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Important Factors for Attaining and Sustaining
Optimal Health and Longevity

What You Can Learn from Those Who’ve Lived the Longest

If you’re really interested in living long and being healthy for as long as possible, learn how to maintain youthfulness and wellbeing on all levels. That’s what it takes, addressing all levels.

• Aubrey de Grey, Ph.D, author of Ending Aging – The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime

• Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zone – Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.

Both agree that longevity is about far more than your genes. In fact, it is believed that your genetic makeup accounts for only about 10 percent of your potential longevity, while a variety of lifestyle factors account for the rest.

Buettner’s book looks at the lifestyles of centenarians across the world. Common denominators among the people who’ve lived the longest include:

• Eating a plant-based diet
• Drinking diuretic-type teas on a regular basis and plenty of filtered water everyday
• Living in areas that promote regular physical activity, such as daily walking as the main means of getting around or other types of daily exercise
• Associating with friends, family, practitioners and mentors who encourage a healthy, natural, active lifestyle
• Having effective strategies for coping with stress, such as prayer, meditation, strong social networks, and adequate rest
• Eating foods that are organically grown, avoiding genetically modified foods that are now suggested through research to pose problems to our health and the wellbeing of our offspring

In fact, being able to effectively cope with stress, it turns out, is one of the MAJOR common denominators for those who live long, healthy lives.

One of the proposed reasons for this strong link is that stress promotes inflammation, so being able to reduce the inflammatory response in your body can have a significant impact on your overall health. This is also believed to be one of the major reasons why so many centenarians appear to be more or less immune to brain degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

What Can You do NOW to Maximize Your Lifespan?

Of all the healthy lifestyle strategies I know of that can have a significant impact on your longevity, normalizing your insulin and leptin levels is probably the most important  Elevated insulin levels are one of the key physical influences that contribute to rapid aging, and there is no question that optimizing insulin levels is an absolute necessity if you want to slow down your aging process.

Consuming sugar and grains will increase your insulin level, which is the equivalent of slamming your foot on your aging accelerator. There’s simply no more potent way to accelerate aging than sticking to a diet full of sugar and grains.

Top “Anti-Aging” Recommendations

• Learn how to effectively cope with stress: As discussed at the beginning of this article, effective coping mechanisms is a major longevity-promoting factor as stress has a direct impact on inflammation, which in turn underlies many of the chronic diseases that kill people prematurely every day. Meditation, prayer, physical activity and exercise are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional and mental equilibrium. I also strongly believe in using energy psychology tools such as the Meridian Tapping Technique (MTT) to address deeper, oftentimes hidden emotional problems.

• Eat a healthy diet: A nutritional plan is based on natural whole foods, is your first step toward increasing your chances of living a longer, healthier life. The heart of my program is the elimination, or at the very least, drastic reduction of grains and sugar in your diet, which is a far simpler way of restricting your calorie intake naturally, without suffering.

How to Live Longer…Starting Today

• Proper nutrition: Feeding your body the fuel it needs based on your individual biochemistry rather than a one-size-fits-all regimen, regular exercise is such a big key to Longevity, and maintaining emotional wellbeing plays a much larger role in this than you can imagine. This aspect should never be underestimated in the anti-aging quest.

• Rather than sitting idly by, waiting for some “magic pill” that will stop or even reverse the aging process, you can take control of your health, and increase your lifespan, starting right NOW. TOMORROW never comes, so start and continue from TODAY!!

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/22/Great-Tips-to-Add-Years-to-Your-Life.aspx

15 Most Cleansing Foods

Apples: Apples are high in pectin, a type of fiber that binds to cholesterol and heavy metals in the body. It helps to eliminate these toxins and cleanses the intestines.

Avocados: Avocado is a cleansing food that contains a nutrient called glutathione, which cleanses many toxins from the body, and helps the liver detoxify and eliminate synthetic chemicals.

Beets: Cooked or raw borscht soup is very cleansing and nourishing.  Beets contain a unique mixture of natural plant compounds that make them superb blood purifiers and liver cleansers.

Blueberries: Truly one of the most powerful healing foods, blueberries contain natural substances that help clear inflammation in the body, lessening pain. Blueberries also act as antibiotics by blocking bacteria in the urinary tract, and can help to prevent infections. They also have antiviral properties and help to block toxins from crossing the blood-brain barrier to gain access to the brain.

Cabbage: Cabbage contains numerous antioxidant compounds that help the liver. Cabbage also cleanses the digestive tract and neutralizes some of the damaging compounds found in cigarette smoke (and second-hand smoke). It also strengthens the liver’s ability to detoxify.

Celery and Celery Seeds: Celery and celery seeds are excellent blood cleansers and contain many different cleansing and healing compounds that help detoxify unhealthy cells from the body. Celery seeds contain over twenty substances that help to clear inflammation from the body… they are particularly good for detoxifying substances found in cigarette smoke.

Cranberries: Cleanse your body from harmful micro-organisms that may be lingering in your urinary tract with cranberries. Cranberries  contain substances that clear harmful microbes.

Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Oil: Flax is loaded with essential fatty acids, particularly the Omega-3s, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil are essential for many cleansing functions throughout the body.

Garlic: Eat garlic to cleanse harmful bacteria from the body, and intestinal parasites from the blood and intestines. Raw garlic has a lot of antioxidant activity. It has many properties that help detoxify the body of harmful substances. Additionally, garlic assists with cleansing the respiratory tract by expelling mucous build-up in the lungs and sinuses. For the health benefits, choose only fresh garlic, not garlic powder, which has virtually none of the above properties.

Grapefruit: Add a ruby red grapefruit to your breakfast to benefit from pectin fiber that binds to cholesterol, thereby cleansing the blood. Pectin also binds to heavy metals and helps escort them out of the body. It also has compounds that cleanse harmful microbes out of the body. Grapefruit is an excellent intestinal and liver detoxifier. Also, grapeftuit therapeutic grade essential oil can be used in water or added to other foods and helps to breakdown excess and unhealthy fat in the body.

Kale: Steam or chop raw kale and add to other vegies in a salad and benefit from its powerful antioxidant compounds that help cleanse the body of harmful substances. It is also high in fiber, which helps cleanse the intestinal tract. Like cabbage, kale helps neutralize compounds found in cigarette smoke and strengthens liver cleansing.

Legumes: Add a handful of sprouted or cooked beans to your next meal since they are loaded with fiber that helps lower cholesterol, cleanses the intestines, and regulates blood sugar levels. Legumes also help protect cells to maintain healthy activity.

Lemons: Excellent liver detoxifier, lemons contain high amounts of vitamin C, a vitamin needed by the body to make an important substance called glutathione. Glutathione helps the liver detoxify harmful chemicals. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (not the bottled variety) to pure water to support your cleansing efforts on a daily basis, or add a couple of drops of therapeutic grade lemon essential oil. The lemon oil contains Limonene which greatly supports the immune system.

Seaweed: Seaweed could be the most underrated vegetable of all. Studies at McGill University in Montreal showed that seaweeds bind to radioactive waste in the body. Seaweeds also bind to heavy metals to help eliminate them from the body. In addition, they are powerhouses of minerals and trace minerals.

Watercress: If you haven’t tried watercress add this delicious green to your next salad, since it increases detoxification enzymes. In a study at the Norwich Food Research Centre in the United Kingdom, smokers who were given 170 grams of watercress per day eliminated higher than average amounts of toxic substances in their urine, thereby eliminating them from their body.

Eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables assists with detoxifying harmful substances from your body. It also helps the cells to maintain normal and healthy cellular activity. Who knew cleansing could taste so good?

Adapted from: The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan by Michelle Schoffro Cook (John Wiley & Sons, 2006). 

Revisions, edits and additions by Malaika Namara: EclecticWellnessLIfestyle@gmail.com

The top 10 Elements of an Optimal Wellness Lifestyle are kind of…not negotiable. Take only a few of these steps and you will get some good results, but you very likely won’t get the ultimate package. Staying radiantly healthy and happy through the ups and downs of life requires commitment and paying attention to all these important aspects of an Optimal Wellness Lifestyle.

It’s truly worth the effort for the abundant rewards that bless and elevate your life!

The Foundation – Take care of your physical body first!

1. Basic Good Nutrition: Eating a good diet full of organic fruits and vegetables, grains and easily assimilated protein. As much raw as possible and a multitude of greens is so important!! Green foods are a huge key to being optimally nourished and they are a tremendous source of highly usable protein. Sprouts are another tremendous source of protein. Find a source for sunflower or other sprouts and add them to your diet abundantly. Good nutrition will greatly support your emotional wellbeing. This is a crucial, added benefit of consistently eating a pure, healthy diet that is rich in all the essential nutrients. Superfoods are absolutely necessary to achieve this!

2. Superfoods/Cellular Prosperity: Green Powders, Marine Phytoplankton, Blue-Green Algae, Medicinal Mushrooms, Goji Berries, Inca Berries, Cacao and Herbs are all excellent for high level nutrition and optimal cellular functioning. High levels of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and the most viable, absorbable protein on this planet. If you’re not enjoying these products, you are really missing out!!

3. Exercise: Do a combination of aerobic exercise and stretching at least 3 times per week. Yoga or stretching exercises will be phenomenal for your body, if done regularly. Dancing is great exercise combined with fun and interacting with partners. Dancing is an activity that can be continued throughout your lifetime. You may also want to consider strength building, your favorite fitness program or sports. The key is regularity and a variety of movement.

4. Bodywork/Treatments: You get a regular auto tune-up and oil change for your car, right? Well, your body needs that as well, in order to run properly. Have frequent massage, physical adjustments or other treatments. Once a week is ideal, or once a month, at the very least. There is no doubt that a really great practitioner who knows how to release tension and adjust the body is as good as Gold. Having this done on a consistent basis will make a huge difference in your overall wellbeing. Physical alignment and a finely tuned body is a huge factor in feeling fantastic.

5. Cleansing: Adopt a program you like for cleaning out your system. Do 1-2 longer cleansing programs per year for a least a week to 10 days and a mini cleanse for 2-3 days, every other month when you are not doing a deeper, longer cleanse. The digestive and elimination systems needs a break! Also, have colonics be a part of your regimen, once every 4 months would be great, or at the very least twice a year. Stay hydrated daily with plenty of pure, filtered water.

Next we need to consider our Emotional Wellbeing!

6. Relaxation/Stress Management: There are many techniques and activities that will reduce your stress levels greatly. See my post on how to “Release Stress Quickly and Easily” in the ‘Everything Wellness’ category of this blog. This is a very amazing and effective process that I have taught many people over the years. My clients have benefited greatly from using this approach often, as needed. It can be used as a very brief exercise in literally 3 minutes anywhere, anytime – or as a longer, more meditative approach. Just do it when stress levels are high! It truly makes a bigf difference and that’s what counts. Repatterning is an amazing system for shedding layers of old patterns, emotions and energy – and updating to who you are choosing to be in your life now. This is the best way I know of to detoxify on a deep emotional level and on the unconscious level where a lot of imprints from past experiences are stored and still holding charged emotions.

7. Financial Wellbeing: Being free from unnecessary and excessive debt is very important for maintaining a relaxed, healthy body and peaceful mind. I don’t believe a true Wellness Lifestyle can exist without well managed and sufficient financial resources for taking very good care of yourself and your family. Back-up funds for special circumstances are a must for maintaining a stress-free body, mind and spirit. It can be very helpful to have great financial consultants guiding you. Consultants who are living examples of prosperity and financial wellbeing themselves are a must.

8. Positive and Productive Relationships/Companionship: Happy, fulfilling relationships are an art and some mastery is required. Relationships are the most important personal growth opportunities in our lives. Communication skills are typically learned and don’t come automatically for most of us. Don’t make a habit of complaining, as this will definitely wear out any relationship. Take time to study the dynamics of relationships of all types. Learn the differences between men and women and how each think, express emotions, communicate and what’s most important to each of them. Do you sometimes stop and put yourself in someone else’s position? How about a 5 year old boy, or an 8 year girl. A teenager? Have you forgotten what it was like to be in those challenging teen years driven by hormones and emotions, trying to find your way? Shift your perspective now and again and it will be quite enlightening and enhancing to your relationships. Do you offer some kind words when someone is having a challenging time? Do you compliment people consistently and express appreciation? Do you light up and share in the joy when someone around you is having a meaningful experience or doing what they enjoy? Do you take yourself too seriously? Depending on how you answered these questions, you may be noticing that you have some reflecting, opening and shifting to do. It will be well worth the effort, I assure you! Reading a book or two may be very helpful, especially if you put into practice what you are learning. This is definitely a very big subject!!

9. Fun/Entertainment/Laughter: Commit to enjoying your life as fully as possible. Spend plenty of time doing the things that bring you the most joy. Be amused, entertained and surprised. Give and receive abundantly! Have a good dose of adventure in your schedule frequently. The world will not fall apart if you take time to play and be free. In fact, ironically, you may find you have extra time and accomplish more than when you were obsessing over everything and mistreating yourself.

Spirituality and Life Purpose – Inner Life is so hugely Important!!

10. Spiritual Practice/Quiet, Inward Alone Time: This is listed last, but is most definitely not of the least importance. For a Balanced, Healthy life you must have purpose and feel you are making a difference in some way. You must go inward and have contemplative time or you will likely start coming apart at the seams at some point. Adopt some philosophy that connects you to a higher vision of what your life is all about. Practice compassionate actions and random acts of kindness. Apply the powerful principle of Giving Back. Generosity is deeply rewarding. If you don’t find yourself feeling significantly rewarded by some of these meaningful actions, you may seriously need some support and re-prioritizing. And that’s OK, providing you get it. Find a great mentor, therapist, coach or counselor to guide you through some deep personal healing. Transformation may just be the true purpose and underlying objective of  this life.

Follow these recipes and you will be as happy as those playful mammals in the photo above!

For a free 20 minute Personal Wellness consultation contact Malaika at: EclecticWellnessLifestyle@gmail.com

From my point of view, a Wellness Lifestyle embraces all the major aspects of our lives. We need to manage stress, cultivate happy and productive relationships, build a strong financial base, express our passion, talents and gifts, walk our spiritual path and express our emotions and creativity. If we reach for a life of excellence, an eclectic and multifaceted approach will naturally evolve. It’s the complexity and layers that make it all so fascinating and rich. If any of these areas are suffering, our Wellness capacity will be unbalanced and compromised.

It’s important to check in with your joy level from 1% to 100%. Ask yourself what percentage of joy you currently have in your life. That will be a good indicator of how much change may be needed. What level of quality of life do you presently experience?

We can Repattern the way we think, react, feel, and function in our relationships. It’s a matter of updating our system with current information on what we would like our reality to look like and feel like in the present, based on who we are now. Staying stuck in old, outmoded patterns is too self defeating. The one thing in life we can absolutely count on is change. Only with zealous change can there be transformation and meaningful breakthroughs.

There are proven practices that support a radiantly healthy and thriving body. These lifestyle approaches illuminate the principles of longevity and allow us to maintain a very high level of physical wellbeing. Of course, this is what we all want, but how do we get there and sustain it?  And what gets in the way?  That’s what I love to explore, discuss and Repattern.

Nutrition is so key and has such an impact on how we feel, our moods and our outlook on life. What many people consider to be good nutrition is typically quite lacking in many crucial nutrients. So, in that case our cells are in survival doing only the most critcial functions with not enough juice to perform optimally and thoroughly. Rich, dense and pure nutrients are required daily to keep adequate production of energy in the cells, so they are able to perform all their tasks optimally. Keyword here is Superfoods and we are in a time when they are no longer a luxury, but are truly a necessity. See my posts on Superfood nutrition.

It’s an eye opener to find out how many toxic chemicals are in foods we are eating and products we are taking. All this needs to be addressed and changed or their will be a price to pay. You may be amazed at how great you feel when your body is receiving pure, concentrated nutrition from the best and most natural sources. The cells are jumping for joy and there is a sense of balance and stability. Superfoods are more important than ever, and provide us with dense nutritional values that generate cellular prosperity.

Transformation is key on all levels including: spirituality, personal growth, relationships, sexuality, life purpose, cellular prosperity, financial prosperity, philanthropy and giving back. Reflect on what the top priority is for you and start there by making adjustments and improvements. Transformation is the biggest part of our existence, but are we giving it the conscious attention it deserves? It’s what keeps us feeling alive and achieving our highest potential.

I’m excited to share tips and practices that make a big difference in my life and support my clients greatly. I look forward to receiving your tips, comments and suggestions. No doubt, it’s going to be a diverse, fascinating and eclectic conversation.

Radiant Wellness Blessings,

Malaika

Contact me at: EclecticWellnessLifestyle@gmail.com

Connect with me on these Networks:

• www.Twitter.com/MalaikaNamara
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Have some fluffy time to relax and smell the flowers!