Tips for a healthy heart

A strong heart is a result of healthy lifestyle choices. Be active and stress-free
Today's fast-paced life and workplace pressures escalate stress levels, taking a toll on one's heart. We must realise that the healing power of the body decreases when under stress, leading to many complications like hypertension and poor immunity. Today, even youngsters are prone to heart ailments. So, it's very important to stay healthy and manage your stress levels by understanding the risk factors — high cholesterol levels, stressful lifestyle, smoking, and lack of exercise — following simple changes in lifestyle.

Avoid smoking
Smoking reduces life expectancy by 15-25 years. If you are a smoker, you are twice more likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. The moment you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack begins to reduce.
Cut down on salt
Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
Watch your diet
Try to have a balanced diet. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, starch foods such as wholegrain bread and rice.
Monitor your alcohol
Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and also lead to weight gain. Avoid intake of alcohol or at least limit it to one to two units a day, gradually decreasing the consumption.
Get active
At least aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Keeping yourself fit not only benefits the heart but also improves mental health and well-being.
Monitor your BP, blood sugar and cholesterol levels
Routine medical check-ups will ring an alarm, if you need medical help.
Manage your waist
Cholesterol deposition in blood vessels begins in the first decade of life. Carrying a lot of extra weight as fat can greatly affect your health. Make small but healthy changes in your diet.
Manage your stress level
If you find things are getting on top of you, you may fail to eat properly, smoke and drink too much. This may increase your risk of a heart attack. Practice yoga/meditation. Take a vacation.
Check your family history
If a close relative is at risk of developing coronary heart disease from smoking, high BP, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity, obesity and diabetes, then you could be at risk too.
Laughter is the best therapy
Laughter anytime will work wonders for you. It is an instant way to unleash the pressure and it makes you feel light.

Tips To Healthy Eating

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods. How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.
   
2. Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most Americans don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.
   
3. Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses. But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems. If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.
   
4. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings. A pint of ice cream contains 4 servings. Refer to the Food Guide Pyramid for information on recommended serving sizes.
   
5. Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.
   
6. Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them.
   Identify major sources of these ingredients in your diet and make changes, if necessary. Adults who eat high-fat meats or whole-milk dairy products at every meal are probably eating too much fat. Use the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label to help balance your choices.
   Choosing skim or low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat such as flank steak and beef round can reduce fat intake significantly.
   If you love fried chicken, however, you don't have to give it up. Just eat it less often. When dining out, share it with a friend, ask for a take-home bag or a smaller portion.
   
7. Balance your food choices over time. Not every food has to be "perfect." When eating a food high in fat, salt or sugar, select other foods that are low in these ingredients. If you miss out on any food group one day, make up for it the next. Your food choices over several days should fit together into a healthy pattern.
   
8. Know your diet pitfalls. To improve your eating habits, you first have to know what's wrong with them. Write down everything you eat for three days. Then check your list according to the rest of these tips. Do you add a lot of butter, creamy sauces or salad dressings? Rather than eliminating these foods, just cut back your portions. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables? If not, you may be missing out on vital nutrients.
   
9. Make changes gradually. Just as there are no "superfoods" or easy answers to a healthy diet, don't expect to totally revamp your eating habits overnight. Changing too much, too fast can get in the way of success. Begin to remedy excesses or deficiencies with modest changes that can add up to positive, lifelong eating habits. For instance, if you don't like the taste of skim milk, try low-fat. Eventually you may find you like skim, too.
   
10. Remember, foods are not good or bad. Select foods based on your total eating patterns, not whether any individual food is "good" or "bad." Don't feel guilty if you love foods such as apple pie, potato chips, candy bars or ice cream. Eat them in moderation, and choose other foods to provide the balance and variety that are vital to good health.

10 Tips to healthy eating and physical activity for you.

1. Start your day with breakfast.
   Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to get you going after a long night without food. And it can help you do better in school. Easy to prepare breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk, whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night's pizza!
   
   
2. Get Moving!
   It's easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.
   
   
3. Snack smart.
   Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups - a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.
   
   
4. Work up a sweat.
   Vigorous work-outs - when you're breathing hard and sweating - help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.
   
   
5. Balance your food choices - don't eat too much of any one thing.
   You don't have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthy. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you get all these nutrients.
   
   
6. Get fit with friends or family.
   Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.
   
   
7. Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
   These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group.
   Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or salad.
   
   
8. Join in physical activities at school.
   Whether you take a physical education class or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structures activities are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically fit.
   
   
9. Foods aren't good or bad.
   A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part -- or food -- is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods fit together. Balancing your choices is important. Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don't forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, you don't need a third.
   
   
10. Make healthy eating and physical activities fun!
    Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous - try new sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You'll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals - don't try changing too much at once.

Five Rules for Maintaining Healthy Skin

Our morning routine is no time for self indulgence. Typically, five minutes is all most of us can afford to devote to skin care before we head out for the day. However, incorporating these five skin care rules into your daily lives will ensure that you'll never need more than those 5 minutes to keep up that ageless appearance.

Rule #1: Avoid the sun!

Sure we all look better with a tan, but before this trend was popular, paleness was a sign of beauty and wealth. So where did we go awry? Well leave it to Coco Chanel to ignite a complete reversal of the image when arriving home from a vacation looking bronze. This must have been the birth of the freckle, sun spot, and skin cancer. Thankfully, with the advent of sunless tanning, we can achieve the sun kissed look sans the damage. However, it does not protect our skin from those nasty ultraviolet (UV) rays. So, never leave the house without applying sunscreen, at least SPF 15. Most facial lotions already have it mixed in, but be sure to double check the label. Additionally, avoid the sun during the "Prime Tanning Hours" of 10am-4pm. If you do expect to spend an extended period of time out during this time frame wear sun glasses, and a wide brimmed hat. Squinting leads to the development of crows feet, and UV rays also cause eye damage. Hats provide an extra layer of protection, and will also keep color treated hair from fading prematurely.

Rule #2: Drink more water!

Put down that soda, and pick up a water bottle. You're not doing yourself any favors by getting jacked up on caffeine all day. Caffeine dehydrates the body which contributes to the drying, and aging of skin. Alcohol also causes dehydration, and depletes the body of Vitamin A, an important antioxidant. It can cause broken capillaries, and aggravates rosacea. Excessive consumption of it damages the liver which then cannot properly rid the body of toxins. Toxins accelerate the aging process, and are accumulated from pollutants in the environment, and preservatives in food and beverages. Water is the only fluid that can flush out these toxins. An inadequate intake of water forces them to release through the skin causing damage, and break outs. Proper hydration will also help alleviate those unsightly dark circles under the eyes. So substitute water for your usual iced coffee or appletini once a week,and maybe next happy hour you'll be carded!

Rule #3: Quit stressing!

Stress and skin problems are directly related. So it's no coincidence that you have flair ups the night before a presentation, or a party you've been planning. Unfortunately, we can't avoid stress, but managed properly we can prevent additional aggravation caused by skin problems stemming from it. Stress causes an increased amount of oil production and secretion, which if trapped under the skin leads to acne. An easy way to de-stress is to break a sweat. Exercise will not only release Endorphins that contribute to feeling happy, but produce sweat that will unclog pores. It also increases circulation that helps deliver nutrients, and oxygen to the skin making for a more glowing complexion. Sweating might not be the most attractive process, but it's a natural alternative to harsh chemicals in some facial cleansers, and an easy way to release stress. So during periods of increased stress it's important to pay extra attention to skin care.

Rule #4: Maintain a healthy diet!

Healthy skin starts from the inside out. Providing it with proper vitamins and nutrients from is something that no cream can accomplish on its own. Focus on adding foods rich in Omega-3, Vitamin C, A, and E to your diet. Omega-3 found in seafood, increases the production of collagen and elastin needed to keep the skin moist and youthful looking. Vitamin C from fruits such as oranges, and grapefruits, while known to boost the immune system, also negates the effects of free radicals; unstable molecules found in the natural environment that age the skin. Vegetables such as carrots, and spinach provide Vitamin A. This is a key component in the fight against wrinkles because it is converted into retinol, a compound in most all anti-wrinkle creams on the market. It stimulates new cell growth that reduces the appearance of wrinkles, and fine lines, as well as fades age spots. Lastly Vitamin E found in nuts such as almonds, and walnuts, acts as an antioxidant that protects skin cell membranes from damaged caused by exposure to UV rays. They also contain fatty acids that help to prevent and treat dryness associated with such skin disorders as acne, psoriasis and eczema. While purchasing these vitamins in pill form sounds like a good idea, in some cases they can have the opposite effects. So head to the grocery store and get creative with skin care in the kitchen!

Rule #5: Be gentle!
Daily cleansing is a standard routine, but if performed too often or with overly harsh products it can be damaging. Be gentle and keep it in moderation. Don't take excessively hot or long showers. It will strip too much oil from your skin forcing your body to overcompensate and produce excess oil. Also be sure that your using a body soap that's free of synthetic ingredients or chemicals. Remember our skin is a porous surface, and absorbs what's put on it. Try an organic soap with all natural ingredients such as, olive oil, and almond extract. They do the same job, but without the unnecessary additives. After cleansing try not to rub the water off, instead gently pat away excess moisture. Lastly, chose a facial cleanser and moisturizer specific to your skin type. Limit washing your face to twice a day, morning and night. Always follow with moisturizer. Avoid products containing a high alcohol alcohol, and fragrance, they can dry out your skin. Look for oil free, and non-comedogenic products, they're designed to clean without leaving residue that clogs pores. It may be a bit of an experiment, finding the right combination of products that works for you but ultimately worth the results.

So what have we learned? Mostly what we already knew, but don't make enough time for. It's easy to forget why these things are important in lives as busy as ours. It's time to get back to the basics. Use common sense, be vigilant, and take care of yourself, not just for your skins sake, but for your sake.

Best Superfoods for Weight Loss

So-called superfoods are nutritional powerhouses that help build bones, prevent chronic diseases, improve your eyesight, and even keep your mind sharp. But did you know new evidence suggests these foods can also help you get—and stay—slim?

Read on for the top superfoods for weight loss, and how to pack them into your daily diet!

Black beans

A cup of black beans packs a whopping 15 grams of satisfying protein and doesn't contain any of the saturated fat found in other protein sources, like red meat.

Oats

Oats are rich in fiber, so a serving can help you feel full throughout the day. Just a half cup packs 4.6 grams of Resistant Starch, a healthy carb that boosts metabolism and burns fat.

Avocados

There's no reason to be afraid of eating fats—as long as they're the right fats.

Oleic acid, a compound in avocados' healthy monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), may trigger your body to actually quiet hunger. Stick to a quarter or a half of an avocado and watch that belly fat melt away. The creamy fruit is also packed with fiber and protein.

Salmon

Lean sources of protein help you feel full without adding fat. However, 50% of women ages 18 to 50 don't know if they get enough of this essential nutrient.

Up your intake with salmon; it's a leaner choice than red meat and is chock-full of MUFAs to boot. A 2001 study found that dieters eating a MUFA-rich diet lost an average of 9 pounds, while their low-fat diet counterparts gained, on average, 6.

Blueberries

Best known for their anti-aging effects, blueberries, while tiny, are a powerful figure-friendly eat: A 1-cup serving sets you back only 80 calories, and helps you feel full with 4 grams of fiber.

Broccoli

Cooked or raw, this cruciferous veggie is well-known for its cancer-preventing powers, but with a punch of filling fiber in less than 30 calories a serving, it's bound to prevent weight problems too.

Brown rice

Brown rice is a heartier, fiber-packed alternative to less-than-super white rice. A half-cup serving contains 1.7 grams of Resistant Starch, a healthy carb that boosts metabolism and burns fat.

Plus, brown rice is a low-energy-density food, meaning it's heavy and filling but low in calories. One study found that women who ate a higher-energy-density diet gained three times as much weight over six years than women eating a low-energy-density diet.

Pears

Just one pear packs 15% of your daily recommended amount of fiber. One study found that women who ate three pears a day consumed fewer calories and lost more weight than those who didn't. Ditch the peeler though; the skin is where all that filling fiber is hiding!

Wine

Resveratrol, the famed antioxidant found in grape skin, stops fat storage. Studies show that moderate wine drinkers have narrower waists and less belly fat than liquor drinkers. Downing a glass can boost your calorie burn for a good 90 minutes.

Grapefruit

Even if you changed nothing else about your diet, eating half a grapefruit before each meal may help you lose up to a pound a week!

A compound in the tangy fruit can lower insulin, a fat-storage hormone, and that can lead to weight loss. It's also a good source of protein, and because it's at least 90% water, it can fill you up so you eat less.

Kidney beans

One of several varieties of beans to make the list, red beans offer protein and fiber (more than 5 grams per serving!). Kidney beans are also rich in Resistant Starch; a 1/2-cup serving packs nearly 2 grams of this slimming carb.

Almonds

Nuts are another superfood rich in healthy fats that help you slim down.

Almonds in particular can help you shed pounds: In one study, people who added a daily helping of the nuts to a low-cal diet lost more weight than people who followed the same diet but swapped almonds for a carb-heavy snack like crackers.

Green tea

This steamy sip hydrates like water, which can help fill you up and shed pounds. Plus, the antioxidants in green tea will up your fat burn and calorie burn. One study found that five cups a day could help you lose twice as much weight, most of it around your middle.

Lentils

Lentils are a great source of satiating protein and fiber. A half-cup serving delivers 3.4 grams of Resistant Starch, a healthy carb that boosts metabolism and burns fat.

Bananas

Bananas are a slimming superfood at the heart of Health's CarbLovers Diet. A slightly green, medium-size banana will fill you up and boost your metabolism with its 12.5 grams of Resistant Starch. Even a ripe banana still ranks high on the list of foods containing RS, with almost 5 grams.

Best and Worst Foods for Digestion

In theory, you should be able to digest just about any type of food you put in your mouth.

But changes in food processing and preparation (think fried) not to mention lifestyle (think sedentary) mean our stomachs don't always react well to everything we eat.

It's best to avoid some food—like fatty meats—to avoid upset tummies. But, fortunately, nature also provides foods that can ease our digestion. Here's a guide to what's good and what's bad when it comes to keeping your system running smoothly.

High-fat and fried food

 Both high-fat and fried food can overwhelm the stomach, resulting in acid reflux and heartburn. "The body can only handle so much at one time," says Jessica Anderson, RD, a diabetes educator with the Texas A&M Health Science Center Coastal Bend Health Education Center, in Corpus Christi.

High-fat food also can result in pale-colored stool, a phenomenon called steatorrhea, which is essentially excess fat in the feces. A lot of people with irritable bowel syndrome need to stay away from foods high in fat, she says, including butter and cream because they can cause digestive problems.

Chili peppers

 This staple of spicy cuisine can irritate the esophagus and lead to heartburn pain.

This can be a particular problem for people with irritable bowel syndrome or those who already suffer from chronic heartburn, says Tim McCashland, MD, a gastroenterologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha.

Dairy

 You need calcium in your diet, and an easy way to get it is from dairy products such as milk and cheese. But, for the lactose intolerant, these can cause diarrhea, gas, and abdominal bloating and cramps.

Lactose intolerance, a common problem, occurs when people don't make enough lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose (the sugar found in milk). Celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and chemotherapy can damage the intestines, which also can lead to lactose intolerance.

If you're lactose intolerant, staying away from dairy is probably your best bet.

Alcohol

Alcohol relaxes the body, but, unfortunately, it also relaxes the esophageal sphincter. This can lead to acid reflux or heartburn.

Drinking also can inflame the stomach lining, impairing certain enzymes and preventing nutrients from being absorbed, Anderson says. Too much alcohol can cause diarrhea and cramping, but unless you have a gastrointestinal disorder, moderate amounts of alcohol shouldn't irritate the digestive tract.

Guidelines suggest no more than two drinks a day for men and one for women.

Berries

Berries

Berries are good for your health, but ones with tiny seeds can be a problem for people who have diverticulitis, or pockets that develop in the intestine (usually the large intestine) that become inflamed or infected.

"The theory is that the seeds will obstruct the [pockets] and pose a risk of infection," Dr. McCashland says. "It's never been proven in a study but it's always been theorized." If you find that seeds, including sunflower or pumpkin seeds, irritate your intestines, stay away from them.

Chocolate

A 2005 study suggested that chocolate may be a problem in those with irritable bowel syndrome or chronic constipation.

But chocolate itself may not be the villain, Anderson says. For people with milk allergies, the real culprit could be the milk contained in many chocolate treats. And chocolate has caffeine in it, which can stimulate cramps, bloating, and diarrhea. 

Coffee, tea, and soft drinks

Coffee, tea, and carbonated beverages not only over-relax the esophageal sphincter, which keeps stomach acid confined to the stomach, but they also can act as diuretics, which can lead to diarrhea and cramping, Anderson says.

Caffeinated beverages can be a particular problem, especially for people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

If you have GERD or heartburn, you should avoid mint tea; it can, however, also calm the stomach, Anderson says.

Corn

Fiber-rich corn is good for you, but it also contains cellulose, a type of fiber that humans can't break down easily because we lack a necessary enzyme.

Our evolutionary ancestors were probably able to break it down with bigger, stronger teeth, Anderson says. If you chew corn longer, you can probably digest it just fine, she says. But wolf it down and it may pass through you undigested, and cause gas and abdominal pain.

Yogurt

You have trillions of bacteria in your gut that help you digest food, and yogurt contains some types of these healthy bacteria. (Although not all yogurts have them—check for "live and active cultures" on the label.)

Yogurt has bacteria, which replenishes the normal flora within the gastrointestinal tract so it's healthy

Kimchi

Kimchi is a Korean favorite usually made with cabbage, radish, or onion, along with lots of spices. The main ingredient is usually cabbage, which promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon.

And cabbage is a type of fiber that's not digested, so it helps eliminate waste, keeping bowel movements regular, Anderson says. Sauerkraut is good for the same reasons.

This dish can be spicy, however, so it might not be a good option if you’ve found that spicy foods trigger digestive problems for you.

Lean meat and fish

If you're going to eat meat, go for chicken, fish, and other lean meats—they'll go down a lot easier than a juicy steak.

"Red meats tend to be fattier," Anderson says. "Your body can handle lean meats and fish and chicken a whole lot better than prime rib."

And lean meats and fish have not been associated with an increased risk of colon cancer like high-fat red meats have.

Whole grains

Whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, oats, and brown rice, are a good source of fiber, which helps digestion.

"If there's one thing America lacks, it's fiber," Anderson says. "We need 20 to 30 grams a day and we maybe get 12."

Fiber also can help you feel full and lower cholesterol, but it can cause bloating, gas, and other problems in people who quickly ramp up their intake—it's better to take it slow when consuming more. And wheat grains are a no-no for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. 

Bananas

Bananas help restore normal bowel function, especially if you have diarrhea (say, from too much alcohol).

And they restore electrolytes and potassium that may be lost due to runny stool. This fruit also has lots of fiber to aid digestion.

 Ginger

This spice has been used for thousands of years as a safe way to relieve nausea, vomiting, motion sickness, morning sickness, gas, loss of appetite, and colic.

But it's best to consume it in moderation. High doses of ginger can backfire; more than 2 to 4 grams per day can cause heartburn.

Five basic health-steps the system does NOT want you to take

Diet and exercise are about the only things major media outlets seem to focus on, and those are certainly important. But when most people that think of 'diet' think of things like drinking diet soda instead of regular and eating aspartame laced yogurt for dessert instead of cheesecake, it's abundantly clear that society has a clear misunderstanding of the right things to consume and avoid in order to achieve optimal health. So, go ahead, peel apart the layers of deception and begin your journey down the rabbit hole. What you will find could quite literally save your life.

1.) Vaccines - Whether or not there is good science behind the concept of introducing small amounts of pathogens to build immunity to the 'real thing' is, sadly, really a moot point considering the toxic adjuvants and preservatives that come with vaccines. Without even covering the allergic reactions and immediate long and short-term side effects many experience, is the cumulative buildup of mercury, aluminum, and a host of other trouble-makers in the body really worth potentially avoiding a few mostly non-lethal childhood diseases?

2.) Supplements - Not your typical WalMart synthetic brand, but routine, organic, plant-based supplements are a huge key to replacing the nutrients that even the most health-conscious of us miss out on simply because the food we grow today is lacking so many nutrients. The body uses these nutrients to fight off disease, naturally. So give it what it needs!

3.) Water filtration - Fluoride, arsenic, chlorine, lead, and even chemical and pharmaceutical runoffs are just a few of the things our bodies would really rather do without. Do your research, invest in a high quality water filter, and give your body the water it needs minus the toxins.

4.) Label awareness - HFCS, MSG, aspartame, sucralose, partially-hydrogenated - these are some of the things an informed label reader will look for and avoid like the plagues they are.

5.) GMOs - Potentially the most important non-nuclear threat of our time, GMOs could mean the end of the food supply as we know it. Currently there are no labeling laws, so one must buy USDA Organic to avoid GMO. It may be more expensive but, as Joel Salatin so aptly put it, "If you think organic foods are expensive, have you priced cancer lately?"

Note: All of these steps center around what we choose to allow into our bodies. If we make the right choices, we stand a better chance of allowing our immune systems to eliminate the toxins we unavoidably encounter every day, a better chance of not becoming just another Big Medical statistic!