Many times when I am teaching my patients about health and healing I speak about my “Life Insurance Program”. We spend a lot of money on house insurance, car insurance and even MSP insurance, but we are not taught to budget for the health of our bodies. Instead we fork out hundreds of dollars per month to keep our cars going, taking them in for regular tune ups and oil changes and paying for insurance. How long do you expect your car to last? At most 20 years. Yet we don’t pay any attention to our own body, which we abuse and misuse and still expect it to perform for us for a good 70 years! It just doesn’t make sense! Here are 10 Healthy Tips you could start considering putting into practice for a new you!  Remember what you put it in is what you get out, so budget $100.00 per month for good quality fuel and you will reap the benefit! The best supplements to purchase are in capsule or powder form for the easiest absorption. Don’t forget that at the bottom of most porta-potties are a bunch of pills that have passed through the intestinal tract undigested!

1. Stop drinking milk and eating wheat. When folks do this their skin clears up, their gas and bloating gets better, their weight goes down, their energy improves and their concentration gets better. Switch to soy, almond or rice milks instead, and rye and rice crackers, noodles and breads and use more legumes, yams and squash instead of pasta and potatoes. You will be amazed! Do you crave milk? See point number #6.

2. Stop drinking your calories in juices and alcohol. Try herbal teas hot or cold, my ginger juice recipe, vegetable juices and good old purified water. Do you realize that a gallon of purified water is worth more than a gallon of gas!

3. Carlson’s cod liver oil: Your mom was right, omega 3 essential fats are crucial for every cell in your body and is very deficient in our diet. This oil is purified and NOT rancid so you don’t get that bad fishy taste. If you burp it back it is because your gallbladder is not happy. Take one tablespoon per day and your body will get a good dose of Vitamin D too and you will lose your craving for those French fries.

4. B complex: These vitamins reduce the incidence of heart disease by 60% and should be in the water supply they are so important. This is where you want “expensive” urine, because if your urine is yellow it means you are getting enough B’s! There is no drug out there that reduces heart disease by 60%! It is also great for PMS and depression.

5. Selenium: this is a mineral not found at all in the soils on Vancouver Island and should also be in the water supply as it reduces prostate cancer by 60% and other cancers too! If this was a drug and could make the drug companies any money you would be hearing about it every day! It is also important for thyroid function.

6. Magnesium: this is the most common mineral deficiency on the planet and is effective for over 50 biochemical pathways in the body. When you see young folks dying during sporting events this is one of the minerals that is lacking. It is needed to prevent heart palpitations and irregularities and improve energy production along with being my best sleeping pill when taken with calcium at bedtime. A good calcium magnesium mineral supplement (cal/mag) is also my best remedy for aches and pains and will help you get over your cravings for milk. Over the counter pain medications are the most common drugs consumed and they are very hard on the liver. Why aren’t you taking calc/mag yet?

7. Probiotics: human flora (HMF Forte) or Natren acidophilus or bifidus are the most effective probiotics on the market. The flora in  your gut weighs about 5 pounds and most of it is bacteria, but usually of the wrong kind. By taking this regularly you not only improve digestive function, but also your immune system as 60% of your immune system is in your gut. It is also important for cancer prevention as it helps the liver detoxify carcinogens in our foods and environment. The best food source of probiotics is home made sauerkraut! Yogurt is not! (at least in North America due to the way milk is processed).

8. Vitamin D: This is found in the Carlson’ Cod liver oil, so I am recommending that folks take this all year round. The body has a huge capacity to absorb Vitamin D, which as it turns out is not just for your bones and calcium metabolism but for cancer and autoimmune disease prevention. Vitamin D deficiency in northern climates, such as ours, is responsible for the high rates of prostate and breast cancer as well as Multiple Sclerosis that we see in our area. When you wear sunscreen it blocks vitamin D 96%!

9. Greens: Greens First is our favorite Greens drink in the office now. It is sweetened with Stevia and one scoop per day will give the anti-oxidant equivalent to 10 fruits and vegetables. It is a great drink to take before a work out, if you miss a meal or don’t want to eat a big breakfast. It detoxifies the liver, chelates heavy metals, provides anti-oxidants as well as gives you energy. Come into the office for a free sample. It is delicious!

10.  Anti-oxidants such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C and carotenes work best when taken together to rid the body of carcinogenic free radical oxygen species. It is a lot easier to prevent cancer than treat it and these are cheap too!

My rule of thumb is to be on a good program like this 5 days out of 7 and you will add 10 years of health to your life according to eclectic physician Dr. Bill Mitchell N.D. in Seattle Washington. What kind of insurance can you buy these days with that kind of guarantee? If you think you can’t afford it look at how much you spend on over the counter drugs for pain, how much you spend in the liquor store and how much you spend on gas? The only person who is really interested in your health should be you! Try these tips for three months then decide.