The Road to a Healthier You

reposted from https://naturallyhealthynews.com/articles/6-ways-to-achieve-optimal-health-in-2016/ as an example.

Chronic disease is an epidemic and the number of cases is growing, despite any advances within medical technology. Yet research is showing that fundamentally, following the right nutrition, forming good lifestyle habits and monitoring your environmental exposure can have an enormous impact on your health. In the long term it can also play a key role in preventing diabetes, cancer, dementia, heart disease, hypertension, stroke and even accelerated aging.

Our environments plays an important role in influencing our genetic disposition however, by around 80% and is a concept known as “epigenetics”. Each of our everyday choices have an impact on our health and these include diet, sleep, exercise, supplementation and exposure to environmental toxins. The purpose of functional medicine is to study these effects at a cellular level while incorporating the latest within genetic science and systems biology to determine how environmental and lifestyle factors affect the emergence and progression and of the disease.

The 80% window that you can control through lifestyle factors is therefore worth investigating if you want to improve your health in the long term.

Below are the six factors worth considering if you want to stay healthy…

1. 1. Nutrition. One of the core elements of good health is good nutrition. A diet that’s rich in fresh and natural foods that includes a wide array of colourful fruits and vegetables, along with a source of lean protein is ideal. Drinking water can help to prevent dehydration and is good for cellular function.
      
      
   2. Supplements. Getting a balance of essential oils such as Omega 3 and 6 found in Krill Oil or Hemp Seed Oil. Two good choices are from Good Health Naturally. Taking an optimal amount of Vitamin D3/K2 along with a phyto-nutrient supplement can help to enhance nutrition and any chronic illness can be improved with short term use of high dose intravenous nutrient therapy to “jump start” any cells that are relatively dysfunctional and/or nutrient depleted.
      
      
   3. Exercise. Strength training and cardiovascular exercise can benefit our immune system, endocrine, heart, metabolic and respiratory health. While cognitive ability, moods and our overall sense of well-being can all benefit from regular exercise. Try rebounding on a mini trampoline or walking at a brisk and steady pace for 30 mins daily for best results.
      
      
   4. Inflammation. Reducing your levels of inflammation through regular diet, exercise, sleep and taking care of your mind-body-health will all reduce your chances of advanced aging and chronic illness. Consuming sugars and starches are a major source of inflammation and are best avoided. Taking anti-inflammatory substances on a regular basis can help Examples of these natural anti-inflammatory substances include curcumin and fish oil.
      
      
   5. Sleep. Poor sleep can lead to stress and this has been linked to hormonal problems, increased inflammation, gastric problems and advanced aging. There are a variety of techniques that can be used to improve sleep and these include behavioural techniques, natural supplements and even electrotherapy devices. 5-HTP, Melatonin and Valerian Root can all help with this process.
      
      
   6. Emotional Health. 50% of chronic ailments are thought to be caused by anxiety and depression. They are silent killers and many people live with severe stress, anxiety and depression on a daily basis and don’t know how to cope. Taking care of your mental and emotional issues by talking to a friend or relative, doing therapy or counselling can all benefit you emotionally and are worth pursuing.