I am often asked, "What are the main things a person could do to maximize, preserve and maintain health?" Rather than quote research papers, diet books or news on the latest, trendy vitamin, I'll just tell you what I do for myself and my family. Nutritionally, I feel there are two things that are unique and contribute to health in more ways than the average person knows about. The first is probiotics. Live bacteria found in foods like yogurt boosts the immune system, balances the digestive system and wards off harmful bacteria and germs. It is no co-incidence that the eastern Europeans who consumed a lot of yogurt were the ones who regularly lived over 100 years of age. My family eats plenty of organic yogurt each day as well as supplements our diet with acidolphillus (a big probiotic) capsules. The next most important food to impact our health is Omega 3 Fatty Acids. This essential fatty acid cleans up and maintains the cardiovascular system. The fat helps with arterial health, cholesterol, blood pressure and may even prevent strokes. It is also important for brain function and development as well as helping the joints remain healthy. My family's daily diet is high in foods that contain Omega 3 fatty acids. Foods like flax seeds, walnuts, olive oil, coconut oil and salmon. We supplement are diet with a daily dose of purifed, liquid fish oil.

In general, each day we take a multiple vitamin/mineral powder supplement. The All-In One powder mixes with juice or water. Speaking of which, we try to drink between 6-8 8oz glasses of water each day. The hardest thing that we do at home is try to eliminate the use of plastic containers, teflon pans and microwaving plastic. It is difficult, but we are making great headway. The plastics (storage & cooking) and teflon when heated, leak dangerous toxins into your food that can effect genetics. As far as eating food goes, when at home we eliminate as many presevatives and chemicals as possible. I read all food labels and check for things like hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweetners. These three ingrediants are especially harmful to your health. If given the choice, we buy organic. You would think after reading this, I am against sweets and junk food. I am not. I am against unhealthy ingrediants. I don't think twice about eating something with sugar as long as it is organic and unrefined. My wife and I purchase all of our "Junk" food at the organic market.

Exercise plays a big role in my life. I try to exercise 3-5 days per week. I do a combination of weight training and cardio. I run 2-3 times a week. The exercise keeps the heart healthy, the metabolism sharp and strengthens bones. Pre-baby, My wife and I would get 8 hours sleep a night. Now that she is getting older, we are getting closer again to the magic number. The body recovers and rejuvenates with proper amounts of sleep. As far as mental health goes, I keep a positive attitude through daily affirmations, prayers and deep breathing. The deep breaths calm the body and help to fight stress. Positive people, studies show, are healthier people. A good laugh is some of the best medicine out there.

My family and I have our spine checked for nerve interference once a week. Spinal nerve pressure disrupts nerve flow which causes the body to not be able to function or perform at 100% of its ability, compromising health. Chiropractic spinal adjustments maintain our quality of life.

So, there you have it. This is what happens in my household each and every day. It is a lot of work to be healthy and it isn't even a guarantee that you will reach 100 yrs old. It just makes more sense to me to try and do what is right for my body rather than what is wrong. If you are interested in all our healthy tips, go to my website, www.healthtip.blogspot.com. Be healthy!

Baby Report: Alexandra is almost 9 1/2 months old now. She is crawling, waving bye-bye, kisses you on the lips and has a 5 word vocabulary. Alex can say Dada, Mama, car, cat and duck. She can now also point at which car is her mothers and which is her fathers. Am I proud or what? I am also proud of my wife. She has made it all this time breast feeding so far and only gives the baby organic food, home-made and from the jar. She enjoys her Yo-baby yogurt everyday even when daddy sneaks a little fish oil in there!

Health Tip of the Month: Practice the above first four paragraphs.

Joke of the Month:
Deep within a forest a little turtle began to climb a tree.

After hours of effort he reached the top, jumped into the air waving his front legs and crashed to the ground.

After recovering, he slowly climbed the tree again, jumped, and fell to the ground. The turtle tried again and again while a couple of birds sitting on a branch watched his sad efforts.

Finally, the female bird turned to her mate.
"Dear," she chirped, "I think it's time to tell him he's adopted."

Office Happenings: Rumor has it that another professional hockey team will be moving into Boardwalk Hall this fall. Can anybody substantiate?

That is all for this month. Please e-mail me with any comments, questions or concerns.

Thank you.

Dr. J.Z.

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