7 Critical Steps for Taking Charge of Your Health in 2014

You’ve heard us say before—“health is not chance, it’s a choice.” So to start the New Year, we’re challenging you—our Beyond Health family—to take the steps necessary and dedicate 2014 to improving health for yourself and your loved ones. And, we’re going to make it easy for you to get started. How? By giving you seven practical and proven ways to finally make the leap from the outdated, complicated, ineffective, and often dangerous conventional system of healthcare to the simpler, safer, and more effective approach we call our Beyond Health Model. But this worthwhile journey will require some effort and motivation. Yet, we’re confident our superior model for wellness offers just about anyone the easiest and quickest path toward finally living disease-free. Truth is…what we already know is sufficient to prevent—even heal—today’s most common and serious health issues. This is why you can experience a complete turnaround when you too choose to join us in this new health revolution. Really, there’s only one thing keeping you from enjoying better health…your willingness to act on and apply the healthy living fundamentals we already know. Many of our readers have had great success using our health model. Still, we understand it requires courage and perseverance on your part to direct your own healthcare. Whether you choose conventional medicine or natural health in tackling your disease conditions, your greatest success will always come from taking responsibility for your own healthcare choices. Thus, here are seven critical steps you must take for getting control of your health…so you finally get well—and stay well—in 2014 and beyond. 1.  Bypass conventional medicine. Don’t get me wrong, if you are in an accident or your appendix bursts, you should call 911. No one else can do a better job of fixing you up than a good surgeon and their team of medical professionals. Yet, repeated studies show conventional medicine is far so behind modern scientific advancements, it is essentially useless for preventing or resolving today's chronic diseases. Choose to bypass the failed solutions of drugs, vaccinations, and surgery. Instead, become wellversed in and begin using more traditional natural methods for effectively addressing your health concerns and avoid the need for medical treatment altogether. 2.  Find a compatible doctor...should you choose a path other than conventional medicine, we understand that’s not always easy. Insurance or expendable income can limit your options, restricting who you can see and what remedies you can use. However, make it a point to meet with and interview a number of potential primary care physicians (PCPs). Pick one who will support you in your health goals, preferably a naturopath. Or at a minimum, one who understands that conventional medicine does not have all the answers, and is open to using nutrition for preventing and fighting disease. Now may be a good time to revisit our previous advice on how to get your doctor to work for you. 3.  During a health crisis…take a timeout. When your doctor presents you with a disease diagnosis, do your own research before making any hasty health decisions. Start by searching our database of blog articles or newsletter archives for information relevant to your health issues. When searching the internet for additional perspective, use caution and be sure any recommendations are from a resource you can trust. Then, use common sense and your own good judgment to choose a solution that’s best for you. If your situation feels desperate and you decide to use your doctor’s advice or synthetic drugs as a solution, we suggest taking prescription medications on a temporary basis until you have identified and addressed the underlying causes. Then, you should strive to wean off these dangerous toxic substances as soon as possible and replace with safer natural solutions that get to the root of your health problem. 4.  Make better food choices. This is something we must all work on if we ever want to live disease-free. Start by eliminating the “Big Four”—processed oils, dairy and excess animal protein, wheat and other refined grains, and sugar—from your diet. All processed and packaged foods usually lack adequate nutrients and contain toxins. Eat mostly raw organic vegetables and fruits, refraining from microwaving, cooking and processing as much as possible. Making better food choices is the best investment you can make in your health. 5.  When supplementing, know what you’re taking. Everyone can benefit from some supplementation. However, while estimates show 1 in 2 Americans do use supplements regularly to make up for a poor diet, numerous independent reviews on quality reveal that most supplements are largely ineffective. Such industry shortcomings—including false claims, biologically incorrect synthetics, and useless “filler” ingredients—make it difficult to know if taking a vitamin and mineral supplement offers any value for your money. Fortunately, we’ve eliminated the uncertainty by providing some guidelines for choosing quality supplements. Plus, we take the time to explain how nutrients work in your body. Of course, with our Beyond Health brand of supplements, you are always assured of getting the purest, safest, most biologically active forms of the nutrients your body requires for optimal health. 6.  Decide to live differently. Make no mistake, preventing and healing disease is hard work. While time and effort needed to see results will vary among individuals, we’ve noticed that many health issues quickly clear up by themselves after even small changes made to diet and lifestyle. Besides making better food choices, eliminate those unhealthy habits—like smoking, excessive alcohol, inactivity, chronic stress, taking prescription drugs and more. Work to minimize your exposure to environmental toxins and start an exercise routine for even greater health benefits. 7.  Still need help? You should never feel left with unanswered questions regarding how to get well or stay well. We cover a wide range of topics on our website and in cutting-edge books by Raymond Francis. We continuously offer new information in our weekly NewsClips and monthly E-Zine. Plus, you are always welcome to contact us directly by phone, email, or contact form, and we’re happy to assist with specific health issues or nutritional concerns. We all have areas of our lives—especially our health—that we could improve upon. No matter what your health goals are for the New Year, try focusing on just one change at a time. You’ll find it easier to stick with it and experience faster success when you do.