2010 was a very difficult year for many of us around the world with climate calamities and financial crises. The beginning of each New Year offers hope for new beginnings and a wonderful opportunity to make a commitment to improve our health. A strong and healthy body, mind, and spirit can help us to withstand our greatest challenges and move us toward joy and prosperity in our lives. With good health, anything is possible! But without it, nothing else seems to matter very much. 

This article is focussed on body health, which in turn, affects our mental outlook and spiritual growth. Fortunately, gaining better health is not really rocket science. It all comes down to some simple basics—like understanding how your body is designed to operate, why it degenerates, and how you can help it toward better health.

First, understand that your body wants to be healthy, and it usually only gives in to disease when it runs out of the necessary nutrients to maintain good health. That’s where you come in—your body needs your help. It will not function efficiently if you are consuming nutrition-poor foods and beverages. You are the one making the choices of what to eat and drink, whether to smoke or drink too much alcohol or sugar-loaded soft drinks, be in polluted environments, get sufficient rest and sleep, and whether you work towards peace of mind or continue to live in conditions of undue stress.

If you don’t work with your body by giving it a regular supply of wholesome nutrients it can use to build health, it has no other choice than to borrow from the nutrient stores contained in your muscles, organs, and bones. Then come diseases of deficiency such as cardiovascular problems or osteoporosis. So what are these necessary nutrients?

Food:

1. Minerals – especially enough alkaline minerals found in raw fruits and vegetables. These are necessary to maintain a cellular acid/alkaline ratio near a neutral pH of 7, which is the main key to vibrant health and energy.
2. Protein – needed to build cells, tissues and to make hormones. But a steady diet of more than 47 grams per day can lead to osteoporosis, according to Dr. M. T. Morter. Good protein sources are vegetables, nuts, seeds, and eggs. 
3. Fats and oils – needed for energy, cell membranes, and hormones. Good sources are coconut oil, butter, hemp oil, unpasteurized milk and cheese. (Margarine is an absolute no, no, whether it is hydrogenated or not.)
4. Digestive enzymes – needed to start the digestive breakdown process in the stomach. Only found in raw food or supplements. 
5. Probiotics – needed to maintain healthy bacterial balance in the colon. Sources are fermented vegetables, yogurt, kefir, or supplements.
6. Fiber – needed to maintain regular bowel function and a healthy colon. Good fiber is found in raw fruits and vegetables. Psyllium hulls as a supplement provide another source.
7. Water – clean (spring-source or filtered), and slightly alkaline. The human body is about 70% water and needs a steady supply of it to maintain all its functions—about 6 to 8 glasses per day.

Note: Cooking with heat above 120˚F kills enzymes, and cooking protein at high heat disables amino acids making them mostly unavailable for use by the body. So be sure to eat some of your food raw each day. Green smoothies are easy to make and provide great live-food nutrition. 

And to round out a healthy regimen we need to add…

Exercise:

Walking for a half-hour every day is good. Stretching, some exercising with light weights, and cardio work to increase heart rate can provide a more complete workout. 

Rest:

Sleep in a darkened room with some outside air ventilation, except in very cold weather, for 7 or 8 hours each night. 

Attitude:

It is so important to be conscious about what you are doing. Some call it present moment awareness. This is simply developing the habit of making deliberate decisions about your eating and lifestyle choices that will work in harmony with your body’s efforts to detoxify regularly and build vibrant health for you. 

The foregoing is only a quick overview to offer refreshed health thoughts for a new year. A complete easy-to-read guide to renewed health naturally can be found in my book, Conscious Health. Many people call it their health bible!