The Art and Science of Healthy Living

For me, the greatest thing I did for love is ACCEPTING the fact that LIFE GOES ON. In this universe, there are no mistakes. Everything is just the way it’s supposed to be. IF the relationship didn’t work, look for a relationship that will.

When you think of your past love, you may view it as a failure. But when you find love a new love, you view the past as a teacher. In the game of love, it doesn’t really matter who won or lost.

What is important is you know when to hold on and when to let go. You know you really love someone when you want him or her to be happy, even if their happiness means that you’re not a part of it. Everything happens for the best. If the person you love doesn’t love you back, don’t be afraid to love someone else again, for you’ll never know unless you give it a try. You’ll never love a person you love unless you risk for love. Love strives in hurting. IF you don’t get hurt, you don’t learn how to love. Love doesn’t hurt all the time. Though the hurting is still there to test you, to help you grow. Don’t find love, let love finds you. That’s why it’s called falling in love because you don’t force yourself to fall. You just fall. You cannot finish a book without closing it’s chapters. If you want to go on, then you have to leave the past as you turn the pages.

Love is not destroyed by a single failure or won by a single caress. It is a lifetime venture in which we are always learning, discovering and growing. The greatest irony of love is letting go when you need to hold on and holding on when you need to let go. We lose someone we love only when we are destined to find someone else who can love us even more than we can love ourselves. On falling out of love, take some time to heal and then get back on the horse. But don’t ever make the same mistakes of riding the same horse that threw you the first time.

To love is to risk rejection, to live is to risk dying, to hope is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is risk nothing! To reach for another is to risk involvement, to expose your feelings is to expose true self, to love is to risk not to be loved in return. How to define love: fall but do not stumble, be constant but not too persistent, share and never be unfair, understand and try not to demand, get hurt but never keep the pain.

Love is like a knife. IT can stab the heart or it can carve wonderful images into the soul that always last for a lifetime. Love is supposed to be the most wonderful feeling. It should inspire you and give you joy and strength.
But sometimes the things that give you joy can also hurt you in the end. Loving people means giving them freedom who they choose to be and where they choose to be. For all the heartaches and the tears, for gloomy days and fruitful years, you should give thanks, for you know, that there were the things that helped you grow.

Loving someone means giving the freedom to find his way, whether it leads towards you or away from you. Love is a painful risk to take but risk must be taken no matter how scary or painful, for only then you’ll experience the fullness of humanity and that is love. Only love can hurt your heart, fill you with desire and tear you apart. Only love can make you cry and only love knows why. If you’re not ready to cry, if you’re not ready to take the risk, if you’re not ready to feel the pain, then you’re not ready to fall in love. There was a time in our lives when we became afraid to fall in love ‘coz every time we do, we get hurt.

Whatever happened, don’t give up! it is just a trial. After all God will not give you trial that you can’t tackle. Have faith and cheer up!

When you decide to love, allow it to grow. When you promise to love, refuse to let it die.

Your health is your life, and your wealth represents the fruits of your labor.  I assume you don’t want to be wasteful with either of them.  Here’s how to save both at the same time:

So many people spend their health gaining wealth,
and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.
- A.J. Reb Materi

1. Reduce Your Consumption of Drugs – That includes alcohol, cigarettes, over the counter, prescription and otherwise.  Drugs are a huge financial drain, and in most cases, unhealthy for the human body.  A significant portion of the global population abuses the crap out of them on a daily basis, legally and illegally.

2. Learn to Cook and Prepare Healthy Food – People who eat every meal out tend to have lighter wallets and heavier rear ends.  With the exception of pricey, upscale dining establishments, you’ll find that most restaurants use lower-grade ingredients and employ sketchy sanitary practices that fall well below the standards you embrace in your own kitchen.  So when you eat out, you’re either spending more cash or eating low-grade product.  Regardless, you lose.  The ability to cook and prepare healthy meals is a vital skill everyone should know how to do.

3. Brown Bag the Leftovers for Lunch – Always cook enough at dinnertime so you can enjoy lunchtime leftovers the following day.  Leftovers are faster, easier, cheaper and healthier than anything you’ll find at the local fast food eatery.

4. Avoid Overpriced, Unproven Supplements – Most people assume that FDA approved nutritional supplements are proven products.  Wrong!  Do you really think the FDA has enough resources to precisely verify every new dietary supplement proposed to hit the market?  I assure you, they don’t and there is no feasible way they ever will.  Remember, the FDA concentrates its efforts on drugs, not supplements.  Under the active Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act, producers of dietary supplements do not have to verify that their product is effective, safe or at all healthy prior to placing it on store shelves.  Sometimes someone has to become dreadfully ill from a dietary supplement before it even becomes a “blip” on the FDA’s radar.

5. Drink Filtered Tap Water – I’ve said it before, people go to work and trade priceless hours of their lives for dollars and then waste the dollars buying something that’s already free.  A Brita water filter is an inexpensive investment that makes free tap water as healthy and pure as the bottled water for sale at the local supermarket.  Since a penny saved is a penny earned, you’ll be making money every time you take a sip.  Also, substituting beverages like soda for filtered tap water is another healthy way to save.

6. Stop Driving Like a Maniac – The faster you accelerate your vehicle, the more gas you will burn.  People who are heavy on the pedal use up to 37% more gas during every mile of city driving.  At $4 a gallon, that’s a lot of wasted money.  Also, the faster you drive, the less time you have to react to hazardous road conditions.  Bottom line: Drive responsibly at or below the speed limit.

7. Brew Your Own Coffee – Is coffee perfectly healthy for you?  It’s hard to say for sure.  There is a good deal of medical research to validate both sides of the argument (see here and here).  However, one point remains certain: millions of people across the globe drink coffee every single morning.  Many of them wasting significant amounts of money on fatty, sugar and cream packed coffee beverages from Starbucks-style coffeehouses.  So the real question is: How do you make the coffee drinking habit healthier and less expensive?  The answer is simple.  Brew your own coffee.  If you like, add a dash of low fat milk and a single packet of sugar.  It’s quick, fairly healthy and way cheaper than Starbucks.  We have a Cuisinart Two-to-Go Coffeemaker and absolutely love it.

8. Wear Helmets and Protective Body Gear – How many motorcyclists, bicyclists, skateboarders, etc. do see foolishly blazing around without wearing any form of protective body gear?  It’s your life.  A quality bicycle helmet will cost you $40 and 2 seconds of your time to put it on before you ride.  If you don’t wear one and end up crashing and cracking your head open, it could cost you thousands of dollars in medical bills and take months, if not years, for your body to fully recover.

9. Stay In and Hang Out – Your home is your haven.  It’s the safest, most comfortable environment to relax and socialize in.  It also happens to be a far cheaper alternative to the local bars, pubs and clubs.  You can save money on gas and entertainment costs while avoiding a lungful of secondhand smoke.  So login to eBay, sell some stuff you don’t use, buy yourself a Wii and invite over a few of your favorite people.  Don’t forget to crank-up the tunes. 

10. Buy Healthy, Generic Brand Food – When it comes to the bare essentials on your grocery list, generic brands can provide the same food quality at a significantly reduced cost.  U.S. food manufacturers are forced to follow a set of standards which basically guarantees the quality of the food they produce.  Many large-scale grocery chains purchase name brand products directly from the manufacturer and simply slap their own generic brand label on the packaging.  You should always compare the generic brand’s list of ingredients to a name brand product just to make sure everything matches up.

11. Eat Fresh Produce that is In Season – Based on abundant crops and excessive supplies, produce that is in season is fresher, more nutritious and cheaper than produce that is out of season.  Take a quick look around the produce isle.  The fresh, seasonal produce will be piled high and priced low.  The fluctuations in price can be quite significant.  For instance, an ear of corn will cost about 10 cents in the summer and nearly a dollar in the wintertime.

12. Play Sports with Your Friends – Racquetball, tennis, kickball, basketball… Honestly, it doesn’t matter what you play, so long as it’s an active sport that you enjoy.  When you play sports with your friends you’re basically hitting 3 birds with 1 stone.  You’re getting healthy exercise and quality social time without spending a dime.

13. Walk a Mile Everyday – Most medical professionals agree that walking is the healthiest form of exercise.  Studies have shown that overweight twenty-somethings spend significantly more on medical bills over the course of their lives.  Adding a 1 mile walk into your daily routine is a quick way to get some exercise and lose a couple pounds without spending money on a gym membership.  My colleagues and I walk a mile everyday after lunch.  We walk, we talk and we come back to the office feeling refreshed.

14. Do Some Weekly Meal Planning – A little meal planning can reduce the cost of preparing a meal by preventing you from overspending on ingredients you don’t need.  It’s also much less stressful to prepare a meal without running around at the last second trying to figure out what ingredients you have so you know what you can cook.  This scenario is exactly why most people give up and waste their money at unhealthy fast food restaurants.

15. Buy in Bulk, Cook in Bulk – Join a discount shopping club like Costco.  Even though there’s a membership fee, discount clubs can be extremely cost-effective if you purchase the majority of your groceries in bulk.  Buying and cooking food in bulk is a great way to save money and maintain a healthy diet.  If you cook a week’s worth of healthy food in bulk, you’ll probably end up eating healthier all week long than you would have otherwise.  Angel and I usually cook in bulk for the entire week on Sunday evenings.  Having our food already prepared when we return home from work is a huge time saver and stress reducer on busy week nights.

16. Eat Slow to Eat Less – By eating slow you give yourself enough time to properly chew your food, which is much healthier for your digestive system.  It also gives you enough time (usually 20 minutes is needed) to realize you’re full.  Many people eat so fast that they continue stuffing their faces long after their stomachs are at capacity.  The slower you eat, the less you will eat.  The less you eat, the less money you will spend on food.

17. Reduce Consumption of Sugar-Loaded Deserts – Consuming a sugary snack on occasion is fine for you, but not when you habitually fix one onto the end of every single meal you eat.  Most sugar-loaded deserts have little nutritional value and simply empty your wallet and make your jeans 2 sizes too small.

18. Get Annual Medical Check-Ups – If you think that scheduling medical check-ups when you’re healthy is a waste of your time and money, think again.  The exact opposite is actually true.  Annual medical check-ups are the best form of severe illness prevention, and prevention is greatest cure of all.  Regular medical check-ups can detect potential health issues before they get out of control, allowing you to treat the condition before it becomes an expensive, time consuming drain on your life.

19. Wash Your Hands Before Eating – Washing your hands takes two seconds and kills thousands of germs that could potentially lead to illness.  When you catch a cold, what do you do?  You buy expensive over the counter medications.  Do you want to stay healthier and wealthier?  Wash your hands before you eat, EVERY SINGLE TIME you eat!  If you can’t wash your hands, use a quality hand sanitizer.

20. Brush and Floss Your Teeth Every Night – I know so many people who brush their teeth every morning to kill bad breath, but get lazy and forget to brush and floss their teeth before bedtime.  The bacterium that causes tooth decay can multiply 30 times during the course of the night while you sleep.  If you only want to brush and floss your teeth once a day, do it before bedtime.  It is the most effective time for maintaining a healthy set of teeth.  Remember, dentistry is painfully expensive, so be proactive and take care of your teeth.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s okay to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s okay to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

“A REAL FRIEND IS ONE WHO WALKS IN WHEN
THE REST OF THE WORLD WALKS OUT

Swiss researchers claim that taking stairs instead of the lift during work can prolong life.

A study that includes 69 people shows that use of stairs instead of the lift leads to less body fat, trimmed waistlines and better fitness.

The University of Geneva team calculates that it can cut 15% risk of premature death from any cause. The outcomes of the study have been presented in a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.

At the start of the study, the 69 participants had a deskbound lifestyle as they had less than two hours of exercise or sports every week and climbed fewer than 10 flights of stairs every day.

After 12 weeks of the study, the participants, who were hospital employees at Geneva University, were told to use the stairs during work instead of taking the lift.

Then, the number of flights of stairs was increased five per day to 23 on an average basis.

After three months of the trial the researchers found that those people had drop in blood pressure, better lung capacity and cholesterol measurement.

There was also a decrease in their boy fat, waist measurements and they had better ability to perform aerobic exercises.

If taken together, it reduces 15% chances of dying young, say the researchers.

According to Lead researcher Dr Philippe Meyer, “The results seem to suggest that stair climbing must be a major public health implication.”

“Larger studies are needed to confirm the results of the study,” he added.

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5 Superstar Veggies
Artichokes
Radishes
Broccoli
Red chicory
Leeks

7 Stellar Seasonings
Sage
Rosemary
Marjoram
Thyme
Tarragon
Cumin
Fresh ginger
Garlic

The #1 Vegetable
Of the 27 vegetables scientists studied, the almighty artichoke led the antioxidant pack. Plus it’s rich in both fiber and foliate, two good-for-you nutrients. Look for plump but compact globe-like artichokes with thick, green, fresh-looking scales.

The Runners-Up
Radishes, broccoli, and even luscious leeks are stocked in most supermarkets. But what’s red chicory? An Italian salad favorite with an oddly appealing bitter taste. Try mixing it with romaine.

The High-Powered Herbs and Spices
Sage, rosemary, and thyme…when Simon and Garfunkel made them famous, nobody knew they had disease-fighting powers. Cumin, a spice used heavily in Indian food, is even more impressive, as is ginger. But experiment: All of these seasonings are simple ways to boost the health — and flavor — of any salad (soups too). Here’s a get-you-started recipe.

COOL-BEANS ARTICHOKE SALAD
This elegant mix is both light and filling — perfect to serve a few friends on a sultry night.
Serves 4

10 baby artichokes, peeled and quartered
2 cups diagonally cut asparagus
1/3 cup thinly sliced radishes
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 19-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
8 large romaine leaves 

1. Steam the artichokes for 8 minutes. Add the asparagus and steam about 2 minutes more, or until crisp-tender. Drain and run vegetables under cold water. Let cool.

4. To serve, place 2 romaine leaves each on four plates. Divide salad equally among plates and drizzle with remaining dressing.

You probably have a basic understanding of how modern medicine works: People have a yearly checkup, take an antibiotic when they’re sick, get a cast for a broken arm, and they’re good as new.

But in recent years other approaches to healing have risen in  popularity. Many of these "alternative" techniques come from all over the globe and have been around for thousands of years. So what is alternative medicine and what does it do?

What Is It?

The term "alternative medicine" is used to describe healing treatments that are not part of conventional medical training — like acupuncture, massage therapy, or herbal medicine. People used to consider practices like these outside the mainstream, which is why they got the name "alternative."

Eastern countries have a longstanding tradition of teaching alternative medicine. But until recently, most Western hospitals didn’t provide any alternative treatments and Western medical schools didn’t teach them.

Patients in Western countries are becoming more receptive to trying alternative techniques, and have been asking for them. As a result, many Western medical schools are starting to teach these medicine techniques and theories. Some hospitals and doctors are supplementing their regular medical care with alternative techniques.

Many patients and health care providers use alternative treatments together with conventional therapies. This is known as complementary medicine.

Both alternative and complementary medicine use the same kinds of remedies to treat a health condition. The difference is that alternative medicine is often used instead of conventional medical techniques. Complementary medicine is used in addition to conventional medicine, not as a replacement. The field of complementary and alternative medicine is known as CAM for short.

How Is CAM Different From Conventional Medicine?

Conventional medicine (also called "allopathic medicine") is based on scientific knowledge of the body and uses treatments that have been proven effective through scientific research. Doctors are trained to have a thorough knowledge of the body’s systems, diseases, and their treatments.

Complementary and alternative medicine is based on the belief that a medical care provider has to treat the whole person — body, mind, and spirit. The techniques used in CAM are mostly less invasive than conventional medical practices — meaning that they don’t rely on surgery or conventional medications.

Some CAM therapies are supported by scientific evidence. But for most there are still questions that need to be addressed through scientific studies. This doesn’t mean these therapies don’t work, it just means that experts haven’t studied them enough to know for sure that they do — and if so, how.

Why Do People Use CAM?

People often turn to CAM when they have a long-lasting problem that conventional medicine hasn’t completely cured. For example, someone who has seen a doctor for years about persistent headaches might try using CAM in addition to current treatments to deal with any symptoms or side effects from conventional treatments.

People may also use complementary and alternative medicine when they’re not sick. Because many people believe that CAM techniques — such as yoga — can improve overall well being, healthy people often use alternative medicine to try to prevent illness or to ensure a healthier lifestyle.

Specialties

Just as there are many fields in conventional medicine, CAM covers many different practices. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), groups CAM practices into four areas:

1. Biologically based practices involve supplementing a person’s normal diet with additional nutrients, herbs, extracts, and certain foods. If you’ve ever taken a vitamin or herbal supplement, you’ve followed a biologically based practice.
2. Manipulative and body-based therapies focus on the body’s various systems and structures. If you’ve ever seen a chiropractor or had a massage, you’ve been treated with manipulative therapy.
3. Mind-body interventions use the connection between a person’s mind, body, and spirit to enhance total well being. Mind-body techniques include meditation, yoga, and biofeedback.
4. Energy therapies are meant to restore disturbances in the body’s natural energy. Energy therapies include such practices as Qi gong and Reiki.

In addition to these four different practices, CAM includes several whole medical systems. These alternative medical systems are entire systems of theory and practice, and many date back earlier than the conventional medicine we use in the West today. Examples of alternative medical systems include Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, homeopathic medicine, and naturopathic medicine.

Alternative medical systems incorporate many of the different practices listed above into their treatments. For example, the Traditional Chinese Medicine practice of acupuncture may be combined with herbal medicine (a biologically based practice), and Qi gong (an energy therapy). And Ayurveda includes the mind-body therapies of meditation and yoga, along with the biologically based practice of taking specific herbs for health reasons.

Some CAM practices are supported by scientific research, while others have not yet been studied. Sometimes experts have scientific evidence that a CAM practice (like acupuncture) works, but they don’t have a clear understanding of why.

Limitations

Although CAM does have some proven benefits, like anything, it has its limitations.

Experts haven’t researched many CAM techniques enough to tell how effective they are as treatments. Some people may not feel it’s worth investing a lot of time or money in treatments that haven’t been proven effective. Insurance policies rarely cover CAM treatments, so people have to pay for them out of their own pockets with no reimbursement.

For some health problems, alternative healing approaches on their own may not be enough to help a person get well. Even something as seemingly minor as an infection may need treatment with traditional medications, like antibiotics. That’s why it’s always best to see your doctor if you have a health problem and talk openly about any CAM techniques you might want to try.

Another reason you should be up-front with your doctor about CAM techniques is because, in some cases, CAM practices can actually interfere with traditional medical treatments. For example, certain herbal supplements can interfere with some prescription drugs, such as diabetes treatments or birth-control pills.

As with modern medicine, CAM treatments that are effective for one problem will not help with all problems. For example, acupuncture has been proven to help reduce migraines for people under 18 years old, but is controversial as to whether is helps in other situations. Certain treatments are only used for certain problems, so if you want to try an alternative practice for a health reason, make sure it will help the specific problem you’re looking to correct.

Before You Try It

Traditional medical doctors are not only trained, they’re licensed. But that’s not always the case with CAM practitioners. Some states have licensing requirements for certain specialists, like acupuncturists and massage therapists, and many are expanding their requirements for licensing as CAM practices grow in popularity.

Finding a good CAM practitioner is still not as easy as looking someone up in a phone book. NCCAM recommends asking another health care provider for a referral, talking to people who have been treated by the expert you are considering, and meeting with the practitioner to ask about his or her experience and training — the same kinds of things you’d do if you were interviewing a new doctor.

You may have already used a complementary or alternative practice, like yoga or massage, and not even thought about it! Trying practices like meditation and breathing can’t do any harm, but other CAM techniques may have consequences for people with certain health conditions. Even the more mainstream practices like yoga can hurt someone with a health condition — like a back problem — if they are not done properly. So check with your doctor before trying any CAM techniques. Your doctor will try to guide you on which practices you can safely try while continuing with your current method of treatment.

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: January 2007

Think HEAT and you would warm up.. Think HEALTH and you’ll get the most beautiful things that life has to offer.