In the book 101 Great Ways To Improve Your Health, Dr. Joseph Cilea describes our health as a bank account.  In effort to live in a state of what he calls "Proactive Health" then, we need to make more deposits than withdrawls.  I love this idea.  We all know how to make healthy deposits - go easy on the red meat, easy on the carbohydrates, eat desserts only in moderation, drink water, exercise daily.  Yet, we've also been told - with all of the best of intentions - even the elite of health can fall prey to chronic diseases due to poor genetics.  If this is true, then why bother depositing anything into our wellness account in the first place?

Yes, you and I are health conscious. But based on the statistics, obesity is more the norm than the exception.  And as I've told readers previously - when I confessed to gaining twenty-five pounds in college - even the veterans of fitness can fall off the wellness wagon.  Yet, there are reasons to keep getting back on the road to health.  According to authors of the Definitive Guide To Cancer, Lise Alschuler, ND and Karolyn A. Gazella, genetics plays only a small role in your risk for chronic disease.  Turns out, according to research, our first line of defense against cancer (and other chronic diseases) is none other than prevention.

With this in mind follow you healthy instincts. And from the author's of the Definitive Guide To Cancer's prescription for disease prevention, I'd like to give you a short list of healthy minded activities that I feel will make the largest deposits into your health account.

Exercise More:
The good news is, any amount of movement will stimulate metabolism and get the body's systems working more efficiently. There is no need to restrict your exercise to the gym.  For example, I've personally used the 10,000 steps a day program to lose a significant amount of weight.  Too, aerobic/anaerobic activity is one of your best bets for staying heart healthy, burning calories and body fat.  Again, there's no need to spend tons of time in the gym. According to my friend, research scientist and author of Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness, Phil Campbell, 20 minutes sprints are all you need to get your body moving effectively.  And if you don't believe me check out the September issue of Oprah's O Magazine - his program was reviewed and given the thumbs-up by her editorial staff, as well.

In addition, resistance training is also key to building lean muscle mass and winning the war on body fat.  Resistance training builds what is called "lean muscle mass." It is important to recognize, when you resistance train 2-3 times each week with weights, you will not only strengthen you muscles to support your skeleton, the muscle will also work to displace cells known as adipose - better known as fat.  Check out Phil's Ready, Set, Go! Synergy Fitness for a great workout or you can check out my own creation Brand New Body.

Weigh Less:
This topic could also be renamed - eat less.  In truth, there is really no other way to lose weight efficiently.  To exercise away the pounds alone would be exhausting, ask me!  Further, cutting back on calories and learning how to choose the right foods for you will help you get into the weight loss mode.  To help get you started, I've created a short eCourse called "7- Easy Weight Loss Strategies." If weight is a concern for you, give my eCourse a read to help get you moving in the right direction.

Eat Organic:
As I've discussed in past articles, toxins love to live in the body fat.  Therefore, eating organic and eating the right foods could be the best and wisest thing you could do for your body.  Finding and buying from the organic section of your supermarket will help you reduce your exposure to toxic hormones, pesticides and scary genetic engineering of foods.  If you still feel confused - there is a great book that you can use as a resource that I keep on hand.  It's called "What To Eat" by Marion Nestle.  Here, Nestle uses her intelligence as a professor of nutrition in effort to give you simple common-sense information. 

Boost Your Immune System:
In a perfect system our bodies could get all of the nutrients it needs from our diet.  However with the continuation of genetic engineering and pesticide treatment, as well as the increase of processed foods - this is becoming less possible.  Therefore, finding the right balance of diet and supplementation for your body is challenging, yet necessary.  There are resources available here as well.  My favorites include : The Real Vitamin and Mineral Book by Shari Lieberman, Ph.D. and Nancy Bruning and Dr. Jansen's New Vitamin Revolution by Michael Janson, M.D. 

There is also evidence that liquid antioxidant products have great value when it comes to balancing our bodies delicate pH.  Keeping the body's environment alkaline is important as it will create a unfavorable environment for pathogens to live.  For this reason, it is well worth your while to check out a liquid antioxidant supplement.  I use NingXia Red by the Young Living company, daily. This is the supplement I endorse, yet there are hosts of others. Continue your research for more information and to find an antioxidant source that is right for you.

Connect Mind and Body:
Studies continue to show promise in the connection between mind and body for promoting health.  To get all of your cylinders firing, you will want to learn more about exercising your spiritual muscle.  In many of my previous articles, I've extensively covered ways to do this. Here's my favorites: Meditation, journaling and affirmations.  These three continue to top my list of healthy mind, body and spirit activities.  To learn more you won't want to miss my article: Cultivate A Sense Of Spirituality. Another favorite resource on spiritual healing I continue to reference is You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay.  If you don't own this book already, it is a highly recommended addition to your healthy book collection.

In Conclusion:
I do hope you will find all of the activities and resources I've described here are easy to add in to your daily life.  It is up to you to make time for them.  In your efforts, continue to think as Dr. Cilea when making lifestyle choices and continue to add more currency into your lifetime wellness bank account.  I think you will find your efforts will reward you - with interest.

****
Laura M. Turner, M.S., CHHP is the Sr. Editor of The New Body News and Wellness Letter, the online magazine healthy people read! To subscribe for free and receive the free report "Take Charge Of Your Health" as well as a complimentary weight loss eBook, visit www.new-body-news.com .  While you're there be sure to check out Laura's latest book Spiritual Fitness