In today’s fast-paced world, surrounded by endless unhealthy options and distractions, prioritizing our health often falls to the bottom of our to-do lists. But here’s the truth: optimal health and wellness are within your reach. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require one essential step—a firm decision to make a change. This decision, powered by your desire, determination, and discipline, can transform your life in ways you never imagined.
To climb your personal ladder to health success, you need a clear and compelling reason to take that first step. Maybe it’s the dream of feeling energized and vibrant, the hope of reducing or eliminating pain, saving money on healthcare costs, or improving your relationships by being your best self. Whatever your motivation, let it fuel your journey.
Here’s some uplifting news: your body’s natural state is healthy! Illness and disease aren’t inevitable, despite what conventional wisdom might tell us. The idea that poor health is “part of aging” is a narrative that often keeps people trapped in cycles of treatment rather than prevention. But wouldn’t it make more sense to invest in your health proactively, ensuring vitality and longevity, instead of constantly repairing what could have been prevented?
The power to reclaim your health lies in your hands. By committing to small, consistent changes, you can experience life with more energy, joy, and resilience. The ten keys we’ll explore below are simple yet powerful tools to help you unlock your best self. Are you ready to embrace the vibrant, healthy life you deserve? Let’s get started!
DID YOU KNOW? The healthcare industry has become a massive growth machine—unfortunately, it’s growing at the expense of your health. Here’s a hard truth: sickness isn’t the enemy of the healthcare system; healthy people are. If everyone embraced true health and wellness, much of the enormous, for-profit healthcare industry would no longer be necessary.
The majority of healthcare spending doesn’t go toward life-saving interventions like organ transplants or cancer treatments. Instead, billions are spent managing common “diseases of lifestyle”—conditions that are often preventable with healthier choices. For example, $15-20 billion is spent annually on statin drugs for cholesterol, $10 billion yearly on stomach acid-blocking medications, and $120.46 billion on inflammatory drugs. In 2023, U.S. healthcare spending rose by 7.5% to $4.8 trillion, outpacing the GDP growth rate of 6.1%. This equates to approximately $14,423 per person and represents about 17.3% of the nation’s GDP. You can read more about this trend in this report from U.S. News. Looking ahead, projections indicate that by 2032, healthcare expenditures could climb to nearly 20% of GDP, highlighting the growing need for sustainable health practices. For more details, visit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services report.
This trend is unsustainable, and it’s a wake-up call for all of us. The best “healthcare” begins with taking charge of your lifestyle—cleansing and detoxification, EMF management, consuming a diet of organic, plant-based foods, regular exercise, drinking distilledw water, daily sunshine, stress management, and proactive prevention. True health is your greatest wealth, and it’s worth every effort to protect and cultivate it.
LORETTA LANPHIER, NP, BCTN, CNHP
10 Essential Steps to Achieve Optimal Health and Wellness
1. Restful Sleep.
Americans are some of the most sleep-deprived people on the planet. More than 50 million Americans each year suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders, and 30-50% of adults experience occasional sleeping concerns. With the invention of the electric light, we have not only seen sleep deprivation numbers soar but, along with it, also disease and illness. Your body requires sleep to repair, heal, and restore itself, and it performs the most healing between the hours of 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM, which is the time you should be sleeping. If you are not sleeping during these optimum healing times, there is no sure way to play catch-up. Scientists tell us that the body comprises 750 trillion cells and replaces every cell every seven years by building 300 billion new cells every night. According to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “neurons that control sleep interact closely with the immune system. As anyone who has had the flu knows, infectious diseases tend to make us feel sleepy. This most likely happens because cytokines, chemicals our immune systems produce while fighting an infection, are powerful sleep-inducing chemicals. Sleep can help the body conserve energy and other resources the immune system needs to mount an attack.” Sleep deprivation may result in memory issues, weight gain, metabolism issues, increased irritability and moodiness, hormone imbalance, hypertension, and altered immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep requirements can also help fight cancer. To improve your sleep for optimum health and wellness, see 101 Tips for Getting Healthy Sleep.
2. Cleansing and Detoxification.
Toxins from our environment—including the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we consume, and even personal care products—can accumulate in our liver, kidneys, and cells. Over time, this buildup can hinder the body’s ability to function at its best. Think of your body like a finely tuned machine: just as your car needs regular maintenance to run smoothly, your body requires care to stay healthy and resilient.
As the body’s primary filter, the liver plays a crucial role in detoxification and overall health. Supporting its function is essential for boosting your body’s natural defenses and maintaining wellness. I recommend incorporating regular liver support into your routine, such as a gentle liver cleanse several times a week. Additionally, pairing this with parasite cleansing and heavy metal detoxification can further enhance your health journey.
Cleansing and detoxification are vital practices for long-term health and vitality. Neglecting your body’s “housekeeping” can lead to a buildup of waste and toxins. Adopting simple, proactive measures empowers your body to perform at its best, paving the way for a healthier, more vibrant life.
3. Heavy Metal Cleansing.
Today, we face more exposure to heavy metal pollutants than at any other time in history. Lead, mercury, and aluminum can all be found in everyday products such as deodorant, cosmetics, vaccines, prescription medicines, and fish. Many studies are now linking exposure to heavy metals to symptoms such as speech disorders, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, aggressive behavior, chronic fatigue, and cancer. Your liver, kidneys, gallbladder, and lymphatic system are all significant filters of the blood system, which eliminate toxic waste from the body. When these filters become clogged or sluggish, your blood can become congested with toxins and heavy metals, which can then be carried to the brain, causing other health issues. Chelation is a process recommended by many healthcare practitioners that aids in improving liver and kidney function and relieves symptoms of memory loss by increasing circulation to the brain.
To support your body’s natural detoxification process and help eliminate heavy metals, consider incorporating the following organic foods into your diet: cilantro, garlic, wild blueberries, lemon water, spirulina, chlorella, barley grass juice powder, Atlantic dulse, curry, tomatoes, and probiotics.
If you’re not meeting the recommended daily intake of essential vitamins, consider supplementing with Vitamin B (especially B-1 and B-6) and Vitamin C. These vitamins are vital in supporting the body’s ability to tolerate and detoxify heavy metals. For instance, Vitamin C has chelating effects on iron, and studies suggest that B-1 may help reduce iron levels. Always prioritize a balanced approach to nutrition for optimal health and detoxification.
4. Healthy Diet.
The food you consume is foundational to your health and wellness. The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, and Americans are some of the most overweight and unhealthy people in the world. This should indicate that, in the long run, most fad diets do not work. Why? Fad diets teach dieters to eat the Standard American Diet of nutrient-deficient prepackaged, chemical-laden, and processed foods, or they teach an unhealthy balance in food groups. With approximately 10,000 chemicals being added to our food supply today, being conscious of the food you eat has never been more critical than it is now. Your diet directly affects your vitality, how well your immune system functions, your emotional health, and most of all, how well you feel. We indeed are what we eat, and if we only knew for sure what we are eating, there’s a greater chance we would be making massive changes. Your body wasn’t designed to eat cooked foods all the time and was never made to digest processed artificial and chemical-laden foods. Investing a little time researching a healthy plant-based diet for yourself will pay substantial health dividends further down the road. I highly recommend switching to organic and locally grown foods and purchasing a good water distiller for your home and office. Water consumption is essential to your cellular health; every cell in your body is bathed in water. Ditch the prepackaged and fast foods as well as sugar-laden drinks. Consume more plant-based foods such as organic fruit and vegetables, which will give your body the nutrient-dense food to function correctly at both the physical and cellular levels. Remember that your diet is foundational in achieving optimum health and wellness!
5. Exercise.
Regular exercise can help promote psychological well-being by reducing feelings of depression and anxiety while improving your mood. In addition, weight control and protection from heart disease are other expected benefits of regular exercise. I often hear the statement – “I just don’t have enough time for exercise.” Simply put, this is only an excuse — we all make time for things that are a priority, such as eating, working, and sleeping. If exercise becomes a health priority, you’ll magically have time for it. The good news is that there’s no need to spend large amounts of time exercising; 15-20 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week, is sufficient enough to receive the health benefits. Nor do you need to purchase expensive equipment or a health club membership. Walking and rebounding are two of the best exercises you can perform, and the cost is minimal.
6. Lymphatic Drainage.
The lymphatic system works with the circulatory system to deliver nutrients and oxygen from the blood to the cells, as well as removing toxins and waste from these cells. When this system becomes blocked, we become defenseless against attacks by viruses and bacteria. Lymphatic drainage improves the functioning of the lymphatic system, which plays a vital role in the body’s immune system response. This can be achieved through gentle, rhythmical, circling movements of the skin, which stimulate the contractions of the lymphatic vessels. Dry skin brushing, rebounding, and mindful breathing exercises will activate lymph and interstitial fluid circulation and stimulate the functioning of the immune and parasympathetic nervous systems. The benefits of these gentle therapies include reducing insomnia, detoxifying the entire body, and relieving chronic pain. They can be compared to using a plunger on a slow or stopped-up drain.
7. Sunshine.
The so-called experts have told us for years to stay out of the sun, that it will only cause us harm. At the same time, it’s recommended to avoid direct sunlight for extended periods of time or to use a toxic sunscreen when outside for long periods of time, which can result in serious health concerns. More people are becoming aware of the mounting scientific research that shows sunlight promotes vitamin D-3 generation in skin cells, which is essential for calcium absorption and the prevention of osteoporosis. Other benefits include the prevention of chronic diseases such as lung and breast cancer, heart disease, depression and the regulation of the immune system. So get out and get some Superman Sunshine; if that’s not always possible, then take a quality Vitamin D-3 Supplement.
8. High-Quality Supplements.
Most of the food we eat today is nutrient deficient due to irradiation, questionable soil preparation, and farming methods using harmful chemicals, toxins, etc. Irradiation breaks down the molecular structure of foods, creating harmful free radicals and destroying up to 80% of vitamin and mineral value. In order to receive the full range of nutrients the body needs to function properly, there’s a definite need to supplement our food with high-quality vitamins and minerals. The body can only absorb approximately 10-30% of the nutrients from hard tablets, so look for an organic liquid multi-vitamin supplement with a higher absorption and usability rate, as well as supplements packaged in vegetable capsules and glass containers. Nutritional supplements can definitely be a tool to help you achieve optimal health and reduce the risk of disease by boosting your immune system in conjunction with eliminating harmful toxins. However, supplements should never be compared to prescription drugs that promise alleviation of symptoms within a certain amount of days but no real solutions to the root cause of the health issue. Supplements and vitamins are helpful and necessary to any natural health program–consider them to be supportive toward your path to optimum health.
9. Stress Reduction.
Stress is known as a silent killer and must be effectively managed in order to achieve optimum health and wellness. Your body experiences stress when your mind perceives a threat. This stress can often be self-induced with negative attitudes, ill feelings for someone, anger, or unrealistic expectations. Many times, there is no real physical threat or danger, yet your mind perceives otherwise. Your environment can have a huge impact on your state of mind. Fast-paced, stress-filled environments often make the body tense, causing aches and pains as well as contributing to weight gain and heart attacks. A stressful lifestyle also has a negative impact on your ability to maintain healthy relationships. It has been shown to lower the immune system, making the body weak and vulnerable to illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, depression, and even colds and flu. You can eliminate much of your day-to-day stress by simply taking a step back, breathing, and putting things into perspective. Developing healthy coping skills to deal with stress is vital to your wellness in body and mind. A few healthy ways to reduce your stress levels include exercise, meditation to clear your mind, focusing on your breathing, and removing negative/toxic thoughts, people, and situations from your life.
10. Emotional Cleansing.
Emotional Cleansing is the release of toxic thought patterns, which can cause one to feel sluggish or down. These toxic thought patterns are usually learned from previous experiences. Due to the fact that much of this is subconscious, many of us are unaware of the process that is taking place and the effects it has on our lives. The positive effects of total-body cleansing are not completed until we clean out poisonous thoughts and toxic emotions. Research has shown that unresolved issues such as anger, fear, negativity, past wrongs, self-pity, and victim mentality can often lead to devastating physical effects, including chronic back pain, migraines, fatigue, insomnia, and low immune response. Emotional detoxification often leads to a mental and physical sense of revitalization because the energy that was used to harbor negative emotions is now available for more positive, creative options such as healing and repair. Some of the first steps in this process include accepting responsibility for your emotions, identifying them, and beginning to work on positive change; a good Naturopathic practitioner can guide you along in the rest of this process. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is very helpful with emotional cleansing. You can find an experienced EFT practitioner in your area by searching EFT online.
Some Final Thoughts…
If you’re currently struggling to achieve optimal health and wellness, I encourage you to start making small, manageable changes that will bring your lifestyle into better balance. Remember, it’s all about taking one step at a time. Are you incorporating daily exercise and nourishing foods into your routine? Are you staying properly hydrated with purified water? Could some key lifestyle adjustments help improve your health? When was the last time you focused on detoxification? These factors play a significant role in achieving vibrant health, but the journey is unique to each individual.
If your current lifestyle choices aren’t yielding the results you desire, now is the perfect time to take action. Make the decision today to implement the health strategies outlined in this article. While it can be challenging to feel unwell, the great news is that every health challenge can be improved. Your path to better health is just one empowering decision away! Take control and embrace the opportunity to transform your wellness.
Resources
http://www.nutristrategy.com/health.htm
http://www.incrediblehorizons.com/toxicity%20&%20Autistic-symtoms.chelating.htm
http://www.healingdaily.com/liver-detoxification.htm<
http://www.health-n-energy.com/heavymetal.htm
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Irrad/irradfact.cfm
http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/
http://healthmad.com/health/health-benefits-of-sunshine
http://www.healingyourbody.net/index_files/Page322.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/020513_Vitamin_D_calcium_cancer.html
http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/wellness_concerns/stress/effects_of_stress.php
