The Foundation of Wellness
Written by Doctor Parris Kidd
All of us want to be healthy in body and mind. We also like to be well. Wellness builds upon the health of body and mind with positive spirituality and hope for self-realization. Wellness is a prerequisite for reaching our full potential as human beings, and the key to being healthy and well is to have a soundly developed, personalized nutrient program.
Modern Western society as a whole talks the talk about health and wellness but doesn’t walk the walk. In these societies the food supply is controlled by big business, not primarily in order to support wellness but to generate profit. Similarly, the profit-driven health care industry mainly pushes drugs. Together, the bad qualities of our food combine with the toxic aspects of most of our pharmaceuticals to undermine health and wellness.
Firefighters with Moderate Risk for Plaque Build-up Benefit from Taking a Combination of Garlic and Coenzyme Q10
New Orleans, LA. Firefighters have a two- to four-fold higher risk of having a cardiac event—such as a heart attack or sudden death—on the job compared to the general population.
They are used to construct the cells and tissues that form our bodies,
provide sources of energy to power metabolism (as well as provide
a mechanism for storing energy between meals), and are used
to form the countless enzymes that drive our metabolism. Unlike
the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) which are needed in
small amounts and are generally reused, macronutrients undergo
a constant flux in our body, necessitating a consistent intake to
provide enough energy for our survival and enough building blocks
for the growth, maintenance, and repair of our bodies.
Anyone who recently has been reading the major newspapers, surfing for news on the Internet or just watching the news on television likely has been surprised by the claim that “vitamins are deadly.” The Wall Street Journal (October 25, 2011) asks, “Is This the End of Popping Vitamins?” And the Archives of Internal Medicine just published “Dietary Supplements and Mortality Rate in Older Women,” an article that comes to the conclusion that “in older women, several commonly used dietary vitamin and mineral supplements may be associated with increased total mortality risk.” A second study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, (JAMA) claims that men who take vitamin E are at higher risk of developing prostate cancer. What is to be made of such claims? Are they true, false, or something in between? How can the non-expert decide?
Lily Tomlin got it right when she declared, “For fast-acting relief,
try slowing down.” The award-winning actress and comedienne
was no doubt talking about the effects of stress. And stress is no
friend when it comes to warding off the signs of aging.
Coming into the holiday season you’ll be
tempted by sugar, alcohol, and other indulgences
that may come at a high price. This
may be a good time to address the issue head
on, and start your New Year’s resolution in
advance!
Do you crave something sweet after dinner or between meals? Do you have to have your morning coffee, at all costs, or keep craving and drinking it throughout the day? Do you find that you can’t wait to get home for that end-of-the-day drink, and can’t relax without it?
Last week, we discussed the touchy subject of sugar cravings and artificial sweeteners, and the influence of diet soft drinks on weight. (It increases it.)
According to the Vancouver Sun, obesity is partly to blame for the rise in joint surgery. They were, of course, writing for their Canadian audience, but it is just as true in the US. If that is true (and it doubtless is), it is not difficult to understand. Added weight increases stress on the bones and joints.
For more than 20 years, Kathy Smith has stood at the forefront of the fitness industry, with a collection of bestselling books and DVDs covering topics from yoga and menopause to weight lifting and Pilates. She serves on a Board of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the University of Southern California’s School of Gerontology. A member of the Video Hall of Fame, Kathy received the “Lifetime Achievement” award from IDEA, the world’s largest professional fitness organization, and gave this year’s keynote address at Can-Fit-Pro, North America’s largest health and wellness conference. 
Less than 25 percent of adults exercise on a regular basis, thus, children - and adults - are spending more time performing sedentary tasks, such as surfing the Internet, playing video games, and watching television. This lack of exercise increases insulin resistance, hormone dysfunction, and inevitable weight gain. So, what can we do to keep fit and how do we fit exercise into our busy schedules?
In case you think that headline is an unwarranted scare tactic, I didn't make it up.
I borrowed it from an article published in the Houston Chronicle. They got their information from the researchers at the University of Texas San Antonio, who did a study of middle-aged adults who drink soft drinks. Are you ready for this?
Do you drink diet soft drinks, in the hopes it will diminish the circumference of your waistline? Forget it. The study monitored the weight and soda-drinking habits of over 600 normal weight adults, aged 25 - 64. After following the participants for eight years, they discovered that diet soda drinkers were 65 percent more likely to be overweight (with just one soda per day), and two or more calorie-reduced drinks raised the odds of becoming obese or overweight even higher.
