Table of contents for The Easy Path to Body Detox

1. Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body
2. Removing Unsuspected Toxins from Your Household Part 2
3. Six Body Detox Ideas for a Safe, Easy Body Cleanse

Your body has a group of organs designed to effectively detox cleanse your body, flush out toxins, and heal itself. From this post, you can use these six body detox ideas to work with your body’s system for good health!

This is Part 3 of a 3 post series, “The Easy Path to Body Detox.” If you missed Parts 1 and 2, please click on the above links in the table of contents for this series. The post contains excerpts paraphrased from Dr. Don Colbert’s book, The Seven Pillars of Health. See the footnotes below for details on his book. (A)

I. Begin with These Tips to Detox Your Body by Drinking Healthier.

1. Drink the proper amount of water. Your weight x ½ = ounces water. For example, if you weight 200 lbs, 200 x ½ = 100 ounces of water per day to flush toxins out of your kidneys and liver.
2. Drink quality water. If you missed it, read this post for filtering your drinking water, Water Filter for Drinking Water,  (Also to reduce water toxins absorbed through the skin, read the post, Shower Filter for Pure Water )
3. Drink alkaline water. “Cells thrive in an alkaline environment but get constipated with toxins in an acidic environment.” (B) You can buy alkaline bottled water, but it is rather expensive, with brands such as Evamor, Avita, and Penta Water (The last is hexagonal water which is the best possible.) However, the most cost effective way to have alkaline drinking water is to use a product by pH Ion called pH Booster.  Use your own filtered water with this additive to make about 25 gallons of ionized water for less than $30.
4. Avoid soft drinks. They are low in pesticides, but contain too much sugar, or have aspartame which breaks down into wood alcohol (methynol).
5. Drink organic. Coffees, teas, and wines contain pesticides, wine and coffee being the highest. Drink organic brands and in moderation. (C)

II. Body Cleanse by Choosing Quality Food.

There are many reasons that toxins have found their way into our food, but here are a few that you may not have known. In 2004, rocket fuel spilled into the water supply of 20 states, including irrigation water. Pesticides used in animal feed gets stored in their body fat; when we eat meat, the toxins stored in the fat goes into our body fat, including the brain. Though some extremely toxic pesticides such as DDT and PCBs were banned in the US, main countries we import our food from still use these toxins on their crops.

In addition to those toxin sources, choosing processed food unwisely brings a host of chemical additives into your body, chemicals which are usually made from petroleum or tar products. Common toxic additives in processed foods are:

Synthetic dyes, flavoring agents, texturizers, humectants, ripening gases, chemical preservatives, emulsifiers, bleaching agents, and sugar substitutes.

To choose quality food, Dr. Colbert suggests:

1. Choose lean organic meats.
2. Choose low-fat organic dairy products.
3. Avoid sport-caught fish and shellfish.
4. Broil or bake your fish to drain off as much fat as possible.
5. Have a diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables.
6. Eat alkaline foods. (Click here to read a helpful list of alkaline foods, Balance pH with Alkaline Foods.
7. Avoid parasitic infections by learning to relax. You need to deal well with life’s stresses for your stomach to produce enough hydrochloric acid to combat parasites. (Click here to read a 3 part post on the effects of stress and how to deal effectively with it.  ) Those of us over 50 also should use digestive enzyme supplements. (D)

III. Improve Body Cleanse with Liver Health and Detox

The liver is your most important organ for body detox, cleansing both environmental toxins and those resulting from the body breaking down foods. Your liver needs to be fed to perform efficient detox.

These foods increase your liver’s ability to detox:

broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and wasabi (green paste served with sushi). Green foods such as cereal grasses, micro algae, plant greens, green vegetables, seaweed, and aqua greens are also beneficial.

These supplements are important for liver detox:

comprehensive multivitamin, milk thistle extract, grape seed extract, green tea, NAC, R-form DHLA, and curcumin. (E)

IV. A Healthy Colon Disposes of Your Body Toxins.

Many adults are constipated and do not even realize it. Bowel movements should take place 3 times a day, yet some adults only have 1 a week! Like a backed up septic system, toxins get absorbed back into the body without a healthy colon.

Follow these tips for your colon to eliminate the toxins sent to it by the liver:

1. Eat 25-30 grams of fiber per day.
2. High fiber fruits are apples, pears, and citrus.
3. High fiber vegetables are carrots, beans, lentils, legumes, and peas.
4. Whole grains are a good high fiber source. (F)

V. Your Skin is Your Largest Organ and Another Way to Body Cleanse from Toxins.

Clogged skin can lock toxins inside your body, stressing your liver and kidneys. Dr. Colbert recommends a simple process of dry brushing, using a loofah sponge or natural soft bristle brush. Make a routine of drying brushing before showering.

Dry Brush Process: Begin with the soles of your feet, working up your legs, torso, and arms, avoiding the face. Take about 5 minutes, brushing toward your heart to increase blood flow. Your skin will feel warmer due to increased circulation. (G)

VI. A Detox through Fasting Allows the Liver and Colon to Catch Up on Body Detox.

Fasting cleanses your body from built up chemicals, solvents, heavy metals, and pesticides, reviving you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Even the blood and lymphatic systems are detoxed through fasting.

Here are Dr. Colbert’s fasting tips:

1. Use fresh juiced organic fruits and vegetables instead of a water fast so that your body has an alkaline environment to detox.
2. Realize you may feel light-headed or foggy due to lower blood sugar and fat cell shrinkage.
3. Fast one day a month, or a few days per month at the most.
4. Do not overdo fasting, or you will lose muscle mass, slow down your metabolism, and compromise your immune system. (H)

A. Research is paraphrased from excerpts of The Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert. For more detailed reading, see his book, ISBN#1-59185-815-1
B. Quote is from “Where Toxins Come From,” p. 155
C. “Where Toxins Come From,” p. 155
D. “Where Toxins Come From,” p. 153-154
E. “It’s Time to Get Rid of Toxic Trash,” p. 166.
F. “It’s Time to Get Rid of Toxic Trash,” p. 167-168
G. “Dry brushing skin,” p.175
H. “Other Important Detoxifiers,” p.177

Table of contents for The Easy Path to Body Detox

1. Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body
2. Removing Unsuspected Toxins from Your Household Part 2
3. Six Body Detox Ideas for a Safe, Easy Body Cleanse

Reading Level: Gratifying

The air, household products, cosmetics, and even one’s teeth can be unsuspected sources of toxins, creating the need for body detox. The key to health is to be well informed and follow these easy steps.

In this post, we’ll cover how to detox cleanse your household by removing health risks in your household air, cleaning products, cosmetics, and teeth. The post contains excerpts paraphrased from Dr. Don Colbert’s book, The Seven Pillars of Health. See the footnotes below.

This is Part 2 of a 3 post series.   If you missed Part 1, “Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body,” please click here or use the above series link.  The third post will cover six ideas for an easy body cleanse.

Take These Simple Steps to Reduce Unsuspected Indoor Air Toxins

I do not think anyone would question the toxicity of the outdoor air we breathe. However, indoor air also has a negative effect due to chemical compounds used in construction, such as formaldehyde in carpets and pressed wood, cleaning products, second hand smoke, and paints. The chemicals are circulated throughout the house via the heating and air units.

Here are some quick tips from Dr. Colbert to help detox your indoor air:

1. Replace your air filter every month.
2. Clean your air ducts every 5 years.
3. Keep pets out of the bedroom.
4. Avoid air fresheners that are petroleum based or contain pesticides. Replace them with fragrance jars of dried botanicals or use an air freshener substitute of lemon spray or lavender essential oil. (A)
5. Unless you live near a busy road or seasonal pollen counts are high, daily open a door or window to let in fresher air.
6. Buy an air purifier for your bedroom, either a hepa filter or an ionizer. Consumer Reports recommends purifiers made by Friedrich, Kenmore, and Whirlpool.
7. Indoor plants help neutralize toxins. The best plants to fight pollution are peace lily, weeping fig, Boston fern, spider plant, mother-in-law tongue, and dracaena.
8. To lessen dust mites, consider replacing carpet with wood or tile. Also, buy hypoallergenic protective covers for your mattress and pillows and wash sheets weekly in hot water.
9. Reduce mold growth by repairing leaks and keeping outdoor plants at least 1-2 feet away from the house foundation. (B)

Cleaning Products can be Another Unsuspected Source of Toxins.

The chemicals in cleaning products which dissolve non-water soluble materials contain toxins which are absorbed into the body through contact with your skin.

Some common toxic household items are:

ammonia, bleach, glass cleaners, disinfectants, carpet cleaners, metal polish, furniture polish, stain removers, paint thinners, varnishes

Switching to natural cleaning products is another step to lessen the toxins in your environment and allow your body to detox:

Lemon Juice contains citric acid and can be used as a deodorizer, glass cleaner, and stain remover.

Vinegar contains acetic acid and will remove mineral deposits, grease, soap residue, mildew, and wax buildup. It can also be used as a glass cleaner. You can dilute it with water or use it straight. You can make an all-purpose cleaner using vinegar and salt mixture. (C)

Baking soda can also be used as straight as a non-abrasive cleanser, carpet deodorizer, and fabric softener. an all purpose cleaner by mixing 4 tablespoons to a quart of water.

Borax is a water soluble cleaner that inhibits mold and mildew.

Isopropyl alcohol is a safe disinfectant.

Seed-based mineral oil (not petroleum-based) is safe as a furniture polish or floor wax. (D)

If you must use a toxic cleaner, wear rubber gloves and work in a well ventilated area.

Heavy Metals are a Known Major Health Risk, But the Risk of Mercury Toxicity Can be Taking Place in Your Mouth.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry lists mercury as the third most toxic substance known to man. Amalgam or “silver” fillings are actually about 50% mercury. Before 1974, amalgam fillings slowly released mercury over a 30 year period. After 1974, the fillings release about 10mcg of mercury per day into the body, enough to cause health issues in 3-5 years. Hot food and drinks can increase the leaching of mercury. As the harm to the immune system occurs slowly, symptoms also increase slowly; people suffering with mercury poisoning usually say they feel poorly and weak all the time.

Consider these 2 steps to detox from mercury and other heavy metal poisonings.

1. Chlorophyll food supplements should be taken daily, such as wheat grass, barley grass, oat grass, and healthy algae. For more information on this, see Dr. Colbert’s other books, “What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You” and “Get Healthy Through Detox and Fasting.”
2. Consider having your amalgam fillings removed over time. Improper removal is dangerous. You need to have amalgam fillings removed in a proper, safe way by a biological dentist that is aware of the risks of mercury removal. Visit the website of the International College of Integrative Medicine to find a biological dentist at www.icimed.com (E)

Cosmetics are Also an Unsuspected Source of Toxins.

The wide variety of products we apply to our faces, hair, and skin can contain many harmful toxins. Even antiperspirants can contain toxins such as ammonia, formaldehyde, triclosan, and aluminum chorohydrate. The cosmetic industry is widely unregulated, with only 11% of the 10,500 ingredients assessed for safety. (F)

You have a choice for safer cosmetics.

The Environmental Working Group partnered with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to develop a free website with lists of safe cosmetics as well as a 0-10 rating for toxicity, 0 being the safest. Go to:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

If you click a category in the light blue banner across the top, such as makeup, skin care, hair care, etc., it will pull up a cosmetic listing for that topic starting with the safest products available.

Or, if you want to check on the safety of a product you are already using, go down about 3 inches below the eyeball graphic at the top of the page and you will see a search box labeled, “Search for a product, company, or ingredient.” Enter your product here. The closer to 0, the lower the hazardous rating for the product. (G)

Research is from excerpts of The Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert. For more detailed reading, see his book, ISBN#1-59185-815-1
(A) Where Toxins Come From, p. 152
(B) Other Important Detoxifiers, pp.176-177
(C) Unexpected Sources of Toxins pp. 159-161
(D) Other Important Detoxifiers, pp. 178-179
(E) Unexpected Sources of Toxins pp. 158-159
(F) http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=308
(G) Unexpected Source of Toxins, p. 161

Table of contents for The Easy Path to Body Detox

1. Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body
2. Removing Unsuspected Toxins from Your Household Part 2
3. Six Body Detox Ideas for a Safe, Easy Body Cleanse

Reading Level: Leisurely

As toxicity levels are daily increasing in our environments, now is the best time to start a detox cleanse of your body and surroundings.

Most people have given thought to a body cleanse and it is with good reason! More than 80,000 chemicals are registered for use within the US with about 2000 more being added each year. A report by the Environmental Working Group showed that the umbilical cords of 10 babies tested for an average of 287 toxins, 180 of which were carcinogenic. In North American alone, 80,000 metric tons of carcinogens are released into the air annually. Municipal water is polluted with more than 2,100 chemicals (1).

This post is the first of a 3 part series on detoxing your body.  Part 2 will cover removing unsuspected toxins from your household and Part 3 will focus on six easy ideas for a safe body cleanse.

Though we cannot completely avoid toxins, there are simple steps to reduce the toxins in both your body and environment.

Dr. Don Colbert, MD and author of The Seven Pillars of Health, compares not doing a detox cleanse to allowing the trash in your house to build up for weeks at a time. Avoiding it will not allow you to avoid the effects of it; but by taking out the house trash, your body becomes healthier and your environment a safer place. Similarly, when you do not take any steps to detoxing your body or environment, your body’s waste management system becomes overwhelmed by the toxins and is not able to function properly. Body detox allows your body’s natural systems for eliminating toxins to again begin functioning efficiently.

Here are excerpts of Dr. Colbert’s recommended steps for decreasing your exposure to toxins and beginning to cleanse your body. Please see the footnote for more information about his book.

1. Choose more organic food, including free range lean meats, and low-fat dairy.

2. Use pure spring water or filtered water. (Click  here for more information on Shower Filter for Pure Water and Water Filter for Drinking Water)

3. Breathe cleaner air by avoiding heavily polluted areas such as: walking/jogging along busy roads, waiting in airport terminal parking lots, breathing second hand smoke.

4. Wear rubber gloves when cleaning with harmful chemicals. Begin using natural cleaning alternatives.

5. Work with your doctor to reduce your medications, especially those hard on your liver.

6. Call your city’s waste management to find their safe disposal sites for toxic chemicals and clean your garage or shed of old paint, pesticides, and auto oil.

1. Statistics are from “Believe it or Not, You Are Probably Toxic,” p. 148, The Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert.  For more detailed reading, see his book, ISBN#1-59185-815-1

For over a thousand years, long before the realm of modern science, age old proverbs reminded people of the healing power of laughter, 

A rejoicing heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Prov. 17:22

Dr. Don Colbert shares that laughter is one of his prescriptions to patients who come to be placed on nutritional programs. He has discovered that when he asks patients how often they laugh, most cancer patients respond, “I never laugh.” He prescribes 10 belly laughs a day for his patients. (1)

Research has shown a wide variety of healing aspects from laughter:

Pain Relief - A study of patients recovering from surgery showed that the group which was allowed to choose the humorous movies they saw benefited the most from the laughter therapy and required fewer pain-killers compared with a control group that saw none at all. (2) Other research has also shown laughter to increase one’s pain threshold. (4)

Lower Blood Pressure - Laughter reduces the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopamine (4); stress hormones, on the other hand, increase the number of platelets, causing obstructions in the arteries and raising blood pressure. (3)

Relaxation Therapy and Improved Digestion - French neurologist Henri Rubenstein said that even one minute of laughter can give the body up to 45 minutes of therapeutic relaxation. It also stimulates appetite and digestion. (1)

Boosted Immune System - Laughter increases natural killer cells which destroy tumors and viruses, Gamma-interferon–a disease fighting protein, T-cells–a vital part of the immune system, and B-cells–which make disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also increases salivary immunoglobulin A, which defends against infectious organisms entering the respiratory tract. (3)

Speedy Healing - French doctor Pierre Vachet, who studied the physiology of laughter, has concluded that laughter expands the blood vessels and sends more blood racing to the extremities. As it sends more oxygen to every cell in the body, it also serves to speed tissue healing and stabilize many body functions. (2)

Make it a point to daily experience the healing benefits of laughter.

E.E. Cummings said, “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” Since life is too valuable to be wasted, let us not waste a single day by letting it go by without frequent laughter.

If you feel you need help in developing the ability to laugh in your life, I actually found some beneficial info online at HelpGuide.org. It has 2 brief, practical articles to help you develop more laughter in your life, Bringing More Laughter into Your Life and Developing Your Sense of Humor.

1. Seven Pillars of Health, pg. 244, Dr. Don Colbert
2. Alternative Healing/Laughter, Indiadiets.com
3. Laughing Out Loud to Good Health, Library Think Quest
4. The Stress Management and Health Benefits of Laughter, Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com/Stress

An estimated 50-70 million Americans are suffering mentally and physically from a lack of sleep (1). Though eating habits obviously play a role in weight gain, studies have shown that there is a definite relationship between a lack of sleep and weight gain.

Various hormones released during your sleep regulate your weight and appetite.

Leptin, released during sleep, is the hormone which tells your body that it is full and doesn’t need more food. The lower the levels of leptin in your body, the more of the hormone ghrelin is released to increase your hunger (2). The growth hormone is also released during sleep; while this hormone causes growth in children, it controls muscle mass and fat level in adults (1).

A University of Chicago research found definite relationship between too little sleep and increased appetite/weight gain. The people in the study who slept only 4 hours a night had leptin levels decrease by 18 percent. This caused the ghrelin levels, which stimulate appetite, to increase by 28 percent (2). These results should be motivational in getting a good night’s sleep. Many of us just stay so busy that sleep is the easiest thing to cut back on.

If stress is causing your lack of sleep, not putting into action a plan to deal with stress will only add to your weight problems.

Stress increases your levels of adrenaline and cortisol, mobilizing the body’s sugar supply, for the purpose of quick thinking and action in emergency situations. If you live in a frequent or continual state of stress, the excess cortisol will make your body think that it is in need of more and more energy supply for a “fight or flight” response that is not physically taking place; in other words, you are not physically running away from danger and using up those food sources, but the stress causes your body to think that you are. The result is increased hunger, since your body thinks it needs to replace those food sources.

Some studies have shown that stress and elevated cortisol tend to cause fat to specifically be deposited in the abdominal area rather than in the hips. These fat deposits are referred to as “toxic fat” since abdominal fat is strongly correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and strokes (3)

Just how much sleep should a person have for good weight and health?

Most people need between 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. According to Dr. Don Colbert’s research, his patients usually find that 8 hours is about a perfect amount, less making a person drowsy and more making a person sluggish (4). You can find your level of sleep by varying from the 8 hours, a little less or a little more, and seeing which amount makes you feel drowsy, sluggish, or well rested.

Many factors can play into your weight gain. If you know that your eating habits are healthy but your sleep habits are not, it is worth the effort to get a good night’s sleep. As numerous other health issues are also affected by a lack of sleep, a good night’s sleep is a winning choice to bring lasting benefits to your weight and health.

(1) Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert, pg. 38
(2) Extraordinary Health, Julie Helm, Vol. 4, pg. 15
(3) MedicineNet.com Article
(4) Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert, pg. 46

I’m highlighting 10 points from an AOL article by Vicki Salemi with a link below to the full article. The sentences in parentheses are my comments on some of the points. The doctor in Ms. Salemi’s article does recommend certain drugs as preventative measures; we, personally, prefer non-drug methods as much as possible, as all drugs have some negative side effects which can outweigh any benefits.

Vitamin B Work with your doctor to put together a plan to incorporate whatever vitamins you are deficient in, particularly Vitamin B. [Our doctor said that Vitamin B is the most difficult vitamin for the body to absorb, so he suggests a quality B complex even if it is the only vitamin you take.]

Heart Healthy Foods Implement a heart healthy diet that’s low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Mental Gymnastics Taking your brain out of the comfort zone is one way to make connections and remain stimulated, such as doing crossword puzzles, creates a multi-dimensional connection.

Exercise Thirty minutes of exercise several times a week is beneficial for brain health. Exercise brings more oxygen to your brain, it helps burn excess sugar, it enhances hormones and is good for blood flow.

Avoid Heavy Metal Contamination Avoid shrimp and shellfish due to the mercury. Avoid exposure to aluminum in general, aluminum foil, pots and pans or deodorant with aluminum as an ingredient. [When buying fish, we look for "wild caught" on the label, and albacore in tuna, as they are supposed to be lower in heavy metals, though some doctors avoid fish completely, such as Dr. Mercola.]

Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Naproxens (Aleve) and ibuprofens (Advil and other over the counter drugs) have shown that using pain relievers can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Essentially these medications block enzymes that promote inflammation, fevers and pain. [As mentioned earlier, we personally prefer non-drug methods.]

Statins A study showed that statins, a cholesterol-reducing drug, lowered the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 73%. [Again, we personally prefer non-drug methods.]

Lose Weight According to a recent study, abdominal fat (sometimes described as having an apple shaped body rather than a pear shape) has been linked to boosting your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Social Interaction Community activities, attending a religious service, volunteering, going to museums or movie theater or other activities that involve social interaction stimulates the brain muscle, similar to what lifting weights does for other muscles in the body.

Click here to read the full article by Vicki Salemi.

A recent study showed a high success rate in Alzheimer’s prevention and recovery with organic blueberries.

Blueberries are a high source of anti-oxidants. You will find them in many of the anti-oxidant drinks on the market. However, I heard a talk by Dr. Don Colbert, it is briefly mentioned in his book, Seven Pillars of Heatlh, p. 213, that a study was done on rats with Alzheimer’s symptoms. After receiving blueberries in their diets, the Alzheimer’s symptoms disappeared. Dr. Colbert suggests that anyone middle-age or older has ¼ cup of organic blueberries per day (organic so you won’t be taking in pesticides), to prevent, and possibly reverse, symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

A couple of readers asked about health problems stemming from past hurts and how positive thinking brings healing, so let’s touch on both today!

There is an endless stream of little things happening everyday which can irritate you if you allow them to, but they are not even worth the negative thoughts and resulting physical consequences.

The first main point here is “little!” For most of us, it is allowing little situations to consistently irritate or worry us that ruin our health. Medical studies have shown that up to 80% of physical illnesses are caused by emotional issues. Some of us may be experiencing health problems due to living in an emotionally and/or physically abusive environment; if that is the case, health cannot come without a change “in” the environment or “of” environments. (If this is your case, please go to the Cloud Tag in the side column and click on “boundary violations” for posts to help you with that type of situation.) The majority of us, however, allow our health to be ruined by instances that actually come down to a matter of our own choice of thoughts. We can be the cause of our own poor health by allowing a multitude of small instances throughout the day to create irritation or anger or worry. Because we allow these negative responses so often, harmful chemicals such as cortisol are continually being released into our bodies. Studies show that cortisol, a chemical released by stress, increases irritability, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and is associated with numerous diseases (1).

The little things that set you off will vary with your personality. For example, what negative thoughts come to mind when:

• someone cuts you off in traffic?
• cuts you off to take the closest parking space?
• a family member spills something on the carpet or furniture?
• the kids start fighting?
• the dog had an accident in the house?
• a co-worker makes a cutting remark about you in front of other staff?
• your computer locks up and you forgot to recently save the document?
• you spill your cup of coffee that you just bought on break?
• the doorknob catches on your new shirt and rips it?

You should get a clear picture by now that almost any person we come in contact with or anything in our environment can cause stress, anger, and irritation countless times throughout the day if we allow them to.

If we do allow these little things to irritate us, we will experience an endless number of negative thoughts which in turn produce negative emotions and release harmful chemicals into the body. There is an old book, but still a great one, by Richard Carlson called, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff (2).” There have been numerous sequels as the book was a longtime best seller. Don’t be misled by the title. The author is not suggesting that extreme problems and tragedies do not occur, but rather that you must determine to not be bothered by all the little irritations or you won’t have the energy to deal with real stresses when they come. And in addition to that, you will be miserable most of the time! Some people create the same scenario with worry; they allow themselves to consistently imagine unlikely scenarios throughout the day and worry about them coming true even though they know it’s unlikely. It’s time to stop!

Scripture encourages us to quit giving attention to the little, negative instances as they are not worth the harm we bring ourselves by focusing on them.

“Love is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it-pays no attention to the wrong suffered (1 Cor. 13:3,4 Amp.).” If I were to paraphrase this quote, I’d say that to live a loving, positive, healthy life, I cannot be easily irritated or worried or bitter; I will not lose my health, joy, or energy by paying attention to these small, negative instances which have no effect on my overall life. Now I want you to imagine yourself going throughout your day putting this verse into practice by not reacting negatively-even in your mind-to all the little instances that would normally cause you irritation or worry. Now realize how much happier you will be by not allowing all those negative thoughts. Then appreciate the improvement to your health because all that cortisol is not being released by your negative thoughts. Instead, you are releasing healing endorphins by choosing to maintain a state of happiness.

Quit focusing on the myriad of little, negative instances in your day. Choose to maintain a positive mental/emotional state and begin thinking yourself to better health!

(1) p. 39, 7 Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert ISBN#1-59185-815-1
(2) Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small Stuff ISBN#0-7868-8185-2
(3) The inspiration for using the above scripture passage in today’s blog and the concept of relating it to one’s physical health was from the June 20th post in Faith to Faith, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, ISBN#0-88114-843-1

A good beginning to resolve many physical health issues is an near as your pillow.

“An estimated 50 to 70 million [people in the US] live on the brink of mental and physical collapse because of a lack of sleep,” as stated in Dr. Don Colbert’s book, “The Seven Pillars of Health (1).” A lack of sleep affects one’s job performance, driving ability, family/friend relationships, creativeness, decision-making as well as contributes to a host of chronic diseases.

Let’s look at a great illustration from nature related to our need for rest.

Dr. Colbert relates the following illustration in his book.  The soil in which our food is grown needs to have regular periods of rest. If crops are not rotated and the soil given a year of rest every so many years, the food grown there, even if organically grown, is devoid of many of the nutrients necessary for life. According to the 1992 Earth Summit, North America has the worst soil in the world-85 percent of the vital minerals depleted from it (2). Data from a USDA handbook from 1972 was compared to USDA food tables in 2001 and found that many vegetables had almost a 50 percent loss in nutrient content during that period of time (3). In scripture, God told people to give the soil a year’s rest every seventh year so that the nutrients could be naturally restored to the soil, and hence, to our food (Lev. 25:1-7). We came from the earth. The earth or soil needs regular rest or it will become devoid of everything of value. The parallel is obvious: if we do not take time to rest, our lives will become devoid of everything of value.

If you are sleep deprived, take a quick inventory of the things of value in your life.

If you have been sleep deprived, you can now quickly see that everything of value in your life-your career, your relationships, your creativity, your decision-making, your health, and even your physical safety-have greatly decreased in the quality in which they were once functioning when compared to a time in life in which you had proper sleep. Your lack of sleep has robbed your life of all that is of true value to you! Even one’s prayer life and meditation is not effective when one is sleep deprived. Been there, done that-as the saying goes!

A little bit of self-discipline to establish normal sleep habits will yield great benefits in restoring quality to all the aspects of life that we value so much!

I enjoyed Dr. Colbert’s sense of humor in his book. In regards to eating poor quality food, he said, “Your diet will not keep you from getting to heaven, but if you continue to eat unhealthy foods, you will get there much sooner (4).” Similarly, if we deprive ourselves of necessary sleep we may get there sooner as well! Increase the level of healing to all areas of value in your life by getting your head on that pillow soon enough to have at least 8 hours of sleep per night.

1. The Seven Pillars of Health p. 37
2. The Seven Pillars of Health p. 182
3. The Seven Pillars of Health p. 183
4. The Seven Pillars of Health p. 74

Laughter  -  It is something we all enjoying hearing, something we all enjoy doing.  It has natural healing powers.  It’s time to do more of it! 

For over a thousand years, long before the realm of modern science, age old proverbs reminded people of the healing power of laughter, 

A rejoicing heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Prov. 17:22

Dr. Don Colbert shares that laughter is one of his prescriptions to patients who come to be placed on nutritional programs. He has discovered that when he asks patients how often they laugh, most cancer patients respond, “I never laugh.” He prescribes 10 belly laughs a day for his patients. (1)

Research has shown a wide variety of healing aspects from laughter:

Pain Relief - A study of patients recovering from surgery showed that the group which was allowed to choose the humorous movies they saw benefited the most from the laughter therapy and required fewer pain-killers compared with a control group that saw none at all. (2) Other research has also shown laughter to increase one’s pain threshold. (4)

Lower Blood Pressure - Laughter reduces the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopamine (4); stress hormones, on the other hand, increase the number of platelets, causing obstructions in the arteries and raising blood pressure. (3)

Relaxation Therapy and Improved Digestion - French neurologist Henri Rubenstein said that even one minute of laughter can give the body up to 45 minutes of therapeutic relaxation. It also stimulates appetite and digestion. (1)

Boosted Immune System - Laughter increases natural killer cells which destroy tumors and viruses, Gamma-interferon–a disease fighting protein, T-cells–a vital part of the immune system, and B-cells–which make disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also increases salivary immunoglobulin A, which defends against infectious organisms entering the respiratory tract. (3)

Speedy Healing - French doctor Pierre Vachet, who studied the physiology of laughter, has concluded that laughter expands the blood vessels and sends more blood racing to the extremities. As it sends more oxygen to every cell in the body, it also serves to speed tissue healing and stabilize many body functions. (2)

Make it a point to daily experience the healing benefits of laughter.

E.E. Cummings said, “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” Since life is too valuable to be wasted, let us not waste a single day by letting it go by without frequent laughter.

If you feel you need help in developing the ability to laugh in your life, I actually found some beneficial info online at HelpGuide.org. It has 2 brief, practical articles to help you develop more laughter in your life, Bringing More Laughter into Your Life and Developing Your Sense of Humor.

1. Seven Pillars of Health, pg. 244, Dr. Don Colbert
2. Alternative Healing/Laughter, Indiadiets.com
3. Laughing Out Loud to Good Health, Library Think Quest
4. The Stress Management and Health Benefits of Laughter, Elizabeth Scott, M.S., About.com/Stress

Your weight gain can be caused by a lack of sleep.

An estimated 50-70 million Americans are suffering mentally and physically from a lack of sleep (1). Though eating habits obviously play a role in weight gain, studies have shown that there is a definite relationship between a lack of sleep and weight gain.

Various hormones released during your sleep regulate your weight and appetite.

Leptin, released during sleep, is the hormone which tells your body that it is full and doesn’t need more food. The lower the levels of leptin in your body, the more of the hormone ghrelin is released to increase your hunger (2). The growth hormone is also released during sleep; while this hormone causes growth in children, it controls muscle mass and fat level in adults (1).

A University of Chicago research found definite relationship between too little sleep and increased appetite/weight gain. The people in the study who slept only 4 hours a night had leptin levels decrease by 18 percent. This caused the ghrelin levels, which stimulate appetite, to increase by 28 percent (2). These results should be motivational in getting a good night’s sleep. Many of us just stay so busy that sleep is the easiest thing to cut back on.

If stress is causing your lack of sleep, not putting into action a plan to deal with stress will only add to your weight problems.

Stress increases your levels of adrenaline and cortisol, mobilizing the body’s sugar supply, for the purpose of quick thinking and action in emergency situations. If you live in a frequent or continual state of stress, the excess cortisol will make your body think that it is in need of more and more energy supply for a “fight or flight” response that is not physically taking place; in other words, you are not physically running away from danger and using up those food sources, but the stress causes your body to think that you are. The result is increased hunger, since your body thinks it needs to replace those food sources.

Some studies have shown that stress and elevated cortisol tend to cause fat to specifically be deposited in the abdominal area rather than in the hips. These fat deposits are referred to as “toxic fat” since abdominal fat is strongly correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and strokes (3)

Just how much sleep should a person have for good weight and health?

Most people need between 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. According to Dr. Don Colbert’s research, his patients usually find that 8 hours is about a perfect amount, less making a person drowsy and more making a person sluggish (4). You can find your level of sleep by varying from the 8 hours, a little less or a little more, and seeing which amount makes you feel drowsy, sluggish, or well rested.

Many factors can play into your weight gain. If you know that your eating habits are healthy but your sleep habits are not, it is worth the effort to get a good night’s sleep. As numerous other health issues are also affected by a lack of sleep, a good night’s sleep is a winning choice to bring lasting benefits to your weight and health.

(1) Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert, pg. 38

(2) Extraordinary Health, Julie Helm, Vol. 4, pg. 15

(3) MedicineNet.com Article

(4) Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert, pg. 46