Nutritional Habits

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The foods we eat have a direct influence on the health of our bodies.  Instead of eating to feel full, focus on eating to increase energy levels, benefit digestive health, and improve your overall health.  From Robert G. Millers' article "The Four Pillar Gene Remediation Strategies Program," "focus attention on optimal nutrition from eating real food, not on special diets or supplements".

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"Of the many diets in existence, our suggestions probably come closet to the popular "Mediterranean diet."

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The Mediterranean diet incorporates the basics of healthy eating -plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine.

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Hydration Habits

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Water is essential for life.  Without water, humans can survive only three

days.  Water composes from 75 percent body weight in infants to 55 percent

in the elderly and is essential for cellular homeostasis and life.

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When we speak of water, we are essentially focusing first and foremost on

all types of water, whether soft or hard, spring or well, carbonated or

sparkling.  Furthermore, we get water not only directly as a beverage but

from food as well.  The proportion of water that comes from beverages and

food varies with the proportion of fruits and vegetables in the diet. 

From the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health

table  "The Water Content for Selected Foods," we see that about 22 percent

of water comes from our food intake.We hear all the time that we should

drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.  There is no good scientific

study supporting this recommendation.

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Most of us get enough water in the foods and liquids we consume; however, depending on certain medication use, as well as disease, physical activity, and the environment we work and play in, we may require more fluids than the general recommendation.

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The daily minimum recommendation is 3 liters (fourteen cups) of fluid for men and 2.2 liters (nine cups) for women.

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However, for most of us, the best way to gauge how well-hydrated we are is to simply look at our urine.  It should be fairly clear, and if it is very dark yellow, that's a sign you many need to drink more water.

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Physical Activity

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Staying physically active can help you maintain a healthy

body composition, reducing the risk of weight-related

medical conditions.  It can also help you maintain the health

of your muscles, bones, and joints with age; but in managing

disease such as cancer, the essential role of exercise goes

beyond that.

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A balanced human diet consists of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.  Carbohydrates, which include sugars in all forms, are contained in healthy vegetables, fruits and grains.  It is well known that cancerous cells, have an appetite for sugars regardless of the source, that help to ensure their immortality.

 

As far as cancer is concerned, when it comes to sugar intake, it’s the insulin that the pancreas gland in the body must make to keep sugar levels from rising too high that represents the problem.  This is because insulin drives sugar into cancer cells, encouraging them to grow and multiply.

 

When we eat carbohydrates (i.e. sugars) and follow it up with moderate exercise soon afterwards, our muscles “absorb”  the sugar in our blood stream for fuel to provide energy. This means that the pancreas gland does not need to produce as much insulin, and so the cancer cells are deprived of getting the sugar (glucose) they need as their prime source of food to support their survival.  

 

In Robert Miller’s article The Four Pillar Gene Remediation Strategies, the question is asked “But for how long does this effect last?"  The magic number is 17.  The article goes on to explain that “since there are 24 hours in the day, if we exercise just once, no matter for how long or hard, there will still be up to seven hours left over during which time, following a second or third meal (with essential carbohydrates), that insulin levels will rise to offset the rise in sugar." 

 

Robert Miller goes on to explain that “clearly, the solution, is what he calls the “daily double” exercise program, once after breakfast and another after dinner".

 

About a half hour of brisk walking each time appears reasonably sufficient at a modest exercise level in both intensity and time.

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Stress Management

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Stress triggers a survival response that can help us in the short-term

but become damaging if it persists for prolonged periods. 

Learning how to control stress can help you retain your mental &

physical health.

 

Your body is hard-wired to react to stress in ways meant to protect you against threats from predators and other aggressors.  The body’s stress-response system is usually self-limiting.  Once a perceived threat has passed, hormone levels return to normal.  As adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, your heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels and other systems resume their regular activities.

 

But when stressors are always present and you constantly feel under attack, that fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on.

 

The long-term activation of the stress-response system, and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones, can disrupt almost all your body’s processes. This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems.  That’s why it’s so important to learn healthy ways to cope with the stressors in your life. 

 

Stress management strategies include:

 

• Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise and plenty of sleep.

• Practicing relaxation techniques or learning to meditate

• Fostering healthy friendships

• Having a sense of humor

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The payoff for learning to manage stress is peace of mind and perhaps, a longer, healthier life.