What You Need to Know

1.  Attitude: Develop a positive mental attitude.  Whether you think you can or think you can’t you are right.

• Outcome + Plan +  = Results

2.  Breathing: Provide an optimal oxygen supply through regular and frequent deep diaphragmic breathing.  The quantity and quality of the air you breathe directly affects your energy level, health and longevity.

3.  Water: Consume adequate amounts of water by drinking the purest water available and eating foods with high water content (raw vegetables and fruits).

4.  Nutrition: Plan, prepare, and consume the highest quality foods available to refuel the mind and body. Whole and non-refined vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, seeds, nuts, and grains should compose the vast majority of your nutrition.  Proper digestion and food combining is also a very important consideration.
Highly processed, refined, sweetened, preserved, artificial, fried, fast foods are usually higher in calories, less nutritious and in many cases harmful to longevity and health.  Excessive consumption of high glycemic foods from refined carbohydrates/sugars such as bleached white flour, white rice, white potato, and corn products should be avoided.

5.  Exercise: Rejuvenate your mind and strengthen your body with aerobic, resistance, and balancing activities.   It usually requires at least 15 - 30 minutes per day for optimal lasting benefits.

6.  Detoxify: Protect your body and mind by reducing or eliminating unhealthy products or habits from your life.  Animal fats; fried foods; hydrogenated oils; refined sugars should be minimized or avoided. 
Highly processed artificial products like sodas, cakes, cookies, candy, and chips, should be replaced with healthier alternatives.

Known toxic or addictive substances such as tobacco, illegal drugs, chemicals; pollution and radiation should be minimized and avoided.   Excess dairy, protein, fats, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, refined carbohydrates and sugars are suspect in causing excess acidity in the body which is harmful and seems to complicate many known ailments.  This also results in the drain of calcium from our bone and tissues which is used to neutralize this acidity.

7.  Relax: Take steps to reduce, manage, and protect against factors contributing to excessive stress.  Stress is usually the result of over reacting to a stimulus which frequently is caused by being out of balance physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Many doctors believe that stress is the number one cause of sickness and disease that they treat on a regular basis.

8.  Education: Read all labels carefully and follow the directions.

Use great caution when using any chemically manufactured products for external or internal use.  Prescription medicines, over the counter products, vitamins, herbs, supplements and, other chemicals all have the potential for side effects or harmful reactions when used or abused.

9.  Balance: Maintain your overall medical, dental, and mental health with nutrition, exercise, and stress reduction wellness strategies.  Monitor your vital statistics and biomarkers with regular check ups, blood pressure readings, blood tests, etc.  Consider supplementation strategies to insure against inadequate levels of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.  Use common sense and protective equipment such as seat belts, helmets, and knee and elbow pads.  They could offer key protection and prevent injuries and expensive emergency room treatments.  Car accidents and falls are two of the greatest causes of costly medical treatment and disabilities.

10. Plan: Plan and provide optimal time for rest, relaxation, meditation, reading, and spiritual connection that will energize and revitalize you.  Focus on balancing activities for the mind, body, and spirit.

I believe the key to vibrant health and energy is:
 

Positive Mind + Healthy Body + Grateful Spirit = Abundant Life

Adopting this program for life can be more fun, effective and lower in cost than the majority of the quick fix wonder diets out there that don’t work long term.  Do it for yourself, your children, your parents, or whatever higher cause motivates you to take action.  Consider making some written goals and commit to a family member or friend to implement this program together for 90 days and judge the results for yourself.  What have you got to lose?  What benefits might you gain?

"Nothing will benefit human health or increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." - Albert Einstein

What You Need to Know

The single most important thing you can do for your health every day of the year is to eat wisely.  "Food is just as, or even more, powerful than medicine," says Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, Director of Research and Product Development at Maharishi Ayurveda.  "If you do not eat the right foods, and do not follow good eating habits, medicine won't be of much use in recouping health.  On the other hand, if you eat the right foods for your physiology, and follow a good routine that enhances digestion, your body will not need medicine for the most part.  There is a traditional saying in ayurveda--Annaha Brahmaha--"Food is God."  That is how important ayurveda considers diet."

Here are nine dietary suggestions from Maharishi Ayurveda:

• 1. Eat naturally intelligent foods.
  Did you know that close to three-quarters of the products
  sold by grocery stores in the United States contain
  genetically modified ingredients? Or that many of the
  chemicals and pesticides used in growing foods have been
  linked to numerous diseases?  Processed foods, genetically
  modified foods, and foods to which additives or artificial
  preservatives have been added are no longer alive with the
  intelligence of nature.  According to ayurveda, the human
  physiology is a reflection of the laws of the universe, and
  the more in tune our lives are with nature, the healthier we
  are likely to be.  Our body possesses the natural
  intelligence to process those foods best that are closest to
  nature--whole grains, organically grown vegetables and
  fruits, wildcrafted herbs.  Help your digestion function
  optimally by choosing organic foods when possible--your
  health is worth the added effort and cost.
   
• 2. Shun food fads.
  Every day the media report a new research study on a
  specific food or drink or a new diet that is guaranteed to
  work.  Keeping up with the latest on what to eat or how or
  when can be a challenge.  "After all that, what works for a
  million other people may still not be right for you," says
  Vaidya Mishra.  "Listen to your own physiology, and include
  a sensible mix of various types of foods in your diet so
  that you are getting the nutrition your body needs."  The
  recommended midday ayurvedic meal includes whole grains,
  lentils, vegetables cooked with spices and lassi, a drink
  made by combining fresh yogurt with water, for balanced
  nourishment. "Rotate your menus," advises Vaidya Mishra.
  "Vary cooking methods--sauté, steam, boil, roast, bake--eating
  should be an adventure, not a chore."  Food fads and
  roller-coaster diets end up doing more harm than good,
  starving the body of balanced nutrition and nourishment
  needed to build healthy cells and tissues.
  
   
• 3. Opt for lots of fruits and vegetables.
  Fruits and vegetables contain lots of phytonutrients, and a
  variety of senses-pleasing colors, tastes and textures.
  Ayurveda has always recommended eating lots of fruits and
  vegetables, not only for their nutritional value, but also
  because they are fine natural internal cleansers.  Modern
  research concurs that fruits and vegetables are powerful
  disease-prevention foods--in fact, it is now recommended that
  you eat nine servings of antioxidant-rich fruits and
  vegetables a day to prevent cancer and other free radical
  induced diseases.  The specific food guidelines for Vata,
  Pitta and Kapha at http://www.mapi.com can help you pick a
  variety of fruits and vegetables suited to your physiology
  and the season. Vegetables do not have necessarily have to
  be cooked as separate dishes--add them to grains, stuff them
  in breads, toss them in stews and soups-there's always room
  for your favorite veggies in every dish.  Start your day
  with stewed apples or pears.  Eat a handful of berries for
  your mid-afternoon snack.  Maharishi Ayurveda's Mango and
  Peach Chutneys can brighten up any meal.
  
   
• 4. Be spice-wise.
  Why choose mustard and ketchup to tickle your palate at
  every meal when there is a world of aromatic spices to
  choose from?  Spices not only add flavor and aroma; they
  also bring therapeutic value to your meal. "There are over a
  thousand research studies that have been done just on
  turmeric," says Vaidya Mishra.  "Spices help boost natural
  immunity, and most of them rev up your digestion so that
  your body is better able to absorb and assimilate the
  nutrients from the foods you eat."  If you are new to the
  world of spices and aren't quite sure what to choose, try
  one of the ready-to-use Churnas from Maharishi Ayurveda, or
  browse the special editions of our Total Health newsletters
  for Vaidya Mishra's spice mixtures and spice/herb waters for
  different health goals.
  
   
• 5. Give your digestive system a break. According to
  ayurveda, the build-up of ama-digestive toxins-in the
  physiology is the root cause of most disorders.  That's why
  ayurveda recommends internal cleansing at every change of
  seasons for optimal health.  Detoxifying is particularly
  recommended in the early spring, because that is the time
  nature starts the annual cycle of regeneration as well.
  During internal cleansing, eat light yet nourishing foods
  such as mung bean soup or kitcheree and drink lots of warm
  water through the day.  Sip detoxifying tea or ama pachana
  water--for recipes, visit the foods section at
  http://www.mapi.com. Fresh, sweet juicy fruits are
  excellent cleansers. Take Elim-Tox or Elim-Tox-O from
  Maharishi Ayurveda for gentle full-body cleansing and Herbal
  Cleanse or Triphala to aid elimination.  Periodic internal
  cleansing gets rid of accumulated junk from inside the body
  and revs up the digestion for another season.
  
   
• 6. Drink to your health. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and
  carbonated soft drinks and switch to life-giving,
  vitality-boosting beverages this year.  Start with water,
  that most basic yet most overlooked drink-drinking lots of
  water through the day helps to rehydrate your system and
  flush toxins out of the body.  Water that has been boiled
  and cooled has the added healing element of fire in it.
  Don't drink water ice-cold--if you have a lot of Pitta to
  balance, drink it cool, otherwise room temperature or warm
  water is best.  Spiking your drinking water with herbs and
  spices suited to your physiology or a mix of herbs and whole
  spices designed to correct a specific imbalance can enhance
  the healing quality of the water you drink.  Raja's Cup from
  Maharishi Ayurveda comes with antioxidant power as well as
  rich coffee flavor, Almond Energy offers a quick pick-me-up
  when you are feeling fatigued, and a wide range of
  therapeutic Herbal Teas offers comfort any time of day or
  night.  At bedtime, drink a cup of warm milk (boil and cool
  it for added digestibility) blended with a spoonful of Rose
  Petal Preserve or with a pinch of cardamom or nutmeg to aid
  sleep.
  
   
• 7. Cultivate good eating habits.
  Our lifestyle these days is generally not conducive to good
  digestion.  Eating on the go, eating while working, skipping
  meals and eating "junk" foods are all too common improper
  eating habits.  You can add life to your years as well as
  years to your life by following a good eating routine.  Eat
  three regular meals at about the same times each day.  Make
  lunch your main meal of the day--eating a heavy meal at
  night taxes your digestion and disrupts sleep.  Cook and eat
  fresh food-leftovers are "dead" foods from the perspective
  of ayurveda, offering only substance, not sustenance.
  Practice deep breathing for a couple of minutes before you
  start a meal.  Say thanks for the food you eat.  Sit quietly
  for a few minutes after a meal.  Small things, but they add
  up to good health and longevity.
  
   
• 8. Eat for your soul.
  Total health goes beyond physical wellness to well-being in
  mind, spirit, emotions and senses as well.  According to
  ayurveda, the food you eat can nourish or vitiate all of
  these aspects of health, not just your physical health.
  Cooking or eating when you are angry or stressed can turn
  the food into poison.  Cooking and eating in a saatvic
  atmosphere, on the other hand, turns the food into nectar.
  Pleasant aromatherapy, soothing or uplifting music playing
  softly in the background, a tidy, cheerful dining table, and
  the nurturing company of friends or family can make
  mealtimes nourishing for your mind, emotions, senses and
  spirit.  Try eating in silence sometimes-the total focus on
  your food can turn the meal into a feast, no matter how
  simple the fare.  You'll find yourself relishing colors,
  textures, aromas and flavors in an eating experience that is
  optimal for health.
  
   
• 9. Experiment.
  If you find yourself eating the same dishes several times a
  week, or your food shopping-list has the same items in it
  every time you shop, you need to break out of the rut you
  are in, and experiment with new foods and flavors.  Resolve
  to try at least one new recipe a week--involving your
  spouse, significant other or family in meal-planning and
  preparing foods or cooking can often make cooking and eating
  more fun.  If you have a favorite vegetable or grain you
  like to eat often, try preparing it differently each time or
  combining it with other grains, vegetables or herbs for
  variety.  Once or twice a week, create a healthy dish from
  another part of the world--Miriam Hospodar's Heaven's
  Banquet contains over 700 recipes from all over the world.

A great day starts the night before with a prayer of gratitude, pre-framing your dream state, the new day and accessing higher guidance.

Ten Daily Rituals to Perk up Your Day:

1. Allow for gentle waking. Capture and mindmap any dreams or insights.

2. Use special music to focus your attention or create a special mood.

3. Practice some deep diaphragmatic breathing. A great time for prayers of gratitude, meditation mantras or positive self talk.

4. Get up and moving. Stretch, roll, sit, stand, walk, do some toe raises or use a rebounder.

5. Have an inspiring and motivational ritual using clothes, shoes, a hat, music, or affirmations to jump-start the day.

6. Sip warm water with lemon, herbal tea, etc.

7. Focus on motivating pictures, mindmap, Passion Pictures, Treasure Map, Life Map or poster of empowering questions and goals to focus on your life’s dreams and passions.

8. Yoga with music, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, weights, walk, run, rebound, swim, bike, treadmill, or Pilates (Any centering and balancing body, mind, and spirit activities).

9. Have an energizing breakfast of raw flax seeds, low sugar fruits (grapefruit, pear, plum, or kiwi) combined with some leafy greens (kale, lettuce), celery, cucumber, snow peas, etc in a fresh blended Energy Elixir.

10. Listen to inspiring self-development and personal growth programs while traveling to or from work, errands, business travel or other travel university opportunities.

The key to health and wellness is to develop a strong immune system by accessing the energy, wisdom and healing power of nature and our miraculous bodies. Then the fear and worry regarding the latest germ, virus or bacteria scare of the week will be a thing of the past.

Today I feel it is more important than ever to learn from Hippocrates the man known as the father of medicine who said “Let they food be they medicine, and they medicine be thy food. For more vibrant health and energy to look great, feel great and live longer when would now be a great time to enhance your immune system? A simple way to begin is by applying these ten holistic and natural recommendations daily:

1. Use Essential Oils daily for many great health benefits

2. Eat whole fresh foods rich in antioxidants

3. Consume natural vitamins from whole foods

4. Sea Salt and bio-available Minerals are keys to health (sea veggies have both)

5. Eat plenty of leafy green plants loaded with chlorophyll and phytonutrients

6. Insure adequate essential fats from raw fruits, nuts and seeds

7. Optimize live enzymes from fresh foods

8. Maximize living cuisine and raw plant based nutrition

9. Use healthy and healing herbs, spices, roots, flowers, bark etc from nature’s pharmacy

10. Maintain a healthy Body, Mind & Spirit mindset and lifestyle

Live Long & Healthy

Michael

HOUSTON CHRONICLE ARCHIVES

Reprinted with permission by Mara Soloway, Houston Chronicle

Originally posted at
 http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/thisweek/zone17/news/2267558

Dec. 3, 2003, 2:26PM

Nutritionist says people can start healthy diet now

By MARA SOLOWAY
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

For Sugar Land nutritionist Michael Morningstar, Halloween is frightening for reasons other than goblins and ghosts and ghouls.

When the bags of Halloween candy arrive in stores, he knows it is the start of a holiday season that, for some, can be a nutritional nightmare: Excessive amounts of sugar and fat, higher levels of alcohol consumption and the cultural emphasis on overeating.

"While there is some debate about how much weight the average person gains during the holidays, every extra pound is too much," said the 50-year-old owner of Great Nutrition-Energy-Wellness-Success Coach, a nutrition and life coaching business he started in Sugar Land in July 2000.

As he looks ahead through Christmas and New Year's Day, he advises people to resolve now, not Jan. 1, to incorporate healthier eating choices. He recommends focusing on achieving a steady improvement in health throughout the year. The choice to eat more healthy foods isn't easy because processed and fast food are so much a part of American culture, he said.

"It takes realizing that the way you eat affects your body, mind and spirit every day," he said. "It's not about depriving yourself like you do in dieting."

By making a few changes that Morningstar recommends, people can make it through the holidays by replacing bad sugars and fats with good ones, reducing alcohol consumption and avoiding overeating.

"Candy, cookies, cakes and sodas, which are all overconsumed as part of holiday celebrations, contain a lot of sugar. They contain virtually no fiber, no enzymes -- nothing of value. The downside of the temporary `sugar high' is that the pancreas quickly produces insulin to lower blood sugar. The constant highs and lows stress out the body and rob people of steady energy levels. This is one contributor to the holiday blues that many people get," he said.

He recommends people eat sweets every day in the form of fruit and vegetables, especially pears, grapefruit, cantaloupe, squash, pumpkin and sweet potatoes.

He also recommends slices of apples, the jicima (a vegetable) and squash, and celery sticks with hummus, a pureed garbanzo bean dip, or almond butter. Another choice is using sliced sweet potatoes to make dehydrated chips or combined into a potato salad.

Pumpkin is one of the traditional holiday foods that is an excellent source of nutrition, he said. Morningstar makes a salad with shredded pumpkin, walnuts, half an avocado, dried cranberries and spices, topped with fresh lime juice.

Fats are essential for many proper bodily functions and it is important to make the best choices, he said.

"Foods with good fats in them include raw nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil and fish, including tuna, salmon, cod, sardines and trout," Morningstar said.

Morningstar also sees problems with consuming too much alcohol and eating large holiday meals, because both overload the liver or digestive system.

Morningstar said the main meal should be eaten at lunch, giving the body time to process the food before nighttime. He recommends a large glass of water one hour before a meal to take the edge off of hunger, but only a small amount of water with a meal to avoid diluting stomach acids needed for proper digestion.

Morningstar says it is a mistake to fixate on body looks or on attaining an idealistic weight.

After 30 years of health problems despite being slender, Morningstar is now free of the allergies, headaches and digestive problems that plagued him. He credits this to adopting a vegan lifestyle, which means eating no animal products at all. While it works for him, he understands that not everyone will be willing to make such a drastic dietary change.

He does recommend that half a person's food intake should be uncooked and unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. He gets protein and calcium from green plants, such as spinach, broccoli, chard, kale other greens. Morningstar is training for the HP Houston Marathon and runs 25 miles a week.

To avoid having new health choices sabotaged by unsupportive people or by food temptations, Morningstar suggests involving family, friends and coworkers.

After 25-plus years in sales, Morningstar has turned his passion for wellness into his business. He consults and conducts seminars around the country. Details: www.greatnewscoach.com.