Simple lifestyle changes can reap big rewards

Below is an extract from 7 Things Your Doctor Forgot To Tell You by Authors Warren Sipser, a chiropractor, and his television presenter wife, Andi Lew. 7 Things include real-life stories and inspires the reader to make proactive health choices.

STRESS
There is an old saying from the '60s: speed kills, and it applies not only to drugs but to driving and also lifestyle. The more stressed you allow yourself to become, the more you engage your sympathetic nervous system and adrenals, the higher your blood pressure, the more reactive your emotions, the shallower your breathing, and the less you appreciate life.
Stress also triggers the production of more cortisol, the so-called "stress chemical", which causes your body to crave carbohydrates, turns more of the food you eat into stored fat, and deposits more of that fat around your waist and organs. If you have a stressful life, find ways to reduce or cope with it: meditation, massage, music, walks in nature, weekends away, time with friends, walking the dog or petting the cat, rewarding yourself with holidays and quality downtime.

REGULAR MEDICAL AND CHIROPRACTIC CHECKUPS
Remember that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure - don't "wait 'til it's broke to fix it". We have not yet adapted to walking fully upright, it's still a relatively new evolutionary step, and regular spinal adjustments can have the most extraordinary benefits for your well-being. Not only can you avoid major physical complications, you will also increase your energy and vitality when all your systems are functioning optimally.

HYDRATION
You've been hearing this for years, why not just do it? Drink plenty of pure, fresh water every day - six to eight glasses is great. It help your cells to rid themselves of toxins, clear your eyes and skin, facilitate weight loss, and water is ph-neutral (neither acid nor alkaline), which is the optimal state for radiant health.

BREATHING
We all do it, but very few of us do it well. Most of us breathe shallowly, lifting our shoulders on the inhalation instead of extending our bellies (diaphragm), which results in "tight shoulder, loose abdomen" syndrome - exactly the opposite of what we want, which is "loose shoulder, firm abdomen". When we're hyper (excited), we tend to have long inhalation and short exhalations. When we're hypo (depressed), we tend to have long exhalations and short inhalations.
Optimal health and energy derive from a balanced one-to-one breath, where the inhalations are deep and regular and of exactly the same length. Spend just three minutes a day in a fresh air environment, becoming aware of and re-educating your body's breathing rhythms, and every part of you will benefit.