The Selfish Prescription
I recently returned from the National Health Association (NHA) conference in Cleveland, where I listened to great speakers and ate whole-food, plant-based, SOS-free (salt-, oil-, and sugar-free) foods—that I didn’t have to cook!—and reconnected with friends. I caught up with people I met at last year’s event and friends from my own community, and I made new connections including a fellow Building Healthy Communities leader from a neighboring town. Oh, and yes, I came back energized to recommit myself to exercising consistently with heavier weights, to incorporate more play into my day, and to becoming "SELFISH"—a new prescription I learned to lower inflammation in my body.
John Pierre, one of the presenters, spoke about “play,” which I feel I’ve never been good at. As a child, my older sister was always the one to lead the way in our games. As I got older, I became so “serious” because I had to “work” that I never allowed myself to have fun. But that was not a healthy choice.
John Pierre also talked about doing things without an agenda. Hmmm…is walking my dogs having an agenda? And he mentioned uncontrollable laughter. Ah, I miss that—laughing so hard I’d pee my pants! Now, I don’t miss that particular part, but laughing that hard is truly great for the nervous system. How can you bring that kind of play back into your life? It’s definitely something I will prioritize going forward.
Another highlight was meeting Dr. Columbus Batiste and his wife, Danette. Dr. Batiste is a board-certified interventional cardiologist, the author of the book Selfish, and a passionate lifestyle medicine advocate.
Dr. Batiste said stress and inflammation damage our bodies even if we don't have any cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or diabetes.)
The higher your stress, the poorer your health. Fortunately, we can build resiliency using his SELFISH prescription:
Spirituality: Are you doing breathwork? The term spirit comes from the Latin word spiritus (soul, ghost, courage, vigor, breath) and is related to breathing. You can decrease your inflammation with breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness practices.
Exercise: Believing that you can achieve your goal is just as important as the physical movement itself. Incorporate exercise throughout your day, whether taking stairs or taking two minute exercise breaks. Exercise lowers inflammation and promotes resilience.
Love: Love is a verb. Never underestimate the healing power of gratitude.
Food: Real food, whole food, plant-based foods.
Intimacy: Cultivate the intimacy of positive relationships and being communal. Engage in human and social connection.
Sleep: Prioritize getting restful sleep.
Humor: Laughter is incredibly powerful. Watching 30 minutes of a show that makes you laugh can be a helpful practice for your health.
Dr. Kristi Funk talked about breast cancer risk reduction. Dr. Funk said that beyond following the conference’s main points of loading up on veggies, whole grains, legumes (soy), and ground flax—and ditching dairy, meat, poultry, fish, and eggs—we want to keep our body mass index, or BMI, below 25. Her book, Breasts: The Owner’s Manual, goes into greater detail.
Christa Barfield from FarmerJawn Agriculture shared her story and her work as a regenerative organic Black farmer, explaining how she is working to feed her community in Philadelphia and generate wellness through soil, community, and connection.
There were insights on how to increase our healthspan–the length of time in one's life where one is in optimal health. Dr. Stephan Esser, MD, reminded us to put on our critical thinking hats and review the risks versus rewards of every lifestyle and health decision we make. Dr. Alan Goldhamer, DC, Dr. Frank Sabatino, DC, PhD, and Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD, are mainstays of the NHA and generously shared their wisdom as well.
I hope these snippets of wisdom from the conference will pique your interest to learn more. I've shared some areas where I need to improve. What are some things you can do to help yourself become more "selfish" and increase your healthspan?
Until next time, keep cooking, composting, and choosing compassion!
With love and gratitude,
Jane
