Healing What Hurts: Fast Ways to Get Safe Relief from Aches and Pains and Other Everyday Ailments

   PART I   

The

Foundations

of

Health

   CHAPTER 1   

The Four Pillars of Health

What is health? For many years, in Western society the definition of health has been something like the absence of illness or disease, and that seemed to satisfy most people. This way of thinking is the essence of mainstream, or allopathic, medicine, the approach that is the basis of health care in the United States today. Mainstream medicine focuses on the physical body: doctors evaluate a patient’s symptoms, run medical tests to help identify the problem, and prescribe drugs, surgery, or other medical treatments to relieve the symptoms. This approach addresses only one aspect of people’s essence—their physical being—and ignores and neglects the emotional and spiritual natures of the individual. Yet all three elements play a critical role in a person’s overall health and well-being.

Any approach to health that considers the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of a person’s essence is generally considered to be holistic, meaning that it deals with a person as a whole, not just as fragmented symptoms that need to be fixed. It recognizes that the body has a natural tendency toward balance or homeostasis. To attain and maintain homeostasis, we need to strengthen the pillars of health—diet, lifestyle, stress management, and attitude/spirituality. These pillars are the foundation upon which health and well-being rest. The bottom line is, health is a matter of balance.

In this chapter we look at the four pillars of health and explain guidelines in each area that can help you restore and keep your body in balance. When you have a strong foundation—when your physical, emotional, and spiritual natures are in harmony—you are better able to fight off potential health problems. These problems can range from invading viruses and bacteria to broken bones, stomach disorders, and muscle pain. Attention to your diet, lifestyle, stress levels, and spiritual health also makes you better equipped to bounce back from disease—when the body is out of harmony—if and when it strikes.

EATING FOR MAXIMUM HEALTH

Every day of our lives, each of us has a unique opportunity to nourish and nurture the body with nutritious, life-sustaining foods. Yet most Americans choose a less healthy path, consuming high-fat, low-fiber foods, lots of sugar, and highly processed foods, all of which contribute to a variety of illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, various intestinal problems, and obesity.

In particular, Americans consume too much fat, most of which is found in meats, dairy products, fried foods, and desserts. The American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest noted in a joint report that if Americans consumed about 20 percent of their calories from fat, the healthcare costs in the United States would fall by $17 billion per year. Yet most Americans are regularly consuming nearly twice that amount of fat calories, and it shows in the increasing waistlines in both adults and children, and in the consistently high rates of food-related diseases.

A Balanced Diet

The recipe for a healthy, balanced eating plan is simple: 60 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 20 percent from fats, and 20 percent from protein, plus plenty of pure water. The food choices you make in each of these categories is important, because you want to select foods that are good sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other essential elements. First, let’s look at each of these categories, starting with carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are our most abundant source of energy. When you ingest carbohydrates, your body converts them into glucose (which the body uses as immediate fuel) and glycogen (which the body stores and transforms into glucose when needed). Carbohydrates come in two forms—simple and complex—and are found in a wide variety of foods. Simple carbohydrates are basic sugars, which have no nutritional value by themselves. They include cane sugar (common white table sugar), beet sugar, and honey, and are also found in fruits and to a lesser degree in vegetables and milk. Simple sugars are found in many processed foods: simply look on the label for the telltale words sucrose, fructose, glucose, dextrose, as well as sugar. Simple carbohydrates provide a quick source of energy because they are rapidly absorbed by the body. However, the energy surge is short-lived, and soon after consuming foods high in simple carbohydrates (for example, a candy bar or can of orange soda) your energy level can drop dramatically.

Complex carbohydrates are processed much more slowly by the body, which means they provide a steady source of longer-term energy. These carbohydrates are found in starchy foods such as brown rice, whole-grain breads and pasta, legumes, root vegetables, and potatoes. Unlike simple carbohydrate foods, those containing complex carbohydrates provide essential fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients.

Protein

Protein, which consists of elements called amino acids, is necessary for the growth, maintenance, and repair of the body’s cells. The average American needs about 0.38 grams of protein per pounds of body weight. Therefore, a 150-pound individual requires 57 grams of protein per day. Yet most Americans eat excessive amounts of protein, and the extra is either burned as energy or stored as fat. Protein foods include meat, poultry, fish, soybeans, cereal grains, legumes, nuts, eggs, and cheese.

Fats

Fats are a necessary part of our diet, yet the amount and type of fat you consume is important if you are concerned about your health. Saturated fat, found in meat, cheeses, and butter, contribute to high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, and obesity. Trans fats, found in margarine and processed foods, are produced when unsaturated vegetable oils are converted into saturated fats. Unsaturated fats, which consist of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are considered to be the healthy fats. Monounsaturated fat is found in avocados, nuts, seeds, and olives. Polyunsaturated fat contains essential fatty acids, which are critical for health. They can be found in oily fish (for example, sardines, tuna, salmon) and most vegetable oils.

A Healthy Eating Plan

Countless studies of different dietary habits from around the world have shown that the best nutritional advice can be boiled down to three easy-to-implement and practical concepts. First, eat simple, unprocessed foods, preferably organic. Processed foods contain additives, such as artificial flavorings, preservatives, and colorings, as well as added salt, sugar, and other unhealthy ingredients. Choosing organic foods, when available, reduces your exposure to pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other toxins. If you eat meat or dairy products, they also should be organically produced (that is, without hormones, steroids, pesticides, and antibiotics). Second, eat in moderation. Overeating causes obesity and contributes to various diseases. Third, enjoy your food. Eat slowly, in pleasant, stress-free surroundings, to aid the digestive process.

Now let’s look in more detail at the types of foods you should choose to promote health and well-being.

 Choose the majority of your foods from plant sources. These include fruits, vegetables, rice, soy-based foods, whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, and foods that have been made from whole grains (for example, whole-grain cereals, pastas, and breads). Whenever possible, all of these sources should be organic. Plant foods are an excellent source of fiber, which helps pass food through the intestinal tract and may help prevent the accumulation of cancer-causing substances in the colon. Fiber also lowers cholesterol levels and helps maintain sugar levels in the bloodstream, which is especially important for people who have diabetes.

 Eat five to seven servings daily of fruits and vegetables. These are an excellent source of nutrients, especially antioxidants, which help fight free-radical damage. Free radicals are molecules that damage the cells and contribute to heart disease, cancer, and many other health problems, as well as aging. Fruits and vegetables are also a good source of fiber.

 Protein sources should include beans, split peas, lentils, soybeans and soy-based foods (including tempeh, soymilk, and tofu), wheat gluten, nuts and seeds, and fish (oily, cold-water fish). If you eat meat, choose organically raised poultry; avoid red meat.

 Limit dairy consumption. If you eat dairy foods, choose no- or low-fat varieties. Healthy alternatives to dairy are soy, rice, and nut milks; soy cheeses, soy yogurt, rice and soy milk frozen desserts, and soy margarine.

 Use extra-virgin olive oil or other monounsaturated oils for salads and vegetables.

 Steam, quick stir-fry, or broil your food; do not fry. Also, do not boil vegetables, as they lose much of their nutritional value.

 Limit consumption of sugar, salt, and caffeine.

 Limit alcohol consumption to no more than one drink daily.

As a final suggestion, if at all possible, grow some of your own vegetables and herbs. You don’t need a lot of space; even apartment dwellers can have a few window boxes or large pots with pepper, cherry tomato, basil, and oregano plants. Growing some of your own food not only provides you with fresh produce and herbs, it can give you a sense of accomplishment and pride. Working with plants is a connection with Nature, a connection that many people find helps reduce stress and brings joy into their lives.

LIVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

If you think of your diet as the fuel you put into your car, then your lifestyle is how you treat your car. Do you run it regularly? Do you put a lot of stress on the engine by not changing the fluids when recommended? Do you keep it in a garage out of the elements? How you answer these and other questions determines how long your car will stay in optimal condition.

Likewise, your lifestyle choices have a major impact on your health and well-being. A proper balance of rest and activity, stress and relaxation, and exposure and avoidance to certain lifestyle choices can determine the strength of this second pillar of health. Let’s look at some of those choices.

Exercise

The overall health benefits of regular exercise are hard to ignore. Here are just a few of them:

 Improves the function of the lungs and heart

 Strengthens muscles, which improves stamina

 Enhances blood circulation, which helps prevent heart disease and several types of cancer, plus gives your skin a healthy glow

 Lowers high blood pressure

 Reduces cholesterol levels

 Reduces the risk of diabetes

 Reduces weight and helps prevent obesity

 Strengthens bones and helps prevent osteoporosis

 Improves flexibility and balance

 Helps alleviate menstrual cramps and other menstrual symptoms

 Reduces depression and improves mood

 Relieves tension and anxiety

 Improves self-esteem

 Helps maintain mental alertness by improving the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain

Naturally, these benefits aren’t possible if the most exercise you get is walking from your house to the car. In order to be of benefit, exercise should meet several criteria.

Exercise should be regular. Jogging once a week is okay, but it shouldn’t be the only exercise you get during a seven-day period. Plan to exercise at least three, and preferably five or six times per week for at least thirty minutes each time.

Exercise should be varied. Your body needs aerobic, strength-building, and flexibility exercises. Aerobic exercise (for example, walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing) improves your heart and lungs, blood circulation, muscle endurance, flexibility, and strength. Aerobic exercise should be practiced regularly, but there are also strength-building exercises (for example, working with weights) and flexibility exercises (for example, yoga, stretching) to be considered. When you combine all three—perhaps aerobic exercise for twenty to thirty minutes three times a week along with stretching exercises; and then strength-building exercises two to three times a week, with some stretching— you give your body a complete workout.

Exercise should be enjoyable. Exercise should be a part of your life, so you should choose activities that are as pleasurable as possible. Varying your activities is one way to keep yourself motivated; exercising with a friend is another way. If you enjoy exercising with others, you might consider joining a community softball, tennis, or basketball team, or finding a running or cycling club. If you enjoy exercise equipment, you may want to join a gym or health club.

Exercise should be sufficiently intense. When doing aerobic exercises you should raise your heart rate for at least twelve minutes to a level that allows you to carry on a conversation without puffing or gasping for breath. When doing strength-building exercises, you want to work your muscles hard but not so hard that you injure yourself. Consulting with an exercise trainer can be helpful for many people.

Most important of all, talk to your healthcare practitioner before you start any type of exercise program, especially if you’ve been sedentary.

Sleep

America is a nation of sleep-deprived and overstressed individuals. If you have trouble sleeping, you probably worry about your lack of sleep, and being sleep-deprived likely affects your work, energy level, and other aspects of your life. If you are overstressed, you probably have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. So regardless of which comes first—the stress or the lack of adequate sleep— your health and well-being are in jeopardy.

Sleep has the power to rejuvenate the body. Research shows that during dreamless sleep (also known as non-rapid-eye-movement sleep, or NREM), the body builds bone and muscle, repairs tissue, and may also enhance the immune system. That’s because the immune system has a variety of cells that follow a daily rhythm. When you get too little sleep, the levels of certain cells get out of synch and can weaken the immune system. For example, the levels of catecholamines (chemicals involved in nerve transmission) can rise, which causes the immune system to be suppressed and thus increases your risk of succumbing to infection. The levels of other cells responsible for fighting disease also are disrupted, again increasing your chances of becoming ill.

During dreaming, or REM sleep, experts are less clear about what occurs. Some say that dreaming helps people work through psychological troubles and thus acts as an emotional release mechanism, even if we don’t remember the dreams. Another theory is that nerve cells in the brain are stimulated in order to remain healthy.

Regardless of what does or does not occur in the brain and the rest of the body during sleep, researchers believe that most people need an average of seven to eight hours of sleep per twenty-four-hour cycle for optimal health. There are exceptions, however. Some people may need up to ten hours while others seem to operate very well on six.

Alcohol

When we talk about drinking alcohol, moderation is the key word. Various studies have demonstrated that moderate consumption of beer, wine, or spirits may be beneficial to the heart because it raises the levels of good cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins). Moderate consumption is two drinks daily for men, one for women; a drink is defined as 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor. However, alcohol also has some very real downsides:

 Drinking and driving, or operating other potentially dangerous equipment, is a major cause of automobile accidents, deaths, and other injuries.

 Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can have severe negative effects on the unborn child. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the primary known cause of mental retardation. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol enters her bloodstream, which supplies her growing fetus through the placenta. Thus, when the mother drinks, so does her baby. Forty-four percent of women who drink heavily during pregnancy give birth to babies with fetal alcohol syndrome. The remaining 56 percent will have children with learning disabilities, attention and behavioral problems, or other abnormalities.

 Alcohol can cause sleep disturbances, resulting in lack of adequate sleep and various related problems. It may cause problems with concentrating and sleepiness during the day, especially while driving.

 Excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to addiction and the problems associated with it, including malnutrition, liver damage, gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure, and social problems (including crime and violence).

 Drinking to excess results in a hangover and can cause you problems with your job, relationships, and family.

 Moderate to heavy alcohol consumption also appears to increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer.

Women and men are not equal when it comes to how the body treats and reacts to alcohol. Women absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men and there are several reasons for this difference. One is that, generally, women have less body water than men of similar weight, thus they achieve higher concentrations of blood alcohol. Women also seem to eliminate alcohol from their blood faster than men.

If you believe you have a problem with alcohol and you want help, contact Alcoholics Anonymous (most cities have local chapters; check your phone book) or the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (800-729-6686).

Home, Safe Home?

According to the National Safety Council, every year in the United States, there is a fatal injury every eighteen minutes and a disabling injury every four seconds. Topping the list of deadly events is poisoning, followed by falls, burns and fires, and suffocation by ingesting an object. In 2002, a total of 13,900 people lost their lives to poisoning when they ingested drugs, medicines, foods (such as shellfish or mushrooms), or chemicals. Falls claimed the lives of 16,200 people, most of whom were older than sixty-five years. Smoke inhalation is the cause of most deaths associated with fires at home, while young children are the ones most likely to choke on objects, such as small pieces of toys or food.

You can make your home a safer place for you and your family and help eliminate injuries by following these tips.

 If you have throw rugs, only use those with no-skid backs. If there are individuals in your home who use a walker or cane, throw rugs should be eliminated because it is easy to trip over them.

 Use a bath mat or place no-slip stickers on the bottom of the bathtub.

 Install handrails for all stairs.

 Make sure all stairways are well lit and free of items that people can trip over, such as toys and clothes.

 Make sure all electrical wires are out of walkways. Use cord shorteners on cords that children can reach, and tape down cords when necessary.

 Check electrical wires regularly for damage and plugs to make sure they are secure.

 Install smoke detectors in your home: a minimum of one per level of the house, and adjacent to bedrooms.

 If there are young children at home, place childproof latches on all cabinets and drawers, the main circuit breaker box, and windows.

 Keep all plastic bags locked away from children.

 Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen.

 Lock up all sharp objects if there are young children in the home.

 Put safety locks on all toilets if you have toddlers at home.

 If there are young children at home, keep your blind cords out of reach.

 Ideally, do not keep guns in the house. If you do have guns in the house, they should be emptied of ammunition and locked away with a safety lock.

The Air You Breathe

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the level of air pollutants indoors can be two to five times, and sometimes as high as a hundred times worse than that outdoors. How is that possible?

Consider the items in your home or office. Carpets, upholstery, tile, paint, varnishes, cleaning products, furniture, copy machine chemicals, plastics, and dozens of other items emit toxins into the air. These chemicals include benzene, hexanes, formaldehyde, toluene, and xylene, among many others, that can cause and contribute to various symptoms and ailments. There is strong evidence, in fact, that environmental toxins are involved in cancer and many of the autoimmune diseases (for example, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Graves’ disease, chronic fatigue and immunodeficiency syndrome, type II diabetes, and others). If you or your neighbors spray pesticides and herbicides around or near your home, you are exposed to those poisons as well.

To improve the quality of air in your home or office and reduce your exposure to environmental toxins, apply the following suggestions:

 Do not smoke, and do not allow others to smoke in your home. Cigarette smoke generates the production of free radicals, which damage your cells.

 Use natural cleaning supplies, such as vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and Borax. Most cleaning supplies contain ingredients that are not only harmful to you and the environment, but they also cost much more than natural, environmentally friendly items.

 Use natural products for personal cleaning and health needs as well, such as natural soaps, deodorants, toothpaste, and shampoo. Many conventional products contain aluminum, mercury, and other chemicals.

 Use only nontoxic paints, varnishes, and stains in your home.

 Do not use detergents or fabric softeners that contain formaldehyde.

 Vacuum your home often. Vacuums that have a dust sensor can detect when all the particles have been extracted from the carpet.

 Install HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arresting) filters in your home.

These filters remove virtually all the pollutants in the air within an enclosed space. Portable units can be placed in individual rooms or brought to your office.

 Certain plants, such as English ivy, corn plants, bamboo palm, spider plants, and wandering Jew, help remove chemicals such as formaldehyde and benzene from the air. Place them in your home or office.

 If pest control is needed, use natural methods, such as heat or boric acid. Some exterminators specialize in natural approaches.

 Check for radon. The EPA reports that radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States: about 15,000 lung cancer deaths are attributed to radon exposure annually. Radon is an extremely toxic, odorless and colorless gas that is found in well water and is emitted from the earth and rock. The gas can enter your house, and because buildings are enclosed, the gas is more highly concentrated than it is in the outdoors. You can check for possible radon toxicity in your home by purchasing a radon testing kit from a hardware store, or contacting your state radon office for names of radon contractors.

Smoking

One of the first things that come to mind when people talk about smoking is lung cancer. Eighty-five percent of lung cancer cases are associated with smoking. Yet smoking has also been linked with many other health problems, some of which we mention here:

 Smoking damages blood vessels and makes them constrict (become narrow), which restricts blood flow and can cause stroke.

 Ninety percent of people who undergo heart bypass surgery are smokers or ex-smokers.

 Nearly 95 percent of people who smoke one pack of cigarettes or more per day have emphysema, even though not all of them display the symptoms of the disease.

 People with diabetes who smoke are three times more likely to die of heart disease than people who don’t have diabetes. Smokers with diabetes are also more likely to have kidney disease and to suffer nerve damage.

 Low-birth-weight and premature infants are twice as likely to be born to women who smoke. These children are at high risk of jaundice, low blood sugar, respiratory conditions, and other medical problems.

 Sudden infant death syndrome occurs twice as often among children who have parents who smoke.

 Smokers are more susceptible to colds and respiratory infections, and they tend to have them longer.

 Smoking has been linked to cervical cancer. Cancer-causing substances found in tobacco have been found in the cervix of women who smoke.

 Smoking increases the risk of getting mouth and throat cancer. Both of these cancers rarely affect nonsmokers.

Sun Exposure

Exposure to the sun’s natural light can be both beneficial and detrimental. On the positive side, sun exposure helps the body manufacture vitamin D, which is why this vitamin is called the sunshine vitamin. On the downside, the sun’s ultraviolet rays accelerate aging of the skin and promote skin cancer. Thus, the key to worshipping the sun is moderation and protection.

To get both, follow a few simple rules. Ten to fifteen minutes of daily unprotected sun exposure (before 10 A.M. or after 4 P.M.) to the face and hands is all your body needs to manufacture vitamin D. After that, you want to apply sunscreen with a sun protective factor (SPF) of at least 15, even if it’s cloudy, because ultraviolet rays can penetrate the clouds. Other protectants against skin cancer include clothing that covers the arms and legs and a wide-brimmed hat. Because sun exposure can contribute to cataracts and other vision problems, sunglasses are also recommended.

STRESS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

Stress is an important and natural part of life, and a certain amount is healthy and positive. It can keep us motivated, lift our spirits, and bring us joy. The stress associated with being in love, learning how to drive, or playing in a big tennis match are typically thought of as positive stress.

But in today’s fast-paced society, we are surrounded by many stressors, from having to clean out the cat’s litter box every day, to sitting in rush-hour traffic five days a week or having a fight with family members. There are also environmental stressors, such as air pollution, noise pollution, and odors; chemical stressors such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and nicotine; as well as internal stressors, including feelings of guilt, fear, and sorrow. All of these can accumulate and leave us feeling highly stressed, anxious, and depressed unless we learn how to manage our stress.

The human body was designed to react to stress with a simple response called fight-or-flight. This is a chemical reaction in the body that sends the message to run. This reaction worked very well when our ancestors were fleeing from dangerous animals, but in today’s world, most stress is emotional and spiritual, and so we internalize our stress. When we stuff our stress, we impact various parts of the body, including the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, all of which work together and communicate via neurotransmitters— special chemical messengers.

How Stress Works

The body is equipped with a system of checks and balances to deal with stress. During a stressful situation, the sympathetic nervous system, which is part of the central nervous system, sends the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream. This raises heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure, and causes people to feel tense. In an effort to relieve that feeling, the parasympathetic nervous system secretes a hormone called acetylcholine, which can reduce heart rate and improve digestion.

However, if you continue to feel stressed, the parasympathetic nervous system can’t do its job well, and your body tries to adapt to your higher level of stress. Although the body can usually adapt well to occasional stress, chronic stress, which many people experience today, drains the body and throws it out of balance. Nutritional deficiencies are common among people who do not adequately manage their stress, because stress can increase the need for certain nutrients, especially B vitamins and vitamin C. Other signs of imbalance caused by stress are depression, fatigue, physical pain (for example, headache, migraine, muscle spasms), loss of appetite, and a greater susceptibility to illness, such as the common cold and flu.

Stress also affects the endocrine system, which is composed, in part, of the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands. Each of these glands secretes different hormones, and stress can affect the levels of each of them. When one hormone level is disrupted, it affects others, and the body can get out of balance.

When you’re under stress, your adrenal glands secrete many hormones, including adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol. Cortisol plays a critical role in the function of the immune system. If you experience severe or chronic stress, your body can produce too much cortisol (as well as other hormones), which can interfere with the function of immune system cells that are responsible for warding off infection. Adrenaline, which in low amounts helps the body during stressful situations, can suppress the immune system when levels rise due to chronic stress.

Managing Stress

What makes one person feel stressed and anxious when a phone rings every few minutes while another person takes it in her stride? The answer lies in our perception of and attitude toward the stressor and life in general, and how we choose to manage the stress in our lives. Stress itself does not make us sick; rather, it’s our reaction to it that can cause the body to become unbalanced.

To avoid negative reactions to stress, we can learn to respond positively to it and to manage it. Meditation, deep breathing, yoga, tai chi, visualization, dance, massage, progressive relaxation, and biofeedback are a few effective ways to manage stress. Regular practice of one or more methods can restore balance to your physical, emotional, and spiritual essence. We explain two of these methods—meditation and deep breathing—below. We encourage you to explore any of the other options mentioned by reading, watching videos, attending workshops, or joining groups that participate in these activities.

Meditation

Research shows that regular meditation reduces blood pressure, lowers the levels of stress hormones, slows the heart rate, and increases alpha brain waves, all of which are associated with relaxation. There are many ways to meditate; for example, you can focus on your breathing, repeat a word or phrase, gaze at a candle flame or other object, chant, meditate while walking, or practice tai chi. Regardless of your approach, the concept of meditation is to focus the mind and enter a state of relaxed awareness and increased mental clarity. There are many books and other instructional materials on how to meditate, as well as community and