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The purpose of this article is to show several specific ways that philosophy can be implemented for making healthy decisions.
Here goes, one idea for each week in the year:
1. Responsibility-Take responsibility for yourself. You alone are the master of your own health destiny.
2. Philosophy-Without the correct roadmap to health, how can that destination ever be reached? Evaluate all life choices with the knowledge that you are a natural creature, designed to live in nature. Veer from this roadmap the least to have the most health.
3. Prevention-Prevention is not a vaccine, pill, or check-up. Obey your genetic design as closely as possible so when illness does occur you can know you have done the best you could.
4. Illness-The first thing to do when you feel ill is to stop eating for the first twenty-four to thirty-six hours. The digestion of food requires immune system attention and diverts the strength and energy the body needs to fight the disease and heal. Drink lots of alkaline water at room temperature or heated (see #6). When the fast is broken, eat no carbohydrates at all. Infections thrive on carbohydrates and in the acidic environment they create. Take probiotic (see #11) supplements immediately and antioxidant supplements after the worst part of the illness has passed.
5. Injury-Heat is a super healer. Heat is life, cold is death. Heat the whole body or the body part to speed recovery. Only use cold for the first few hours after trauma to a body part. Exercise the part as soon as it can be done without undue pain. Heat and exercise improve circulation and bring healing elements to the injury, speed their activity, and ferry debris, toxins, and pathogen carcasses away. For overuse injuries, there is no substitute for resting the part for a time.
6. Water-Try to drink 3-4 quarts of purified (preferably alkaline) water each day. Do it regardless of thirst. Drink more if sweating. Get it all done before supper so you don't have to race to the bathroom all night. Squeeze fresh lemon juice in the water to help reverse acidemia, which virtually everyone in modern society has and which is a fundamental, underlying cause of disease (1-2). Don't wash food down with water. This can lead to overeating and inhibit digestion.
7. Processed oils-Avoid hydrogenated and all other heat processed oils as much as possible. Hydrogenated oils are toxic and heat processed oils are oxidized, making them toxic as well. Best choices for cooking are natural, more heat-stable saturated fats such as butter, and oils such as from coconut, palm, sesame, and olive.
8. Sun-The sun is not the enemy, it is the energy that underlies all life. It has a critical impact on mood, immunity, general health, and vitality. Try to expose as much of the skin as possible to the sun every day for at least 30 minutes or so. In sunlight the skin synthesizes the most important vitamin/hormone in the body, vitamin D. Do not get burned since that can cause genetic damage to the skin. Use natural sunscreens, shade, and clothing to prevent overexposure. Use sun-mimicking, full-spectrum lighting in the home.
9. Cosmetics and personal care products-Read the labels. If the ingredients are not, in principle, edible, don't use them. The skin absorbs similarly to the intestinal tract.
10. Living food-Make raw food the predominant part of the diet. It is what every other creature on the planet eats, so why not learn from their wisdom? Supplement with food enzymes if eating cooked or processed, and therefore enzyme-devoid, foods.
11. Probiotics-Supplement the diet with probiotic cultures and eat foods such as yogurt (non-sugared) and other cultured and fermented products. These friendly bacteria fight pathogens, boost immunity, and synthesize vitamins, enzymes, and other nutritional factors. They are destroyed or thrown out of balance with the use of antibiotics and pharmaceuticals. There are more microorganisms in the intestinal tract than the total number of cells in the body. Grow the right kind and nurture them properly with these 52 principles.
12. Vitamins and minerals-Take full spectrum supplements every day. Modern factory farming and food processing diminish these nutrients in the food supply. The stresses of modern life also increase our needs. Larger doses than contained in the average diet have been proven to prevent and reverse a number of diseases.
13. Antioxidants-Take antioxidant supplements (at least vitamins A, C, and E) and eat fresh fruits and vegetables. The huge oxidant (acid) burden on the body caused by modern living needs to be counteracted.
14. Organic and free range-Foods raised in this way are higher in nutrients and lower in toxins. Such farming methods are environmentally friendly and more sustainable. Send a message to the industrial, petrochemical farm by diverting dollars to those who have foresight and conscience. Free-range foods are more nutritious (they follow the principle of #2) and are raised more humanely. A clear choice.
15. Nontoxic home-Choose the least toxic home construction materials and cleaning supplies.
16. Lab tests-Avoid medical tests unless there is a manifest problem and a test will make a difference in terms of effective treatment. False positives can kill with the stress of worry; false negatives send a person on their merry way while disease continues to grow. Also, if you feel healthy, be very skeptical of any test that attempts to tell you differently, and most certainly be hesitant to begin dangerous medical interventions based upon it.
17. Clinical tests-Do not assume tests such as prostate, colon, and breast screenings are necessary. They are unproven and are not 'prevention.' They put a person in the medical mill and divert attention from where it belongs: taking control of one's own health destiny. (This 'anti-medical' advice will make more sense after the next section.)
18. Variety-Eat a variety of foods but not at each meal. Variety decreases the odds of toxicity and broadens the spectrum of nutrients. It is not necessary to get every nutrient in the universe at each meal. Relax, your body has reserve capacity. Try to eat no more than two categories at a meal. For example, for supper, eat meat and a salad.
19. Cooking-Do as little of it as possible. Heat is the enemy of nutrients. When cooking, use high temperature for short time to preserve the most nutritional value. Quick grilling, double contact table top type grills, and the new steam ovens are good choices.
20. Dairy-If you choose to eat dairy products, get raw, non- homogenized, and non-pasteurized milk, cheeses, and yogurt if they can be found. If not, eat whole milk yogurts. Some people find a dairy farm where they can buy part of a cow and then legally obtain raw whole milk from it.
21. Omega-3 fatty acids-The modern diet is deficient in this critical class of fatty acids. To increase them, eat more cold water fish (if they are not laden with mercury or other toxins), wild meat, grass-fed meats, raw vegetables, and tree nuts. Fatty acid supplements are also a good idea to make up for the deficit, but be sure they are of the highest quality, properly protected with natural antioxidants, kept in the refrigerator, and protected from light and air.
22. Dental health-Diseased gums and teeth can seed the body with infection and depress the immune system. Keep teeth clean and do not permit dental procedures that destroy or remove tooth structure unless there is no alternative. If repair is needed, do not use toxic mercury/silver amalgam; use porcelain or gold instead and find a dentist who understands this. Find a holistic dentist who uses new technologies such as tooth-preserving laser.
23. Vaccines-Avoid them. Health is the best immunity. If taken, the killed varieties in oral or nasal form are most natural and safe. Don't believe the promotion of flu vaccines which studies have shown to be ineffective (3-4). Use natural supplements with scientifically proven immune stimulating and antipathogen properties, such as selenium, quercetin, tumeric, echinacia, astragalus, burdock root, goldenseal, vitamin D, and probiotics. Hydrating with a gallon of alkaline water per day does wonders in preventing and reversing infections (5-6).
24. Pharmaceuticals-Avoid symptom-based medications if at all possible. Removing symptoms does not cure disease, and there are just too many potential adverse side effects. No disease was ever caused by a deficiency of a pharmaceutical and therefore a pharmaceutical cannot be the answer (7).
25. Radiation-Avoid it if at all possible. All radiation is harmful and cumulative (8).
26. Don't diet-Just change foods, eating habits, and lifestyle. That will automatically solve weight problems. Skip a meal unless it is deserved due to physical exertion. Eating is not recreation, and to eat more than deserved is unethical (as explained in a coming chapter).
27. Eat less-Eating less does more to extend life than almost anything else that can be done. Don't eat unless hungry, and stop when the feeling of fullness begins.
28. Avoid sugar-Refined sugar is an unnatural food and is addictive and toxic.
29. Avoid grains-Grains are an unnatural food (in their raw form they are toxic) and in their refined white flour form are just another form of sugar. If they are eaten, whole grains are more nutritious. Sprouted grains are the healthiest form since sprouting converts grains to vegetables which can even be eaten raw (9).
30. Avoid hospitals and doctors' offices-More disease and death is created in this environment than cured. Except for emergencies, stay away and learn how to take care of yourself.
31. Nurse infants-The breast is the fountain of health, not just an item of adornment for adults. Formula is the granddaddy of all junk foods. Children raised on it suffer in innumerable ways throughout life. Even the incidence of something as obscure as myopia (nearsightedness) is decreased by breastfeeding (10).
32. Circumcision-Just say no. Circumcision is mutilation and removes functional aspects of the penis. If circumcised, learn how to uncircumcise (restore the foreskin). Those who do this come to understand what was lost.
33. Four white poisons-White flour, sugar, processed oil, and refined salt are unnatural, nutrient-stripped toxins. Avoid them or replace them with their whole natural counterparts.
34. Sunscreens-Don't use the synthetic versions unless there is no alternative. They permit overexposure and potential skin damage. If in danger of burning, cover with clothes, seek shade, and limit sun exposure until acclimated.
35. Sleep-Getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep or closed eye rest each day is essential. If sleeplessness is a problem, get more physically active during the day. If unable to sustain sleep at night, be sure to take a nap during the day.
36. Nap-Take a mid-day nap for rejuvenation. Even a few minutes can make a huge difference in the rest of the day.
37. Timing-Mornings are usually best for mental activity, afternoons for physical. Listen to your own rhythms and obey.
38. Nature-Try to get outside for a time every day. Take vacations in nature. The mind and body need rejuvenation by regularly getting reacquainted with where we came from.
39. Serious disease-Act now to prevent it. If stricken with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, or the like, reflect on what YOU have done to cause it. Do not just surrender to the medical machine. Get many opinions, study hard, and research all alternative therapies. Give acupuncture, herbs, natural diet, homeopathy, naturopathy, and other natural therapies a chance. Alternative medicine at least tries to address causes, which is a leg up on conventional medicine that focuses on naming and categorizing diseases, and treating their symptoms (11).
40. Beverages-Avoid them like the plague. Soft drinks and the like (including fruit drinks) are addictive, acidifying, and a sugar and chemical assault. Drink water. Juice whole fruits and veggies if chewing is too much of a chore.
41. Glasses-Avoid them until there is no alternative. Glasses are like crutches in that they weaken the very organ needing strength. Explore exercise methods to improve vision. (There are several methods available. Search the Internet under "natural vision improvement.") Consider pinhole glasses to relax the eyes and permit close vision more naturally. Use them for reading and computer work.
42. Don't be silly-Smoking, drinking, drugs, not wearing a seat belt, and standing on the top of a stepladder are invitations for disaster. Do the common sense things to give life and health the best odds.
43. Local foods-Whatever the climate, the foods that are grown there are the healthiest for residents there. Tropical foods are best in the tropics and northern foods best for the cold.
44. 100% complete-Don't be fooled. Talk is cheap. Nobody knows how to make a 100% complete food since nobody has 100% complete knowledge of nutrition or our biology.
45. Swimming pools-The skin is an absorbing organ. Unless you're of the opinion that a whopping dose of chlorine (a potent oxidant), algaecides, and colorants are a good idea to have circulating in your bloodstream, find natural water or pools that have been ozonated, treated with ultraviolet light, or otherwise maintained. If using a chlorinated pool, limit the time in it and shower thoroughly after.
46. House plants-Grow lots of them. They filter the air, produce oxygen, and add life to the home.
47. Fat and cholesterol-Eat it so long as it has not been unduly heat processed. Natural fats, oils, and cholesterol (the body makes this every day to create hormones and other healthy biochemicals) are the premier energy source. If dietary carbohydrates are displaced by fats and proteins on a calorie for calorie basis (not that you should count calories), the body will store less fat and be more inclined to burn the fat that is trying to hide in those pudgy little rolls.
48. Ventilate-Bring fresh air into the home and exhaust the old. Use a heat exchange unit to capture the heat. To freshen indoor air use negative ion generators and filters. Use a central vacuum system that exhausts to the outside.
49. Fever-The heat of fever is the body's mechanism for destroying pathogens and speeding immune response. So why run for an aspirin to bring the temperature down so the pathogens can proliferate? Believe nature, not a pharmaceutical company.
50. Food for age-The young and the old have the highest demands for quality food. Supplements and nutrient dense foods high in protein and micronutrients are critical for the young because of their growth demands, and for the elderly because of their decreased ability to assimilate nutrients.
51. Garbage-Judge health by garbage. The more compost created (veggie, fruit, meat, nut, egg, and dairy scrap), the healthier. The more processed food packaging garbage at the curb, the less health can be expected.
52. Birthday suit-We were not born with, nor designed to wear, clothes. Live where the least amount of them are required. Get them off at every opportunity such as in bed and for full body sun and air baths wherever you will not get arrested.
You will note that healthy choices are usually not in accord with conventional wisdom, commercial interests, and popular practices. You must be wrong in order to be right by paying attention to your natural genetic roots, and the SOLVER principles-self-responsibility, open thinking, long-term view, virtuous intent, evidence, and reason.
Taking control of your own health destiny becomes particularly important when faced with the tremendous pressures, propaganda, and dangers of the modern medical machine.
1. Sebastian, A., et al. Estimation of the net acid load of the diet of ancestral preagricultural Homo sapiens and their hominid ancestors. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76 (2001), 1308-1316.
2. Benson, C. J., et al. Acid-evoked currents in cardiac sensory neurons: A possible mediator of myocardial ischemic sensation. Circulation Research, 84 (1999), 921-928.
3. Simonsen, L., et al. Impact of influenza vaccination on seasonal mortality in the U.S. elderly population. Archives of Internal Medicine, 165 (2005), 265-272.
4. Hatchett, R.J. Public health interventions and epidemic intensity during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2007. Retrieved from the World Wide Web pnas.org/cgi/ doi/10.1073/pnas.0610941104.
5. Raju, T., et al. Protective effects of quercetin during influenza virus-induced oxidative stress. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 9 (2005), 314-317.
6. Kiremidjian, R. M., et al. Supplementation with selenium and human immune cell functions. Effect on lymphocyte proliferation and interleukin 2 receptor expression. Biological Trace Element Research, 41 (1994), 103-114.
7. Null, G. In pharmaceuticals we trust. Townsend Letter, Feb/Mar 2007, 128.
8. Weingart, S. N., et al. Looking for medical injuries where the light is bright. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 290 (2003), 1917-1919.
9. Eaton, S. B., et al. Paleolithic nutrition: A consideration of its nature and current implications. New England Journal of Medicine, 312 (1985), 283-289.
10. Hawkes, J. S., et al. The effect of breast-feeding on lymphocyte subpopulation in healthy term infants at 6 months of age. Pediatric Resources, 45 (1999), 648-651.
11. Wysong, R. L. Directory of Alternative Resources. Midland: Inquiry Press, 2008.
Dr. Randy Wysong is author of Living Life as if Thinking Matters, Solving The Big Questions as if Thinking Matters, several books on health, nutrition, self improvement, philosophy, and the origin of life. He is a pioneer in the natural health and nutrition movement, and is the first to put the creation-evolution debate on rational footings. His blog, books, updates, mind-stimulating content, interactive forums, and FREE thinking matters video-rich newsletter can be found at AsIfThinkingMatters.com.
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