LIFESTYLE CHANGES THAT INCREASE HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
Using Your Conscientiousness to Avoid an Early Grave
So what is it that you don’t understand about dying? I’ve often wondered about this, because so many people today just seem to be barreling full-steam ahead toward an early grave, completely oblivious! Perhaps they think that it won’t happen to them, but you know what—none of us are getting out alive!
If death will happen, and it’s not usually all that pleasant, why not try to avoid it as long as possible? Why not try to keep yourself in the best possible shape right up to the end, and then when it’s time to go, you can wave good-bye with no regrets, suffering no pain, and on your own terms? That’s my plan!
You can do this, too. It just takes some understanding of what’s involved and that thing called conscientiousness I’ve been talking about. I believe that you can avoid a premature death—and stay healthy in mind and body right up until the end—just by taking a few conscientious steps each day.
But before getting to the best practices for our body, mind, and spirit, let me take a few steps back and give some context here. How did the human race get to this dismal state of health anyway? I believe that our current society, the medical industry itself, and industrialization have been conspiring against us. Once we understand more about this bigger picture—what has really happened to us as humans—I think we’ll find that making a few lifestyle adjustments now is well worth the payoff that we’ll enjoy later in life.
The State of the Union Has Been Falling Apart
So how did we in the U.S. arrive at the current state of physical, emotional, and spiritual dysfunction? I have a strong suspicion that the majority of Americans were motivated and working at a reasonable pace to achieve the American dream until the end of World War II. But over the subsequent two decades, the seeds of failure increased steadily.
As an example, prior to WWII, 95 percent of the food grown for consumption came from within 50 miles of where it was consumed. People ate real food—fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats grown locally—as their primary diet, they didn’t even know what junk food was. Even lower-income individuals had adequate food.
But then came one of the first human-made plagues when pesticides such as DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) were introduced during the 1940s. Also around this time, nuclear energy arrived on the scene—one of the most serious threats to the survival of humanity that had ever been experienced. From those two elements, many more dominos began to fall, more or less in the following order.
Water was no longer sacred. First chlorine was introduced, which was bad enough, but then fluoride was added to drinking water, forever poisoning the body and mind. Pesticides, herbicides, and chemical poisons grew in numbers and reach, contaminating our agricultural land and running off into our waterways.
Then we had to face contamination from nuclear testing, bombing, and nuclear plants. Few of us could conceive of what havoc this technology would bring upon the world.
But at that point, government regulations of life itself were everywhere, and on the home front we were also experiencing the gradual industrialization of food and the death of the family farm. Coupled with that, we then saw the rise of fast-food restaurants and other junk foods influencing the population to replace real food with virtual food—products made with artificial ingredients that were never intended to nourish the human body.
Then enter the proliferation of television in general, and we became a nation glued to our screens as we sat on our backsides. We gave up reading for pleasure and walking to the store, and we also seemed to give up self-responsibility for our own health and well-being, because the government seemed so willing to do it for us! If only we knew then how they were going to screw it up. More people might have spoken up and organized a protest in the streets.
But by this time, physical activity and exercise had fallen out of any kind of favor, and the poor diets we were eating were causing us to pack on the pounds until the obesity crisis reared its head in the 1990s—which we’re still struggling with 20 years later. Perhaps we didn’t hear the wake-up call because we were glued to the tube or our computer screens.
Did anybody think to look up and see the government, insurance industry, and PharmacoMafia (my term for the pharmaceutical industry) taking complete control of medicine? I did. I saw the hijack happening, and so did many individuals in the medical field and holistic movement, but there wasn’t much we could do about it. We tried to call them on it, but we did not control the money, and therefore did not control the power.
Imagine my shock and disbelief as a doctor when pharmaceuticals began advertising in print, on TV, and eventually all over the Internet, convincing most people that serious complications from their medications are merely side effects! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, my dear readers, but death is not a side effect! Imagine the audacity of drug manufacturers saying, at the end of so many of their long, rambling lists of side effects on their warning labels, “May cause death.”
In the midst of society moving forward at warp speed, we also began to feel the fallout of the destruction of the nuclear family, as divorce rates rose and the number of teen and single-parent pregnancies increased. More and more of us became dependent on government handouts, and this started a cycle of poverty that seems to grip families like a vice for generations.
These are just some of the many manifestations of the widespread loss of conscientiousness with which we as individuals and as a society are now struggling. We have lost our way and our willpower at personal, internal, and transcendent levels.
But Don’t Give Up! There Is Good News!
Before you begin to get depressed from the gloom and doom that I just listed, let’s consider that by taking a conscientious approach to your own life and health, you can turn around this chaos.
Research tells us that if Americans were nonsmokers, carried normal weight, did some exercise each day, and followed good nutritional guidelines, their life span would increase at least 18 to 20 years! Likewise, it’s clear from the research that inactivity, poor nutrition, obesity, and smoking often lead to damaged health for years before death.
Right now, the average life expectancy for Americans is 74.5 years for men and 80.5 for women. Man or woman, you lose six years at the end if you’re a smoker and another six if you’re obese or inactive.
Surely you would not want to die young or have the last ten years of your life full of illness and suffering if you could help it, right? The bottom line is that your health today and tomorrow is in your control; it is the result of habits, behavior, beliefs, attitudes, and your ancestors!
Personally, I have conscientiously chosen healthy habits, and I expect to remain healthy for many more years. I challenge you to choose wisely and enjoy all your remaining time on this planet. Here’s the critical information that will help you achieve that:
10 Smart Steps to Keep You Alive (and Well!)
I have advised more than 30,000 patients over the years to follow these steps. In doing so, they were able to overcome pain and depression, and 85 percent of them got back on a solid path to wellness. You can increase your longevity by conscientiously taking the following steps yourself. More details follow, but here is the basic checklist for a long and healthy life!
A Conscientious Diet Is a Good Diet
Let’s face it: The number one preventable cause of premature death is obesity! A poor diet and inactivity are what most often create weight problems and disease. Only one-third of Americans today have a healthy body weight, one-third are overweight, and another third are just plain fat—obese! As I just mentioned, a healthy body weight is a BMI of 18 to 24, and this range allows for the wide variety of skeletal and muscular differences.
Note that whatever your height, 40 pounds or more of extra weight puts you immediately in the obese category, where the risks to your health and longevity are tremendously magnified.
In its simplest form, good nutrition is eating a wide variety of real food. Forty-five percent of all food consumed in the United States is fast food, which is all junk that’s loaded with monosodium glutamate and other toxins. I went to McDonald’s back in the 1960s, took one bite, and spit it out. I do not trust anything from any fast-food restaurant.
In grocery stores, 60 percent of all items are junk because they are made out of artificial ingredients. If it comes in a package and has more than one basic, easily recognizable ingredient and salt, it probably is not real food! As much as I prefer organic options, I do not trust all of those either. Know where it was grown and packaged—that is your best bet.
Many people also forget that proteins are the most essential of all foods. You cannot make DNA without them. You can make carbohydrates and fats from them, and, of course, most protein foods contain some fat. In order of quality, I consider the following high-quality proteins very healthy for you and to be enjoyed in variety and moderation each day: eggs, fish, cheese (especially goat cheese), fowl, beef, venison, rabbit, buffalo, and pork. Incidentally, there are ten absolutely essential amino acids, which you must eat in order to be healthy.
Additionally, the widespread deficiency of taurine in 84 percent of my patients suggests that many people are not eating adequate animal protein. Taurine is not in any vegetable food, but it is essential to maintaining the normal electrical charge on cell walls; it works synergistically with magnesium to maintain electrical balance.
As for meal planning in the ideal diet, I recommend that adults eat the following each day: one super salad; two other vegetables; two fruits; one or two servings of the good starches (not essential, but okay to eat); one serving of the highest-quality animal proteins (at least three or four times each week, which is essential for getting an adequate amount of vitamin B12); and up to one serving of the four other good protein foods that I just mentioned, such as eggs, cheese, and beans, especially on days when you don’t eat the higher-quality ones. If you do not eat one of the meats listed or eggs, then you should add yeast on those days for balance. But in terms of flavor, I have not tasted any yeast that compares well with any of the real animal foods! And, yes, yeast is just as much a living organism as any animal!
Please remember that added fats are also important for the body. I recommend that you include up to two tablespoons of fat in your daily diet, especially with meals that don’t have a starch. My preferred fat choices are butter, olive oil, or coconut oil.
Condiments and herbs not only taste amazing but are very good for the body. There are scores of these marvelous tasty treats, most of which are loaded with antioxidants and great minerals. My favorites are cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, rosemary, thyme, mint, pimentón (a smoked Spanish paprika), and oregano. The other great seasoning agents are onions and garlic, which may be eaten as a serving of vegetables or used as seasonings, and are very versatile and good for you. You can also eat various seaweed products, if you like them.
With this as a guide for nutrition, there is no need for desserts. However, if you aren’t overweight and are otherwise healthy, then a dessert once a week is fine. Personally, I enjoy one ounce of dark chocolate (70 percent or more of cocoa) as a treat after dinner about four times a week or so. Dark chocolate has been proven to be good for your health and is without the ill effects or high sugar content that’s present in other kinds of chocolate products.
Five Tests Well Worth Taking
Under the model of becoming a conscientious citizen, you now are coming to realize that you are responsible for taking care of your own health. I agree that you should use your common sense to consult with a medical professional when you feel that you have something very serious to deal with, but most of the time it’s just as helpful to apply your own initiative and seek natural methods of prevention and treatment for most ailments and conditions.
Part of the due diligence of taking good care of yourself, in addition to eating well and exercising, are five important tests that are known to detect problems. The issues highlighted by these tests are ones that can be easily corrected before they cause illness.
— I feel that perhaps the most critical test is for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). This test measures inflammation in the body and can detect things that range from a low-grade gum infection to serious issues like gallbladder or pelvic infections. The normal range is between one and three, but optimal is below one. (Anger can also cause elevated levels.) If your hs-CRP is at a one or above, you’ll need to do a comprehensive physical exam. Taking antioxidants such as astaxanthin at 12 mg daily, which is my favorite, is one of the best ways to lower hs-CRP. And, as you will learn when we discuss the Ring of Crystal, stimulating that circuit can lower free radicals and inflammation better than any other approach I know.
— The second test I suggest is the homocysteine blood test. Homocysteine is an abnormal protein that, when elevated above 7.5 mg/L, leaves a person susceptible to heart attack, stroke, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. It is easily corrected with specific supplements, in this case extra B12 and folic acid. Remember, any homocysteine level above 7.5 mg/L is risky!
— The third recommended test is for free radicals in your urine. This one measures the extent of cell death that is caused by excessive chemical oxidation, which again is easily fixed. For this, I would recommend Crystal Bliss essential oil blend, which is explained further in Chapter Seven. Although high intakes of antioxidants may reduce free radicals, I have found levels of two or above on the Oxidata test for malondialdehyde in 99 percent out of hundreds of individuals. The single best way to reduce free radicals is daily stimulation of the Ring of Crystal. Malondialdeyde is actually the metabolic breakdown of the fat layer that is around cells—in other words, it represents the cells killed by free radicals!
— As part of your health regime, the fourth test that I recommend is to check your levels of DHEA, which, as you’ll recall, is the most essential hormone in the body. It’s usually too low or deficient in the majority of people over the age of 40, but there are four safe, natural approaches to restoring DHEA, which we reviewed in Chapter Two. Be sure to check free DHEA, not DHEA sulfate! Incidentally, the only accurate lab is Quest Diagnostic Nichols Institute in Capistrano, California!
— The fifth test you should consider taking is one that measures your cholesterol level. Cholesterol is the foundation for most hormones and the nervous system. Your body needs and manufactures cholesterol constantly, but high levels are not good for you. Just ten minutes of stress produces more cholesterol than you get from eating two eggs!
Speaking of eggs, while there are studies of many kinds about them, I believe there is no credible evidence that they are harmful to you, unless you are specifically allergic to egg protein. The cholesterol contained in them is perfectly balanced by lecithin. The most remarkable report is of a man who ate 25 eggs daily and had a cholesterol reading of 125—which is quite good! Obviously, eggs—and their yolks—didn’t cause him cholesterol problems, and they shouldn’t affect you negatively either.
Myths and Truths about Cholesterol and Fats
Where in the world can you eat food high in fat and get away with it? In just about every country of the world apparently, and there is lots of research to prove it. Medicine’s greatest error in the past 50 years has been the war on cholesterol. This may seem surprising, but many studies show that people who eat more cholesterol and saturated fat than their peers also weigh less than those same individuals.
This is because increased weight gain and elevated cholesterol levels are invariably correlated. Furthermore, those who eat the least amount of saturated fat and cholesterol seem to have twice the death rate compared to their peers with diets higher in these elements.
In Okinawa, Japan, where inhabitants eat large amounts of pork and cook with lard, the average life expectancy of women is 84. It is interesting, too, that Jews who live in Yemen, who intake fat solely of animal origin but eat no sugar, have minimal rates of heart disease and diabetes. Yemenite Jews who have been transplanted to Israel tend to eat more margarine, vegetable oils, and sugar than their traditional cousins at home in Yemen, and with that change in diet come resultant higher levels of heart disease and diabetes in those living in Israel.
Residents of northern India eat 17 times more animal fat than those in southern India, yet the southern Indians have a seven times greater incidence of heart disease. And while the African Masai eat mostly milk and beef blood, heart disease is rare and cholesterol is low among them.
Residents of Crete obtain 70 percent of their calories from lamb, sausage, and goat cheese and have very low rates of heart disease. The Inuit people (also sometimes called Eskimos) are relatively free of heart disease, despite a high intake of fat, as long as they avoid sugar.
The Chinese, who consume great quantities of nonhomogenized milk, have half the rate of heart disease as those who eat little animal fat. In the country of Georgia, those who eat the fattiest kinds of meats actually live the longest.
The incidence of death from coronary artery disease in France is 55 percent lower than in the U.S. despite its citizens’ high intake of butter, eggs, cream, and liver pâté. Indeed, in the areas of that country with the highest consumption of goose and duck liver, the incidence of coronary heart disease is a striking 76 percent below that of Americans.
The Relationship Between Carbs and Cholesterol
When you look at research done around the world, you see that this really comes down to a truth that few in North America seem willing to accept—namely, it is carbohydrates that make you fat, not eating fat! Beef fat is considerably better at improving cholesterol than equal calories from bread, potatoes, and pasta. And nonhydrogenated pork lard is even better than other shortenings.
As you seek to understand all this, here is how carbohydrates affect the body. The problem with them is in how they are related to the glycemic index (GI). Sugar has a GI of 100, and all other foods are measured against this. White bread is 97, which is almost as high as sugar itself, while nuts have a GI of only 15. This means that nuts raise blood sugar at only 15 percent the rate of sugar.
Eating foods with a high GI leads to insulin release, which increases fat storage in your body. High dairy fat decreases insulin resistance. So that Super Big Gulp soda that seems so appealing on your drive home from work is just 64 ounces of pure junk, containing 48 teaspoons of sugar with 292 calories for fat production. Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, are even worse; studies show that aspartame actually prevents weight loss and increases appetite, which most people don’t understand at all. Don’t be fooled.
It is also a fact that trans fats—hydrogenated margarine, shortening, and most peanut butters, to name a few—are at least as serious of a threat to causing high cholesterol as anything else. These ingredients are found in many pastries, doughnuts, deep-fried foods, crackers, and fast food. They increase insulin release and are associated with heart disease, cancer, immune dysfunction, sterility, growth problems, osteoporosis, and hearing loss. Not all peanut butter is bad for you, though. As part of my own conscientious nutrition regime, I take a tablespoon or two of natural peanut butter in my diet with no ill effects.
Here is one of the biggest cautions I can offer. I personally would not turn to drugs in order to control or reduce cholesterol problems. While statin drugs, which are the PharmacoMafia’s current answer to cholesterol problems, can modestly reduce cholesterol, they clobber the liver and immune function.
Instead, here are some natural ways to bring down your cholesterol and control your overall weight. Start with any kind of physical exercise, and build up to one hour daily. Ensure a high intake of nonstarchy vegetables and fruits daily, striving for seven servings. Enjoy a program of deep-relaxation exercises (self-regulation) for 20 minutes daily.
Also, avoid hydrogenated fats of all kinds, and don’t drink soda or eat at fast-food restaurants. Stay away from homogenized milk, and instead drink at least two quarts of nonchlorinated water each day. I recommend using only butter and olive, coconut, sesame, and flaxseed oils as added fats in your diet.
If your cholesterol is still above 200 after six weeks on the above regimen, consider adding one of the following supplements to your diet: timed-release niacin, 500 mg at each meal; beta-sitosterol, 400 mg at each meal; arginine, 5 grams daily with 2.5 grams citrulline in timed-release capsules; taurine, 3 to 4 grams daily; or lecithin granules, four heaping tablespoons daily.
Exercise: The Key to Health and Happiness
I have been an exercise buff all my life. As a child, I did the Charles Atlas dynamic isometric exercise program, and I was lifting weights even before medical school. Today, I still do 75 to 90 minutes of exercise daily, but no weight lifting. Three years ago, at the age of 77, I did a treadmill stress test. It showed that my body was equal to most healthy 26-year-olds, so I live by my own advice, and it’s a great life!
I tell you this not to boast, but to emphasize my belief that physical exercise is the single greatest boost to health and longevity. Time and time again, I have seen that when patients would start and stick with a good exercise program, they would overcome depression, stress, anxiety, and pain—and live longer lives.
When you exercise, you will suffer far fewer illnesses or ailments throughout your life, and you can stay away from unnecessary pharmaceuticals, such as antidepressants. No drugs are free of side effects, and many cause worse situations than they were intended to cure. For example, a March 15, 2011, article published in The American Journal of Psychiatry reported that when researchers studied the cases of more than 24,000 patients who had suffered strokes, they found that the prior use of antidepressants was associated with a 48 percent increased stroke risk! This is just one example—and you could easily find hundreds more—but I don’t want to dwell on the negatives.
Physical exercise has all kinds of positive aspects, but let me share just a few. I totally believe that it is the single best and safest treatment for mild to major depression, even in those people who are resistant to drug therapy, and it is also the best and safest treatment for anxiety. Getting your body moving every day also reduces stress, hostility, and anger.
There are all kinds of research studies that show how exercise improves cognitive thinking at all ages and helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It reduces fibromyalgia symptoms more than any known drug, and, in fact, a good regimen reduces mortality at any age, especially from heart disease. In addition, you can improve immune function, keep from becoming overweight, and reduce your risk of diabetes. I could go on and on—the benefits are endless.
As for what you choose to do for your own program, to some extent, it does not matter what you do for exercise. In general, a brisk walk is superb. Aim to build up to a minimum of two miles in 30 minutes, which is not really that hard. Various yoga techniques and exercises are excellent as well. When you can’t get out, I find that treadmills are good. My favorite one is a HealthRider, which works out every muscle in your body except your face. Walking or jogging in a swimming pool is another outstanding way to get your body moving.
If you are resistant to exercise, try bouncing—even while watching TV. Build up to three minutes of bouncing ten times a day. Your immune system, mood, and overall health will improve immensely just by getting yourself moving. You can bounce on a small trampoline or in place. Just do an Internet search for “Bounce with Dr. Shealy” on YouTube to see how easy it is.
Proper Sleep Is Necessary for Health
As more and more people are reporting sleep disorders, we are seeing all kinds of sleep clinics and drug-based solutions popping up everywhere. I would suggest that making personal lifestyle changes should be your first line of defense before seeing the doctor, unless you are very ill or worried about something more serious.
There is quite a bit of scientific evidence that sleep deficiencies are a major contributing factor to the obesity crisis. Over and over, studies are showing that too little sleep is linked to weight gain.
There are various theories as to why this is so, but there may be three primary reasons why getting proper sleep helps you manage your weight better. If you are going to bed at a decent hour each night, you have fewer evening hours to snack on poor food choices you might otherwise seek. Some other scientists say that too little sleep produces excess stress and causes havoc with hunger hormones and the body’s ability to process sugars in food. Other experts claim that lack of proper sleep is a vicious circle—you are just too tired when waking up to feel like going to the gym or working out, thus your body packs on the pounds from inactivity!
Whatever the reason, a conscientious person knows that it is best to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, getting a minimum of seven good hours of sleep. As for getting to sleep, the wisdom of your mother is still valid: Why not try a glass of warm milk?
I also recommend listening to relaxing music, the gentle sounds of nature, or autogenic-training CDs in order to calm your mind, body, and spirit. I would not recommend drinking anything with caffeine after the noon hour if getting to sleep is an issue. And of course, one of the best ways to drift off to a blissful sleep is using Air Bliss essential oil blend applied to the Ring of Air points on the body before bed (Air Bliss is explained further in the next chapter).
Selecting Supplements That Work for You
When it comes to nutritional supplements, it depends very much on what your system still may need that it’s not getting from your normal diet, what your body might need to help protect itself from illness, or what’s necessary to recover from physical concerns that you may have developed.
But in general terms, the supplements I recommend most often happen to be these:
The Path to a Long Life Really Starts with Love
Thank you for sticking with me through a chapter about life and death, which can both be pretty heavy topics. What it ultimately comes down to is that in order to enjoy optimal health throughout your life, and do good for yourself and others, you need love—and you also need to love others unconditionally.
When you truly love yourself, you will care enough to make the necessary changes you’ve just learned about. I could certainly write a full book on the healing power of love (and I probably will one day), but for now I’d just like you to accept this premise and move with me to the next chapter, where we will discuss ways to stay positive and blissful all your days on this Earth. I invite you to let that bliss give you the chance to open your heart and truly love yourself, just in case you are not completely there yet.