he arrival of every NewYear prompts many of usto make resolutions to livea healthier lifestyle. These

healthy lifestyle guidelines can helpyou feel great, perform well, andinvest in your well-being for manynew years to come.

A ging is the accumulation ofa lifetime of poor nutrition

and inactivity. People who exerciseand incorporate a whole foods diettend to be healthier and live longer.

B reakfast is the most impor-tant meal. Active people

who eat breakfast not only gain fuelfor a high-energy day, but also tendto be wiser in their food choices therest of the day. Eating a high proteinbreakfast will provide you with theenergy to get up and go.

C arbohydrates are the cause ofmany diseases including hy-

pertension and hypercholesterolemia.Avoiding simple carbohydratesfound in processed foods, pasta,bread, etc. will lower cholesterol,reduce the risk of a heart attack, andreduce body fat.

D iet and lifestyle are the mostimportant factors contribut-

ing to health and disease. Learn tolive by the slogan, “we are what weeat”.

E xercise should be part of yourdaily regimen. Exercise and

physical activity can help you reducethe risk of developing heart disease,high blood pressure, high cholesterol,colon cancer, breast cancer, and dia-betes; reduce or maintain bodyweight or body fat; build and main-

tain healthy muscles, bones, andjoints; reduce depression and anxiety;improve psychological well-being;and enhance work, recreation, andsport performance.

F at-free foods are fatteningbecause they contain an

abundance of carbohydrates.

G ood nutrition starts at thesupermarket. Make health con-

scious decisions about everythingthat goes into the cart.

H onor your hunger and stopeating when you’re satiated.

I mmune system strength isreduced by poor diet, polluted

environment, stress, and drugs.Strengthening the immune system isnot only vital for recovering from ill-ness, but also for maintaining goodhealth. Supplementating your bodywith herbs such as Astragalus, Bap-tisia, Echinacea, Hydrastis, Garlic,Cayenne, and Lentinus will aid inoverall health. Vitamins such as A, E,B12, C, and folic acid, grape seedextract, flax seed oil and mineralssuch as zinc, copper, chromium, iron,and selenium play a role in maintain-ing a healthy and strong immune sys-tem.

J uicing is not a healthy alter-native to eating whole fruits.

Eating whole fruits instead of drink-ing juices has a lower glycemic effecton the body.

K eep to an eating scheduledetermined by your body.

Active people tend to get hungryoften, so snacking on vegetables,nuts, and seeds throughout the day

will keep you satiated.

L aughter stimulates the im-mune system. It lowers serum

cortisol levels and increases the num-ber of T cells, the amount of activatedT lymphocytes, and the number andactivity of natural killer cells.

M ental states influence thebody’s susceptibility to and

its ability to recover from disease.Studies have shown that one is morelikely to develop a disease after anystressful event. Stress is a growingplague but there is an antidote: joy,fun, and humor.

N ibble on your favorite foods— you don’t need to elimi-

nate them completely. Excludingfoods from your diet leads to bingeeating.

O mega 3 fatty acids are essentialfatty acids found primarily in

cold-water fish such as tuna, salmon,and mackerel. Studies have shownthat Omega 3 fatty acids have protec-tive roles in arthritis, hypertension,cancer, and heart disease. Incorpo-rate fish into your dietary regime atleast twice a week.

P rocess. Achieving overallhealth is a process that

involves a series of defined steps.

Q uick meals should includewholesome foods from a pro-

tein and vegetable source.

R egular checkups by yourhealth care professional will

aid in disease prevention.

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 3 33

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Healthy and Nutritious New Years Resolutions:

From A to ZB Y M I C H E L L E F E R C H O F F

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S upplements are meant to sup-plement healthy eating, not

compensate for poor eating habits.Whole food supplements made fromorganic foods contain vitamins intheir natural state. Research indi-cates that synthetic vitamins mayactually cause nutritional deficien-cies.

T arget Heart Rate refers to thenumber of times your heart

should beat per minute during a car-diovascular training session. Deter-mine your goals and monitor yourheart rate to improve your cardiovas-cular endurance. For health benefits,a minimum of 20 minutes per sessionis recommended 3 times per week.

U se it or lose it — that’s the rulefor muscle strength. Muscles

boost your metabolism, making itpossible to lose fat.

V egetables such as broccoli,spinach, kale, carrots, sweet

potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes are

full of Vitamin A, C, niacin, Pan-tothenic acid, folate and folic acid.The deeper and darker the color, thericher the nutritional value.

W ater encompasses 70% ofour body’s composition.

The human body needs approximate-ly 2.5 liters of water daily (10.5 glass-es), but we only need to drink ap-proximately 6 - 8 glasses a day,because we get some from food andabout 25% from metabolism.

X tra vitamin E may protectagainst heart disease and

cancer. Wheat germ oil is nature’srichest source of complete vitamin E.

Y oga increases the efficiency ofthe heart, slows the respirato-

ry rate, improves fitness, lowersblood pressure, promotes relaxation,and reduces stress and anxiety. Italso improves coordination, posture,flexibility, range of motion, concen-tration, sleep, and digestion. Incor-porating yoga into your cardiovascu-

lar program is a holistic approach toexercise.

Z eal is needed to fulfill your A-Z New Year’s resolutions.

Extreme eagerness and dedication tobecoming healthier in 2003 includes awillingness to go to any length to seethat resolution come to fulfillment.

About The AuthorMichele Ferchoff earned her B.S. in biologyfrom the University Wisconsin, La Crosseand then attended the Southwest College ofNaturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences,one of four accredited naturopathic medicalschools in the country, where she graduatedas a N.M.D. in 2002. Michele has severalyears of practical and clinical experience.She was selected as one of two residents forthe National College of NaturopathicMedicine/Standard Process residency pro-gram, the first naturopathic residency inWisconsin’s history, beginning in September2002. Michele is one of only five naturopath-ic physicians in Wisconsin who have gradu-ated from a four-year accredited naturo-pathic medical school.

34 D . C . P R O D U C T S R E V I E W

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