How to Use This Blog –
This blog offers you something difficult to get in today’s market: insight into your health. It’s not a substitute for an x-ray or an MRI. Nor will it take the place of a blood test prescribed by your primary healthcare provider.
I’m a reflexologist, not a doctor. The information I share and the experiences I relate are based on my research and career. It’s not intended to diagnose or treat a disease.
I do not prescribe medications or treatments of any kind.
Healthcare professionals are trained and work in several different healing systems. I feel they all work toward the same goal: developing and maintaining your good health. Healthcare professionals include Medical Doctors, Doctors of Osteopathy, Naturopathic Doctors, Homeopaths.
The information in these blog posts will allow you to see your health care through the added dimension of a spiritual event or situation. This can enhance your physical situation.
This blog is not intended to replace your primary healthcare provider, or any healthcare provider, for that matter. Instead, this blog adds a layer of personal care to every situation in your healing life.
If you have a health question or situation offering no answer, do not be afraid to dig into the past blog posts. There are several hundred of them.
In the coming months, there will be several hundred more. My sincere hope is that you will join my future posts. If you do, thank you for joining me.
Thurman Greco
PS: Please refer this post to your favorite social media network.
Healthy Blood Pressure – 6 Things You Can Do.
We all have a blood pressure. We don’t see it. We don’t feel it. Unless someone checks our blood pressure, we don’t know we have it. And, unless someone tells us our blood pressure is bad, we don’t even think about it.
That makes high blood pressure a quiet killer. While we go about our lives unaware of the situation, hypertension damages our blood vessels, heart, and eyes. High blood pressure is a set-up for heart disease, stroke, dementia, and kidney disease.
So, pay attention to your blood pressure. When your blood pressure is high, your heart is working too much to do its job properly. This stresses your arteries.
So, what can you do to get your blood pressure down to normal?
For starters, STAMP OUT YOUR CIGARETTES. Smoking, whether cigarettes or pipes, is not good for your arteries. When nicotine reaches your blood vessels, they constrict – which is not good for you.
GET A PET – Statistically, people with pets have healthier blood pressure scores. So, what is the best pet for you? I, personally, love dogs and cats. But you don’t have to get something that barks and meows. Birds, fish, snakes, even a gold fish make good pets. The important thing is to get one that is good for your situation.
DO YOU HAVE A HOBBY? – Find something that you really enjoy and can get interested in. Drawing, writing, skating, running, walking, and a thousand and one other things can be just what you need to calm your hypertension.
GET RID OF YOUR EXTRA WEIGHT. – When you lower your weight you’ll have better blood pressure scores, you will also feel better and look better. And, this is a segway right into the next suggestion:
NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING – Some foods encourage a good blood pressure score. Fruits and vegetables are good. Some people feel oatmeal has magical qualities. You’ll have better luck with this if you get several sessions with a nutritionist whose training aligns with your health needs.
EXERCISE HELPS, TOO! Yoga is good. But, so is anything else you do regularly. This includes almost any physical activity you like. The important thing is to move.
Not included in this list is pills. I think they are important and have been taking my blood pressure medication daily for decades. Just like everyone else I know, I objected to them for a long time. Once I admitted that I needed them, life became better. This is a decision for you to make, though. Everyone I know who takes a hypertension medication, including myself, went through stages of resistance.
After all, it’s hard to face up to needing a medication for the rest of my life. But, once I matured into this reality, my health improved and my attitude about myself certainly got better, too.
Thanks so much for reading this article. There are many other posts in this blog which will help you lower your blood pressure. I hope you get time to check out a few of them.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
Maintaining Your Good Health – Inner Fitness for Life
We each have an inner core, a spiritual center needing encouragement, support and protection. Your inner core lets you travel through life with minimal bumps. When encouragement, support, and protection are deficient in some way, you run a risk of developing a lack of self-confidence. There are ways to give yourself a boost. Life is easier with a strong inner core.
THINK POSITIVELY
Put yourself in a positive frame of mind before you even get out of bed. Ask yourself: “What can I be happy about? What makes me happy?”
CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
Volunteer someplace. Get a job. Read a local paper. Use your library. Get into your community.
INCLUDE EXERCISE OF SOME KIND…EVERY DAY
In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the Fountain of Youth in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. The Fountain of Youth still exists and keeps people everywhere healthy. There is at least one branch of it in your neighborhood, located on the sidewalk or roadside where you can walk every day. If that’s not a good option for you, the other nearby branch is in your local fitness center. You’ll be healthier and your body will thank you if you visit one of these branches every day.
CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT
De-cluttering is a bit of a fad and it’s okay with me. This grounding and uplifting exercise has become part of my daily schedule. I spend fifteen minutes every day clearing out clutter in a room. There are books written about it. Reading one is a good idea if you need a starter boost. Whether or not you read a book about de-cluttering, your inner self will be more fit when you adopt this habit.
REVIEW YOUR SITUATION
Now might be a good time to journal about important events in your life. Or short stories. Or poems. Or anything that seems appropriate for you. You don’t necessarily need to focus on what happened to you. The important thing is what you did with what happened to you.
SUPPORT YOURSELF
Do something nice for yourself. Think nice thoughts about yourself. Your nice thoughts about yourself are a treat, a gift you give you give to yourself. You deserve it.
Thank you for reading this blog post. Please share this article on your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Maintain Your Good Health: Some Guidelines
For me, much disease is preventable when you maintain your good health. Staying healthy doesn’t take a lot of time. Small changes can make big differences.
Positive lifestyle habits contribute to a lifetime of good health. This blog is filled with suggestions. Throughout our lives we all make choices about how we are going to live our lives on a day to day basis. These choices directly impact how and when our lives will end.
Developing a working relationship with your healthcare professional is essential. Many people enjoy good health for years and feel they don’t need a doctor. This can’t be further from the truth. When an accident or illness strikes, you need to know a health care professional, his/her contact information, and you need to have had an appointment within the last year.
People who are never sick haven’t a clue about what to do when a bone is broken or a head is concussed. They don’t speak hospital and they suddenly find themselves in a foreign land unable to read the directional signs.
Become aware of your body and how it works. Know what to do when medical attention is needed. Learn first aid skills.
Learn to get a healthy night’s sleep. Sleep is a core element of your good health. It goes right along with knowing about your body and how it works. Now, add healthy eating and good physical activity. When you combine these stepping stones, you have a basic plan to maintain your wellness.
For me, there are several causes of disease. Some are nutritional. The first nutritional cause of disease is created by DEFICIENCIES in your diet. Culprits here are sugar, white flour, processed foods, and added chemicals.
Half our population has DIGESTIVE ISSUES. Many people have resigned themselves to living with them for the remainder of their lives. Your body is made to heal your digestive issues because you have a built in abdominal brain which communicates with your cranial brain when there’s a problem.
This is where prebiotics and probiotics come in. And where things like regular reflexology sessions enter the picture. And Reiki therapy. And chakra healing. Appropriate bodywork has a place in maintaining your health and wellness life.
Our bodies can be toxic, all the way down to your CELLULAR LEVEL. Read the labels on the foods you buy. If you can’t pronounce a word or words you read on the ingredients list, put the item back on the shelf.
CHRONIC INFLAMMATION is big on the list of cause of disease. As you work to develop good health, you’ll get up close and personal with chronic inflammation if you go about this the right way.
When it comes to your good health, it all comes down to this: Eat whole foods. Eat nuts. Use olive oils. Eat grass fed meats.
A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE will age you as fast as anything. As I walk down a sidewalk, I see people who move and those who can’t. Be the one who moves, not the one who doesn’t . 10,000 steps every day is a good start.
POOR SLEEP HABITS are huge on the list of habits which cause disease. Sleep regenerates. Sleep organizes. Sleep rehabilitates. Sleep is therapy.
Get enough of it.
When it comes to PRESCRIPTIVE AND OVER THE COUNTER MEDICINES, take only the minimum you need. The same holds true for medicinal herbs. The bottom line is that anything that can change your body for the better can also change it for the worse if it’s not appropriate for you, your health issues, your body, your age.
We all need a reason to get up in the morning – every morning. SMILES are necessary to your good health.
SOME BASIC WELLNESS GUIDELINES:
Good quality, nourishing food is essential. This statement does not promote one diet for all. The diet nourishing you may not nourish me at all.
The part of the statement, good quality, is the one size for all part. In order that what you eat does the best for your wellness, health, and physical fitness, it must be good quality.
Pure air and water are essential.
All of us need adequate warmth and shelter.
We each need a reason to get up every day.
Balancing work, play, and rest is important.
Everyone needs a positive sense of self worth. We all need positive feelings about our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical selves.
Thank you for reading this post. Please forward it to your favorite social media network.
Enjoy your continued good health!
Thurman Greco
Longevity Breathing – an Easy Step to Better Health
I often go through a good bit of my day without even thinking about how I’m breathing, forgetting completely that the easiest and most powerful way to stay healthy and promote good longevity is breathing right.
When we’re faced with traffic snarls, an unhappy coworker, a missed deadline at work, lack of exercise, or children with stuffy noses, automatic stress responses are all too common. Our breathing becomes shallow, rapid.
Heart rates speed up, neck muscles tighten, teeth grind, and on and on.
There is something you can do.
You can learn – and practice – proper longevity breathing techniques.
There are many different breathing techniques. I use one, in particular, a the moment I realize that stress is staring me in the face.
I always use it when I’m in a doctor’s office and I know I’m going to get my blood pressure checked. I don’t have White Coat Syndrome, but my blood pressure definitely rises when the cuff is put on my arm. Sometimes, my blood pressure even rises when I walk into the doctor’s office.
So, I just cut this increase off at the pass. I use this longevity breathing technique anytime I need to calm myself and control my emotions. Here is what I do. And, you can do it too.
I breathe in deeply through my nose while mentally telling myself it’s time to be calm and lower my blood pressure.
When you breathe in deeply through your nose, focus the origin of this inhale deep in your abdomen. Hold this deep breath for a few seconds.
Then, exhale slowly as you breathe out. Remind yourself that you are breathing out stress. Let your inner self know that you are lowering your blood pressure when you exhale this deep breath.
This deep inhale and exhale pattern works in traffic, in the doctor’s office, at work. It works anywhere you see stress running straight toward you.
Take about four inhale-exhales and mentally check in with your body. Observe how your body is calming itself.
Take about four more inhale-exhales if you need. The goal here is to be calm, grounded, solid, alert.
You can train these inhale-exhales to work for you. Practice them when you aren’t super stressed. Practice them several times daily at randomly selected moments. The goal is to become comfortable with the results of this breathing pattern.
Thank you for reading this article. Please share it with your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Walking to Stay Youthful – Longevity Tips You Can Use
Walking is my favorite fitness and longevity activity. I like it because I can enjoy it almost anywhere. I ‘ve adapted my walking pace to my changing age, abilities, health and lifestyle.
Walking served me well during my young mother years. Pushing a stroller was a good excuse to air out the babies and myself.
Later, through my jobs, walking was an important lunchtime activity. Lunchtime walks gave me energy to make it through the afternoon at a desk.
As a senior, walking keeps me moving – an extremely important benefit. As seniors everywhere will tell you, we use it or we lose it. Walking keeps me going.
Walking can cost little to nothing. No fancy memberships are needed. No expensive outfits are necessary. It’s adaptable to indoors as well as out.
And, best of all, it doesn’t take special skills, training, talent, or money. Walking works for me because baseball, volleyball, tennis, golf, ballroom dancing, never did. All walking takes is a little time, enthusiasm, and interest.
I’m sharing a few tips with you so your walking exercise will be more fun and beneficial.
For starters, a pair of WALKING SHOES and socks will help you move farther and faster with fewer problems.
Dress in layers. As you walk, you’ll warm up. Wear COMFORTABLE CLOTHING in layers so you can stay comfortable and keep from overheating.
Walking doesn’t require a lot of fancy warm ups. BEGIN EACH WALK SLOWLY, calmly. Then, if you plan to increase your pace, you can take a warm up break.
When you walk, think about your abdominal muscles and your posture. They define your WALKING STYLE. Open shoulders, a straight spine, and stable abdominal muscles will give you strength and confidence to move.
When the time is right on your walk, give yourself a SPEED BURST of about a minute or so.
Finally, give yourself some LONG, LUSCIOUS STRETCHES after walking.
Thank you for reading this article. Please refer it to your preferred social media network and share it with your friends.
Thanks again
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Longevity and the Fountain of Youth
In 1513, Ponce de Leon discovered the fountain of youth in what is now St. Augustine, Florida. Fortunately for us all, the fountain of youth still exists and there is a branch of it in your neighborhood. It is the sidewalk where you can walk daily as you exercise. It can also be found at your nearest fitness class.
The truth is that the best thing you can do to assure that you live a long and healthy life is move, move, move. Exercise is where it’s at!
A good exercise class or activity is one that you enjoy, can practice at least three times a week, and is one which strikes the right balance between enthusiasm and safety. You are doing yourself no favors if you experience sports injuries. The fountain of youth is one where you move, move, and move.
Everybody has excuses to not be physically fit through regular exercise.
Teens are distracted from exercise by schoolwork and the powerful pull of a social life.
Young adults in their 20’s seem to be physically fit more by accident than anything else. After all, young people are busy with careers and social activities.
Careers and family relationships are the major pulls of adults in their 30’s and 40’s. People exercising in this age group are often motivated by vanity. For some, health and longevity concerns become important as muscle strength declines. Issues surface such as slower reaction time, shortening ligaments, loss of elasticity. People in their 30’s and 40’s need to use warm ups, stretching more often.
If a person in the 50-to-60 age category continues to ignore the fountain of youth, daily life becomes more difficult when the time comes to get out of a chair, lift and carry objects. The quality of life improves when people rely on regular exercise routines. Regular exercise improves the life of a retiree! Go Fountain of Youth!
Exercise which supports physical fitness makes the difference between independent living and an assisted living facility for a person in the 70-to-80 age group.
The good news is that we are never too old to enjoy the benefits of the fountain of youth. Exercise is always there for us – no matter what our age! It ‘s never too late to discover the fountain of youth for yourself.
Whatever your age category, get off the sofa and move for just 30 minutes a day.
Thanks for reading this article. Please share it with your preferred social media network!
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Positive Longevity: 10 Tips You Can Use
Positive longevity habits always help us if we use them.
GET YOUR SHOTS – Shots can be a royal bore but they can save lives and much disease. These are positive longevity habits. The problem is that we have a tendency to make sure the children and the pets get everything but we skip our own vaccinations. These things should just be added into our schedules.
Vaccines and booster shots can help us avoid things like whooping cough, shingles, hepatitus.
Some people are afraid to vaccinate and immunize themselves and their children. I am not in that camp.
I lived in both Mexico and Venezuela for several years. I am a great grandparent. My life experiences have permitted me to both experience and see other people I know experience some of the planet’s dread diseases. I have seen dengue fever first hand. A friend of mine had typhoid. And on and on and on. I lived through a polio epidemic. Fortunately, no one in our family was struck. But still.
There are some diseases I do not want to have. There are some diseases I do not want anyone I know to have.
My friend who had typhoid was extremely ill. When he finally got over the disease, he was a tragedy to behold. He looked like he was a prison camp survivor.
I have a friend with shingles now. Shingles is a terrible disease I definitely never want to experience.
Vaccinations only take a few moments. They save lives.
Join the prevention club. Get vaccinated.
SCREENINGS ARE A GOOD WAY TO PREPARE FOR A LONG LIFE – Plan for the screenings now. Screenings are positive longevity habits in action. Know what screenings are good in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, …..70’s? In future posts, I’ll list the screenings needed by agecategory. For now, just know that you need to get these screenings periodically.
An easy beginning is an annual trip to your health care provider.
Plan to get your screenings every decade. They are important longevity goals in action.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEETH – If you are interested in a long healthy life, your teeth are important in your life. Positive longevity habits include attention to every tooth.
When your teeth deteriorate, so does your life. Without teeth, there are a lot of foods you cannot eat because you can’t chew them. This directly impacts your health because you won’t be receiving the nutrients you need. A visit to a dentist at least once a year is important. Learn to brush your teeth properly. Learn about which toothpaste is good for you.
DON’T FORGET YOUR FEET – Your feet move you forward in life so they are important too. For one thing, 25% of the bones in your body are in your feet. Neglected feet may result in painful bunions, corns, warts, and other problems which make walking painful to impossible. Comfortable, well fitting shoes are important.
Regular foot reflexology sessions promote homeostasis, the balance of all body systems. If you are interested in feeling your best, include these sessions regularly.
-DIET IS IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE TO LIVE LONG AND WELL – Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. When you eat lots of veggies and fruits, you can help prevent chronic diseases and…prevent obesity! Select as many colors of produce as you can and go for the leafy greens. These are positive longevity habits in action!
DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE SOAP AND WATER IN BATHROOMS. Washing your hands five times a day is a good minimum goal. When you wash your hands often, you’ll be less likely to catch colds and other germy diseases.
STRETCH! Stretching regularly makes sure your daily life is easier as you get in and out of cars, buses, elevators. Stretching regularly will help prevent falls because you’ll have better coordination and balance. Your joints will love you for it. You’ll love your joints because your life will be easier.
KEEP A TO-DO LIST. This will make your life easier day after day after day. Year after year after year. If you keep postponing your to-do list until you need it, it’ll be much harder to include in your life.
Besides, nobody wants someone to tell you that you need to keep a to-do list because you forgot an appointment and stood up some important friends or co-workers.
DO WHAT THE DOCTOR DAYS – As we go through life, it’s a given that we’re going to come down with something. Who knows what? Diabetes, bifocals, a broken bone, high blood pressure, whatever.
When the time comes to take medicine, get glasses, exercise regularly, eat properly, it’s important to do what should be done.
Unless you don’t really care whether you live a long, healthy life or not.
GET A DOG! The happiest people I know are dog owners. Your pet gives you unconditioned love, something you can’t get anywhere else. Dogs also need to be fed at certain times of the day and they need to be walked, communicated with, and enjoyed. These are all activities that have positive outcomes. Go for it!
WHAT DOES YOUR GOOD HEALTH MEAN TO YOU? I hope you’ll take a few moments to define your health care goals and what you hope to get out of longevity.
This is one of the last posts in the longevity articles. It is my sincere hope that you found a few things that resonated for you. I hope you will be a healthier person because of these posts. Thank you for reading this blog.
Please refer this article to your preferred social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
Wellness: 10 Tips for a Longer Life
Longevity depends a lot on wellness throughout your life. So, working to prevent disease helps promote a longer life. There are many things you can do to promote wellness in your life. It goes without saying that including Reflexology for the Spirit and Reiki Therapy sessions regularly are important.
PREVENTING COLON CANCER has a dietary component. Dietary calcium, selenium and vitamin D are important for your overall wellness.
Another thing that may can help prevent colon cancer is the regular use of aspirin.
So, beyond vitamins, and aspirin, what can a person do? Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables !
And, finally, getting the dreaded colonoscopy regularly is important. Colonoscopies are good for early detection and polyp removal both of which are crucial. Some people simply don’t want to get a colonoscopy. I’ve been getting colonoscopies since I was in my 40’s. The physician, over time, has removed several polyps and that was important. Wellness testing is high on the list if you’re interested in living a long, active life.
Colonoscopies have gotten easier through the years. And, the prep has actually gotten to be less dreaded because my Dr. lets me drink vanilla milkshakes on the day before! Go Colonoscopies! I was actually a little tiny bit disappointed when my physician told me I don’t have to have another one for years. I’m not scheduled for another one until I’m 85.
Not wanting to wait until I’m 85 for a yummy, thick milkshake, I’ve decided I can get a milkshake whenever I have to get a medical test or procedure. I love that new rule! Medical testing is much, much easier when followed by a delicious, thick milkshake.
PROSTATE CANCER – If a man lives long enough, he’ll either die with prostate cancer or because of it. So, prostate cancer is in the future for many men. Prostate cancer is a lifestyle disease, not a genetic one.
So, what can you do? Vitamins are important prevention habits – especially selenium. Seafood instead of beef is a good choice. Fruits and vegetables are important. To summarize this, a good diet is necessary for longevity wellness.
NEVER WORK BEFORE BREAKFAST – A good breakfast, eaten every morning can reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity. If you’re interested in wellness, breakfast is on the menu – every day. First thing.
This is your chance to load up on high-fiber grains, antioxidant-laden fruits, and whole grain cereals.
A favored breakfast is the world-famous Muesli breakfast. This will stay with you for hours until it is time for lunch. And, it’s yummy, too!
BREAST CANCER – This is a challenge for many women. Breast cancer has a definite spiritual component.
Reduced to its lowest common denominator, this means you should do everything possible to keep from running on empty. I wrote more about this in my book “A Healer’s Handbook”.
A good thing to do is go with early diagnosis and every medical treatment offered whether allopathic, complimentary, or integrative. Fight breast cancer with every tool offered to you.
Early diagnosis means getting mammograms and breast exams regularly. No cancelling. Early detection and treatment is important to your continued wellness.
Keep up with research on cancer preventing diets and exercise. This means, at the very least, eating lots of fruits and vegetables and exercising regularly.
STRONG LEGS are your best insurance policy for a long, active life. Two of the best exercises are pedaling the stationary bike and using the leg press machine.
Climb stairs for five minutes every daily.
Balance yourself on one leg daily: Stand on one leg for fifteen seconds, then alternate legs.
And, finally, stand up and sit down twenty times in succession.
LOAD UP – on vegetables, fruits, legumes, and grains every day. Go for as much variety in texture, and color, possible. Avoid processed foods as much as possible.
Try not to eat any foods loaded with chemicals and artificial anything. Chemical laden foods are not good for wellness.
TAKE THE RISK – Eat cold water fish one to three times a month. This means you should eat about one serving of salmon, trout, herring, or sardines per week. Unfortunately, the accumulated heavy metals make eating the fish more often a health risk. However, on the plus side, eating the cold water fish once a week can offer real wellness health benefits.
Avoid farmed fish if you can. No doubt some farms are clean but many are not and you have no way of knowing without visiting.
AVOID ALZHEIMER’S – Alzheimer’s is one disease which we all want to avoid at all costs. There are some things you can do to prevent the onset of this disease.
Reduce your intake of saturated fats.
Make physical activity a part of every day.
Spinach and other dark leaf vegetables are said to help prevent the onset of the disease.
Antioxidant rich foods are important.
Turmeric is an important spice to add to your arsenal.
Maintain an active social life .
Learn new things .
WATCH YOUR BACK – Statistics tell us that most of us will experience back pain at some point in life. This can be a problem for you if you’re not focused on your wellness.
Back pain has a spiritual component which you can’t ignore. Stress is often involved in back pain. I wrote about this in “A Healer’s Handbook”.
Back pain impacts on your wellness and longevity expectations when it brings on depression, immobility, and disability.
One thing you can do is work to maintain strong core muscles. Strong muscles in the stomach and back will go a long way to a better recovery if you do experience back injury and pain.
Posture is important. Take yoga classes with a teacher interested in your posture.
Maintain a good weight. Obesity is a strain on your back which you don’t need.
Drink plenty of water to maintain joint hydration. This may seem like a silly suggestion but your joints use a lot of water and need you to continually replenish it throughout the day – everyday.
The bottom line here is this: Your longevity wellness depends on a strong, healthy spine.
EAT LESS MEAT – I’m certainly not telling you that you have to become a vegetarian, although that may be something that works for you. However, eating less meat is important if you are interested in longevity and wellness.
Eating large amounts of meat regularly plays a part in contributing to diseases you probably want to avoid if your goal is longevity and wellness. Meat is implicated in most of the lifestyle diseases found in our culture: cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia.
THANK YOU for being interested in your good health for the long term. Thank you for reading this blog. Thank you for seeking a healthier life. For sure, a healthier life should make your longevity and wellness plans a real option.
Please share this article with your favorite social media network.
Thanks!
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, NY
10 Tips Offering You a Longer and Healthier Life.
When you seek a longer and healthier life, you develop spiritual attitudes and habits which resonate with you. A longevity focused life is a lifestyle.
Before it’s all over, the lists in this blog may seem endlessly overloaded with things to do. But, that’s not the object of this series. My goal is to offer you information you can use to enjoy a longer, healthier life. Pick and choose from the choices, as you select the habits that resonate with your body, mind, emotions and your spirit.
EXCESS WEIGHT CAN RUIN YOUR LONGEVITY PLANS – So, what can you do about it?
For starters, realize that obesity triggers arthritis, asthma, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. These health conditions conspire to rob you of your longer and healthier life.
Getting the weight off and keeping it off is important. And, getting it off the sooner the better is what its all about. When I give my library talks about my wellness book “A Healer’s Handbook”, I spend a lot of time talking about all the things you can do.
Begin by eating fruits, soups, and vegetables, Eat as much of these foods as you want and eat smaller amounts of meats and breads as you work toward a longer and healthier life.
Skip chemical laden products that have been manufactured for you to eat. This means reading the labels. If you can’t pronounce the words on the ingredient list, then you don’t need to eat even one bite of that product.
USE A SMALLER PLATE – Pile it high with fresh salad greens or vegetables.
For a longer and healthier life, always begin your meal with a soup.
Plate up your food in the kitchen and don’t put serving dishes on the table with your food.
DON’T TRY TO LIVE WITH A SLEEP DEFICIT. – A longer and healthier life depends on a rested body. This is really the heart of the matter. I’ve written post after post after post about the importance of sleep for you and your life. And, after this longevity series, I plan to return to a few more blog posts about getting enough sleep.
It all comes down to this: If you get enough sleep, you are going to have fewer health problems. With fewer health problems, you are on a path to a longer, healthier life.
JOIN A CONGREGATION. – Statistics show us that attending regular religious services has a strong, positive health effect resulting in a longer and healthier life.
Congregations offer a community of acceptance to members, an atmosphere which encourages good mental health, a stable social circle, and good immune function.
What this says to me is that our spiritual health is positively affected by a community atmosphere supporting our mental, and emotional beings.
LIVE WITH PURPOSE – Living with purpose influences mental, spiritual, and physical health positively. The way you live with purpose depends on you and your interests. The way you choose to give meaning to your life is completely up to you. Your choices are endless.
Before you get overwhelmed by this, begin by asking yourself some questions.
Does my plant need watering?
Does my dog need walking?
Am I concerned about my environment?
Have I always wanted to……………….?
This amounts to developing a sense of purpose in life by giving of yourself in some way for the benefit of others as you seek a longer and healthier life.
GET REGULAR REFLEXOLOGY SESSIONS – Well, of course I would believe this. I’m a reflexologist. However, if you are reading this article and you’ve never received a reflexology session, you can still achieve your longevity and wellness goals without receiving even one session.
The important thing here is to receive body work sessions regularly. And, in all honesty, there are hundreds of kinds of body work being practiced on our planet today. What’s important is that you receive some form of beneficial body work regularly.
If you don’t feel like you have the money for this bodywork, barter the sessions. I receive a Reiki therapy session every Monday afternoon. I exchange this session with a student. I feel like this is one of the most important things I do every week.
And, one of the most wonderful barters I did in my whole life was when I exchanged a reflexology session with an esthetician every week. What a fabulous time that was! Alas, she moved out of the state.
The bottom line is that we all need doses of the right touch for a longer and healthier life. Touch is important to our spiritual development.
MEDITATION IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND YOUR LONGEVITY PLANS. Do you meditate? Do you meditate regularly? If the answer to these two questions was “no” then begin by taking yoga classes. Yoga and meditation work together very well.
Have trouble scheduling meditation time? Join a meditation circle or form one where you meditate together weekly.
Meditation is grounding and offers major stress reduction. The positive health benefits of meditation ripple out to everyone and everything around you.
Make meditation a part of your life.
BRING NATURE CLOSER TO YOUR LIFE – How?
Walks in the park tend to lower your blood pressure.
Plants in your office or home bring their own calm.
Wilderness walks can be restorative.
Add wilderness pictures to office and home decor.
Nature sounds can be soothing as you listen to waterfalls, bird songs or ocean waves. My absolute favorite music is a CD entitled “Dolphin Music” by Ken Davis. It’s ancient as CD’s go, but I don’t want to be caught without it.
When you do these things, you protect yourself from stress.
BE OPTIMISTIC – You’ll live longer and feel better about your life when you look on the bright side of situations.
Build good relationships.
Refuse to see a crisis as insurmountable.
Accept change as a part of life.
Seek opportunities.
Maintain a positive view of yourself.
Finally, try to see things in perspective.
Thanks for reading this article. Please forward this blog post to your favorite social media network.
Thurman Greco
Woodstock, New York
