As a rule, if you follow these practices you’ll be in good health for a long time.

The following are brief comments on how to achieve a healthy lifestyle.  The last 10 of 20 are shown here.  The first  10 are shown in “10 guidelines to  good health.”  Details on each health topic are included throughout our web site.

11. Drink at least six glasses of water every day.

Your body weight is about two-thirds water. In addition to keeping you hydrated, water flushes out toxins, curbs appetite, and actually burns calories. Drinking at least six 8-ounce glasses a day is good for you. Please remember that sodas and colas have acids and sugars that are very unhealthy. Plain water is best, although a good tea is also beneficial.

12. Get a good night’s sleep.
This may sound like an echo of your mother yeas ago, but this is such an obvious and often neglected health factor.  Get enough rest to compensate for the stresses in your hectic life.  Inadequate sleep is linked with fatigue, poor concentration, poor memory, and increased risk of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. It’s great if you can get in eight full hours, seven is still good.  Rest balances activity and recharges your arteries, so to speak.

13. Take a good daily multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Think of it as insurance to fill the holes in your daily diet. And don’t settle for a one-a-day brand — you want high enough doses of crucial vitamins and minerals to ensure optimal health. While school is out on whether artificial vitamins are as good as Ma Nature’s foods, most experts recommend well manufactured multivitamins.

In today’s world, vast amounts of farmland no longer have the nutrients they once did.  That’s why so many fields require fertilizer.  Also, we as human beings have polluted not only much of our soil but our water as well.  For example excess fertilizer that runs off into lakes can feed algae that are poisonous to the touch.  Pollution in factory smoke ends up as acid rain that kills all the flora in lakes far from the factories.  That same factory smoke contains mercury which contaminates the oceans and the fish that swim in them.

14. Look for alternatives to prescription drugs.
Prescription drugs, used exactly as directed, kill a minimum of 106,000 Americans every year according to recent research. For every drug out there, there are safe, natural, and equally effective alternatives — not that you’ll hear about them from your doctor. Take control of your health and seek out alternatives.

Also, if you have drugs in the house, youngsters may steal some that give them “highs.” Unfortunately, drug induced highs may lead to illness and death.

15. Don’t smoke.
Since smoking is addictive it’s hard for those who have been hooked and for many people it takes only a few smokes to become addicted. Think of lung cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, erectile dysfunction, wrinkles, and premature death. That’s for smokers and the people who live with them. Do you need more reasons to stop smoking or help someone you care for to give up the weed?

16. Drink moderate amounts of alcohol, if you drink at all.
A drink or two a day lowers risk of heart disease and has other benefits. Excessive alcohol intake, however, is devastating to your health. Social drinking, i.e. moderation, is best. Unfortunately, about 10 percent of the population cannot handle alcohol and should stay away from it altogether.

17. Wash your hands often.
Again we don’t mean to sound motherly, but many people tend to forget the connection between germ proliferation and personal cleanliness.  This is a simple but highly effective and often overlooked way to prevent colds, flu, and other infectious diseases. Keeping your hands clean is a way to wash away germs. If you do land in a hospital, pray that the medical staff that cares for you always does the same. There have been hospital induced illnesses due to the spread of germs in those institutions for just that reason.

18. Find healthy ways to relieve stress.
Your body reacts to stress with the release of hormones that increase heart rate and blood pressure, mobilize blood sugar, tense the muscles, slow down digestion, and put the brain on hyper-alert.  Stress depletes your immune system, so you need to find a way to defuse the stresses in your life.  Whether you use breathing or relaxation techniques, meditation or yoga, getting daily exercise, it is imperative that you learn how to turn off this physiological response.  Also, laughter is good for your immune system and your well being.

19. Challenge yourself mentally.
Use it or lose it also applies to your mental “muscles.” One of the best ways to reduce risk of dementia and keep your mind sharp throughout life is to stay mentally active. Play bridge, read and write, do crossword puzzles, learn a foreign language, take up the tango or a musical instrument — do something to stretch your mental muscles.

20. Value the importance of loving physical contact
Humans have a biological need for close body contact and emotional support. If you don’t have a partner, hug your friends and acquaintances. If you don’t have any friends, get regular massages. One reason that women tend to live longer than men is they are much better at establishing and keeping family and friends close. So, if you’re a guy, learn something from our “better halves.”

To view the first ten guidelines to good health click here.

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