To Your Health

Welcome to this, my first segment of To Your Health. In these articles we will examine Health, Wellness and Nutrition, what they are, and what factors contribute to them. The goal is to provide you with enough information to make educated choices regarding health optimization. Understand that I am not a doctor, nor do I advocate ignoring medical advice. I do not claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical illness or disease. Please consult with your physician and/or health care provider before embarking upon any major change(s) in your lifestyle.

Now that we're done with basic housekeping, let’s examine and define a few terms:

1. Health – Webster’s New College Dictionary defines “health” as “A condition of optimal well-being”. American Heritage® Stedman’s Medical Dictionary defines “health” as “Soundness, especially of body or mind; freedom from disease or abnormality”.

2. Wellness – Webster’s New College Dictionary defines “wellness” as “The condition of good physical and mental health, especially when properly maintained”.

3. Nutrition – The Council on Food and Nutrition of the American Medical Association defines “nutrition” as “The science of food, the nutrients and the substances therein, their action, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease, and the process by which the organism ingests, digests, absorbs, transports, utilizes, and excretes food substances".

So, a complete and through definition of the subject matter of health, wellness and nutrition could be “Creating a condition of normality in the body and mind through usage of proper nutrients and physical activities to optimize life and life functions”.

Many conditions and illnesses that exist today are created by poor or impaired body functions and systems. However, the “breakdown” of these systems can usually be attributed to what we put into our bodies via the foods we eat and air we breathe. You would be surprised how many negative effects occur simply by eating the wrong things. A great example of this can be found in Morgan Spurlock’s documentary “Super Size Me”. In it, he briefly examined how by changing the dietary intake (replacing bad nutrition with good) of “problem or at-risk students (with truancy and behavioral problems)” at Appleton Central Alternative High School in Appleton, WI, the kids became well-adjusted and were no longer termed “problematic”. Simply put, the foods they were initially putting into their bodies were creating an imbalance in both physical and mental functioning causing negative reactions. By removing the “bad” foods from the diet and replacing them with good ones, the proper nutritional balance was restored and mental/physical functions were “repaired”.

Let’s tie this in to being an artist; our goal, as artists, is to attain and maintain viability for as long as possible. We want to be able to continue plying our craft until we make the decision to no longer do it. Oftentimes, we will stop (or be unable to do) what we love due to recurring physical ailment; these ailments come about, more often than not, as a result of poor nutritional choices. As an example, we all know the correlation between smoking and lung cancer. While not everyone who smokes will develop lung cancer in their lifetime, they will suffer the effects of smoking - dried out muscles, excessive mucous (phlegm) build-up, yellowed-teeth, oily skin, etc. – which will impair the smooth and automatic operation of their body systems. They will find it difficult to maintain stamina. As a singer, how do you think those things might affect you?

You know those seasonal allergies you’re prone to? What if they are not truly allergies? Wouldn’t it be great not to have to continue to buy expensive medications or submit to a series of shots on a regular basis? How about those of you who have been having problems with weight-management? You’ve tried all the diets and fads, but nothing seems to stick. Wouldn’t it be helpful if you could truly locate and isolate the cause of the problem and then fix it?

As we move forward in our journey of health, wellness and nutrition, we will visit these issues and many of their components, including: Diet, Supplements (Vitamins and Minerals), Exercise, Weight Management, Sleep, Antioxidants, Medicine (Over the Counter and Prescription), Preventative Health Care, Mental/Emotional Stability and more.

Be sure to join us in the next issue as we explore the Wonderful World of Dieting.

Until then, here’s To Your Health!