I believe it is so important that you as the teacher maintain your health in as
good condition as possible. Teaching requires a good amount of energy and
vitality to be sharp and on your toes. If you are feeling under par all the time it's
difficult to keep you energy level up and deliver a winning entertaining class.
As a teacher you are a servant to the students. You can give your best service
only if your physical and mental health is not a liability but an asset.
So staying in shape or getting in shape, if you are not already there, eating
mostly nourishing healthy foods (OK there will be times when you'll want to
indulge in some questionable foods), getting the right amount of exercise and
enough sleep is very important.
This is true especially if you are going to a foreign country. It pays to stay as
healthy as possible. Why bother with all the rigmarole of doctors and hospitals
when just a little preventive medicine will keep you well.
So here are my Seven Secrets to Optimal Health. (I may soon be writing an
eBook with this title.) The following is just an outline and the complete
discussion would be too extensive to go into an eBook such as this.
1. Elimination
Make sure you are eliminating at least once a day. Improper bowel function has
been linked to scores of diseases including cancer and heart disease. This is
ancient wisdom your great grandma knew but has been lost in our modern
"scientific" medicine. Vegetables, some fruit and whole grains and fermented
foods like yogurt, cheese and sauerkraut are necessary daily to help maintain
good regularity.
2. Hydration
This means water and teas, maybe a little fresh fruit and vegetable juice. Not
Coke and sugary soft drinks or lots of canned fruit juice. Read Your Body’s
Many Cried For Water by Dr. Batmanghelidj, M.D. to find out about the new
research being done on how dehydration can cause all kinds of disease.
3. Oxygenation
See that you are breathing deeply enough on a regular basis from the gut
rather than short breaths from the chest. Daily walks and exercise and
breathing exercises are all beneficial to help maintain health and a positive
outlook. Get some info about special breathing exercises that has origins in
India called Pranayama. A quick search on the Internet will show you the many
sites about this ancient practice.
4. Nutrition / Supplementation
Eat right, eat whole foods. Chicken, fish, meat and eggs some cheese, yogurt
and natural fats and oils (not hydrogenated oils), all good for you. Multivitamin
and minerals should be a standard everyday thing to make sure you get
everything you need.
5. Recreation/Relaxation
Daily exercise, at least 15-30 minutes of walking or floor exercises, Yoga, all
that. Mix it up. Don't stick to the same boring routine. Get enough sleep. Set
aside time for the day to relax and be lazy. Other times just get away from it all
and retire to some quiet place to recharge your batteries.
6. Meditation / Prayer
It doesn't matter what religion you are or even if you are an atheist. It's been
scientifically proven that those who have some kind of meditation and/or
prayer routine are healthier, happier, more relaxed and open-minded. Start with
20 minutes a day, then do that twice a day, then extend it to maybe even 45
minutes to an hour. It's especially beneficial in the evening before bed.
7. Education
Educate yourself about health. For me it's been a lifelong process of reading
and studying and trying things and discovering what works best for me. New
information is always coming out, new things being discovered.
Nourishing Traditions by Susan Fallon is one of the best books I've read on
overall nutrition. It's also a cookbook with great recipes. I would also get
Patient Heal Thyself and The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin.
