It is amazing how simple life can be when you slow down a little bit. Its summer in Australia and in my city of Perth we have been experiencing hot weather. This last weekend it has been as high as 108F (43C). So what can we do to stay cool and boost our health in the heat?
The best place to cool off is at the beach so I have been going down with my two teenagers for a splash and some body surfing. I am yet to master actual surfing but this is on my list of things to do.
Do It Yourself Health emphasizes the importance of getting the right balance with all the eight pillars. For example eating healthily of itself won’t make you healthy if your sleep pattern is out or you don’t manage your stress. I was staggered to see research recently, which correlated a five-fold increase in cancer rates in people with high stress over a ten-year period compared to those with low stress.
Whether we like it or not the world has sped up. Time is moving quicker. Therefore we need to adapt and find ways to be caring for our health in a way that is also time efficient. This is where the story of the beach comes in.
In the hour or so that we spent at the beach, a number of things happened. We are breathing fresh air. (pillar 1) We are also getting some vitamin D by being in the sunshine. Swimming, and boarding are forms of physical exertion (pillar 4). In doing this with my children it is good for our relationship (pillar 7) and we are having fun. (pillar 8) To cap it off the outing will give us a thirst so we take water with us to drink. (pillar 2) Not surprisingly the whole outing is relaxing. (pillar 6) The fresh air, sunshine and exercise will help us sleep better too. (pillar 5)
So in one outing we have covered seven of the eight pillars. If we ate a snack of fruit, nuts, seeds or berries (fuels, pillar 3) it would cover all eight. Now how simple is that?
It doesn’t have to be the beach. The same effect could be had at a park or in a bush or forest setting. Even in the snow. In fact being outside and active with family or friends can be in almost any setting, and is free! I’m sure that many of you have ideas on other ways to be healthy and have fun and I welcome your comments and tips.
Simple things can influence your health in a major way. Keep it simple and be a better you.
Medical Doctor, author, speaker, media presenter and health industry consultant, Dr Joe Kosterich wants you to be healthy and get the most out of life.
Joe writes for numerous medical and mainstream publications, is clinical editor at Medical Forum Magazine, and is also a regular on radio and television.
Joe is Medical Advisor to Medicinal Cannabis Company Little Green Pharma, Chairman of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association and sits on the board of Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA. He is often called to give opinions in medico legal cases.
He has self-published two books: Dr Joe’s DIY Health and 60 Minutes To Better Health.
In 2024 due to public demand he commenced a podcast, Dr Joe Unplugged, which can be accessed via Spotify, Apple or YouTube.
Through all this he continues to see patients as a GP each week.
