10 strategies to try before taking acid reflux medications

Millions of Americans are on antacid medications on a daily basis. Doctors are too quick to prescribe this class of medications without understanding the consequences. More about that in future newsletters, today we talk strategy!

Use these simple, effective and FREE tips to help you understand how your digestive system works and how to use that to your advantage.

*** since Dipa is working on the book, I’m typing this on the iPad so it will be the first tip for now.

1. Chew your food; because your stomach does not have teeth!

Your food should be liquified and pulverized before you swallow. This increases surface area of the food by many thousand fold. This also unlocks all the nutrients that fruits and vegetables house from their tough, indigestible cells.

Most experts (me) suggest chewing your food as much as humanly possible. You cannot over-chew your food!

Chewing your food sets the stage for proper physical and chemical digestion/absorption of food. Since no other part of the digestive tract is redundant (meaning: no back up) chewing your food is extremely important and something you have full conscious control over. Every other step relies on that simple process.

Tip # 16 – Incorporate Physical Activity with Social Events

Yesterday was my brothers birthday and we celebrated by going skating at Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario with a group of about 15 people.  It was a great workout and a great way to celebrate and spend time with our friends and family. 

Some examples of physcial activities that you can particpate in with your friends are:

• hiking
• playing baseball, basketball, football, tennis or any other sport with a group of friends
• group swim
• skating
• beach volleyball
• group yoga class
• squash

All these activities will get your heart rate going, and serve as a great workout while you get to spend quality time with your friends and family.  This a fun way to incorporate physical activity into your day without even knowing you are doing exercise.

Tip # 15 – Get a Food Sensitivity Test Done

The term “food sensitivity” is often used to describe a delayed immune reaction to a food. While food sensitivities are not generally life threatening, they do have the potential to contribute to other health issues. Food sensitivities are the result of an unhealthy intestinal lining and often lead to a delayed immune response. This response can take 6-72 hours, making it difficult to relate a specific food to the corresponding health consequence. Food sensitivities can be challenging to identify without testing since symptoms may range from gastrointestinal issues to mental or emotional distress.

This initial testing can help me determine how to modify your diet and nutrition to best suit you.  Our goal is to use the latest science and technology to optimize your outcomes.

A New Scientific Approach to Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities can directly affect the immune system, endocrine system, and nervous system health. Evaluating food sensitivities with an intestinal barrier assessment will allow me to work with you to determine a plan that will reduce exposure to foods that you are sensitive to.  This program identifies the foods that work best with your body and aids in tracking your health improvements.

Symptoms

• Gastrointestinal complaints (bloating, nausea, gas, cramps, or pain)
• Headaches, migraines
• Fatigue
• Joint pain/swelling
• Hyperactivity
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Chronic inflammation
• Hypersensitivity

If you are interested in discovering your sensitivities call us or email us at:

Phone number: 513-785-0686

Email: drpatel@thelivingproofinstitute.com

Tip # 14 – Incorporate a Greens Drink Into Your Daily Diet

We drink a green’s drink everyday.  There are numerous benefits to drinking a greens drink which I will discuss below.  I have tried many different types of greens drinks and the brand that I recommend is Greens First (www.greensfirst.com).  It is by far the best tasting product.  It’s sweetened with stevia and has a slight minty flavor.  It is also the most cost effective and it has an amazing nutrition profile.  I mix the powder with a glass of cold water in the morning and it makes me feel refreshed and energetic throughout the day.

The following information is taken directly from the Greens First website.

The USDA announced that Americans need to eat approximately 50 % more vegetables, 150% more fruits, 250% more orange vegetables and 350% more green vegetables every day! That’s a recommendation of 7 to 13 servings per day to improve health and prevent chronic disease. But, with today’s busy lifestyles and fast food eating habits, few American adults, and far fewer children, even eat the recommended minimum of 5-A-Day!

Acid and Alkaline Balance

Our body has a natural acid/alkaline balance. The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) of sugars, fast food, stress, medications and lack of exercise can all contribute to make the body more acidic. Research indicates that yeast, bacteria, viruses and cancer thrive in an acid environment. And conversely, when the body is alkaline foreign bacteria, viruses, yeast and cancer cannot live.

Our body has a natural balance called homeostasis. When we are too acidic, minerals like calcium are leached from our bones to help alkalize the body. Another way our body tries to protect us from acid is to buffer it with fat and store it in the body. Luckily, there are ways to naturally boost your PH which should stay between 7.35 and 7.45. That’s where Greens First will help you on your journey to increased health and vitality!

GET THE BENEFIT OF POUNDS OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES & HERBS IN EVERY SCOOP!

It’s good to eat your fruits and vegetables, but drinking them is even better!  When you stir Greens First powder into pure, cold water, it’s not only delicious, refreshing and energizing, you are helping yourself to maintain a highly alkaline body, which is essential for optimum health and well-being.

Greens First provides naturally occurring and easily absorbed vitamins, minerals and macronutrients. Another important nutrient that Greens First delivers is chlorophyll, which is the substance that helps plants absorb light and make them look green. The molecular structure of chlorophyll is very similar to that of hemoglobin which is the substance of your red blood cells that helps them transport oxygen. Chlorophyll helps your blood deliver oxygen throughout the body which in turn helps to make stronger body cells and stronger blood.

Fill The Gap Between What You Eat & What You Should Eat!
With today’s busy lifestyles and fast food diets, you can’t always get the recommended 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  Plus, reports indicate that the nutritional quality of food has dropped considerably in the past 10-20 years as soils are depleted and lacking in essential minerals, vitamins and trace nutrients.  Many foods are processed and in a box that robs them of more of their remaining nutritional value.  And foods that are cooked lose still more nutrients.

Adding Greens First to your diet may help to:

• Increase Energy Levels without Stimulants
• Boost the Immune System
• Improve Digestion
• Assist in Weight Management
• Balance Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
• Promote Mental & Cognitive Acuity
• Alkalize and Balance Body pH
• Promote Healthy Heart & Liver Function
• Reduce Inflammation, Relieve Stiff & Achy Joints
• Detoxify and Promote Overall Wellness*

Greens First is VEGETARIAN, VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE!

There is NO:

• Wheat
• Dairy
• Soy Protein
• Soy Isoflavones
• Preservatives
• Artificial Flavors
• Artificial Sweeteners

Tip # 13 – Allow Yourself to Eat Two Cheat Meals/Snacks Per Week

Being healthy is not about being perfect.  One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to kick start a health initiative is that they deprive themselves of the foods that they love. This not only leads to a sense of deprivation but results in a short lived effort.  The idea of not having your favourite food ever again is simply unsustainable.

Although we try to eat as healthy as possible we cannot always control our environment and food choices (if we go out to eat or if we are guests for dinner at someones house).  Therefore incorporating one to two cheat meals per week allows you to enjoy your favorite foods, go out for dinner with the boys/girls and not feel a sense of deprivation.

Let’s assume you are eating 3 meals per day, 7 days a week.  If you allow yourself these two cheat meals, you are still eating healthy more than 90% of the time.

Here are some tips to make your cheat meal less unhealthy:

• Limit  your portion
• Start with a source of fresh fiber, i.e: salad, before you consume your cheat meal
• Take a digestive enzyme before hand to optimize digestion and minimize digestive disruption

 

Tip # 12 – Make a Gratitude List

I believe that your mental health and well being are just as important as your physical health.

My wife and I decided to make a gratitude list.  We each got a 3&1/2 by 5 inch cue card and wrote down the top 10 things we are most grateful for.  We taped the cue card to the mirror in our bathroom so when we wake up each morning to brush our teeth it is one of the first things we see and we read it before we go to bed when we brush our teeth at night.  It serves as a daily reminder to us both to be thankful for everything that we have

Making a gratitude list serves as a daily reminder for all the things that you have to be grateful for.  When you are feeling down or need to shift your mental state to a more positive frame of mind, just read your gratitude list.  It helps you to envision your life the way you want it to be and it will always make you feel better!

Some examples of things to be grateful for are:

1. Your spouse or significant other
2. Your children
3. Your parents and siblings
4. Your home, bed, car, clean water and healthy food
5. Your health and happiness
6. Your career/job
7. Your friends and family

 

Tip # 11 – Prepare and Cook Your Veggies the Right Way

We all need to eat more veggies and incorporate them into our daily diet.  You can gain more benefit from steaming certain vegetables, whereas others are more beneficial when consumed raw.  The following is list of vegetables you should consume steamed, boiled or raw to gain more health benefits:

Vegetables to Steam (3-5 minutes)

• broccoli
• kale
• brussels sprouts
• turnip greens
• collard greens
• beets

Vegetables to Boil

• spinach
• swiss chard

Vegetables to Consume to Raw

• carrots (can also steam)
• cauliflower (can also be sauteed for short period of time)
• cucumber
• celery
• lettuce
• peppers (can also be sauteed for short period of time)
• onions (can also be sauteed for short period of time)
• mushrooms (can also be sauteed for short period of time)

Cooking vegetables in the incorrect manner results in a loss in their nutrient content.  So try to prepare your vegetables the right way whenever possible.  Eating them anyway is better than not eating them at all!

Tip # 10 – Have Dr. Patel Come Speak to Your Organization

Hello Dr.Patel’s readers,

This is Dipa, Dr. Patel’s wife.  I am writing about today’s tip because I was inspired by this article written by my husband and the amazing work that he does on a day to day basis.

Dr. Patel is more than a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician, Functional and Lifestyle Medicine Provider.  He is one of the most sought after motivational speakers and weight loss specialist in the country.  He is highly recognized by both large corporations and within his community as a “rare breed”.

He is a highly respected motivational speaker and health educator and delivers these talks all over the USA and Canada.  He combines his vision of health and inspiration to provide a moving experience for his audience.  His health talks will inspire you to change the way you think and help you view your health through a different perspective.

Recently he did a wellness talk for the employees of City Gospel Mission, a charitable organization in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The employees were so inspired and motivated to change their health that one of the employees wrote an article about how Dr Patel is changing peoples lives for the better and referred to Dr.Patel as the “Dr. Oz” of our neighborhood (Cincinnati).

Click on the links below to read more details about the articles:

 It is good to have a Dr.Oz in the neighborhood

The right lifestyle is the key to healthy living

If you would like to schedule Dr.Patel to come in to your organization, please feel free to contact his office:

• Telephone number: 513-383-9990
• Email: bookatalk@thelivingproofinstitute.com

Tip # 9 – Have More Positive Thoughts

It sounds very cliche, and we have all had someone tell us to be positive and think positive. But what does that really mean?

If you have not done so already, please read the book called, “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. The book outlines the principles of positive thinking from a anecdotal and scientific approach. The law of attraction is “The Secret”. It states that “like attracts like”

Our positive thoughts and visions will attract these things to us. We are what we want to be and everything that happens in our lives is a result of the energy we send out to the world.

Reading this book made me realize that I have a lot to be grateful for. Sometimes we take our accomplishments for granted and focus on the negative aspects of our lives. I challenge you all to be grateful for everything you have and focus on the positive things in your life. Envision your goals and show gratitude to yourself and those around you.  Make a gratitude list on a small cue card and keep it somewhere so that you can see it daily.  I also like to follow this blog for inspiration, motivation and positive affirmations. http://www.marcandangel.com

In the meantime, read the book and as always…stay healthy!

Tip # 8 – Incorporate Activity Into Your Daily Routine – Watch This Amazing Video!

We all know exercise is good for our health.  But how much do we really need to receive a benefit?  Take a look at this amazing video and you will find the answer!

The key is to keep it simple and consistent.  Do what works for you and stick to it.  The following movements are examples of things that you can do to improve your health.

• Walking for 10-30 minutes (ideally outside with a friend)
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Jogging/running (1-2 miles without stopping)
• Yoga
• Pilates
• Tai Chi
• Non-contact sports
• Playing with children
• Weight lifting
• 50 body weight squats
• Chin ups/pull ups – 3 sets to failure
• Push ups – 3 sets to failure
• Taking the stairs (if not up, then at least down)
• Parking your car as far as possible