These suggestions are known to promote health and well-being, and thus a longer, more vibrant, less painful, and more joyful life. They are confirmed by modern research, ancient wisdom, and by my own, and many others’ personal experiences. Obviously, the choice is yours to do, as the Buddha is often misquoted to have said, what fits with your own common sense. However, if you read what the Buddha ACTUALLY said in the Kalama Sutta (advising the Kalama people against blind faith) you will see that he is imploring people to be skeptical of a range of misinformation (including their own “common sense”!), and to confirm for one’s self that the information is skillful (leading to growth), blameless, praised by the wise, and conducive to welfare and happiness. In other words, use critical inquiry, ethical discernment, experience, and guidance from the wise to determine if some information or practice is useful for you. Lastly, be kind, gentle, and patient with yourself if you choose to integrate these suggestions into your life. It has taken me years and even decades to create healthy and sustained habits and keeping a positive, growth mindset is essential for managing the meandering process of changing old habits and establishing new ones. In time I aim to include reliable sources to support each suggestion, but I encourage you to research and investigate further, within, and without.

Reducing or eliminating meat (especially red meat) from one’s diet, and replacing lost protein and nutrients with plant-based foods has been very helpful for my body and my spirit. Not only is industrial meat farming heavily contributing to the growing environmental crisis with excessive water use and deforestation, it is also a significant cause of inflammation, a catalyst for Alzheimer’s, and a source of general dis-ease in our bodies.

Filter your drinking water to remove impurities and toxins, especially lead, PFAS (forever chemicals), and other dissolved solids.

Drinking enough (contaminant-free) water daily is essential to the healthy function of our body. The general rule of thumb is to drink half your weight (in pounds) in ounces. (I weigh 200lbs, so I aim to drink 100 oz. of contaminant-free water each day).

Get adequate daily movement daily, or at least 3-4 times a week. 45-60 minutes a day of physical activity is essential for the proper function of the body and all its systems.

Eliminate processed foods. This has a double benefit – keeping harmful ingredients out of your system is essential for long-term health, and removing financial support from manufacturers of processed foods is a small but meaningful way to refuse to support a food industry that aims to profit with complete disregard to our health.

Following the Mediterranean diet (a.k.a. the anti-inflammatory diet)

Assure your vitamin D levels are adequate

Add fermented food to your daily diet

Conserve water

Reduce, reuse, and also recycle. While recycling paper and glass are recycled in the US at about 68% and 25% respectively, plastic is only recycled at about 9%. Therefore reducing and reusing materials, especially plastic, is both a cost reduction to you, and a support to the environment.

Compost!! There are few individual actions that general as large of a positive impact as composting. Composting food instead of putting it the trash keeps the Methane created by rotting food out of our atmosphere (a toxic gas 25 times more harmful than CO2) AND returns nutrients to the soil. In my opinion, anyone who is concerned about global warming but doesn’t compost yet is overlooking a significant internal conflict, which is yet another hinderance to well-being in itself.

Refuse plastic straws and perhaps even ask your local establishments that use them to discontinue.