Thrive in the New Year

This is a time to re-commit to living well in other ways besides lifestyle and diet.

Thrive in the New Year

by Dr. Larry Wilson —

The end of the year can be a time of rebirth and renewal. Some people also believe that, according to the Mayan calendar, December 22, 2012, is the end of an age or the beginning of a new stage of life on earth. Here are important ways to ensure that the following year will be your most profound.

A time to care for yourself

At this time in history, caring deeply for your body and mind is vital. It begins with plenty of rest and sleep. Physical activity each day is important, although not to the point of total exhaustion.

Since nearly all of our food crops are hybridized and often genetically engineered, it stands to reason that these food sources are also devoid of many nutrients. In addition, many foods are processed, refined and enhanced with added chemicals — preservatives and flavorings — all of which detract from nutritional value.

Eating these chemically altered foods causes some people to overeat and many to develop so-called diseases of civilization, such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and others. Most of this costly suffering is avoidable if you can learn how and what to eat.

Begin with consuming cooked (not raw) vegetables several times daily. Vegetables provide dozens, if not hundreds, of subtle phytonutrients that are needed to nourish the cells of the body properly.

No other foods will suffice. Substituting fruits is not a good idea, as they are too sweet and not nearly as rich in nutritional value. Cooked vegetables, three times daily, should be the basis of your diet. If you do not like steamed or stir-fried vegetables, add toppings to them, such as herbs, spices, salad dressings, etc.

Try to eat some animal protein daily. Vegetarian and semi-vegetarian diets work for a while and, indeed, they provide some relief from food allergies and bloating for some people. However, they are deficient in other nutrients and therefore can shorten your life and damage your health, no matter what their proponents say.

Also, avoid most fish and seafood today, as they are contaminated with mercury. Beware of all pork products, as these can be contaminated with parasitic ova, even when well cooked. Instead, consume only small fish, such as sardines and anchovies, along with quality chicken, turkey, beef and lamb. Soft-cooked eggs are a good choice for most people. Whole-grain foods are also good for most people, in moderation. These include rice, quinoa, millet, oats, barley and others.

However, the exceptions today are wheat and all wheat and spelt flour products. Wheat is now so genetically altered that it is an irritating food for almost everyone. Its protein content is too low and its level of an irritating amino acid, glutamic acid, is much too high. Try to eliminate these foods from your diet completely. Many people find they feel best without any gluten, which means eliminating not only wheat and spelt, but also rye, barley and oats from the diet. Other people do not need to be as restrictive.

Raw, unpasteurized dairy products, in moderation only, are also excellent foods. Organic, pasteurized dairy products are not quite as good but still much better than most regular pasteurized and homogenized dairy products. They are certainly far superior to the cheese, milk and yogurt sold in the supermarkets. Good quality yogurts or kefir are also excellent. I recommend no more than four ounces of raw dairy products daily.

Do your best to obtain raw dairy products and work to change laws that make these excellent products illegal to buy and sell. Laws that force dairy farmers to pasteurize milk are little more than a ploy by certain special interest groups that do not want you healthy, even if they claim otherwise. Do not be duped or intimidated by their claims.

Organically grown food is usually best, as is food that has not been genetically modified. It is worth seeking out the best sources of the freshest and best-tasting vegetables, as well as high-quality meats and eggs. Buying locally grown products is optimal, although some grocery chains may supply excellent products that are not locally produced.

Good eating habits should include simple meals of no more than three foods per meal. Eat slowly and chew each bite thoroughly in a relaxed environment. Do not eat on the run or in your car. Also, do not drink too much liquid with meals, as this dilutes the stomach acids and impairs digestion.

Instead, drink three quarts of spring or carbon-only filtered tap water daily up to 15 minutes before a meal or about an hour after meals. Do not drink reverse osmosis water, which does not hydrate the body adequately, in my experience.

Avoid sweets, sugars, soda pop, alcohol, processed foods and other so-called junk food, which contain little actual nutrition. This rule, while simple, works well for most people and will assure that your nutritional balance will at least be fair to good. For more details, read the articles at www.drlwilson.com.

A new beginning means new commitments

You are what you radiate or project, and your real happiness will come when you choose to radiate love to the world in each and every moment, no matter what your circumstances happen to be.

This is a time to re-commit to living well in ways beyond lifestyle and diet. Here are some examples.

Commitment 1. Learn and live the truth with dignity. For some people, this is the obvious way to live. For others, however, a commitment to learning and telling the truth is not easy. They have come to believe that the truth is not necessary, is too scary or perhaps will not be well received by others. They listen to and copy the many leaders who lie and deceive us.

Sadly, a common teaching in high schools and colleges is that truth is relative. This really means that truth does not exist at all if it can vary from person to person or from time to time, depending on the circumstances.

This teaching is absolutely wrong. Anyone who wants to be happy and healthy needs to understand that truth is real and absolute, even if it reveals itself slowly. To live without it is to deny yourself your anchor and your strength. You open yourself to gross manipulation when you do not believe in and constantly seek the truth.

So truth is not relative or a matter of opinion. The enduring principles of truth hold steadfast throughout time and space. If they are ignored, societies can fall apart and rather quickly.

The principles of truth are found in sacred documents such as the Ten Commandments in the Bible, the Golden Rule, the U.S. Constitution and others. Getting back to absolute truths and ignoring politically correct and “socially just” truths is imperative. So be a truth seeker always, even if it is unpopular. Follow the logic of truth and you will be much safer and healthier. If you allow relative thinking to govern your mind, you will wallow in confusion and negativity.

Commitment 2. Be willing to let go of that which is no longer best for you. This can be tricky, but it is very important for everyone. Letting go of the past is the only way to move on to the future. If you cannot let go, you cannot move on. Learning to let go does not mean sacrificing, although it may seem that way.

Letting go is a spiritual process in which you realize that material things, emotions, habits, attitudes, beliefs and even friends and family are sometimes no longer helpful to you in any meaningful way. When this is seen to be the truth, and only then, is it best to put them aside gently, without fear, anger or regret. It is a skill that all mature adults must learn — so you might as well get started right now.

Unclutter — A simple way to begin to let go may be to review your clothes closet or go through your garage, attic, living room or kitchen. You really may not need anything you have not used or thought of in the past year. You can pass these things on to others, perhaps as a donation to charity. Doing this about once a year is an excellent and simple training exercise in letting go.

Habits — Beliefs and unhealthy habits are often more difficult to release. To do this, one must usually entertain or try out different habits, thoughts and beliefs. This can be scary but is very necessary and helpful. Never assume that because your parents or your friends act or think in certain ways that these are right for you. Question everything, then question some more. Be sure to get your news from several sources and not just one or two. Be mindful that all news sources are biased in some way — all of them.

The truth — Try to dig for facts and stop listening to what you know is just backslapping or preaching to the choir. Dig deep by reading what you would not ordinarily read, listening to programs you would not ordinarily listen to, and having conversations with people you would not usually speak with. After a while, you will become like a detective — able to find reliable sources of information. Some exceptional sources I have discovered and have listed can be found in a separate article entitled “The Media and the Truth.”

Judgment — Attitudes to let go of that are common today include envy, cynicism, apathy and general negativity. Watch out for them, as they can color your entire life and almost always will lead you in the wrong direction. You should remain careful and cautious with everyone; nevertheless, love and truth are real, and many people and even companies really do want what is best for you. Cynicism can be damaging to your health; so when you see it in yourself, immediately pluck it out like a weed, and do not let it take hold in your mind.

Relationships — Letting go of harmful relationships also can be tricky, as people are wont to run away from challenging relationships. For example, breaking up a family with children because you are not happy enough is often a form of selfishness that ultimately harms everyone. However, at times you may realize that friendships, work situations and even marriages are neither helpful for you at deep levels, nor do they bring out the best or the most in you.

Ending relationships such as family involvements and marriages is always difficult and needs to be done after asking for help to confirm your feelings or to discover what you are not willing to face or learn about yourself or another individual. However, facing the truth and taking action will usually be rewarded with better health and higher quality relationships in the future.

Careers — Letting go of occupations is also necessary at times, even if you are successful in your work or career. This, too, must be done wisely, but sometimes it is essential in order to recover your health and self-esteem, and to follow your deepest desires or dreams.

Commitment 3. Focus on the process of your life, not just on outcomes or results. Often we are taught to focus on results. For example, in school the answers are either right or wrong. However, life is much more than right or wrong, or success or failure. Life is about the relationships and activities that take place while you are working toward your goals and living from day to day.

A philosophical viewpoint to consider is that you are here to bless and love the world, regardless of your occupation. In the process of doing anything, even just standing in line at the bank or chatting with friends, the interactions and energies that you radiate and spread to others matter a lot.

These energies either radiate love or project fear. Love includes gratitude, kindness, courtesy, caring and similar feelings, words and gestures. Fear includes anger, rage, frustration, hatred, regret, remorse and other negative thoughts or feelings.

In this sense and in each moment, wherever you find yourself, you are projecting either love or fear. Pay attention to this, as it is the underlying process of living, and it matters much more than your seeming successes or failures.

You are what you radiate or project, and your real happiness will come when you choose to radiate love to the world in each and every moment, no matter what your circumstances happen to be. Take some time for reflection and make it the best new year of your life.

Dr. Lawrence Wilson has a medical degree and has been in the health field for more than 25 years. His books include Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis, Legal Guidelines for Unlicensed Practitioners, Healing Ourselves and Manual of Sauna Therapy and The Real Self. He also co-authored Toxic Metals in Human Health and Disease and contributed to The Dangers of Socialized Medicine. www.drlwilson.com or 928-445-7690.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 31, Number 6, December 2012/January 2013.