Good health is an investment. The good news is it’s almost never too late to start making better choices!

I might be preaching to the converted here. If you are reading this and are a fan of homeopathy, you probably care more about your health than the average person and have taken steps to build and maintain your good health.

Let’s not rely on magic pills to save us, homeopathy included. Let’s commit to taking our health in hand as the precious resource it is by making good choices now and every day. I am no saint, but I do try to make good choices regularly. Let’s review what that looks like:

• 1. EAT WELL. I’m a big fan of a vegan diet (90% anyway, I don’t like things too tight). Why? Because studies have shown that a plant-based diet promotes alkalinity in the body and reduces inflammation, thereby reducing the likelihood of each of the lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, autoimmune diseases, etc. Also, it’s good to consider because eating animals is very costly for the planet and often very cruel to the animals being raised for our consumption (particularly factory farming). If you can’t go all the way, go part of the way toward plant-based eating. And make sure the animal products you doeat are organic and if possible from a small, local farm.

• 2. EXERCISE REGULARLY. Anything. Walk, jog, yoga, pilates, weights, aerobics, Zumba, gyms…the list is endless. Commit to it and do it. Numerous times per week. Find a way.

• 3. MANAGE STRESS. These are extraordinary times to say the least. Against the backdrop of planetary health which seems to be in free-fall, we are facing a little-understood virus which makes it hard to make any pronouncements whatsoever about the future, and all of this stress is bringing to the forefront deeply entrenched societal problems and systems that are not functioning well, or at all. Many feel they are at the end of their tether. How to manage?

• 4. Find something grounding, whether it be a philosophy of life that helps you through, or a practice such as yoga or meditation or prayer. Talking about your feelings in a vulnerable and honest way, whether with a friend, family member you feel close to or a therapist, can be enormously helpful. None of us are alone with stress and it’s a good time to strengthen bonds with others. Being outdoors in nature is enormously grounding. Spend time in the sun and among the trees—they’ve seen it all.

• 4. SLEEP. Go to bed earlier. I talk to patients many times a day who don’t get enough sleep because they can’t get into bed before midnight or even 2am. Then they’re woken up early by children or obligations. The sleep we get before midnight has more value than the sleep we get after midnight. Aim for 7-8 hours of deep sleep; use a natural sleep formula if needed. Everything looks more manageable when we are rested.

• 5. TAKE YOUR HOMEOPATHIC REMEDY & CONSIDER A FEW SUPPLEMENTS. Take your homeopathic “chronic” remedy regularly when feeling upset or out of sorts. As you probably know, homeopathy treats people in a wholistic manner…. physically, mentally and emotionally. I’m not a fan of taking a huge number of supplements daily (and you should check with your ND or MD before you do), but some to consider: Vit D, Vit C, NAC, Zinc… and for stress: 5-HTP, Holy Basil, Ashwaganda, Rhodiola, Passionflower, and Valerian.

• 6. BLOODWORK. The next time you go for blood work, consider asking your MD or ND to check the following lab values to assess your general state of health: a Complete Blood Count (CBC)—general blood panel, a cholesterol panel, your blood sugar—most important is your HA1c which is a measure of how your body has managed sugar over the past 3 months, as well as measures of the general inflammation in your body, such as sed rate (ESR), homocysteine, C-reactive protein (CRP), a thyroid panel which measures T3 & T4 in addition to TSH, Vitamins B-12 and D, and your hemoglobin to see if you are anemic. While these values don’t tell us everything, they can highlight problems before they become too severe. And if there are any red flags, try to first address them by natural means when possible, with the assistance of your practitioner. 

About Dr. Lisa Samet

Dr. Lisa Samet N.D. provides Washington Homeopathic Products with a regular column on using homeopathy for the family. She's a naturopathic physician who specializes in homeopathic medicine and she's a partner with Dr. Andre Saine N.D. Dr. Samet graduated from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1998 and has been practicing in Montreal since then. She was born and raised in New York.

Dr. Samet has chosen to focus on homeopathy because in her experience it is the deepest healing modality available in that it does not just soothe or palliate symptoms but can actually stimulate the body to start to heal itself. Dr. Samet sees patients in her Montreal office as well as long distance using Skype. Learn more here: Dr. Lisa Samet