No one wants to actively think about becoming sick with disease, but being aware of your state of health puts you in control, giving you the opportunity to diagnose a condition before it becomes a full-fledged illness. Be in the know because the life you save may be your own!
Start with Your Genes
The deadliest diseases in the industrialized world - cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes - are often genetically inherited. To prevent the expression of these susceptible genes, it is crucial to know your family's medical history.
Beginning with your parents and grandparents on both sides and then your first cousins, become familiar with each relative's health picture. For those who have passed on, learn the cause of death and length of life. Remember, early detection and treatment of disease is the main reason that human life span has increased so dramatically in the last 50 years.
Early Detection Prolongs Life Span
You should be receiving an annual physical exam to keep tabs on the health of your body. Additionally, both you and your health care provider should monitor the state of your health on a regular basis; this way, if a condition does develop, treatment can begin at the earliest possible opportunity. You can take a simple home urine test - available from doctors of complementary and integrative medicine - to assess your level of free radicals. It uses the byproducts of metabolism to detect these toxins in your urine, helping you determine the effectiveness of your anti-aging program.
Take Control of Your Health
If you depend solely on doctors to keep you well, you will surely be disappointed. It is incredibly important that you take an active interest in your own level of health, taking steps to improve and maintain it. You are in control of your unhealthy behavior that leads to imbalance and disease, and you alone can accept responsibility for your disease so that you can change it. When you take responsibility for yourself, you earn the power to change from illness to wellness, sadness to happiness, and conflict to peace.
Awareness Exercise for Early Warning
When you become aware of your body's natural states, you can detect subtle changes in your state of health. Try this simple yet powerful awareness meditation that can be done anywhere, anytime!
Close your eyes and pay attention to your breath for one minute. Is your breath slow or fast, long or short, shallow or deep? As you breath, can you feel your lungs and abdomen expand and contract? Now, for one minute, expand this awareness to your whole body.
Do you feel discomfort or pain anywhere? Can you feel your digestion working? Is there movement in your abdomen? How is your posture whether sitting or lying? Can you feel the energy and blood flowing throughout your body? For this last minute, extend your awareness to your surroundings.
Experience the lighting conditions, temperature, varied sounds, smell, and nearby people. What is your reaction to these experiences? You can record these observations in a notebook and review regularly for any subtle changes that may require attention.
I hope this article helps you stay in good health for years to come! I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
--Dr. Mao
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To learn more about Dr. Mao and other natural health tips, go to askdrmao.com.
To purchase Dr. Mao's book, "Secrets of Longevity," click here.
