Your body has the amazing ability to heal itself, so even if you haven’t been eating right, still on the stick and the bottle, or have less than healthy habits, you can still wipe your slate clean, make the decision to start living healthy and never look back.

This year could be your healthiest ever if you want it to be. Here are Dr. Joseph Mercola’s recommended lifestyle changes that will help you take control of your health this 2010:

1. Learn How to Deal with Stress
   Dr. Mercola notes that the vast majority of patients he has treated who were suffering from serious chronic illnesses have previous emotional stress that contributed to their problems. But it doesn’t take serious trauma to cause these changes, because the sum of the normal, emotional situations that you experience on a daily basis can negatively affect your future health. Mercola recommends meditation, prayer, physical activity and tools like the Meridian Tapping Technique (MTT) to help you maintain emotional and mental balance.
2. Get More Sun
   Studies show that vitamin D, which you can get for free by simply getting enough sun exposure, can help decrease your risk of cancer and many other diseases .Vitamin D receptors can be found in almost all of your cells, from your brain to your bones, so its ability to influence your health is simply amazing, Mercola points out.
3. Eat According to Your Nutritional Type
   Dr. Mercola’s nutrition plan is based on natural whole foods and is designed to help increase your longevity. This involves eliminating, or at the very least, drastically cutting your consumption of grains and sugars and at the same time, eating foods that are right for your unique biochemistry.
4. Exercise
   Don’t kid yourself – you can’t be at your peak condition if you don’t work it and sweat it out. That’s because exercise helps boost your immune system, aids in weight loss and weight management, and helps you sleep better, among other benefits.
5. Keep Your Toxin Load Low
   The world is more toxic nowadays and the number of dangerous chemicals lurking around you continues to increase. That is why you need to become an informed and vigilant consumer, Dr. Mercola advises. This means using non-toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, insecticides and other products.
6. Drink More Pure Water
   You can survive without food for weeks but you’d die without water within a few days. Your body needs to be constantly rehydrated as it loses water when you sweat and urinate. Checking the color of your urine will tell you what your water requirement should be. If you notice that your urine has turned deep, dark yellow, it’s likely that you’re not drinking enough water. Installing a quality water filter in your home will provide you pure drinking water and help you remove impurities and toxic disinfection byproducts from your tap water.
7. Get Quality Sleep
   Studies show that disrupted sleep cycles can lead to serious health problems like cancer, coronary heart disease and depression. If you feel rundown or tired all the time, lack of sleep is a big factor because circadian rhythms regulate the energy levels in your cells. Also, the proteins involved with your body clock and metabolism are intrinsically linked and are dependent upon each other.

If you want to ensure that your baby gets the best possible start, living healthy should be one of your biggest priorities. Those nine months are crucial for your child’s bright future.

Here are Dr. Joseph Mercola’s simplest and most practical healthy pregnancy tips gathered from over three decades of experience in health care:

• Get healthy daily doses of omega-3 fats – Dr. Mercola believes that getting adequate levels of omega-3 fats are the single most important dietary influence on prenatal health. Omega-3 and its derivative, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are critical to a child’s development. Deficiency of this essential fat can cause unexplained emotional, learning, and immune system disorders, and increases the risk of a child being born prematurely. Omega-3s also help mothers deal with depression during pregnancy.
• Optimize your vitamin D levels – Vitamin D has been shown to influence over 2,000 genes in your body. It is believed that about 85 percent of Americans are deficient of this important nutrient, and that getting enough vitamin D through healthy sun exposure can decrease your cancer risk by 50 percent.
• Get regular exercise – Unless your doctor has told you otherwise, exercise should be a part of your health routine while you’re pregnant. Studies show that exercise decreases the possibility of premature birth. Women who exercised at the same rate throughout their pregnancies were shown to have larger placentas than their more sedentary peers. The volume of the placenta is an indicator of its ability to transport oxygen and nutrients to your baby.
• Eat for vitality and health – “Eating for two” during pregnancy is a very misleading statement because obesity can wreak havoc on your health, cause complications throughout your pregnancy and affect your unborn child, Dr. Mercola warns. It’s important to your health and to your baby’s to keep your weight within reasonable parameters. Eat a well-balanced diet consisting of adequate protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables (preferably fresh and organic). Green leafy vegetables are rich in folic acid, which helps reduce the chance of your child being born with brain and spinal cord defects. Raw eggs are another important food for pregnancy because they are a rich source of protein, carotenoids and choline.
• Avoid vaccinations – You should avoid all vaccinations while you are pregnant, as well as having your baby get any shots after birth. Vaccines contain mercury, which, even in low concentrations, has been associated with impaired energy production, impaired brain cell function and increased free radical production in the brain.
• Remove your mercury amalgams – It would be best to remove your mercury amalgam “silver” fillings BEFORE you become pregnant, but if you’re already pregnant, it is probably best not to remove your fillings until after you deliver.
• Minimize your exposure to chemicals inside and outside your home – Studies show that pesticide exposure increases the risk of autism, reproductive abnormalities, childhood learning disabilities and miscarriages. Common household chemicals like aerosol, bleach, carpet cleaner, etc., can also harm you and your baby. Use only the safest cosmetics because over time, toxins in your personal care products can affect you and your child’s nervous and reproductive systems, and cause other health issues so it’s best to look for natural and organic products.
• Avoid exposure to phthalates and BPA – These two chemicals have been linked to birth defects, shortened pregnancy and for being “gender-benders” – substances which cause male humans and male animals to take on female characteristics. Phthalates are added to many products, including food containers, hair spray, insect repellent, moisturizers and nail polish while BPA is also used in food containers, baby bottles and soda can linings.
• Treat severe gum disease – Numerous studies reveal that pregnant women who suffer from gum disease are more likely to have premature birth. Animal studies also shown that periodontal infections impair fetal growth.
• Get enough sleep – Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, sleep also plays an important role in your overall health. If you lack sleep, your baby’s wellbeing will also suffer.

Raw milk from grass-fed cows is milk in its natural state and is one of the healthiest foods you can consume, says Dr. Thomas Cowan, co-founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Dr. Cowan is convinced that a large part of disease in the United States is linked to how Americans handle or mishandle milk and milk products. It is a little known fact that pasteurized milk is the number one allergic food in the country and has been associated to a number of health problems, including:

• Arthritis
• Autism
• Bloating, Cramps and Gas
• Cancer
• Diarrhea
• Heart Disease
• Infertility
• Leukemia
• Osteoporosis
• Recurring ear infections and colic in infants and children

Dr. Joseph Mercola explains that raw milk is generally not associated with any of the above health problems. Even people who are allergic to pasteurized milk can typically tolerate and even thrive on raw milk.

Pasteurization, which heats milk in temperatures between 145 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, alters the structure of delicate milk proteins, transforming it from something beneficial to something harmful, allergenic and disease-causing.

Raw milk from grass-fed cows is an exceptional source of nutrition and is superior to processed milk in every aspect. It is a completely balanced food composed of :

• Proteins – Raw cow’s milk contains all the standard amino acids, which your body does not need to convert into usable form. Almost 80 percent of milk proteins are caseins, which are easily digested and reasonably heat stable, while the remaining 20 percent are whey proteins, which are also easy to digest but very heat sensitive. Raw milk also contains complex proteins called immunoglobulins, which help fight viruses, bacteria and bacterial toxins and may also help relieve asthma symptoms.
• Carbohydrates – Lactose (milk sugar) is the main carbohydrate in raw milk. Lactose-intolerant people cannot digest milk because they are incapable of producing the enzyme lactase, which is necessary to break down milk sugar. The lactose-digesting Lactobacilli bacteria is found in raw milk, which may allow people who have traditionally avoided milk to drink raw milk.
• Fats – About two thirds of milk fat is composed of saturated fat, which helps construct cell membranes and important hormones, provide energy storage and protection for delicate organs, and serve as a vehicle for important fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D. Grass-fed raw milk also contains up to five times more Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), which has cancer-fighting properties, helps inhibit the formation of body fat, lower insulin resistance, enhance muscle growth, lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and help reduce food allergies.
• Vitamins and Minerals – Raw milk is a complete food which contains both water and fat soluble vitamins, unlike pasteurized milk, which needs to be enriched. It also contains a number of minerals ranging from calcium and phosphorus to trace elements.
• Cholesterol – We naturally manufacture most of the cholesterol we need in our bodies. Milk contains about 3mg of cholesterol per gram.
• Beneficial bacteria – While most food normally go bad as it ages, raw milk actually gets better because it has self-protective properties from good bacteria.
• Enzymes – Raw milk contains 60 functional enzymes, some native to milk and some coming from the beneficial bacteria present in raw milk. These enzymes all have their respective roles to help keep you healthy. For example, consuming food that contains enzymes help lessen the load on your pancreas. Enzymes also help make milk safer to drink by protecting it from bad bacteria.

Stop missing out on the benefits of raw milk. Drinking and buying raw milk is perfectly legal in all states. What’s illegal, is selling it to the public, except in eight states: Arizona, California, Maine, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Washington. The other 42 states have a number of different rules. For more information on how to find raw milk in your area, visit http://www.realmilk.com/where.html

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1. A healthy mother means a healthy child – Take care of yourself to give your child a healthy head start in life. Krill oil is one of the best supplements you can take before and during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding. It contains DHA and choline, which are critical to your child’s brain development and IQ, and also supports your overall health and positive mental outlook during and after pregnancy. Your child is wholly dependent upon you to provide those nutrients at least during the first three months of his/her life.
2. Breastfeed your baby, if possible, and as long as possible – Babies receive DHA through breast milk. Breastfeeding through the first year will give your child an even greater head start for success in life.
3. Provide structure to your child’s life – It’s not too early for kids to start being organized. Children like a dependable schedule – regular mealtimes, bedtime, waking up time, and more. It helps them understand the concept of time, routines, and gives them a sense of security.
4. Start your child on a healthy diet – Make sure your child eats a healthy and balanced diet composed of high-quality (organic if possible) meats and vegetables. Healthy kids find it easier to resist junk food because their taste buds have been accustomed early on to the taste of healthy foods like veggies. Limit their consumption of processed food as much as possible, including sweets, food with artificial colorings, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup.
5. Teach your child the value of daily exercise at a young age – Aside from the physical benefits, regular exercise can form part of your quality time with your children. You can go for walks, bike rides, play sports, take your dog for a run, jump rope – there are so many different activities that can make exercise fun and exciting.
6. Provide clean indoor air – Don’t smoke inside your house and your car (better yet, don’t smoke at all) and use only non-toxic cleaning products.  Have your house tested for lead paints if it was built before 1978.
7. Give your child probiotics – This will help strengthen your child’s immune system. You’ll feel secure knowing that your child’s immune system is holding up while everyone else in school is struggling with the latest bug.
8. Use non-toxic personal care products – Do not use soaps and shampoos containing risky ingredients like parabens, mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, Sodium laurel or lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), acrylamide, propylene glycol.
9. Be aware of the dangers of immunizations – Vaccines provide more health risks than benefits. Dr. Mercola has been working for years to educate the public about vaccine dangers. You can get more information about this by visiting Mercola.com.
10. Optimize your child’s vitamin D levels – Get your child outdoors for at least 15 minutes per day, preferably in mid-day, to get enough sun exposure to optimize his or her vitamin D levels, thereby boosting his/her immune system and overall health.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), almost 1.5 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2009, and the latest estimates are indicating that by 2030, there would be over 26 million cancer patients, with 17 million deaths.

The good news is, many cancer cases and deaths can be prevented.

The ACS states that about one-third of the more than 562,000 cancer deaths expected to occur in 2009 will be related to obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition, and 169,000 will be attributed to smoking.

So what can you do to avoid cancer?

“Take control of your health,” says Dr. Joseph Mercola. Living an anti-cancer lifestyle means living healthy to avoid the growth of cancer cells in your body.

Here are Dr. Mercola’s top 12 tips to prevent cancer:

1. Optimize your vitamin D levels – Get plenty of sun exposure and consider other sources of vitamin D, like a safe tanning bed or a quality vitamin D supplement, when this is not possible. If you’re a cancer patient, Dr. Mercola urges you to regularly monitor your vitamin D blood levels.
2. Stop eating processed foods and reduce your sugar and grain intake – This is true even for whole unprocessed organic grains because they tend to rapidly break down and cause a spike in your insulin and leptin levels, which is the last thing you’ll want if your goal is to treat or prevent cancer.
3. Manage your fasting insulin and leptin levels – This is the end result, and can be easily monitored by using simple and relatively inexpensive blood tests.
4. Normalize your omega-3 fats to omega-6 fats ratio – You can do this simply by taking a high-quality animal-based omega-3 fat like krill oil and by reducing your intake of most processed vegetable oils.
5. Exercise regularly – Exercise brings your insulin levels down and managing insulin levels is one of the best ways to reduce your cancer risks.
6. Always get enough sleep.
7. Eat according to your Nutritional Type – This is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies recommended to patients in Dr. Mercola’s Natural Health Center.
8. Limit your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemicals, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.
9. Limit your exposure to electromagnetic radiation, which is produced by cell phones, cell phone towers, base stations and WiFi stations.
10. Cook healthy – Avoid, microwaving, frying or charbroiling your food. Boil, poach or steam your foods instead.
11. Eat at least one-third of your food raw.
12. Consider using a tool to permanently address the neurological issues that can activate cancer genes – The CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones in this list. For Dr. Mercola, one of the best approaches is the Meridian Tapping Technique.