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By. Dr. John O. A. Pagano

The secret of a long and healthy life is not to expect to live forever, but to live well and healthy while you are here. Is there a "formula" that one may follow that keeps the vital energies in balance? There is indeed, and it is identi­fied by a term we use every day in our lives. That term is  C.A. R. E.

They stand for Circulation, Assimilation, Rest and Relaxation, and Elimination. If these four aspects of living are practiced regularly, a long and healthy life can be expected as the end result. Let's examine each one.

• Circulation: The flow of blood and lymph provides nutrition and vitality to every cell of the body. When circulation ceases or is blocked for one reason or another, the death of that cell or organ is not far behind. Circulation ceases when there is no movement, therefore, to keep the circulation going, one must move. It has been said, from a scientific point of view, that walking and swimming are the most beneficial activities one can engage in, especially as one gets older, to keep the circulation intact. Walking does not necessarily mean "power walking" or carrying weights, nor does it mean for miles and miles each day. It means to purposefully walk for half an hour, three times a week at a normal pace, and naturally, in the fresh air. Swimming exercises every muscle, nerve, ligament and joint in the body. It is the best activity for warding off arthritis, even if it is just treading water. These two, therefore, walking and swimming, will keep you active all the days of your life if practiced with consistency and persistence.

A general body massage at regular intervals, using a mixture of 50% peanut oil to 50% olive oil, will help relieve and prevent arthritis from setting in.

• Assimilation: (or absorption of nutrients) from the food you eat is in this present era being given the recognition it deserves. You may eat or ingest what would be considered a healthy selection of foods-but if your body does not or cannot absorb it, you suffer from malnutrition, which sub­sequently causes all kinds of problems, not the least of which is a weakening of your immune system.

To ensure or greatly enhance your power to assimilate nutrients from the foods you eat, especially as you get older, keep in mind the following rules.

1. Avoid overweight as much as possible. If you maintain your normal weight, all organs of the body work better with one another. In other words, they are coordinated efficiently. Overweight taxes the intestines, the bowels, the heart, the lungs, all organs of the viscera, and eventually, brings about disease such as diabetes, heart disease, arterial sclerosis, and any number of human maladies.

2. A simple way to lose weight is to drink a six to eight ounce glass of pure grape juice diluted with about 1/3 water, 1/2 hour before meals, and one at bedtime. This may not apply however in cases of diabetes.

3. As one gets older, he or she should eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, most of which are alkaline formers, than meats or dairy products, most of which are acid form­ers. A general formula to follow is: the Daily Diet should consist of 70%-80% alkaline formers to 20%-30% add formers. Remember grains, all grains, are acid forming but they are permitted provided they are whole grain rather than bleached white flour products. Olive oil is one of the most beneficial substances to consume. It not only keeps the digestive tract lubricated, but it acts as an intestinal food, and is known to reduce cholesterol levels of the blood.

4. Chew (masticate) your food sufficiently before swallowing. The enzymes and acids necessary for proper breakdown of food for absorption begins with the first bite.

5. If you don't have a juicer- get one! There is nothing more beneficial than drinking freshly made fruit or vege­table juice, especially green leafy vegetables with carrot and celery. I call it the "drink of vitality". Many people derive general overall benefits when they add a tablespoon or two of granular lecithin to their juices.

6. A basic rule for all people should be to drink 6 to 8 glasses of pure water daily.

7. Never sit down at the table with anger, malice, aggra­vation, or any upsetting frame of mind. You will not only prevent proper assimilation of food, but you will poison the food you do assimilate. Absorption of food is carried out by the parasympathetic nervous system. This system works best when you are relaxed, comfortable and calm. Uptightness and tension prevents the parasympathetics from function­ing properly. So-- relax and enjoy it!

• Rest and Relaxation: Proper rest and relaxation is the way to regenerate the body as well as the mind. Remember, in a beat of' the heart, the rest period is longer than the active contraction. Without proper rest and relaxation, the . cellular structure of the body soon becomes depleted, which in turn weakens the entire immune system, leaving you open to all sorts of physical maladies. The mind itself is similarly affected when adequate rest is deficient, except that it shows itself in the form of disorientation, improper ability to cal­culate, irritability, and as much as hallucinations and inco­herence, when brought to extremes. Sleep is the great re­storer of both the body and the mind. Six to eight hours of quiet, restful sleep is the most efficient way to keep your vital energies in tune.

It has been said that if you can't take ten minutes a day to stop everything, lie down, and meditate-you are work­ing too hard! Take time to communicate with your inner self. You will be surprised at the results you will obtain by following this simple procedure.

• Elimination: Proper elimination is something the aver­age person (and patient) does not like to talk about-yet without addressing this matter truthfully, if there is a problem, your very life may hang in the balance. The body, by its very nature, eliminates waste matter every minute of every day. If it did not, the body would literally be poi­soned and death would ensue. Our bodies have four ave­nues of elimination: the large intestine (that is the bowel), the kidneys (by way of the urinary bladder), the lungs (eliminating carbon dioxide), and the skin (through the sweat glands).

The bowels and bladder are the primary organs of elimi­nation; whereas the lungs and skin are considered secon­dary-yet all must be working properly, unencumbered in their action, or dire consequences will be the result. 

For instance, many people are constipated and don't know it. Normal bowel movements should occur once or twice or even three times per day. One of the best ways to bring this about is to eat three meals a day, morning, noon and eve­ning, having more fruits and vegetables in the daily diet than meats, dairy and other processed animal products. With this, be sure to chew your food properly before swallowing, and drink six to eight glasses of water a day. This will help the kidneys and urinary system to stay flushed and purified by eliminating excess uric acid, which when built up causes problems you would never imagine, such as painful joints, itchy skin, and even problems with vision! Remember to use olive oil frequently with foods or cooking.

There is no better way to purify the lungs than to breathe fresh air deeply, especially while walking. One way to start the day is to stand before an open window (that is, assuming the air you breathe is not polluted) and breathe in slowly to the count of ten- then retain that air in your lungs to the count of ten-then exhale slowly, again to the count of ten. Do this breathing exercise about four or five times. It will not only re-oxygenate the blood, but it will eliminate what is known as residual air (air that is always trapped in the lower lung fields). And last but not least -­DON'T SMOKE-if you want to be healthy.

The skin, the final area of elimination, is not often recog­nized by the average person as having this function, but I assure you, it is just that-.along with a myriad of other vital functions. Keep this vital organ-the skin (the largest organ of the body) -free of all elements that clog the pores so it can breathe properly. One may even consider it a blueprint of what is going on inside the body. Many inter­nal diseases are diagnosed by the condition of the skin. It pays to keep this organ cleansed on the outside as well as the vital organs cleansed on the inside.

24-11-06

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