Dear Friends,Each of us has a decision to make: whether we want to put in the time and energy to be healthy, or if we're just going to let the chips fall where they may. Being healthy is a lifestyle choice.You might get lucky and stay healthy for years without effort, but most Americans end up with diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or other health issues well before they reach old age. The choice is yours. If you do choose a healthy lifestyle, I won't sugarcoat it – it's a lot of work. However, today I offer you my personal Immunity Builder Program – a system that has worked for me and can work for you too. Watch the video or read on for the first steps to building a stronger immune system and living a healthier life:1. Exercise: Move Your Body, Boost Your HealthExercise is part of every healthy person's lifestyle. If you're not getting 10,000 steps a day through your work, you need to find a way to incorporate exercise into your routine. Schedule it, do it alone or with friends. Instead of hanging out in bars or restaurants, get together with friends for bike rides, walks, or other active pursuits. Choose friends who are active – if you choose friends who sit around drinking and smoking all day, guess what you'll end up doing?If you're exercising alone, set a specific time every day. Start with 10 minutes and add two minutes each day. Before you know it, you'll be up to 50 minutes a day. Remember, we're thinking lifestyle here – how can you build this into your daily routine?2. Nutrition: Fuel Your Body RightNutrition is the fuel for your body, and you want the cleanest fuel you can get. Avoid processed foods – if you see a long list of ingredients on a package, put it back on the shelf. Real food doesn't come with a laundry list of additives. Broccoli, kale, peas, beans – they're just themselves.Use your common sense and read labels. If it has a lot of stuff you can't pronounce, it's probably not supporting your immune system.Forget soft drinks – they're basically sugared water. Did you know that adding just one soft drink to your daily diet, while keeping everything else the same, can lead to a 45-pound weight gain in three years? Sugar is inflammatory and causes problems in the body. The same goes for most processed carbohydrates. I know, I love bread too – (I could eat a whole loaf in one sitting). But we need to focus on clean, unprocessed foods.3. Sleep: Create Your CaveSleep is crucial for rest and recovery. To get quality sleep, you need to transform your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary. No computers, phones, or TVs in the room. Make it dark, cozy, and cool – like a cave. If street noise is an issue, use earplugs. If you can't make the room completely dark, wear an eye mask.4. Abdominal Breathing: Your Anti-Anxiety SuperpowerWhen we get anxious, we tense up and our breathing becomes shallow. Abdominal breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing, loosens everything up. It's faster than a speeding Valium, I promise you!How to do it? Practice 30 seconds, four or five times a day, every single day. Watch my video to learn how:Next time anxiety hits, you'll have a powerful tool to handle it.Mind Body Health & Politics is a reader-supported publication, where I share the tools and insights I've gathered over my 64-year career. To receive my weekly digest, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.5. Mind Control: Become the Boss of Your ThoughtsHere's a secret: we are the boss of our minds, not the other way around. The mind is a tool that we get to direct. We tell it what to think, what kind of movies to play. But many of you might be thinking, "That sounds good, but it doesn't work for me. My mind keeps producing ideas and pictures I can't stop."That just means you haven't developed the skill of mind control yet. Like any skill, it takes practice. Spend a few minutes several times a day telling your mind what to do. Count numbers, make up a story, visualize a color filling your body. It doesn't matter what you tell your mind to do, as long as you're telling it what to do. With practice, you'll become the boss of your thoughts.6. Purpose: Find Meaning in the EverydayIt's crucial to have a purpose in life, to find something you enjoy doing and find meaningful. And I mean literally anything. Winston Churchill famously built a huge rock wall in his backyard over many years. He also painted. The activity doesn't matter – what matters is that you find it meaningful and enjoyable.It could be cleaning the house, making your bed, or helping a friend regularly. The key is to decide on your purpose in advance. Wake up knowing what you're going to do that day that gives you a sense of meaning. This positive outlook and sense of purpose contribute significantly to building your immune system.7. Social Contacts: Nurture Your TribeWe humans are tribal animals. We love doing things together, whether it's going to ball games, joining sewing circles, or playing sports. But you know what we ...
