By Dr. Abayomi Meeks
Over the past 10 months or so, I have written several articles regarding various ailments and disease patterns which can be prevented, improved or cured using some holistic and integrative medical concepts. Hopefully, you have found the information practical and have implemented some into your daily lifestyle.
I thought I would like to bring in the energy of spring with specific lifestyle habits, which will improve your health and well-being when applied daily. I will describe each in a progressive fashion, so you may use this simplified format as a daily routine.
Awakening
In the morning, it's a good idea to drink one glass of room temperature distilled, filtered or spring water (approximately 8 ounces). Do a self massage upon rising: just put your feet on the floor as you sit on your bed, and vigorously rub without excessive pressure your head, face, neck, arms, shoulders, chest and as much of your back as you can safely reach, rub your legs and your feet. This will instigate the flow of blood to your extremities, thus increasing peripheral circulation (it is a basic form of oriental self-massage). As you sleep, your blood circulates and is stored in the liver, minimizing blood supplied to the extremities.
Next, always start with a positive affirmation and visualization, which is a positive statement about who you are or about the way you may want your life to go. Visualization, a form of concentration, is a powerful tool for manifesting your dreams and aspirations, because you are training your mind to see it before it happens, to see what you want and need.
Exercise for 30 minutes. Do at least 10 to 15 minutes of light stretching, and 15 to 20 minutes of cardio-aerobic exercise.
Breakfast
Choose seasonal foods, fruits, whole grains and some form of protein. Instead of coffee, drink a coffee substitute like unsulphured blackstrap molasses, which is a great alternative. Just take 1-2 tablespoons in a cup of hot water, stirred with a little rice milk and you have a good-tasting drink that will energize and fortify you with a great source of naturally occurring iron, which makes it excellent for women. However, people with hypertension should not drink this molasses mixture without the supervision of a medical doctor, since excessive iron intake can elevate blood pressure.
Lunch
Eat calmly; Talk less so you can digest your food properly. Too many of us do business meetings while eating. It's a horrible strain on the digestive tract to attempt to digest food while also gulping air into the stomach, causing you to have gastrointestinal problems, acid reflux, cramping, flatulence and so forth.
Try eating one type of food at a time; it's better on your digestive system. Also, eat fruits alone or protein and vegetables or vegetables and carbohydrates. Food combinations are very important for proper assimilation and metabolism of what you eat. Drink water before or 15 minutes after you eat, so that you do not dilute your digestive enzymes. Drink real fruit juices, not juice from concentrate, which is saturated with corn syrup and high fructose. These sugars add to your weight gain, causing obesity and are dangerous to diabetics, because they increase the blood sugar levels.
Take a walk after your meal to assist with digestion.
After work
Have a light snack like a protein bar or carrot sticks with a low fat dip. Exercise for 30 to 45 minutes to release stress and burn calories. Find a quiet place for meditation and contemplation to quiet your mind and calm your nerves.
Dinner
Eat smaller portions and eat as early as possible. Be mildly active after dinner, enough to aid digestion and metabolism. Minimize snacking and no late night snacking.
A hot bath or shower with candlelight and quiet or meditative music and positive affirmations, prayer or meditation will help improve the quality of your sleep. Anoint your body with pure essential oils and massage your feet with lavender oil, which is excellent for calming and soothing the nerves. Use light, spiritual or pleasant reading so you are not too mentally stimulated before sleeping; over-stimulation will make going and staying asleep more difficult.
Finally, I want to emphasize that making healthy lifestyle changes is difficult because it is hard to break old, bad habits, but it is absolutely necessary in order to be healthy.
Statistical data reveals the health of people of color (urban and rural) is increasingly worsening at a time when medical information and technology is advancing. We must take control of our own destinies by first taking care of our greatest natural resource, “OUR HEALTH.”
When you feel and look good, it enhances everything else that you do, while also making the people who love you happy; because you are happy. Your new energetic persona also inspires other people – especially our children – to live healthier lives by making better choices overall.
So, I beg you to not only strive to be the healthiest you can be for yourself, but to also do it for the future of your families, community and nation. We must sacrifice as our ancestors did for us, but we must be strong and wise enough to make the required changes to ensure that our children have a positive health-oriented example to follow!
Strong effort gets good results!
Editor's note: S. Abayomi Obadele Meeks, B.S., D.Ac., L.Ac. is a doctor of acupuncture and holistic medicine with over 20 years of experience. He is the first African-American licensed to practice this medicine in Colorado, and is the founder of Moyo Health and Cultural Arts Center Inc.
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