Shpigel Acupuncture

“The Doctor of the future will give no medicine, but willinterest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in proper diet,and in the cause and prevention of disease”

                                                                                                          Thomas Edison

Stress and stress-related issues are on the rise. We areliving in a time with a lot of changes, stress and problems all around theworld. We’re bombarded by mixed messages of so-called “information” about what’sgood and bad for us, and it seems to change as new studies come out. What wasbad is good, what was good is bad…

No matter how highly pitched the recent healthcare debatebecame, one truth that remains constant is that ultimately, your health is yourresponsibility. We can not control the world around us, but one thing we cancontrol is ourselves and that includes our thoughts, our attitudes and how wetreat our bodies.

Our goal shouldn’t be to wait until we are sick or have healthissues to address our health, but to make good health an everyday priority.This way the stress you do have can be dealt without causing damage to yourbody. And we all know, a healthy body will help support a healthy mind.

Here I want to talk about basic, everyday things we all cando to achieve and maintain optimal health.

1. CUT OUT THE JUNK

We are a high performance, finely balanced machine. At thismoment, your body is going through hundreds if not thousands of chemical andbiological reactions to keep you healthy and maintain a balance of sugar,hormones, nutrients, cholesterol and other essential components of the body.

What your body uses to maintain this balance is what you putinto it. So if you want to maintain good balance, put in good fuel.

What to avoid:

High Fructose CornSyrup (HFCS) - This will spike your insulin, which may lead to 

           diabetes.

Transfats/Hydrogenated Oils – Lowers good and raises bad cholesterol

Vegetable Oils –(Corn, sunflower) High in Omega-6 and causes inflammation.

White Flower – Robsyour body of key nutrients. Be even more careful if it’s iron 

           fortified.

Diet Drinks andArtificially Sweetened Drinks

Sugar – Nonutritious value aside form calories and quickly raises blood sugar and

           insulin.

Processed Meats –Loaded with preservatives that have been shown to cause cancer.

If you can’t say it,you shouldn’t eat it – Read the labels, if an ingredient sounds

artificial it probably is andyour body can not use it. So your body has to get rid of it or it can damagecells, tissue and your health.

2. FOODS TO INCLUDE

For sweetener use Stevia or honey

Extra virgin olive oil, sesame, grape seed, safflower (highflash point, great for frying).

Fruits – Any kind and unless you have sugar issues(hypo/hyper), it’s hard to over do it.

Vegetables – Get a wide variety, the more colorful thebetter.

Leafy Greens – Great blood cleanser and source of fiber.

Whole Grains – Rice, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat.

3. TAKE TIME TOBREATH

Deep breathing is a quick way to reduce stress, refocus,detoxify and reset your sympathetic (“fight or flight” nervous system. Studieshave shown that deep breathing may even slow down aging…and who doesn’t wantsome of that?

Sit in a quiet place

Put your hands on your knees

Close your eyes

Take a slow, deep breath through your nose for roughly afour count (4 seconds)

Hold for 1 count

Exhale through the nose or mouth (4 count)

Hold for 1 count

Repeat this as many times as necessary to calm the mind orbody. This should also be done daily for as long as you can. Start with 5minutes and work up to 15.

4. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

Since we are made mostly of water, it’s essential toreplenish the water we use up during the day through sweat, breathing andurination. 8-10 glasses should be a bare minimum for everyone who is notactive. If you are active (exercise or work that keeps you moving), you willneed more. If you feel thirsty, then you are already dehydrated. Studies haveshown dehydration leading to multiple problems from pain to digestive disorders.

Oh and when I say water I mean WATER!! No, coffee, soda,beer and wine are not considered water. Neither is a cocktail.

TIPS:

Put a glass of water on your nightstand and drink it firstthing in the morning. This will get one out of the way. Keep a water bottlenext to you all the time. If you’re at work it can be on your desk. If you areconstantly in your car then keep it right next to you.

DRINK UP!!

5. VITAMINS

Even if you eat a well-balanced and healthy diet, it’s verydifficult to get the nutrients you need to operate at peak performance choosingamong the food readily available. Due to farming practices, storage, shippingand processing, many of our foods are void of nutrition. Today, it takes morefood to get the same amount of nutrients as it did 20 years ago. Your choice issimple: eat all day, or use supplements.

Here are my basic recommendations:

Multi-Vitamin

Omega 3 fish oil (you can substitute flax but not as potent)

Vitamin D- 2000 IU (make sure its D3)

Vitamin C- 1000 mg

B50

Digestive Enzyme

Magnesium - 500 mg to start

Calcium- 1000mg

Greens Mix

I carry very high quality Omega, Vit. D and Greens at theoffice & I take them daily. While it may seem like a lot to take, I wouldrather take them and maintain great health than not take them and fear theconsequences later.

6. BE MINDFULL OF YOUR THOUGHTS

Everything starts with a thought or an intention. So if yougo through the day with negative thoughts, your body will respond negatively.Many studies have shown that different hormones, peptides and other brain/bodychemicals will actually change according to your mood.

7. GET YOUR SLEEP

Last but surely not least, get your sleep! Every body needsa different amount of sleep to be optimal. I bet you know how much you requireto be at your best the next day and not have to look forward to that nooncoffee fix. I’m not opposed to coffee but if you’re running on it then you willburn yourself out. When you get enough sleep you perform better, you’resharper, with better memory and better mood. Now, if only they can bottle that…

Follow these simple steps and your health and well-beingwill improve. Since your mind and body are one, so will your attitude andmental state. Can you put a price on that??

TO YOUR HEALTH

ALEX SHPIGEL, L.Ac.