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(NaturalNews) Eubie Blake, the famous jazz composer, once said "If I had known I would live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." This quote rings true when we consider that whilst we may be living for longer we may not necessarily be taking better care of ourselves. With our ever-increasingly fast-paced lifestyles the time we once took to cook and eat healthily, exercise regularly and relax has inevitably been rescheduled with the aid of our Blackberries. As a result the soaring rates of degenerative diseases such as cancer and diabetes have regularly found themselves on the front pages of national newspapers across the globe.

If we are to achieve optimum health and wellbeing as individuals and as a community we can no longer outsource the day-to-day management of our own health to the medical and pharmaceutical industries. We need to make a personal commitment to our bodies and minds by following these six foundation principles:

Be Mindful Of Your Thoughts

The first thing you do when you wake up is think. It might not be anything profound other than realizing you desperately need to go to the bathroom. However, some would agree that your very first thoughts upon waking will determine your mood for the rest of the day - be it upbeat or downcast. This in turn will have quite a serious impact on the quality of the decisions you make. For example, if you`re in a foul mood when you come home from work you may decide to treat yourself by hitting the sofa with a tub of ice cream rather than burning that negative energy off with a long walk.

Breathe Deeply And Slowly To Relax

As babies we know subconsciously how to breathe properly. But as we grow into adults our breathing patterns often become shortened and more shallow. This is mainly due to the hectic nature of our lifestyles, which often puts us into a "fight or flight" stress pattern for extended periods of time. When you feel under pressure those stressful thoughts will manifest themselves physically as a faster heartbeat and a shallow breathing pattern which originates in the chest. With a correct breathing pattern you will see your stomach muscles extending first followed by the extension of your ribcage, which automatically makes you breathe more deeply and slowly. This has a calming effect.

Get To Bed On Time

In their book Lights Out, Wiley and Formby`s compelling research tells us that a good night`s sleep will help you lose weight, curb your cravings for refined carbohydrates, eradicate depression and reverse Type II diabetes. Whether you achieve a restful sleep will be determined by your state of mind, the food that you`ve eaten and if there are any sources of electromagnetic stress, such as a TV, laptop or mobile phone, in your bedroom. Research that has made the connection between regular sleep patterns and your health is hard to ignore.

Let Food Be Your Drug Of Choice

The incessant consumer demand for a huge choice of cheap and convenient food has put incredible pressure on commercial farmers to employ harmful farming practices in order to meet the strict standards placed upon them by powerful supermarkets. These farming practices are irreparably damaging the soil in which our food is grown, which simply means that our fruit and vegetables simply aren`t as nutritious as they once were.

Food is an incredibly powerful drug, which is why it`s important that each individual works out which combination of proteins, carbohydrates and fats for every meal is best for his/her optimal health and wellbeing - see metabolic typing. It`s also important that we become more discerning with the food businesses that we choose to give our hard earned money to. Buying locally grown, organic whole food, which is in season, will support your own community and is an essential component to becoming fit and healthy.

Water Your Internal Garden

Dr Batmanghelidj pointed out in his book "Your Body`s Many Cries For Water" that dehydration is a common cause for many ailments and diseases. In order to maintain good levels of energy, concentration and digestive function it`s important to drink good clean, filtered water on a regular basis. Paul Chek of the CHEK Institute recommends the following formula in order to calculate the amount of water you need: 0.033 x Your weight in kilograms = litres of water to drink per day. In order for you to look and feel great on the outside you need to maintain a good level of hydration on the inside.

Exercise To Boost Your Energy Levels

Just as you need to spend money in order to make money the same applies to exercise and your energy levels. Regular exercise will improve your body shape, protect your heart from disease, strengthen your joints and bones and relieve stress. An essential factor to successfully incorporating any exercise program permanently into your lifestyle is enjoyment. Without the enjoyment your exercise program will be just another chore on your to-do list.

Whether it`s right or wrong, given a choice of a ton of money or perfect health most people will generally choose money as their stepping stone to happiness. However, in this current economic climate the financial turmoil has led many people to re-evaluate their priorities as they begin to realize that without their health and wellbeing the quest to find the holy grail that is happiness is a futile one. Unlike many over-hyped health products sold on the market today, the six foundation principles are representative of the ancient wisdoms that have been passed down from generation to generation of healthy communities around the world. Simply put they are the bedrock of a fulfilling and happy life.

Article sources

How To Eat, Move And Be Healthy by Paul Chek

Lights Out: Sugar, Sleep and Survival by T.S. Wiley and Brent Formby Phd

The Metabolic Typing Diet by William Wolcott and Trish Fahey

Your Body`s Many Cries For Water by Dr F. Batmanghelidj

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