Body, Mind, and Spirit; 10 Ways to Take Control of Your Health Right Now

The old saying, "your body is your temple," really is true. You only get one body in this lifetime so you need to take care of it. Almost everyone knows that to be healthy it is necessary to eat right and exercise. It's also important to get regular checkups with your doctor. These things are pretty obvious. What more can you do? There are lots of things that can help improve your health.

10 Ways to Take Control of Your Health Right Now

1. Get involved with your community
It is a well established fact that humans need socialization. They need to belong and feel a part of the world around them. No matter what your age is, you can find kinship in your community. Join a church, synagogue, mosque, etc... This will help you feel a part of something larger. If you are not religious, you can join a community center or group of your choice.

2. Get a pet
Pets can add years to a persons life. They are great companionship for those that don't have anyone else living with them. Even if you are not all alone, they can make your household more fun and lively. Pick a pet that suites you, not everyone will do well with a dog or cat. Perhaps a fish or lizard is more your style. Whatever your choice, your new friend will help you enjoy life.

3. Meditation
Stress is known to cause almost all disease in the human body. You can limit your stress but you can't eliminate it completely, nor would you want to. Meditation is a great way to control stress. It will relax you and teach you to handle stressful situations in a more positive way. You can learn meditation from a book, video, or local meditation center.

4. Get outside
Plenty of fresh air and sunshine is necessary to human health. If you work in an office, you may rarely see the sun. It's easy to remedy this. You can take a walk around your office building on your lunch hour. Only 15 minutes of direct sunlight will provide you with enough Vitamin D for the day. Plus, you need the fresh air. Most offices recirculate air, so get outside and breathe in some fresh air and see how much better you feel.

5. Drink herbal tea
There are hundreds of varieties of teas available for purchase. Not all of them have health benefits but many of them do. Pao D'arco is a great liver cleansing tea. Chamomile and lavender are great for stress and relaxation. Herbal tea is great for you and doesn't add extra calories, so drink to your heart's content!

6. Take a bath
Taking a relaxing bath can do wonders for your health and state of mind. You can add some oils to make the experience even better. A once a week bath is also very cleansing and good for that certain female part, it is better than a douche.

7. Floss
I was watching Dr. Oz on T.V. the other day and he was talking about the benefits of flossing. When plaque builds up in between your teeth it can get into the blood stream. This can cause heart attacks and strokes, along with bad breath and gingivitis. Flossing takes about two minutes a day and can add up to six years onto your lifespan.

8. Get your good fats
Mono-saturated Fats are considered the good fats. They can lower bad cholesterol and improve overall health. It's very simple to get these fats. You can find them in avocados, most nuts, olive and coconut oils, and many other foods. You need at least one serving of these good fats with every meal. Over a month or so you will see marked improvement in your health and well-being.

9. Laugh
You know the old saying, "laughter is the best medicine". Children laugh all the time, much more than adults. Children usually have a stronger immune system than adults. Part of this is because they are always laughing. So get your laughter in everyday. It's easy to do! You can watch a comedy, or play a silly game. There is an unlimited amount of things that are funny in this world. If you just can't find something, fake it. Just start laughing and it's likely the laughter will turn into the real thing.

10. Use natural deodorant
This may not be necessary for everyone, however if you have a weak immune system or a serious disease this could save your life. Most commercial antiperspirants have aluminum in them. While this poses very little danger to a healthy person, it can wreak havoc on a compromised immune system. If your immune system is not up to par stick to just a plain deodorant and skip the antiperspirant. If you are in doubt, check the label.

I hope you find these tips useful. If you try them, I guarantee you will be healthier than ever before!