A Dozen Habits of People Who Don’t Get Sick

1. Get outside. Too many of us go from our homes to our cars or public transportation to our jobs, only to return home having spent scant minutes outside in nature, if at all. Breathing fresh air and walking on the earth gives you a charge of energy that helps you feel better, be healthier and live longer. Fit some outside time into your schedule.
2. Drink water. Your body needs water to clean and regulate itself. You lose quarts of water every day in your breathing, sweating and peeing, and you must replenish it with a good amount of fresh, clean water. Six or eight glasses a day, one or two with each meal and one or two between meals will keep you hydrated.
3. Taste the rainbow. Eat a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables of all colors. Develop a healthy diet high in plant foods and moderate in meat, dairy, and sugar. Learn to eat foods that have great nutritional content, like avocados, walnuts and leafy greens that can be used in so many dishes. Make sure you feed yourself well and regularly.
4. We spend way too much time on our electronic devices. Draw some boundaries for your use of your phone, tablet and TV – give your eyes and your mind a break and it will reward you with a better quality of life.
5. Sleep enough. Your brain cleans and regulates itself while you sleep, and the process takes about seven hours – that should be your target, and when you fall short, catch up in the next few days the best you can. Your brain requires it.
6. Move your body. Exercise turbo-charges your cells and blasts your body with vitality. Find exercise that you are willing to do on a regular basis, even if you change up from day to day. Develop a routine that keeps you fit, combining strength training with cardio, and you’ll see the difference.
7. Every culture that lives long and healthy lives has a social structure that keeps people connected. Family and friends, spiritual communities, hobby and special interest groups, and neighborhoods play a major role in being healthy.
8. Maintain a healthy gut. Our diets have preservatives, additives and even traces of drugs in them, which may upset the normal balance in your digestion. Most of us don’t think much about it, but your gut only works when the organisms in there are working with your body. You can take a probiotic, or eat fermented or bacteria rich foods like yogurt and cottage cheese, pickles and sauerkraut, or wine. If you have to take antibiotics for any reason, you have to restore the balance in your gut.
9. Our society has customs and rules that keep us separated for most of our lives – we need to touch. We need to touch people to stimulate proper hormone balance in our bodies, and we need other people to touch us.
10. Practice self-care. Healthy people choose lifestyle habits that lead to wellness. People who don’t get sick run their lives in a healthy way. Practice good hygiene, good grooming, good body-care habits.
11. Stay positive. Clearly, mental attitude is a major factor in staying healthy. Expecting the best generates a mindset of hope and faith, and leads to pursuing a compelling future of health, wellness and freedom from unnecessary suffering.
12. Consult wellness advisors. Assemble a team of coaches to help you make your best decisions. Your family chiropractor can advise you on general health and wellness issues, especially care of your brain, spine and nerve system – build a team of counselors who can guide you toward a happier, healthier, longer life for you and those you care about.

Adopt these simple habits, and you and your family can spare yourselves preventable problems and needless expense. Take responsibility, and you can be one of those people who don’t get sick as often as others.