Wellness is a reflection of the unfolding dance of life in which the energies of our body, mind, and spirit become perfectly balanced with each other. At this point of balance, the power of our natural Healing Force begins flowing freely to nurture and nourish all your cells and organs.
How powerful is our natural Healing Force? Our Healing Force is the same energy of Nature that makes a tiny seed grow into a towering tree. It is the energy of Love, which is also equivalent to God’s presence in all your cells and organs. This is why miracles of healing occur all the time.
Attaining Wellness requires you to make promises to live healthfully, which unfortunately is a lot easier said than done, because most people break their promises when they get stressed. People start to eat mindlessly when they are stressed. They also smoke, abuse alcohol, use drugs, and stop exercising.
The most effective way to manage stress is to build up your self-esteem, self-value, and reverence for life.
Therefore, you are the most important part of the Wellness Solution. It is up to you to keep your promises to live more healthfully. Keeping your promises empowers you to determine your own health destiny far beyond what you probably believe is possible!
Stress is like the major virus of our times. It’s the major cause of almost all the chronic degenerative diseases afflicting people in the modern world—including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer.
Stress is affecting virtually every man, woman, and child. It’s ruining health, happiness, and lives. So what can we do about stress? Well, we cannot get rid of it, but we can prevent and treat it by being aware that stress begins in our mind—right between our own ears.
In other words, your stress is not caused by other people or by the daily events in your life. Instead, your stress is caused by how you respond and react to life’s ever-present stressors.
Stress undermines our health by destroying our confidence and choking off our ability to to love others and even to love ourselves. These days, “ILL” is becoming more and more equivalent to “I Lack Love.”
As a result, people with a high perception of their ability to cope with other people and with whatever life sends their way, tend to have low levels of stress. Conversely, people with a low perception of their ability to cope tend to have higher levels of stress. It’s really that simple!
Therefore, the most effective way to manage stress is to build up your self- esteem, self-value, and reverence for life. This is the therapeutic goal of my Wellness Prescription. Keeping your promises stimulates your powerful, natural Healing. The benefits are truly wonderful.
Dr. Taub’s Wellness Solution
1. Promise to be a good person. Being honest is a powerful antidote against stress, because it makes you feel very good about yourself. Just be a good, honest person. Don’t do anything you even think might be wrong. Building your self-esteem this way helps you cope with life’s challenges. Personal integrity and honesty are always best!
2. Promise to get regular exercise. Exercise quiets worry, fear and anger. Do some form of vigorous exercise at least 20 minutes most days of the week. The best exercise makes you breathe faster. A brisk walk is fine, but walk fast enough so that you breathe more rapidly. A good idea is to pretend you are late for work! Also, Yoga is a wonderful way to help balance your body, mind and spirit.
3. Promise to eat healthfully. Eat as much fresh fruit and veggies as possible. Eat fish and chicken more than beef or pork. Eat less junk food, candy and dairy products. Drink less milk and sodas. Instead, drink lots of water and also enjoy smoothies, which are a great way to get all the nutrients from vegetables and fruit.
4. Promise to control harmful habits. Limit alcohol to just one drink a day, except maybe on special occasions. If you can’t control your drinking, then seek help from Alcoholics Anonymous. Also, you must stop smoking, because you cannot be healthy until you do. Just declare a “Quit Day” and then do it! Just drink plenty of water, get lots of exercise, and make sure to meditate regularly.
5. Promise to have fun. Sing, dance, go the beach, get out in nature, be with friends, see a funny movie, and especially listen to wonderful music that makes you feel happy.
6. Promise to meditate daily. Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed, Sit up, uncross your arms and legs, and rest your hands in your lap. Close your eyes and take long and slow breaths.Relax the muscles of your eyes, your jaw, shoulders, arms, and hands. Relax your chest and abdomen and back. Then relax your thighs, feet and toes. Now imagine a warm, healing, white light filling your heart and flowing all over your body…flowing downwards to fill your abdomen, legs and toes with healing white light then flowing upwards to fill your chest, arms, mouth, eyes and ears with healing light.Now silently say to yourself over and over: I have strength . . . I have strength . . . I have strength.
7. Promise to have faith. Believe that life is all about love, and begin the day with love, fill the day with love, and end the day with love.
Editor’s Note: Viceroy Zihuatanejo has just launched a unique multi-faceted program to create happiness, health, and wellness while on vacation. Led by Dr. Taub, the new “Way to Wellness” program guides guests, showing them how to enjoy a more active, vibrant, and rewarding lifestyle.
A version of this article was first published in Gentleman’s Magazine of Mexico.
Edward Taub, MD
Edward A. Taub, MD, pioneered Integrative Medicine and gained national prominence as the first Wellness Medical Director of a major hospital. He is the author of numerous books, including "Balance Your Body, Balance Your Life" that was made into a national PBS Special and "The Wellness Solution," co-authored with Nobel Laureate, Ferid Murad, MD PhD, and David Oliphant. Dr. Taub is the Wellness Advisor for Insider's Guide to Spas.