A healthy body hosts a healthy mind. Or as the Roman poet, Juvenal, said around the end of the first century: “Mens sana in corpore sano” – a healthy mind in a healthy body. The Power of Healthy living is such a logical and obvious, yet underrated key!
In some cases, radical lifestyle changes have proved to control various chronic conditions (like high blood pressure, cholesterol etc.) very effectively, in some cases even to the point of altogether discontinuing or at least lowering the dosage of medicinal drugs.
Is it then possible for certain radical lifestyle changes to also assist in lowering the dosage of psychotropic drugs and thus decreasing unwanted side effects? (NB! Just a word of warning: although I have experienced exactly that on my personal journey with depression and anxiety, I urge you not to make any alterations to your medication without first consulting your health care professional!)
I hope that by reading this non-academic article in my series on personal empowerment or becoming the best version of yourself, you will realize the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and the positive effect that has on your emotional and mental well-being. Later in the article, I will also share my personal story solely for the purpose of encouraging you.
Healthy Lifestyle: Blood acidic levels
First, let’s look at one of the most important factors of physical health: Your blood pH. The pH of normal blood is around 7.35, which is more to the alkaline side of the scale. No science lecture here, but it is important, so just bear with me. If you can raise the alkalinity with only 0,1 to 7,45, the oxygen in your blood increases by 60%. Sixty percent!
Higher blood oxygen levels → 1. More energy → Increased productivity.
→ 2. Faster metabolism → weight loss.
→ 3. Fungi, viruses and cancer cells struggle to survive → Less disease, or DIS-ease.
On the other hand, if your blood pH drops as low as 7,2 you can develop a disorder called acidosis which can cause serious health problems including death. (I should also mention here that alkalosis (pH >7.45) is just as serious, but because most of our food is acidic, it’s not likely to contract that from diet unless you ONLY eat leafy greens in bulk.)
So how do you regulate your blood pH? Well, mainly by what goes into your mouth. You are what you eat, right? Although other factors outside our control also affect pH, I’m only going to focus on diet, which we do have control over. Let’s look at the pH of certain foods that may or may not be in your current diet:
What’s interesting is that although something like lemon juice have a pH of around 2 in its natural form (obviously acidic yes), once it is metabolized by the digestive system, it becomes well above 7, raising the blood’s pH. Another example of this is apple cider vinegar, which explains all the health benefits of those two foods. But green leafy vegetables and avocados are clearly the champions when it comes to alkalinity.
So does this mean you should never eat chicken? Of course not! Knowledge (and balance in this case) is king to healthy living. For example, by limiting your portion of chicken and red meat and adding lots of green leafy vegetables to your diet, you can balance your blood acidic levels. Or you can replace chicken with eggs as your protein source every second day
Another question that might have crossed your mind is: “If acidosis can be fatal when my blood pH drops below 7, why don’t I die when I drink a glass of Coke for example?” Fortunately for us, our bodies were created amazingly! Your body can regulate the pH level of your blood by itself. How? Here lies the danger: by drawing calcium (an alkali) from your bones. Wonder why you suddenly suffer from osteoporosis or arthritis as you age? Take another good look at your diet. If it’s very acidic, you might have just found your answer.
Changing Your Bad Eating Habits
I want to encourage you to start changing your bad eating habits today by sharing my story with you, and the reason why I’m so passionate about diet and physical- / mental health. Hopefully someone out there can benefit from my story. I used to have VERY BAD eating habits. Not only am I a chocoholic (maybe sugar addict sounds better?), I also love meat and not so much vegetables, even though I should be a vegetarian according to my blood type (A+).
I also indulged in emotional eating, living on fast- and processed foods. I was extremely lucky not to develop any serious physical conditions in that time, but mentally I took a blow. I was working full time and studying part time while raising two small kids and having a household to run. Too much stress and pressure on an unhealthy, weak body drove me to the brink of an emotional burnout.
I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety by my GP and psychotropic drugs were prescribed. Real lifesavers at the time, but after a year, the side effects got the better of me. Long story short, and sparing you lots of tears, sweat and cravings,
I managed to be weaned from the drugs by following a 100% clean, raw diet for three months among several other successful habits I adopted. Totally worth the changes! And as a bonus I lost some weight and felt super energized and altogether awesome. If you’d like to learn more, check out my article on natural remedies for depression and anxiety.
Eating With a Purpose
Focused eating with a purpose, being mindfully aware of WHAT you put into your mouth and what good or bad influence it has on your system, or WHY you eat (are you a victim of emotional eating?) is a successful habit that needs to be practiced.
So, have fun planning your diet as you balance your blood acid levels, and you will soon reap the fruits of more oxygen in your blood (more energy, faster metabolism, better mental health and a stronger immunity!)
Gut Health (in a nut shell)
Did you know that over 90% of the neurotransmitter Serotonin is produced in the gut, and not in the brain? Yes, that’s right! Serotonin, also known as the mood stabilizer hormone, is closely associated with mental health. Low levels are linked with symptoms of depression and anxiety.
In your gut, there are bacteria that aids in digestion, nutrient absorption and waste excretion. These are the good bacteria that get fed by a healthy diet. But when you follow a diet high in acid, sugars and processed foods, you feed the bad bacteria in your gut. They release toxins that can lead to cramping, diarrhea, flatulence, constipation, IBS, low energy levels and much more.
If your gut is filled with undigested waste, its ability to absorb the necessary nutrients from you diet or supplements, as well as its production of serotonin, is hindered. You need a clean, healthy gut in order to produce as much of that feel-good hormone as you possibly can. Here is a limited list of super foods that will feed the good bacteria in your gut:
- Prebiotics (Examples include bananas, oats, garlic, onions, beans, berries)
- Probiotics (Natural unsweetened yogurt, fermented foods like kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, etc)
- Fiber
- Leafy green vegetables – again!
I have over simplified this vast topic, but I do urge you to do more research on the importance of gut health and the benefits. You will be amazed by how many chronic diseases originate from an unhealthy gut.
Anti-oxidants and Healthy Living
If the topic of healthy living interests you, and you’ve read the article this far, I want to assume that you are familiar with free-radicals and anti-oxidants. I don’t want to go into too much detail on this topic, but to summarize:
Free-radicals are clusters of oxygen molecules in the human body that short an electron due to various factors (i.e. pollution, smoking, fried/fast/processed foods) causing ageing and allegedly some cancers. In other words: the bad guys.
An anti-oxidant is a food or supplement that is negatively charged, that attaches itself to the positively charged free-radical in order to destroy the free-radical and its harmful effects. In other words: the good guys.
Foods rich in anti-oxidants include fruits (especially blueberries), green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, herbs and spices. Basically all plant-based foods.
Anti-Oxidant Bomb Recipe
In addition to adding anti-oxidants to your diet, you can also take it as a supplement, OR take a daily shot of an anti-oxidant bomb. In this way, you can eliminate the harmful effects of free-radicals on your body. I found the following recipe on Youtube and gladly share it with you. Simple, but powerful ingredients with amazing properties:
50 gram fresh ginger – peeled and cut into pieces (it’s anti-viral and good for rheumatism)
Juice of 1 orange – Vit C (increases your immune system & healthy bones)
Juice of 1 lemon – (anti-bacterial & anti-inflammatory, increases blood alkalinity)
1 tsp turmeric (inflammation & joint pain)
Optional: Kale / spinach / broccoli
200 ml water
Beat in a blender and strain. Drink 15-20ml every morning on an empty stomach. Store in the refrigerator.
There are so many aspects to healthy living that it’s impossible to cover them all in one article. I focused on nutrition, but I urge you to study the following important factors online: exercise, cold water showers, supplements, hydration, meditation, heavy metal chelation, etc. There are loads of information on each topic.
Healthy Living Lifestyle for the Believer:
This key is very close to my heart. Not only because I’ve achieved personal success by making a few lifestyle changes myself, but also because my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own.
As far as it is within my control, I want to make sure that I give Him a temple fit for a King so that I can honour and glorify God with my body (1 Cor 6:19-20). When you put it into perspective, fighting a few cravings and practicing focused eating with a purpose seems like a small price to pay! Yes, it’s hard, especially when you need to break certain addictions, but hear the GOOD NEWS: our temple Guest is not indifferent to our suffering and attempts.
He already gave you a spirit of power (to break any addiction), love and self-control (to fight any craving)(2 Tim 1:7)! All you need to do now is surrender to Him, ask His help and then put your trust in Him. Nothing you struggle with is too insignificant for Him. In your relationship with God, He wants you to know that it’s an all-inclusive deal. He wants to be involved in every aspect of your life, even your diet. Come on, turn the “I can’t” to “God can” and enjoy feeling closer to God as you witness the changes in your diet and consequently your life. If He did it for me, He will definitely do it for you too!
Transformational Life Coaching and Healthy Living
If you’re struggling to break some bad eating habits or cravings that are detrimental to your health, or you keep putting off some necessary lifestyle changes, Transformation Life Coaching is just what you need. After completing the 20-hour virtual online Transformation Coaching System™ that I use, you will be able to stop procrastinating, and live a healthy life in abundance with all the added benefits that goes with that. As soon as you drop your mental and emotional baggage and Travel Lightly through life, you will be able to make certain lifestyle changes so much easier!
Contact me TODAY for a free 30 min online Session!
Learn more about healthy living and how to use this key for personal empowerment. I am a certified Transformation Life Coach operating in Riebeek Kasteel, Western Cape of South Africa. I also do virtual online life coaching sessions, so no matter where you are situated, all you need is an internet connection, a mobile phone or computer, and a space where you can meet with me uninterruptedly once a week for two hours.
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The next key #15 to personal empowerment (becoming the best version of yourself) is the POWER OF PURPOSE.
REFERENCES:
https://www.universityofgalway.ie/health-wellbeing/healthybodyhealthymind/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WhY9FnNUII, https://www.transformationcoachingacademy.co.za/
