Dr. Myatt’s Basic Rules For Healthier Living
1. Eat a Nutritious Diet…
The food you eat its quality and amount provide the fuel for your body. Each of your 75 trillion cells depends on you to feed them. Most people understand that their car requires a particular type of fuel. Do you understand that your body does, too? In order to ensure adequate nutrition, practice the following:
- Eat as much food in the unrefined state as possible.
- Include at least five servings of vegetables and/or fruits each day.
- Whole grains are preferable to refined ones; fresh produce is preferable to canned or processed.
- Have deep fried food, sugar-sweetened food, and alcohol, rarely, if at all.
- Eat according to your Body Energy Type. For more information on this subject, please see WEIGHT LOSS.
2. Drink Pure Water…
The body is 60% water and requires a replenishment of 6-8 glasses per day of water. Make sure that the water you drink is uncontaminated by heavy metals, chemicals and micro-organisms. Many water supplies, including municipal water supplies, are not pure enough to ensure good health. If you drink tap or well water, have it tested for purity. If you do not know the quality of your tap water, buy purified water or purchase a good water purifier for home use. Drink 48-64 ounces per day of this pure water, either as water or herb tea. (Caffeinated beverages, bottled or canned fruit juice, soda pop and alcohol should not be counted as part of your water intake. They do not have the same solvent properties as pure water).
Air provides life-giving oxygen. Like water, the body cannot survive without taking in oxygen. Plenty of fresh, clean air is essential to good health. Here are some ways to get more advantage from each breath you take.
- Exercise out-of-doors as much as possible, especially in nature. Parks, the sea shore or even local grassy areas provide benefit. Remember, green plants purify the air and give us back more oxygen.
- If you live in a city where the air quality is compromised (most people do!), have green plants indoors at home and at work as much as possible. Houseplants help purify indoor air.
- Practice deep breathing exercises. Many people are oxygen-deprived because they do not breathe deeply.
- Try to live in a place where the air quality is good. Many big cities have notoriously poor air quality. Consider a home air purifier if you live in a particularly bad area.
Ten minutes of sunlight per day, even if only on exposed arms, is enough to encourage normal vitamin D production. Sunlight has mood-elevating effects. It destroys harmful bacteria and stimulates a cascade of positive hormone effects in the body. While excessive sun exposure can be harmful, so can inadequate exposure. Outdoor exercise will give the necessary sunlight without excess. Make it a point to get a modest amount of sunlight each day, whether by outdoor exercise or ten minutes of sunbathing.
The human body is designed for movement. Aerobic activity encourages normal circulation of blood and lymph. Heart and structural muscles are strengthened by exercise. Hormone production and utilization is improved by regular exercise. The bowels depend on physical movement to function normally. Metabolism and immune system activity are increased by moderate exercise. Bones require weight-bearing exercise for normal mineral uptake. Movement keeps joints and connective tissue flexible. Exercise encourages deep breathing and increases oxygen utilization and waste exhalation. For cardiovascular and musculo-skeletal conditioning, aim for a minimum of 15 minutes of brisk walking, 5 days per week, or 30 minutes 3 times per week. Gradually increase speed or distance as physical conditioning improves. (See Exercise) For a metabolism boost, a mere 10 minutes each morning of intensive exercise (Exercising to the point where you are breathing hard enough that you could talk if you had to, but you wouldn’t want to) will put your metabolism and fat-burning into high gear for the day.
Most people require seven to eight hours of sleep per night. (Some older people may have a decreased sleep requirement). Studies have shown that people perform better with adequate sleep, yet many people are consistently sleep-deprived. Make it a point to get adequate sleep. (See INSOMNIA for tips on how to get a good nights sleep). Sleep deprivation results in hormonal imbalances which can lead to weight gain and many other problems.
7. Avoid negative health behaviors.
It may seem obvious, but one of the easy ways to be healthier is to not engage in unhealthy behaviors. Nicotine, excesses of alcohol and caffeine, and many drugs damage health. Smoking is such a health-destroying habit that I have listed it separately. (See Smoking… Just the Facts). Other health-destroying habits include excessive stress response, multiple sex partners or unprotected sex with infected partners, and failure to wear a seat belt.
8. Maintain a positive outlook.
Everybody has problems in life. Most problems we invite or create ourselves. To cure this, see # 9, below. Other problems are just what life deals us. We choose how we will respond to any given situation. You can respond with positivity or negativity. Studies have shown negative health effects from negative mental outlooks. Its bad enough to have a problem; don’t make it worse by a negative mental outlook. Cultivate the habit of positivity. Make the best of every situation. I recommend that you watch my video The Body/Mind Connection. It is an owners manual for everyone with a body and a mind!
9. Strive to elevate yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually.
We get what we aim for. Weight lifters grow stronger by lifting weights. Piano players get better by playing the piano. If you want to be healthier, happier, and of greater service, you must seek to move in that direction. Those who say “I can’t” will find they can’t. Those who say “its so hard” will find it hard. You have a wealth of talent and possibility within you. Act like you know it. Make repeated attempts to use that talent to the best of your abilities, and you will find yourself becoming stronger, happier, and healthier.
10. Trust in a Higher Power.
What do you believe about the bigger picture of your life? Do you understand that you are more than just flesh and bone? Seek and cultivate your connection with a Higher Power. I recommend my video “Remembering Who You Are” to stimulate your understanding in this regard.