7 keys to getting healthy this year

by Dr. Don Colbert


Most people, however, do not realize that the medications they are
taking amount to taking the fuse out of their body's warning light,
instead of addressing their body's seven fundamental needs for health
and well-being.

Dr. Don Colbert, author of The Seven Pillars of Health
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Like most physicians, I see people all the time who suffer from
headaches, back pain, arthritis, skin problems, digestion problems,
and other ailments. Often, they have gone to another doctor, who might
have given them medications that merely turned off the symptoms,
instead of addressing the underlying problem.

If you had a red warning light blinking on your car's dashboard,
informing you to check your engine, would you simply remove the fuse
to turn off the warning light? No! You would take your car in for
service, knowing that if you don't you will eventually ruin your car's
engine.

Most people already know that the No. 1 killer of Americans is heart
disease, and the No. 2 killer is cancer. Most people know that nearly
two-thirds of cancer deaths in the United States can be linked to
tobacco use, diet, obesity, and lack of exercise. Most people know
that most diseases are caused by unhealthy lifestyles, poor diet, lack
of exercise, stress, and inadequate sleep.

Most people, however, do not realize that the medications they are
taking amount to taking the fuse out of their body's warning light,
instead of addressing their body's seven fundamental needs for health
and well-being.

In my practice, I talk to patients about seven pillars of good health:
water, sleep and rest, living food, exercise, detoxification,
supplements, and freedom from stress. What you don't know about these
seven pillars of good health may be derailing God's plans for your
life.

For example, most people's bodies are starved for clean, natural
water. Many people never drink any water. Some don't like the taste of
it, or they were never taught the importance of drinking it. Maybe
their parents gave them juice, soft drinks, milk – anything but water.
As a result, many people spend their day going from one caffeinated or
sugar-based drink to another. They jump-start their mornings with
coffee. By midmorning they have a soda for another boost, and then
drink sweetened caffeinated iced tea for lunch. Late afternoon it's
another coffee-based or "10 percent juice" drink. Little do they know
that all that caffeine and sugar are actually stealing water from
their bodies, doing them more harm than good.

Even many people who drink water fail to realize how many harmful
substances that water contains. Tap water, even if it comes from wells
200 feet deep, often is contaminated with chemicals used in industry,
agriculture, and consumer products. People who turn to bottled water
often don't realize that those manufacturers are less strictly
regulated and their products less carefully tested than municipal
water companies. About one-fourth of bottled water actually is tap
water!

Water is the most basic pillar of health, and many people are paying a
terrible price for ignoring it. A body that is slightly dehydrated
goes into a sort of rationing mode, diverting needed water to vital
organs. Inadequate hydration can be a significant factor in back and
joint pain, arthritis, high blood pressure, digestion problems, and
asthma, among other things.

Paying attention to the other six pillars of health is just as
important for your health and well-being:

Sleep and rest – During the precious hours you are shut down for
sleep, your body recharges your immune system and restores your
organs. Many Americans live on the brink of mental and physical
collapse simply for lack of sleep.

Living food – Much of our diet consists of "dead food" that leaves us
tired and vulnerable to degenerative diseases like diabetes and
cardiovascular disease. "Living food," on the other hand, will protect
your body from cancer and other diseases and will sharpen your mind,
energize you, and enliven you.

Exercise – More than 75 percent of the people who start exercise
programs quit; health clubs bank on that. Your body is two-thirds
water – what happens to water that sits stagnant? When water moves,
life thrives.

Detoxification – Most of my patients who suffer from chronic disease
are actually affected by toxins, heavy metals, chemicals, and
microbes. Fortunately, there are things you can start doing today – as
simple as drinking healthy, taking in fiber, and sweating – to rid
your body of toxins and help your waste management systems keep them
out.

Supplements – Many doctors refuse to recommend multivitamins and
nutritional supplements even though a study published in the Journal
of the American Medical Association in 2002 recommended that all
adults take a multivitamin supplement to help prevent chronic
diseases. Few people, if any, get the nutrients they need from food
alone, even if they eat a completely healthy diet.

Stress – Good stress is healthy. It's our bodies natural reaction to a
real or perceived threat. But when stress goes on too long, it can
leave you feeling depressed and angry, lower your sex drive, and
predispose you to all kinds of illness. A prescription as simple as
"10 good belly laughs a day" will go a long way toward protecting you
from those dangers.

The good news is that you do not have to be a statistic. Wouldn't it
be great to meet your great-grandchildren – and keep up with them?
Surely you would like someone to tell you that you look 20 years
younger than your age. Can you imagine what it would feel like not to
experience the stiff joints and headaches that have disrupted your
life for several years?

Paying attention to these seven pillars will help you restore your
health and reclaim your life. It could set you on the path to being
healthy, happy, and whole – just as God intended.