10. Get a chiropractic check-up every six months to a year: You maintain your car, you get regular dental check-ups, but do you maintain your spinal column and nervous system? Most people go to the chiropractor when they have back or neck pain, or headaches. It’s a wonderful treatment for these ailments, however, chiropractic adjustments are also preventative. They help keep your spinal column aligned properly, allowing for healthy nervous system function in the process. Remember, your spine houses your spinal cord, which is the main communication link between your brain and your body. Good communication makes for good function.

The recommendations I’ve made here are no longer controversial among those who are informed, scientifically current, health practitioners and scientists. There are numerous scientific studies, published in mainstream peer reviewed journals, that back up every suggestion I’ve made here. Making a decision to follow even some of these will effectively and dramatically lower your risk of the most heinous diseases that affect far too many Americans, and will get you feeling better in the process. Good health isn’t an accident. Make the decision today to make yourself healthier. It really is up to you.