16/07/2024
Are You As Healthy As You Think?
The World Health Organisation define Health as follows:
"Health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease".
Using this definition, would you define yourself as healthy?
You could probably argue that the majority of the population are not healthy. Most people carry around niggling injuries, some form of anxiety and few are still unfortunately persecuted within society for race or beliefs.
As an acupuncturist and someone interested in holistic health; that is health in its entirety - health of the body, emotions and spirit - I am constantly amazed at how wealth is constantly valued over health. I don't mean to say this in a judgmental way - like people who value wealth over health are somehow bad people. They aren't. I watched first-hand as my own father prioritised work over health. He wasn't necessarily focused on making lots of money, but he definitely had the, quite common mindset, that health could be sacrificed to get the job done. This is wrong. There is nothing more important or satisfying as living a life free from disease, injury and discomfort.
I'm not saying that living a healthy life will guarantee you live to a century or insure you against serious disease. The human body is just too complex to give glib assurances. What I can say is it will improve your chances of not getting ill. And you'll feel good. So why not make a healthy change now? Be it a change of diet, calorie restriction, more exercise, less stress. Nearly all these changes are enjoyable if you give the new routine a chance to lodge in and become habit.
If you're on board here are some healthy things you can investigate to lead a healthier life.
1. Stand Up for your health
Studies by Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden have shown that getting off the couch and standing can be more beneficial than moderate exercise. Standing appears to lengthen telomeres - an indicator of health and longevity.
2. Floss
Or rather clean between the spaces in your teeth. Flossing has now been discredited and can harm the gums. Inter-dental cleaning , on the other hand, is allegedly good for your heart. Your mouth can harbor up to a thousand different types of bacteria. These bacteria can get into your bloodstream and cause inflammation and hardening of your arteries, leading to heart disease.
3. Sleep
Good sleep is essential for both your ability to think clearly and for your body and immune system. A study by Carnegie Mellon University in the US shows that people who get less than seven hours of sleep a night are more likely to get ill. The deep state of non-REM sleep is critical for effective functioning of the immune system. Conversely REM sleep, where your eyes are twitching and body muscles often paralysed, enables the brain to effectively process memories and emotions from the day. Disruption of this REM sleep can cause emotional, cognitive and memory impairment.
4. Slow Down
A tough one this. We all mostly lead a life we weren’t designed to cope with. The modern phenomena of being available 24/7 via phone, tablet, laptop means we have negligible downtime. Coupled to a work hard play hard ethic we constantly stress the sympathetic nervous system. This stimulates the brains survival mechanisms, which diverts energy away from essential bodily functions towards a “fight or flight” state. You may feel more alert and sometimes more energetic, but at the expenses of a well functioning digestive system, regular blood pressure and feeling of relaxation.
Counter this. Take some time out each week to just be; walk in nature, sit by the sea. You’ll feel relaxed and more importantly you’ll be dis-engaging the part of the nervous system that makes you feel stressed and ultimately leads to illness.
5. Fast
Research by university of California suggests that fasting for up to 3 days regenerates the immune system. Faulty white blood cells are destroyed and replaced by healthy cells. It’s not surprising when you look at nature – ill animals don’t generally eat.
Whilst the research is new the knowledge isn’t. Gandhi instinctively knew this 100 years ago – often fasting whenever illness struck. It allowed him to outlive many of his contemporaries in a time when disease often claimed the lives of the ill. Who knows how long he would have lived were he not assassinated aged 78. (Bear in mind that some research links intermittent fasting – ie restricting the amount of time you eat every day – to increase in heart disease).
6. Acupuncture
Whilst the common perception of acupuncture is for treating pain, nausea and migraines, it has also been shown to have a positive effect on the immune system. Tokyo University carried out research on professional cyclists and found that acupuncture boosts both cortisol and Salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (indicators of a healthy immune system) post vigorous exercise.
7. Detox
A tricky one this. No one product, diet, supplement will actually detox your body. Your organs, skin, liver and kidneys do a great job of this on their own. But you can support them all by lowering the load – eliminating alcohol, processed food and look into the possibility of fasting to give your digestion a rest.
8. Exercise
Exercise. Everyone knows that they should exercise but why?
a) Exercising speeds the blood flow through your blood vessels and so can stop clots building up and damaging your heart.
b) Exercising releases feel good endorphins which can keep low mood and depression at bay – both indicators of lower lifespan.
c) Gentle exercise keeps the joints mobile and muscles and tendons flexible.
d) The impact of exercise can help keep bones strong. Bones are a living organism and need some level of impact to remain strong into old age.
9. Nutrition
Try to eat 7 fruit and veg a day. Try to cut out all processed foods and refined sugars. Whilst eating this healthy food, try to make sure you’re chewing the food sufficiently. Digestion starts in your mouth so break that food down before you swallow. Want to know if you’re chewing enough? Buy a pack of water biscuits and eat one without the aid of water. You need to be chewing your food as long as you’re chewing those biscuits.
10. Stay married
Its a sad fact that on average lonely people die younger. Relationships can be difficult but often working at them yields a more positive outcome than simply letting it go and living a lonely life. Having said that living a life in a poisonous relationship does not confer any health benefits.
If you’ve lost a loved one, try to remain engaged with your friends and community. It lifts your spirits and has a positive impact on health.
11. Believe In A Cause
A bit more contentious this but get a belief or a cause to get behind. Many studies show that people who have a reason to live and fight live longer – stands to reason doesn’t it? All that stress involved in the cause isn’t harmful if its perceived as worthwhile…
Acupuncture In Swansea with Tim Wright (MBAcC). I specialise in areas where acupuncture excels. Pain management, headaches, stress & anxiety.
