There are really only three core concepts you need to know and implement in order to get healthy and stay healthy:
I call these my “3 Pillars of Health.” They encompass everything I’ve learned about health and aging over my 40-plus years as a doctor, nutritionist, and bioenergetic therapist, and they all work toward a common goal: raising cellular vibration. I’ll expand on this more in a minute, but for now, keep in mind that keeping your healthy vibrational energy is the key to wellness—especially as you grow older.
Here’s a closer look at how you can make that happen:
Pillar 1: Nourish the Body and Mind
My first pillar of health—and what I consider the foundation of wellness—focuses on diet and nutrition that nourishes the body and mind.
Our bodies have an amazing ability to heal themselves naturally when given the right nutrients. The problem is that we tend to do just the opposite—we fill them with highly processed foods loaded with additives, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners. In addition, many non-organic foods we eat expose our bodies to chemicals and pesticides. All of this ends up damaging our cells, lowering our vibration in the process, and causing inflammation that makes us sick.
So instead of those processed “adulterated” foods, opt for whole foods that are clean, fresh and organic. Not only are these foods denser in nutrients, they also contain little or no pesticides, antibiotics and other substances that can interfere with cellular vibration.
So, which foods should you eat?
I follow the Pan Asian Modified Mediterranean (PAMM) diet. This way of eating combines the Mediterranean diet with many foods eaten in Japan and the Pacific Rim. (Both regions are recognized for the longevity of their residents and for their low rates of cardiovascular disease.)
The PAMM diet includes generous amounts of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, along with legumes, nuts, seeds, lean meats, and healthy fats like olive oil. You can get a more comprehensive look at PAMM by downloading this free ebook.
As far as what you shouldn’t eat, start by cutting out white flour (especially bleached and enriched), sugar and bad fats (trans fats, saturated fats, etc).
Why should you cut out these foods?
For starters, table sugar, especially, is a dead food with no nutritional value and a horrible track record when it comes to health. Not only does it drive obesity and diabetes, but more and more evidence suggests that sugar is linked to Alzheimer’s and heart disease. (White flour is just as bad since it’s quickly metabolized.) Get rid of it!
When it comes to bad fats, the fat you want to be most concerned about is trans fat. On food labels, this highly inflammatory fat often masquerades as “partially hydrogenated oil,” so read labels closely.
I also recommend steering clear of foods that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). Long term, the safety of their consumption has not yet been verified. GMO foods are also more heavily sprayed with pesticides, which is reason enough to avoid them.
Pillar 2: Be Heart-Focused
Though I’m a cardiologist, which would imply my sole focus is the heart, I emphasize the whole-body connection of the heart to overall health. It’s true: everything about how we feel and how much energy we have is connected to the heart.
The heart is more than just a pump. It gives us life physically, emotionally and spiritually. Physically, it circulates nutrient-rich blood throughout the body. Emotionally, it’s where we feel love and vital connection. And spiritually, it reminds us that we’re connected with all other living things.
Because the heart is so intimately involved with other aspects of wellness, everything we do to care for it ends up benefiting us in other ways, too. That’s why it’s essential to support your heart however you can.
Here’s are some ways you can do this:
Support cellular energy production. Your heart burns more energy than any other organ in the body, so it’s important that you make sure your heart’s cellular mitochondria have the right nutrients to create all of that power. At the top of the list is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), L-carnitine, magnesium, and D-ribose. A steady supply of these nutrients helps ensure that energy production and cellular vibration remain high.
Balance your autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS controls your stress response. Many health problems—but especially heart disease—develop because the ANS goes into an overdrive state and can’t turn itself off. When this happens, the unease that manifests itself as stress and worry can easily transform into a real disease. Working with mind/body practices such as yoga and alternate nostril breathing, as well as alternative therapies like Earthing, helps keep the ANS balanced. It also improves heart rate variability (HRV), which is the different intervals between heartbeats. This is important because HRV indicates the overall efficiency and health of your body’s systems and function. So having a stable HRV helps raise our vibration and lowers risk for heart attack and stroke.
Get plenty of oxygen- and life-infusing exercise. Don’t get caught up in what kind of exercise you’re doing or for how long you do it. Simply feel your body move and appreciate what it’s capable of.
Pillar 3: Live a High Vibration Life
My third pillar of health is high vibration living.
You’ve heard me mention cellular vibration several times now, and this pillar really gets to the core of what that’s about.
We’re all made of electromagnetic energy. We tend to think of the body as being made of bones, muscles, and blood—which, of course, it is. But at the cellular level, we’re also electrical beings. Every cell in your body vibrates at a micro-frequency we can see (and measure) with a microscope. The faster your cells vibrate, the healthier and more disease-resistant they are.
Living a high-vibe life simply means caring for your body, mind, and spirit in a way that strengthens this natural pulsation. It also means avoiding the kind of toxicity—whether it comes from a person, your environment or a food or substance you’re exposed to—that can bring it down.
The ancient Greeks believed that the type of energy you took in determined what type of energy you had to put out, and my clinical experience tells me this is spot-on. It’s why I always see the best outcomes in people who not only took care of themselves physically but also surrounded themselves with love, kindness, and optimism.
Here are a few examples of what a high vibe life might include:
- Detoxifying your body by eating nutritious organic foods and choosing natural alternatives to chemical-filled cleaners, pesticides, and personal care items
- Reducing your exposure to electromagnetic radiation generated by cell phones and other electronic devices, which can overstimulate the ANS and interfere with heart rhythm
- Practicing mind/body techniques to help manage stress and balance the ANS
- Recognizing the essential interconnectedness of all life and how those energies affect your health
- Living with positive intention and gratitude
Want to learn more? Download this High Vibrational Living Ebook.
Resources:
- Guasch-Ferré M, et al. Olive oil intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in the PREDIMED Study. BMC Med. 2014 May 13;12:78.
- Martínez-González MA, et al. Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet: Insights From the PREDIMED Study. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2015 Jul-Aug;58(1):50-60.
- Ros E, et al. Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular health: Teachings of the PREDIMED study. Adv Nutr. 2014 May 14;5(3):330S-6S.
- United States Department of Agriculture. “Organic Production and Handling Standards.” Nov 2016. Accessed March 30, 2017.
- United States Department of Agriculture. “Organic Regulations.” Accessed March 30, 2017.
- Urpi-Sarda M, et al. Virgin olive oil and nuts as key foods of the Mediterranean diet effects on inflammatory biomarkers related to atherosclerosis. Pharmacol Res. 2012 Jun;65(6):577-83.
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