Let’s face it: There’s a ton of health information online, and sifting through it – sorting the sound and useful stuff from the sketchy – is one of the big challenges in getting real answers about how we can improve our health and well-being, let alone achieve that optimal state we know as Radiant Health.
One of the reasons why Dr. Joe decided that we should start blogging for our office is to help patients and non-patients alike cut through the information clutter. He wants to help you make sense of the latest advances in medical science and trends in health so you can become a better consumer of health care by deepening your understanding of your body, how it works, how illness happens and how healing can commence.
Dr. Joseph Sciabbarrasi – you see why we call him “Dr. Joe” around here – is a long-time practitioner of holistic and Integrative Medicine. He’s as comfortable in designing a program of healing with nutrition, supplements and acupuncture as he is discussing medical issues with his colleagues in cardiology, surgery and oncology.
All of us here in his office work from the understanding that these two modes of healing – conventional and holistic – are not mutually exclusive.
We also know that achieving optimal health isn’t really so confusing a process as it’s sometimes made out to be. In his essential booklet Radiant Health, Dr. Joe lays out 8 keys to it. While these aren’t the only steps toward improved health and wellness, they are the ones that have stood out to Dr. Joe as he has observed and personally experienced them over more than 30 years of practice.
- Self-care
The mental, emotional and spiritual realities we live by determine how we experience each day. We mobilize our minds, emotions and spirit towards health by taking time each day to immerse ourselves in something much bigger than we are. In fact a meaningful daily practice such as prayer, affirmations, meditation or volunteering matters just as much to health as medical care. - Sleep
Everyone knows how great we feel mentally and physically after a good night’s sleep. Many never get that feeling due to illness and stress. Eight hours of quality sleep per night between 10 pm and 6 am is optimal.. - A Longevity Diet
Empowering food and drink protect us and promote a long life. Whether you opt to go Mediterranean, Nordic, Okinawan…any healthful diet which extols the virtues of these life promoting menus will do. And if you can go organic, even better. - Exercise
Movement is the primary quality defining life. Physical activity is the way we endorse that primary law. Do what you enjoy, and do it regularly – with others whenever possible. There’s usually some laughter involved, some sharing and no small degree of support and encouragement. - Stress Reduction
Whatever healthful and wholesome activity or imagery shifts you away from the daily challenges of living will also reduce stress. Walking your dog, coming home to loved ones, exercising, meditating, singing, getting into a theatre group, playing a musical instrument, surfing…embrace whatever moves your mind away from that which prevents you from taking a full breath. - Supplements
Supplements are just that: supplements – not replacements. We use them for health, for treating illness and for promoting a healthier future. If all you do is take a high quality multivitamin-multimineral, you go a long way to preserve those little guardians of our longevity – our telomeres. (Much more about those in future posts!) - Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
This slows the aging process and lets it show through every cell of your body. It’s powerful stuff, but it can’t do its best work alone. In combination with good diet, sleep, self-care and all the other Radiant Health points, it’s even more powerful. - Gratitude and Service to Others
There is nothing so powerful in relieving our pain as helping another relieve theirs. What would happen if you started most days by writing down 10 things you are grateful for? What would happen if you spent a little of your life helping others to live better in some way? A little kindness and sweetness go forever.