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Twenty Steps to Better Health

In your darkest moments you may think there is nothing else you can do to improve your health. Not true. We believe there is always something else you can do…or think…or feel…that can raise your platelet odds.

Here’s a list of suggestions that are cheap, won’t keep you up at night and just might unlock your healing response.

Our readers report and we concur…good health is often the result of many small changes that sum to a large impact. Just read our letters and stories.

This is quite a long list. Just pick a few of your favorite ideas and try them. You can add more later. Get your family and friends to join you. Everyone can benefit.

Now begin to:

1. Breathe – Take 20 minutes a day to just breathe slowly and deeply, raising and lowering your abdomen. Breathing slowly reduces stress and activates neurotransmitters found in the lungs.
2. Avoid Toxins – Use natural cleaning products, natural pesticides, low volatile paints, organic fertilizers, etc. Avoid perfumes and scented products. Chemicals and pesticides have been shown to interfere with the immune system and create unhealthy free radicals in the body.
3. Avoid Plastic Containers – Store food in ceramic or glass dishes and containers. The chemicals in plastics have been shown to interfere with cell development.
4. Reduce Stress – Look at the people and situations that create stress in your life and try to find ways to reduce the stress. Yoga and meditation often help. Stress has been shown to aggravate many diseases.
5. Think Positive – Imagine yourself well. Replace any negative thoughts with positive ones. Think of positive things you want to happen in the future. According to many research studies positive thinking can enhance your chances of feeling better.
6. Connect to a Higher Power – Pray or seek other spiritual guidance consistent with your beliefs. Research has shown that this type of connection can assist in improving health.
7. Consider Energy Therapy – Reiki, Qi-gong, and other subtle energy therapies can activate a healing response. You can learn some of these and do them yourself or you can seek a qualified practitioner.
8. Exercise – Find an exercise program you like and that fits your health situation. It could be walking, yoga, dancing. Use your imagination.
9. Breathe Clean Air – Avoid smoky (and smoking), musty, dank, dusty environments. Particulates and mold can cause or exacerbate autoimmune diseases.
10. Avoid Mercury – If you need a tooth filled, avoid mercury fillings. Avoid eating fish that is high in mercury. Dispose of mercury thermometers. Mercury has been shown to exacerbate autoimmune disease.
11. Listen to your body – Stay in touch with your inner self and follow your body’s suggestions if they are health oriented. Sleep when you need rest. Eat when you’re hungry. Stay in the sun when your body wants the warmth.
12. Be with People who Enliven You – Sometimes you feel better after being with someone. Other times you may feel deadened and drained. Choose to be with people who brighten your spirits.
13. Take Time for your Favorite Things – Bring as much joy into your life as possible. Listen to music. Grow flowers. Watch the birds and rabbits. Sing. Make your own list.
14. Reduce Negative Input – Reduce the amount of time you spend watching the news, reading scary stories and watching TV shows with violent themes. These have been shown to promote stress reactions.
15. Live in a Positive Space – Remove clutter from your environment. Organize your things. Fix anything that’s broken. Clean things that are dirty. Surround yourself with items that help you smile and feel good. Read a Feng Shui book for more suggestions.
16. Get the Right Amount of Sleep – Attempt to sleep from seven to nine hours per night. Research has shown that both too little and too much sleep can aggravate health problems. Ayurvedic medicine recommends that you go to bed before 10:00 PM and arise around 6:00 AM for optimal health.
17. Avoid Allergic Triggers – Find out if you are allergic to any food and other things around you then eliminate or avoid them, if possible. For example: use a hepa filter vacuum and/or air cleaner and dust protector pillow cases if you are allergic to dust. Allergic reactions are another sign of an overactive and misguided immune system.
18. Do Fun Things – Create opportunities to smile and laugh. Know what brightens your spirits and puts a grin on your face, then find time to do these things. Norman Cousins set the standard with his book, “Anatomy of an Illness” when he described how watching Marx Brother’s films helped him heal.
19. Avoid Drugs That Can Interfere with Platelets - The medical literature is filled with accounts of prescription products that can reduce platelet counts or inhibit their action. While some of these are allergic reactions and will not apply to everyone, it is good to know the possibilities. See www.itppeople.com/warnings.htm for a list.
20. Get Help and Hugs - Find others who will listen. Talk about your feelings. Ask for help when you need it and accept the help that’s offered. Bask in hugs and warmth.