How to Stay Healthy: 3 Easy Guidelines

I would like to share 3 easy guidelines for staying healthy.  This is a shortened version of an article I published in my August newsletter, titled “The ABC’s for Staying Healthy…”.  When these guidelines are consistently followed, they will save money, keep you healthy and improve your quality of life.

1. What food goes into your mouth, when it goes in, and how much:

    

   1. What: Eat combinations of real, non-processed, fresh foods in following basic categories.

       

      1. Dark green leafy vegetables and bright colored fruits and vegetables – This may include sea vegetables, such as nori, hiziki, wakame, kombu.

       

      2. Lean, clean, moderate “good fat” source proteins – Good fat means high proportion of omega-3 fats, lower proportion of omega-6 and 9 fats, such as wild salmon, grass-fed free range beef and lamb, cage-free chicken and cage-free chicken eggs; nuts and nut butters, legumes and lentils; fermented soy products: natto, miso, tempeh, soy sauce, fermented tofu, fermented soy milk.

       

      3. Starchy carbohydrates such as whole grain products; root vegetables, such as beets, yams and sweet potatoes, potatoes, ginger, jicima, garlic, onions, shallots.
   2. When: Always eat breakfast, and eat every 3 waking hours thereafter. So, you’ll eat 3 healthy meals and 2 to 3 healthy snacks.

    

   3. How Much: You always have your measuring guide with you, that is, your hand!  This works for everyone because the size of our hand is typically proportionate to the size of our body. For instance, a 6′5″, 250 pound football player’s hand is typically bigger than a 5′2″, 110 pound ballerina’s hand.

       

      1. Meals
         1. For fruits and vegetables, put both your open hands in front of you, hands together, palms facing up, fingers extended. What fits in your hand is how much of fruits and vegetables you should have each meal.

          

         2. For lean, good fat proteins, put one hand in front of you, palm facing up, palm open, fingers extended.  What fits in your palm is the amount to eat each meal.  For heavy exercisers, what fits in your palm and extended fingers is the amount you need each meal.

          

         3. For starchy carbs, put one hand in front of you, palm facing up, fingers extended.  Now cup your hand and thumb as if trying to hold water in your cupped hand.  What fits in the cupped hand is the amount of starchy carbs you should have each meal.

       

      2. Snacks
         1. For snacks, any combination of vegetable/fruit and the lean good fat protein category, in equal amounts, that fits in one hand with palm and fingers extended.

2. Use the following for type, timing and frequency of exercise:

    

   1. Type: A combination of resistance exercise and aerobic exercise for a total of about 1 hour per day

    

   2. Timing: Preferably in the mornings so you get it out of the way, and morning exercisers tend to be more consistent.  If you can’t do it in the morning, do what works best for you.

    

   3. Frequency: A minimum of 4 days per week, a maximum of 6 days per week

3. Choice of Health Care Type

   You “vote with your feet” for your type of health care.  This choice affects whether you’ll receive wellness-focused care or symptom-focused sick care.  Wellness-focused care is seeing doctors that provide preventive, holistic or functional medicine services. Symptom-focused sick care includes minimal recognition and emphasis on guidelines A and B, greater reliance on drug therapies for most conditions, or seeing a doctor for emergencies only. The type of health care you choose ultimately determines how healthy you will be and impacts your quality of life. Your choice of health care should not be solely focused on who pays for it, be it a health insurance company, taxpayers through government programs or you.

I recognize there are many variables that apply based on each individuals access to fresh food, water, and economic capabilities.   Nevertheless, these guidelines are the starting points that will influence your health span and potentially your life span. They will influence your quality of life.  I welcome your comments and questions.

Dr Husbands is a Chiropractor, a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, an Anti-Aging Healthcare Practitioner and a Functional Medicine Doctor. For more information, visit http://www.drhusbands.com.