Transitioning to a Healthy Lifestyle

I often encounter individuals who are depressed about their health; they feel that, although they know some of the basics of a healthy lifestyle, there is little to nothing that they can do to change the situation. I was once of the same mindset, and I can honestly say that much can be done with a few fundamental changes in perception.

Many of us fail to realize that, in order to break out of the cycle of self-abuse, it is essential that daily habits come under scrutiny. Unfortunately, however, most of us cleave tightly to our habits as if they were some sort of sacred ritual not to be criticized or changed in any way. This is individualism at its best. I cannot even begin to keep track of the number of health-related exchanges I’ve had with others in which they dismiss rock-solid scientific evidence because it is inconvenient or it causes them to call into question the beneficiality of their daily routines.

One thing that we need to keep in mind, however, is that the human body is a marvelous machine. When it is cared for properly, it will thrive and provide years of happiness and harmony. When it is abused, it will gradually break down and cause physical and spiritual degredation.

Many will argue that they are perfectly happy eating highly processed foods. Sure, they may feel quite well after gulping down a giant soft drink or eating a bag of cheezy poofs; but do any of these people realize what chemical reactions are taking place in their body after imbibing these substances?

Changing to a Vegetable-Based Diet

The human body functions best when its diet consists of un-processed natural ingredients. It is therefore essential that one avoid the center portion of the supermarket, as most of the foods in this portion are highly processed, utilize partially hydrogenated oils and may contain harmful sugar substitutes such as Splenda.

Optimally, 80-90% of our food should be fresh produce, with the bulk of that being above-ground vegetables. Fresh produce contains valuable enzymes, is easy for the body to digest and aids in the elimination of wastes and accumulated toxins.

If you find it difficult to believe that the typical diet is so far off from what it needs to be, try adding a decent amount of produce to your daily intake and note how you feel a week later. If your experience is anything like mine, you will achieve the necessary motivation once you feel the tremendous difference a produce-based diet makes.

Keys to a Healthy Lifestyle

I’ve discovered, through my experiences, that most of the effort consumed while sucessfully transitioning is geared towards restraint. There are many foods available in the supermarket which have some level of toxicity; we have to do our homework and understand this before we place these foods into our bodies.

Here are some interesting resources:

• Avoid soft drinks, doughnuts, french fries, and chips
  • The Real Dangers of Soda to You and Your Children
  • American Soft Drinks Poisoned With Benzene Too
  • The Five Absolute Worst Foods You Can Eat
• Avoid grains and sugars
  • Reduce Grains and Sugar to Lose Weight and Improve Health
• Avoid artificial sweeteners such as Splenda
  • The Secret Dangers of Splenda (Sucralose), an Artificial Sweetener
  • Splenda Compared to a “Biochemical Warfare Agent”–See One Woman’s Shocking Photos
• Carefully balance your diet using a scientific, not an emotional, approach.
  • Achieve Independant Health With A Nutrition Plan

see also:

• Beware of the meat…
• The Health Benefits of Water Fasting
• Promoting Planetwide Synergy Through Personal Discipline

The Health Benefits of Water Fasting

By Stephen Harrod Buhner
original source

Fasting is an exceptionally ancient, and powerful, approach to healing many common disease conditions. It allows the body to rest, detoxify, and to heal. During fasting the body moves into the same kind of detoxification cycle that it normally enters during sleep. It uses its energy during a fast, not for digesting food, but for cleansing the body of accumulated toxins and healing any parts of it that are ill. As a fast progresses the body consumes everything that it can that is not essential to bodily functioning. This includes bacteria, viruses, fibroid tumors, waste products in the blood, any build up around the joints, and stored fat. The historical record indicates that human beings are evolutionarily designed to fast. It is an incredibly safe approach to healing and the body knows how to do it very well. Read the rest of this entry »

Breaking of the fast: the feeling begins

The fast was broken on Tuesday night. After seeing that my body temperature seemed to be dropping I decided to end earlier than planned. Four days is, however, not a bad length of time for a fast. This is, undoubtedly, one of the most powerful life changing experiences I’ve ever had.

The fasting experience has taught me a variety of lessons about human nature as well as the workings of the physical body. After such an experience, one cannot help but be attuned to the needs of their body; I have no doubt that cellular detoxification and digestive cleansing are the keys to living a long and healthy life in a youthful state. Read the rest of this entry »