13 Steps to Healing your Body
1. Sleep. There’s no getting around this one. Chronically sleep-impaired people cannot live vital, vibrant, energetic lives. Ideally, go to bed at an early enough time that you awaken in the morning at least 90% of the time in advance of when an alarm would otherwise go off. Go to bed when Your unique body feels sleepy. And that may be 8:30 pm. Unfortunately, that television, email, smartphone, or other full-spectrum light exposure and any type of stressful activity (bill-paying, parenting debates, work, reading the News) in the full hour prior to bedtime IS affecting your sleep. Let your brain know in that hour that you Do want to wind down and prepare to sleep deeply.
2. Play. Seriously. So many of us behave as though there is a large prize at the end of life rewarding us for working as many hours as possible and checking off as many things as we can from our ubiquitous work to-do lists. Well, guess what? There’s not! Just perhaps instead some regrets and missed opportunities. What if we had a daily play to-do list? That we treated as More important than the work one? Savor life. Laugh. Play. Relax. Have fun. Don’t let your rejuvenating activities end up just being an hour or two of mindless TV each night. We were all five years old at one time. Revive what is Fun for you now. Allow time for it. Make time for it.
3. Your Skin is one Big Mouth. Stop feeding it crap. Seriously, whatever you slather on your skin can go right into the systemic circulation. We really shouldn’t put anything on our skin that we wouldn’t be willing to eat. Chew on that for a moment… Starting over again on choosing your beauty and personal hygiene products with this truth in mind can make a dramatic impact on your health deep inside.
4. Eat Real Food, not “edible food-like substances” (M. Pollan). You wouldn’t buy crap gasoline for your car just because it was cheap and convenient. So why do we try to fuel our magnificent bodies with crap food? At least 90% of the time, choose to eat exclusively foods you enjoy and that your great grandmother could have eaten when she was growing up. Whole, natural unrefined foods, and beverages. Vegetables, Proteins, Fruits, Legumes, Nuts/Seeds… The huge array of chemical flavorings, preservatives, colors, sweeteners, texture agents, hormones, toxins, and cheap ingredients in other food is Not fueling your body to heal or be at its Best (think energy, mental clarity, pain-free, clear skin, smooth digestion, good sex drive, resilient good mood).
5. Get Fresh Air. Everyday. Yes, even if it’s cold. Or rainy. Indoor air can become quite toxic due to outgassing from textiles and chemicals and building materials. This is especially true during the cold months. And in our own homes! Even if it’s just a short 4 minute walk around the block or out to the edge of the parking lot and back: it’s So much better than no fresh air at all. While you’re outdoors, leave your phone indoors. Use