TOP WELLNESS TIPS FOR HEALTHFUL LONGEVITY

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We’re well into the New Year and many are still feeling a bit of angst when it comes to pursuing a simple and meaningful strategy for attaining improved health and wellness.

Internationally respected health and wellness expert, Premchit Na Thalang, shares her wisdom on this subject.  "I truly believe wellness is for everyone and my desire is that if you wish to have a long life of joy and vitality, you may do so, regardless of where you live or the circumstances of your life, simply by deciding to live your life comprised of four key elements: a healthy diet, moving and resting, a healthy lifestyle, and having healthy relationships".

Her “Top Wellness Tips for Healthful Longevity” are easy, simple wellness ideas that promote a long life of joy and vitality.  Imagine having a long life of joy and vitality, staying healthy in body, mind and spirit, while enjoying an active and fulfilling life!  Following are her simple steps to achieving these goals.  Enjoy!

HEALTHY DIET IDEAS

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~ Eat and Drink More Fresh Fruits, Herbs, Spices, and Vegetables ~

All fresh fruits, herbs, spices and vegetables taste good and are good for you. Eat as many and as wide a variety as possible. Fruit, herbs, spices and vegetables are a rich source of amino acids, antioxidants, carotenoids, enzymes, fats, fiber, flavonoids, minerals, oils, pectin, sugars, trace elements, vitamins, water and phytochemicals with anti-bacterial, anti-aging, anti-allergenic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, anti-tumor, anti-viral, blood thinning, detoxifying, memory and vision enhancement, immune-stimulating, tonic, wound healing and vasoprotective properties, amongst others - promoting healthy cellular metabolism and growth, as well as the efficient detoxification and elimination of metabolic toxins.

Eating fresh fruits, herbs, spices and vegetables in juice form, sometimes referred to as "juice therapy", meaning "the use of concentrated nutritional elixirs made from fresh fruits, herbs, spices and vegetables for nutritional maintenance, illness prevention, body detoxification and the treatment of ailments and diseases", is very beneficial in promoting a long life of joy and vitality.

Every fresh fruit, herb, spice and vegetable offers one or more positive effects on promoting a long life of joy and vitality, including preventing or minimizing risks associated with: Alzheimer’s, arthritis, asthma, blood pressure, blood sugar, cancer, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, constipation, diabetes, glaucoma, heart attack, obesity, osteoporosis, over-weight, Parkinson’s, rheumatoid arthritis, stroke and urinary tract infections, amongst others.

~ Eat Like the Animals and the Birds ~

Many animals and birds eat in harmony with "trophology", the science of combining compatible foods to ensure optimal digestion leading to optimal health and a long life of joy and vitality. The key principles of trophology are:

~ Consume only one type of food during any meal, such as carbohydrate or protein.

~ Eat animal proteins, with plenty of non-starch vegetables, preferably raw such as in a salad, once a day.

~ Eat starches, with vegetables, preferably raw, as in a salad, and/or with non-acid fruits, once a day.

~ Eat fats with carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and light plant proteins, not with concentrated animal proteins. Do NOT eat margarine, other butter substitutes, or hydrogenated oils.

~ Eat at least one large fresh salad of raw non-starch vegetables every day, ideally just before a protein or carbohydrate meal.

~ Eat fresh fruits, nuts and seeds on an empty stomach.

~ Forget Food-Like Substances ~ 

There are many "food-like substances" that must be avoided if you want to pursue a long life of joy and vitality. The worst food-like substances are artificial sweeteners, margarine, processed foods and sugar. Other food-like substances best avoided are pasteurized and/or homogenized milk, salty foods, soft drinks and white wheat-flour.

MOVING AND RESTING IDEAS

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~ Move Your Body ~ 

For a long life of joy and vitality it is very important to move your body on a regular basis, preferably every day, for at least a moderate amount of time, in a way that you like doing, such as gently exercise, light sport, martial arts, playing, swimming, walking, yoga, etc. Natural movement of the body, ideally to a rhythm, is the foundation to cultivating a long life of joy and vitality.

The best forms of body movement are slow and rhythmic, which will loosen, stretch and relax your body, to collect and store energy, to leave you feeling refreshed. This type of movement is aerobic, beneficial to the particular body part being moved, as well as to the cardiovascular system and all other body systems.

Be sure to warm up before doing a movement or exercise regime, especially to relax a stressed or tired body and to stimulate blood and energy circulation. Loosening movements should be focused on the joints, with stretching movements should be focused on the ligaments, muscles and tendons.

It is now recognized that regular movement of the body offers diverse and significant benefits, including positive effects on: addiction, aging, anxiety, attention, attraction to the opposite sex, blood pressure, blood, bones, brain, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, confidence, constipation, dementia, depression, diabetes, emotions, energy levels, erectile dysfunction, euphoria, fun, heart, immunity, infections, injury pain, learning, longevity, motivation, muscles, obesity, osteoporosis, Parkinson's, physical function, prostate, self esteem, sex, skin, sleep, stress, strokes, weight.

~ Rest Your Mind ~

Meditating for just ten minutes a day makes a positive difference to one’s wellbeing and the pursuit of a long life of joy and vitality. Meditation can mean many things, however fundamentally it involves stilling the movement of the mind and bringing it to a state of undisturbed silence.

People approach meditation for many reasons, some to reduce stress and others to heal themselves physically and mentally. Some people just want to calm the mind and reflect. Meditation can effectively do all of these things, and much more. A review of the literature identifies 101 benefits of meditation, including physiological, psychological and spiritual benefits.

Meditation is also one of the ways of knowing the most important person in your life. Yourself! Not through others opinions, or through reading self-help books, but through sitting quietly, tuning into your breath, and going into that vast world inside yourself. When the thought waves are under control, the mind becomes quiet and we then experience our higher state of consciousness.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IDEAS

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~ Enjoy a Red, or a Blond ~ 

Red wine contains resveratrol, a polyphenol also found in cranberries and blueberries, which is a powerful antioxidant and which reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as having anti-aging properties. White wine also contains resveratrol, however in smaller amounts than red wine.

The optimal consumption of red wine has indicated a reduction in the risk of heart attack in middle age people by 30% to 50% and the optimal consumption of red wine is one glass per day for women and two glasses per day for men.

Recent research indicates there appears to be a direct link between the incidence of drinking alcohol and breast cancer in women however, if a woman consumes sufficient amounts of folic acid (Vitamin B9), the risk of breast cancer reduces and even disappears.

 ~ Sleep to Learn ~

Despite all the research, we still do not know exactly why we sleep and how much sleep we need. We do know the optimum amount of sleep varies from one person to the next, and for each person it varies over time. We know almost everyone experiences a period of sleepiness during each afternoon, and that if a person has too little sleep or too much sleep, they become dysfunctional. It seems the primary reason for sleep has a lot to do with learning, and the optimal amount of sleep for most people is between six and eight hours.

By simple trial you can determine the optimum amount of sleep you need at any time of your life, and once determined, maintaining this optimum, including having an afternoon nap, creates many benefits on the journey to a long life of joy and vitality, including significantly improving attention, dexterity, digestion, emotion, glucose metabolism, learning, memory, reasoning, recall and thinking.

 ~ Detox for Love ~ 

The key reasons why people must detoxify their body, not only through attending a regular detoxification retreat, but also preferably as a daily lifestyle activity, is to quite simply enjoy a long life of joy and vitality, to experience health is the prerequisite for wealth and happiness.

In today’s world, most people need to work actively on detoxifying their body, because:

~ Regular multiple-exposures to environmental toxins, for the air, building materials, cosmetic and personal care products and water, amongst others, reduce the normal metabolic functioning and inherent self-healing capability of the body.

~ So called "modern lifestyles", characterized by poor nutrition, deficient exercise and chronic stress, pollute the body with chemical and emotional toxins, which cannot be neutralized due to a lack of necessary nutrients in the optimal proportions.

Whilst toxicity is expressed by a variety of symptoms, the most common indicators of toxicity are: abnormal pregnancy outcomes, acne, allergic reactions, anxiety, atherosclerosis, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, constipation, depression, dermatitis, eczema, fatigue, female infertility, headaches, immune system impairment, indigestion, inflammation, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, joint and muscle stiffness and pain, kidney dysfunction, learning disorders, male infertility, memory loss, migraines, multiple chemical sensitivity, obesity, over-weight, Parkinson’s disease, psoriasis, skin puffiness, sleeplessness, susceptibility to cold, flu, infection, injury and tiredness.

By regularly detoxifying your body, as a daily lifestyle activity, as well as by attending regular intensive detoxification retreats, it is possible to remove many of the toxins that cause dis-ease, disease and the inability to enjoy life to its fullest.

Regular detoxification enables the restoration and maintenance of every-day good health, characterized by joy, love, vitality and longevity.

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS IDEAS

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~ Find Your Inner Spirit ~

Find a kindred-spirit or significant other; love him or her, every day, for all days. Love family. Nurture good friendships. Forgive. Smile. Socialize. Be curious. Use your imagination. Have zeal, for something. Relax, let go.  Find your inner spirit…

~ Take the time to play, for it is the secret of perpetual youth…

~ Take the time to read, for it is the fountain of wisdom…

~ Take the time to be friendly, for it is the road to happiness…

~ Take the time to love and be loved, for it is the nourishment of the soul…

~ Take the time to share, for it is too short a life to be selfish…

~ Take the time to laugh, for it is the music of the heart…

~ Take the time to dream, for it is hitching your wagon to a star…

~ Sing, write, dance, photograph, whistle…

~ Do whatever brings calm to your mind, relaxation to your body, and joy to your heart.

~ Live all of life with loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity, to nourish, preserve and restore your-self, as well as animals, people, plants, and the one earth we call home.

~ About Premchit Prateap Na Thalang ~

Premchit Prateap Na Thalang is an internationally certified aromatherapist, organic cosmetics formulator, natural perfumer, acclaimed chef, and inheritor of twelve generations of ancestral Siamese healing wisdom and secrets.  Her family has been growing, trading, studying, using and dispensing indigenous plants of southern Thailand and traditional Siamese knowledge for beauty, medicinal, nutritional and perfumery benefits for more than twelve generations.  For nearly 200 years, Premchit´s family traded aromatic plants with the British East India Company, including Thao Thep Kasatri, heroine of the Battle of Thalang (Phuket) in 1785, who also traded with Sir Francis Light while he was based in Thalang, the home of Premchit´s family.

~ In Closing ~

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It’s easy to become overwhelmed by over analyzing what one needs to do, especially if a person listens to the cacophony of too many voices on the subject matter.  This cacophony can lead to self-sabotaging and abandoning targeted goals, which results in disappointment.  One key to achieving these goals is to have a simple plan, and then taking things slowly, deliberately, and with consistency and focus.  Giving yourself a chance and celebrate yourself and what you’ve been able to accomplish and are about to accomplish

That’s it for this edition.  Until the next one, remember to take care of yourself and those you love.

By Terry Herman

TERRY HERMAN is a recognized expert in the industry, and regularly covers issues that include business, management, operations, customer care, treatments, products, and trends. In the 1990s, she authored an extensive "Glossary of Spa Terminologies" and holds two copyright registrations on her authored work.  Consumer and trade publications have also interviewed her as an expert.  She also conducted an extensive nationally broadcasted interview tour on aspects of creating an at-home spa, interior design, music, stress and time management.  Her work has been published extensively in print and digital in both consumer and trade publications.  In addition to writing, reviewing and being interviewed as an expert, she is also a management consultant and motivational speaker.  She also served on the International Advisory Board for the former EXPERIENCE | PREMCHIT Journeys In Retreat To Wellness; the Advisory Board was comprised of ten international experts in various fields of wellness and spa.  She also served each of the Five Pillars Task Force groups for the Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Council (APSWC).  She has been a Group Manager for the popular LinkedIn group, The Spa Buzz, and is currently an Administrator for two Facebook Groups, Wild Food Society and Spa College.  In addition to her blogs, her social media outreach includes Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest.  Be sure to read her food, wine and culinary digital magazine, TERRY’S SECOND HELPINGS.  Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page, Terry’s Second Helpings.  Please note that the “Comment Section” has been disabled.  For additional information, email her at terrysspabeautywellness@gmail.com.

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