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There is certainly no shortage of information about things we can do to maintain an illness-free and healthy lifestyle. Perhaps our biggest challenge is deciphering which nuggets of information are beneficial and which aren’t so great!

Developing a preventative mindset may be the true answer to long-term health, and it is necessary for each of us to implement practices which prevent sickness and disease before they happen.

Imagine never having to delve in the world of doctors, hospitals and pharmaceuticals until the very end (when it’s absolutely necessary).

Wellness guru Dr. Andrew Weil is famous for saying that he wants to live only as long as he is able to maintain a full-range of health, awareness and vitality…and have his life “culminate with rapid decline” at the end.

Living as long as we can while being as vibrant and healthy as possible—that seems like a worthwhile goal to me (and the purpose of this article)! So how do you start integrating preventative measures in your life? Here is a list of 10 practices that will help you stay away from hospitals, feel healthier and live longer:

1. See a Chiropractor

The roots of chiropractic care can be traced all the way back to the beginning of recorded time. Hippocrates, the Greek physician, who lived from 460 to 357 B.C., declares in one of his writings “get knowledge of the spine, for this is the requisite for many diseases”. Effective chiropractic care: inhibits spinal degeneration, restores normal nerve supply, improves immunity, allows better sleep, prevents surgery, and slows the aging process. This is preventative lifestyle at its finest.

2. Laugh HARD

Falling on the floor laughing is one of the best things you can do to prevent sickness from entering your life. Laughing boosts immunity, strengthens the heart, and improves lung function among a myriad of other benefits! Making a habit of renting funny movies, going to comedy clubs and watching Saturday morning cartoons like you did when you were a kid (SpongeBob Squarepants is actually hysterical…I have to admit) can add several years to your life! 

3. Scatter your Workouts

“Shaking up” your workout routine is a great way to stay healthy over the long-term. Too often we get stuck in exercise patterns that do not promote a diverse experience for the body and mind. Although you may feel like you are doing a really good thing by concentrating on one routine, you may be limiting yourself. People who only do Yoga need to lift weights; people who focus solely on weights need should do more Yoga! Doing the unexpected creates a wonderful “pop of opposites” in the body (a major component of Yin Yang theory). I’m not saying to ditch your favorite workout, but changing it up can strengthen a wider variety of muscles and tendons, increase your heart rate and intensify mental clarity!

4. Sleep at least 7 hours a night

Making a habit of sleeping well is the number one thing you can do to boost your health and longevity, and if you follow no other suggestions on this list try and implement this one. It has become widely accepted that the risk for developing disease increases significantly for people who get less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep each night. Furthermore, lack of sleep has been associated with the worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol, and increases risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Sleeping adequately reduces stress, lowers inflammation in the cells, and makes you more alert.

5. See an Acupuncturist

The basic premise of acupuncture, and much of Chinese medicine, is that all sickness we encounter is the result of obstruction to our naturally flowing life-force (or “Chi”). Practitioners treat conditions that are a result of Chi becoming stuck, depleted or weakened and thus making the individual susceptible to illness. Acupuncture benefits the improvement of physical health conditions as well as affective disorders and instills a feeling of increased mental clarity. Acupuncture is an invaluable tool for long-term and sustainable health (And no, the needles are not bad at all)!

6. Meditate

Meditation is the practice of silencing the mind, and can increase your health and vitality beyond measure. When your mind is silenced and focused on a particular part of the body, the blood flow to that part increases and cells receive significantly more oxygen and other nutrients. Continuous meditation practice has been shown to strengthen the mind, and enables it to execute projects more efficiently. Meditation also leads to the following: deeper levels of relaxation; increased blood flow; a lower heart rate; an enhanced immune system…and it can build self confidence! A truly wonderful way to add healthy years to your life!

7. Perform Cardiovascular Exercise at least 4 times a week

Integrating at least 20 minutes of cardio workout a minimum of 4 times a week is a wonderful preventative measure to take. “Cardio” increases the capacity of the lungs to provide oxygen to the blood and improves the hearts ability to transport oxygenated blood to the cells. What is considered an acceptable heart-rate during a cardio routine depends on many factors (age, weight, general health) but no matter what kind of shape you think you are in you can lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and decrease body fat by consistently getting the heart rate up!

8. Stretch

Stretching prevents injury by increasing the length of both your muscles and tendons. This leads to an increased range of movement, which means your limbs and joints can move further and (often) thwarts injury before it occurs. Stretching also ensures that your muscles and tendons are in good working order and conditions them to handle the rigors of sport and exercise. Furthermore, regular stretching improves blood circulation and increases energy levels! A great time to stretch is first thing in the morning, and is an incredible preventative activity to integrate!

9. Eat Organic Food

It’s important to add “eating organic food” as a critical factor leading to long-term health. Bottom line, you want the least chemicals in your body as possible and eating as much organic fare as you can limits the amount of pesticide and chemicals you ingest. There is much ambiguity in the scientific community concerning the role of pesticides in human disease…but your best bet is to stay as far away from them as possible!

10. Be Wary of Medications

This is the only recommendation on this list that has a negative spin to it (where I suggest “not” do something) but I think it’s important to note the potential dangers of our pharmaceutical friendly society. There are tens of millions of people in the U.S. alone dependent on drugs, and I think its necessary to ponder whether or not this is a good thing. Although proponents of pharmaceuticals will point to the increasing longevity of human beings as a sign that they are good for us, I think what is really needed are some new statistics. Perhaps something like: “longevity while living with independence, strength and happiness” will do the trick

In conclusion, cultivating a “preventative lifestyle” means habituating a way of living that inhibits illness from ever taking a hold of you. Amid all the clutter out there it is absolutely imperative for each of us to begin taking responsibility for our own health. The recommendations in this article are holistic and timeless, and can get you on the right track for living 100+ years with full awareness and fulfillment…so try them out!

Constipation is a fairly common problem for most people but its symptoms and the discomfort that comes along with it make it a horrible experience for most. Fortunately, it is easy enough to resolve and easy enough to avoid. Here are some simple tips to follow to prevent future bouts of constipation and maintaining regular, healthy bowel movements.

1. Fiber, Fiber, Fiber

A key to fighting constipation is to increase your fiber intake. It helps produce soft, bulky stools that are easy to expel. Beans, whole grains and cereals as wells as fresh fruits and leafy vegetables are foods that are rich in fiber. These vegetables include cabbage, brussel sprouts and carrots.

2. Increase fluid intake 

In fighting constipation, one must also increase fluid intake. Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day so there is enough of it to produce soft stools that is easy to eliminate.

3. Eating more fruits and vegetables also helps fight constipation

They contain substances that remove toxins and help them be flushed out of the digestive system.

4. Fighting constipation does not mean sacrificing your protein intake

The key to enjoying the benefits of proteins without constipating is by eating it with a fiber- rich food. Suffering from constipation or being prone to it does not mean you have to give protein up entirely. To keep constipation at bay, balance your protein intake with vegetables so it will not bring out your constipation problem. Proteins that stay very long in the colon may lead to cancer so eating vegetable along with them help eliminate them eventually.

5. Exercise

Engaging in daily exercise is also known to relieve symptoms of constipation and to promote regular body processes including bowel movement.

6. Ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement is also a no-no in prevention of constipation

It is good to condition one’s body to do bowel movement first thing in the morning to regularly eliminate body wastes and toxins. Even if you are busy, if you feel the urge to eliminate waste do so, before you have problems with constipation by habitually ignoring nature’s call.

7. Maximize the marvels of papaya

Papaya is a fruit that is rich in fiber and has substances that have antioxidant properties. Papaya is an excellent source of relief from constipation. It has a rich, sweet likeable taste that provides not only relief from constipation but is also filling. It makes an excellent desert and can be eaten as it is or as a drink or shake or as an ingredient in salads. It is also known to have anticancer properties so it also protects the cells in the colon against this disease. Papaya also contains papain which is an enzyme that helps breakdown proteins (which is why it is used as a meat tenderizer in many cooking techniques.)

8. Limiting the intake of foods that are poor in fiber is also a key step in preventing constipation

During snacks, go for food that provides fiber such as cereals or wheat bread as well as fruits and vegetables. Fruit juices, especially those prepared from fresh fruits are also excellent sources of fiber that prevent constipation.

9. Go for natural foods rather than processed foods to prevent and fight constipation

This means choosing fresh vegetables and fruits rather than those that are canned or have preservatives in them. Fresh fruits and vegetables mean having all the important nutrients and fibers intact.

10. In cases where constipation had already set in, the best remedy is to take laxatives

There are a lot of over-the-counter laxatives available today but it is still best to consult to doctor before taking some. This is to know which one is the best for your case because it may depend on the cause of your constipation. Fighting constipation through the use of laxatives should also be done in moderation. Treatment with laxatives should only be done until regular bowel movement is achieved and not longer. For children, they should be also be used under the advise of a doctor and should not be used on a long- term basis.

Preventing and fighting constipation is easy enough especially if you could identify the causes of your problem. By following the above tips in fighting constipation, there is no way you should lose the battle and be deprived of a feeling of comfort that could only come from the regular exercise of one of your body’ most important functions: waste elimination.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Lee Dobbins writes for www.colon-articles.com where you can find out just how important it is to care for your colon as well as learn more about preventing constipation.