I heard part on an interview with Dr. Andrew Weil today. He has a new book, “Why Our Health Matters” and I am very much looking forward to reading it. It’s been a while since I read any of his books, but I often see his articles and read them with interest.
Dr. Weil talked with Diane Rehm about his opinions about health care reform, insurance, and most importantly, about learning to prevent disease. I really liked that approach. Making lifestyle changes does not insure we will never get sick, but can reduce the risks of many illnesses and diseases.
Just changing how we eat can make a big difference in our health. I am not a nutritionist, but I do know that if I eat certain foods, I just don’t feel right. The better I eat, the better I feel. I’ll bet you have had similar experiences. Dramatic and drastic changes in how we eat are not always easy, but there are simple and gradual changes that can have a signficant impact over time. One suggestion is to avoid as much processed and fast food as possible. This is sometimes a challenge in our busy lifestyles, but can provide big rewards.
Think about taking a cooking class if you aren’t sure how to cook from “scratch”; it is often easier than you think, and you can learn shortcuts like preparing ahead so you always have better, healthy choices for meals and snacks.
Although I missed part of the show, I didn’t hear any mention of mental health, and it’s impact on our overall health. From my chair, I see significant changes in overall health as clients learn to reduce stress, become mindful and develop a positive outlook . I’m not talking about faking happiness, but really learning to be happy, and accept to good and the bad with grace.
