MY TOP TWO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MAINTAINING HEALTH

Having worked as an acupuncturist for eight years and seen lots of patients, I can honestly say that I think the two most important things we can do to maintain good health are to make sure we eat very well and to try to avoid stress.

Of course, sometimes ill health is beyond our control and certain things are determined by our genes and what fate deals us at birth. But as far as health can be determined by us, these are the two most important things we need to take care of.

What do we mean by eating well? The Chinese have a theory that if you eat 27 different food types every day, then it does not matter what any of them are (within reason, I suppose) as the variety will mean that you are getting a balanced, health-supporting diet. I’m not entirely convinced that this is an all-encompassing diet theory, but it is a good starting point.

With regard to stress – and other associated emotions such as frustration and anger – it is important to try to remember that, even when faced with challenging situations, stress does not come from without but is generated within. Circumstances that may cause stress in one person may be dealt with more comfortably by another person who processes the emotional stimuli in another way. From a psychotherapeutic perspective, those who do suffer a lot from stress might find it beneficial to select a role model, either real or imaginary, who lets potentially stressful things wash over them.