Top 10 Tips for Getting Well and Staying Healthy

In an effort to understand  available resources for our clients who are interested in more naturalistic/holistic and integrative therapies, I attended an amazing conference last week coordinated by the Annie Appleseed Project. While there I met many folks of various beliefs and approaches to cancer prevention and healing. One of the many amazing individuals I met wrote a book that has become a best seller   A Lighter Side to Cancer – From Wake-up Call to Radiant Wellness written to inspire individuals to participate in their own healing from cancer or any degenerative disease. I wanted to share her top 10 tips with you all.. Thank you, Sandy.   

TOP TEN TIPS FOR GETTING WELL
AND STAYING HEALTHY

1. Be aware of your options.

Amazing people, products, procedures, and experiences are within your reach. Be curious about who and what is available to help you create a healthy lifestyle. Be a mindful detective and discover the best resources for your health and well-being. Take the time to ask for help, attend workshops, take classes, read, and explore the Internet.

2. Create a wellness "dream team."

Choose traditional and complementary healthcare providers that support and nourish you--body, mind, and soul. Maintain a healthy body with the assistance of medical doctors, a mercury-free dentist, chiropractor, herbalist, acupuncturist, massage practitioner, etc. Create a more positive perspective with the support of outstanding self-help authors, a motivational guru, psychotherapist, life coach, etc. Enhance your spirituality and creativity with inspiring instructors of yoga, meditation, art, music, etc.

3. Build up your resistance to stress.

Find the stress-reducing strategies that work best for you and use them regularly, e.g., simplify, change your perception, sleep, exercise, relax, speak up, get a massage. In addition, make conscious choices about whether to accept, change, or avoid stressful relationships and situations.

4. Follow a nutrition plan that fuels your body.

Quality food, water, and supplements contribute to boosting your immune system and detoxifying the cells of the body. Eat the foods that support your digestion and energize your body. Drink enough water to hydrate the body and flush out toxins. With care and guidance take supplements and herbs to fortify your physiology as well as increase energy and mental clarity.

5. Rejuvenate your body with exercise.

Design an exercise program that is right for your body. Remember to have fun and reevaluate if you do not feel great!

Aerobic exercise strengthens the immune system, tones the nervous system, benefits the cardiovascular system, and detoxifies the body--running, cycling, swimming, dancing, jumping rope.

Stretching elongates muscles and loosens joints, tendons, and ligaments. Yoga improves breathing and flexibility, focuses the mind, and induces relaxation.

Weight-bearing exercise strengthens bones, elevates metabolism, and tones and builds up muscles--weightlifting, dancing, and rebounding.

6. Reduce toxicity--body, mind, and soul.

Be aware of what is compromising your health and well-being. Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, sugar and artificial sweeteners are detrimental to your body. Critical, negative thoughts create inner turmoil and distort your perceptions of yourself and reality. Fear and hatred are obstacles to experiencing the love, serenity, and creative forces within your soul. Take charge of what is within your power to change.

7. Develop an uplifting spiritual practice.

Maintain a positive connection to yourself, life, and a Higher Power. Acquire beliefs that give you inner peace, an optimistic outlook, and an attitude of gratitude. Seek experiences that inspire you. Prayer, meditation, yoga, music, drumming, art, nature, and other trance inducing modalities remind us we are part of a greater reality.

8. Cultivate nurturing relationships.

Limit your contact with people who cause you stress; allow friends and community support—religious, self-help, volunteer--to give you pleasure. Connect with people who acknowledge you and your values. Reach out to people with whom communication is constructive. Ask someone to listen to your struggles and encourage your desires; do the same for them.

9. Turn having fun into a habit.

Do something that puts a smile on your face every day: Read the comics, watch a funny movie, play with a child or pet, laugh at the absurdities within your life, talk with a friend, go on a picnic, etc. Be creative as you include more adventure and fun in your life. Allow humor and laughter to lift your mood.

10. Create supportive environments.

Notice if you feel energized or drained by your physical environments and/or the people with whom you share them—home, work, and community. Change these surroundings to reflect what is important to you. Start over if necessary. Find or create your niche; feel more ALIVE.

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SMART goals are:

Specific - Precise description (How will you breakdown a global issue?)
Measurable - Number or quality (How will you know you have it?)
Attainable - Action oriented (What actions will lead to success?)
Realistic - Lifeline to reality (Are your personal resources and support networks sufficient?)
Time-oriented - Designated Time (How will you make yourself accountable in time?)

Sandra Miniere, M.Ed., is an Amazon Bestselling Author, transformational life coach and EFT practitioner. She specializes in wellness and personal transformation. She helps people make lifestyle changes to live well longer. She can be reached at Sandra@IntegrativeWellnessExpert.com or 813-994-2297. www.integrativewellnessexpert.com