10 Hacks for Better Living from Dr. Frank Lipman's Blog.

If you could do just a few manageable changes in your life to have better living, would you do it?
Here is a list of 10 such suggestions from Dr. Ellen Vora, MD, writing over at Dr. Lipman's Blog. My list would be similar but might include quitting smoking for the smoker, and a 100% gluten free diet for the gluten sensitive person. 

Take a look at what Dr. Vora has to say, and I especially like number 4: "Count the chemicals" when you shop with an eye on which foods have the most pesticides and I would avoid those. Environmental Working Group's "The dirty dozen plus" is a helpful start. And number 8. "Take a spoonful" of coconut oil to balance blood sugars. 

Dr. Ellen Vora:

As a holistic psychiatrist, I would love for my patients to forage for wild greens in an old-growth forest and meditate an hour a day. But I practice in New York City, so most of my patients push back on that plan and say they can dedicate about 90 seconds per day toward wellness. To help out, I’ve identified a few life “hacks” that pack the most bang for your buck. Give some of these a try, and you’ll be feeling better with minimal effort.

1. Stand Up For Two Minutes Every Hour

Sitting is toxic. The healthiest people in the world have never been on an elliptical—they’re just a little bit active all day long. Even if you sit at a desk, approximate an active lifestyle by building micro activity into your day. Walk to the bathroom every hour, stand up to change the channel, take the stairs, or just stand up and sit back down after a minute. Any movement at all will be much better than uninterrupted sitting.

2. Get A Squatty Potty


Humans evolved squatting to poop. Sitting to have a bowel movement is a recent phenomenon, and I feel it contributes to modern gastrointestinal woes like constipation, IBS, and hemorrhoids. The Squatty Potty is safe, affordable, and potentially life-changing. This is my favorite kind of medicine, and I recommend it to everyone.


Step 1: Go to www.squattypotty.com .


Step 2: Experience the revelation of an effortless and complete evacuation.


Step 3 (the hardest step): Explain to curious house guests what that stool is in your bathroom.

3. Eat Real Food


What’s the right diet: Paleo, Mediterranean, vegan, raw? In a world of conflicting research and opinions, here’s a simple way to think about the right way to eat: Eat real food and avoid fake food. Full stop. Pay less attention to the parade of contradictory headlines—fat is bad, butter is good, carbs are bad, eggs cause heart disease (oops, now they’re healthy)…. From now on, just ask yourself: Is it real food? And a good follow-up question is: How do I feel when I eat this? Pay special attention to foods marketed as health foods. Is it real food? Probably not.

4. Count Chemicals, Not Calories 

Read the rest here:

To Your Health
Dr. Barbara (TM)