HEALTHY SWEETS How much: Sparingly
Healthy choices: Unsweetened dried fruit, dark chocolate, fruit sorbet
Why: Dark chocolate provides polyphenols with antioxidant activity. Choose dark chocolate with at least 70 percent pure cocoa and have an ounce a few times a week. Fruit sorbet is a better option than other frozen desserts.

RED WINE How much: Optional, no more than 1-2 glasses per day
Healthy choices: Organic red wine 
Why: Red wine has beneficial antioxidant activity. Limit intake to no more than 1-2 servings per day. If you do not drink alcohol, do not start.

SUPPLEMENTS How much: Daily 
Healthy choices: High quality multivitamin/multimineral that includes key antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, mixed carotenoids, and selenium); co-enzyme Q10; 2-3 grams of a molecularly distilled fish oil; 2,000-5,000 IU of vitamin D3 (get your blood D3 level checked).
Why: Supplements help fill any gaps in your diet when you are unable to get your daily requirement of micronutrients. 

TEA How much: 2-4 cups per day
Healthy choices: White, green, oolong teas
Why: Tea is rich in catechins, antioxidant compounds that reduce inflammation. Purchase high-quality tea and learn how to correctly brew it for maximum taste and health benefits.

HEALTHY HERBS & SPICES

How much: Unlimited amounts

Healthy choices: Turmeric, curry powder (which contains turmeric), ginger and garlic (dried and fresh), chili peppers, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme

Why: Use these herbs and spices generously to season foods. Turmeric and ginger are powerful, natural anti-inflammatory agents.

PROTEIN


How much: 1-2 servings a week (one portion is equal to 1 ounce of cheese, 1 eight-ounce serving of dairy, 1 egg, 3 ounces cooked poultry or skinless meat)
Healthy choices: Natural cheeses, lowfat yogurt, omega-3 enriched eggs, skinless poultry, grass-fed lean meats (containing omega-3 fatty acids)
Why: In general, try to reduce consumption of animal foods.  If you eat chicken, choose organic, cage-free chicken and remove the skin and associated fat.  Use organic, reduced-fat dairy products moderately, especially yogurt and natural cheeses such as Emmental (Swiss), Jarlsberg and true Parmesan.  If you eat eggs, choose omega-3 enriched eggs (made by feeding hens a flax-meal-enriched diet), or organic eggs from free-range chickens.

COOKED ASIAN MUSHROOMS How much: Unlimited amounts
Healthy choices: Shiitake, enokidake, maitake, oyster mushrooms (and wild mushrooms if available) 
Why: These mushrooms contain compounds that enhance immune function. Never eat mushrooms raw, and minimize consumption of common commercial button mushrooms (including crimini and portobello).

WHOLE SOY FOODS How much: 1-2 servings per day (one serving is equal to ½ cup tofu or tempeh, 1 cup soymilk, ½ cup cooked edamame, 1 ounce of soynuts)
Healthy choices: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy nuts, soymilk
Why: Soy foods contain isoflavones that have antioxidant activity and are protective against cancer.  Choose whole soy foods over fractionated foods like isolated soy protein powders and imitation meats made with soy isolate. 

FISH & SEAFOOD How much:  2-6 servings per week (one serving is equal to 4 ounces of fish or seafood)
Healthy choices: Wild Alaskan salmon (especially sockeye), herring, sardines, and black cod (sablefish)
Why: These fish are rich in omega-3 fats, which are strongly anti-inflammatory. If you choose not to eat fish, take a molecularly distilled fish oil supplement, 2-3 grams per day.

HEALTHY FATS How much:  5-7 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 teaspoon of oil, 2 walnuts, 1 tablespoon of flaxseed, 1 ounce of avocado) Healthy choices: For cooking, use extra virgin olive oil and expeller-pressed organic canola oil. Other sources of healthy fats include nuts (especially walnuts), avocados, and seeds - including hemp seeds and freshly ground flaxseed. Omega-3 fats are also found in cold water fish, omega-3 enriched eggs, and whole soy foods. High-oleic sunflower or safflower oils may also be used, as well as walnut and hazelnut oils in salads and dark roasted sesame oil as a flavoring for soups and stir-fries
Why: Healthy fats are those rich in either monounsaturated or omega-3 fats.  Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant activity and canola oil contains a small fraction of omega-3 fatty acids.  Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids should be in a ratio of 1:4. This means reducing vegetable oils and mayonnaise and increasing fish and flax oils.

WHOLE & CRACKED GRAINS
How much:  3-5 servings a day (one serving is equal to about ½ cup cooked grains)
Healthy choices: Brown rice, basmati rice, wild rice, buckwheat, groats, barley, quinoa, steel-cut oats 
Why: Whole grains digest slowly, reducing frequency of spikes in blood sugar that promote inflammation. "Whole grains" means grains that are intact or in a few large pieces, not whole wheat bread or other products made from flour.

PASTA (al dente)

How much: 2-3 servings per week (one serving is equal to about ½ cup cooked pasta)

Healthy choices: Organic pasta, rice noodles, bean thread noodles, and part whole wheat and buckwheat noodles like Japanese udon and soba

Why: Pasta cooked al dente (when it has "tooth" to it) has a lower glycemic index than fully-cooked pasta. Low-glycemic-load carbohydrates should be the bulk of your carbohydrate intake to help minimize spikes in blood glucose levels.

BEANS & LEGUMES How much: 1-2 servings per day (one serving is equal to ½ cup cooked beans or legumes)
Healthy choices: Beans like Anasazi, adzuki and black, as well as chickpeas, black-eyed peas and lentils
Why: Beans are rich in folic acid, magnesium, potassium and soluble fiber.  They are a low-glycemic-load food.  Eat them well-cooked either whole or pureed into spreads like hummus.

VEGETABLES How much: 4-5 servings per day minimum (one serving is equal to 2 cups salad greens, ½ cup vegetables cooked, raw or juiced)
Healthy Choices: Lightly cooked dark leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy and cauliflower), carrots, beets, onions, peas, squashes, sea vegetables and washed raw salad greens
Why: Vegetables are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.  Go for a wide range of colors, eat them both raw and cooked, and choose organic when possible.

FRUITS How much:  3-4 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 medium size piece of fruit, ½ cup chopped fruit, ¼ cup of dried fruit)
Healthy choices: Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, oranges, pink grapefruit, red grapes, plums, pomegranates, blackberries, cherries, apples, and pears - all lower in glycemic load than most tropical fruits
Why: Fruits are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.  Go for a wide range of colors, choose fruit that is fresh in season or frozen, and buy organic when possible.

Additional Item:

WATER How much: Throughout the day. Enough to keep your urine a light yellow to fairly clear. About a third of the solid food you eat is also a source of water. 
Notice when you are thirsty and have a good drink. There is no health benefit of carrying around a water bottle and drinking constantly. Usually tap water is as healthy as bottled water. Its purity is regulated by the government, whereas bottled water is not. Healthy choices: Plain water, unsweetened tea, sparkling water, or water with a small amount of fruit juice for flavor
Why: Water is vital for overall functioning of the body.

You can learn more about a healthy lifestyle by going to drweil.com or drweilsplan.com

MEDITATION 

Some meditation is extremely beneficial to your health in many ways. Experiment with this simple technique: Sit comfortably with your back fairly straight and close your eyes. For half a minute or so, notice the sounds around you. Then notice sensations in your body, breathing in to any areas of tension, relaxing on the out breath. Then let your attention rest on the sensations of natural breathing. Allow thoughts and feelings to arise and pass, noticing them with a friendly attitude. Practice this for a minute or five or ten minutes every day. Also, throughout your whole day, try to remember to take a few conscious breaths whenever you can remember, especially when you feel stressed or uncomfortable in any way. Relaxing into the present moment is very powerful medicine, but it only works if you do it!

If this is difficult for you, that is an indication of how much stress or discomfort you are in, and you may want to read and seek out a supportive group to inspire you to keep practicing. My book, The One-Minute Meditator, is one of many good books on the topic.

I also suggest you write down five things you are grateful for every day.

EXERCISE

About 100 minutes of cardiovascular work per week is good. This can be as simple as fast walking, or choose activities that are fun for you. 30 minutes of getting your heart rate to 60-80% of your maximum (220 minus your age), six out of seven days per week, can be an effective treatment for depression, as good as an antidepressant.  If your motivation is low, find someone else to join you. Weight lifting and stretching or yoga are also great for your body. 

To help motivate you, here are 100 benefits of exercise:

1.  Reduces blood pressure

2. Reduces cholesterol levels

3. Increases the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol in the blood)

4. Reduces chances for coronary heart disease

5. Increases efficiency of heart and lowers resting heart rate

6. Makes heart muscles stronger

7. Improves contractile function of the heart

8. Strengthens lungs

9. Improves respiratory function

10. Improves cardiovascular endurance and performance

11. Provides more oxygen to body, including organs and muscles

12. Provides more nutrient supply to the body

13. Reduces chances for stroke

14. Helps to alleviate varicose veins

15. Increases metabolic rate

16. Stimulates digestion

17. Makes digestion more efficient

18. Stimulates intestinal movements, resulting in better elimination of wastes

19. Reduces risk of colon cancer

20. Strengthens and develops muscles

21. Increases efficiency of muscles

22. Benefits joints due to stronger muscles

23. Helps maintain cartilage health in the joints

24. Eases muscular tension

25. Alleviates back problems

26. Increases muscle flexible and agility

27. Improves speed of muscle contraction and reaction time

28. More healthy skin due to the fact that skin pores open more during exercise, resulting in more efficient removal of dirt and impurities

29. Burns up and removes toxins from body

30. Increases blood flow to the brain

31. Stimulates growth of nerve cells in memory center of the brain

32. Improves various indices of psychological functioning

33. Enhances brain functioning by increasing the amount of oxygen available to it

34. Increases sense of well being

35. Increases resistance to pain because endorphin levels are elevated

36. Increases sense of excitement because epinephrine is elevated

37. Alleviates boredom

38. Lessens worry and tension

39. Reduces effects of stress by removing lactic acid from blood

40. Alleviates anxiety and/or pain because the tranquilizing effect of exercise lasts for several hours

41. Enhances mood

42. Reduces anxiety as effectively as drugs or medications

43. Reduces depression as effectively as medication

44. Improves self-esteem and self-confidence since body and mind are improved and strengthened

45. Increases sense of self control

46. Provides source of pleasure and fun

47. Releases anger and negative emotions

48. Boosts energy

49. Enhances coordination, power, timing and balance

50. Boosts immune system functioning

51. Reduces severity of asthma

52. Reduces risk of substance abuse

53. Can relieve tension headaches

54. Can reduce the urge to smoke

55. Burns calories

56. Causes body to use calories more efficiently

57. Causes weight loss

58. Allows one to keep lost weight from returning

59. Can act as an appetite suppressant

60. Decreases fat tissue

61. Improves physical appearance

62. Enhances one's image and opinion of the body

63. Improves bone density and prevents osteoporosis

64. Reduces joint discomfort

65. Helps manage arthritis

66. Allows one to feel better about one's body and enjoy sex more

67. Provides enhanced ability to achieve orgasm

68. Allows for greater sexual satisfaction

69. Can reduce or eliminate impotence due to increased blood flow

70. Prevents or manages type 2 diabetes

71. Helps insulin work better, lowering blood sugar

72. Regulates the clotting factor fibrinogen

73. Alleviates menstrual cramps

74. Improves athletic performance

75. Can add years to one's life

76. Enhances quality of life

77. Reduces pain and disability

78. Improves glycogen storage

79. Reduces risk of developing certain types of cancers of the colon, prostate, uterine lining and breast and other chronic diseases

80. Regulates hormones

81. Allows you to overcome illness or injury more quickly

82. Can lessen medical bills

83. Reduces anxiety by causing fewer worries about health

84. Can allow for better performance at work

85. Allows one to stay independent as one gets older

86. Can keep health care insurance premiums lower

87. Makes one more attractive to potential mates

88. Allows for healthy pregnancy

89. Increases energy and ability to do the things one likes

90. Allows you to be more productive and less stymied by stress and depression

91. Can help increase income due to increased energy

92. Allows one to become more familiar with their body and its functioning

93. Improves sleep

94. Lets one eat more without gaining weight

95. Provides a healthy break from work

96. Adds variety and spice to life

97. Gives one increased ability to defend oneself and loved ones if needed

98. Provides a natural high afterwards, such as runners' high

99. Provides heightened alertness

100. Reduces inflammation

NOISE

We subject ourselves to an 'acoustic startle response' each morning if we're aroused by the unpleasant sound of an an alarm clock. Loud or startling noise can, in the long run, induce cardiovascular and digestive distress. Noise has been shown to cause irritability and aggression. Additionally, noise reduces cognitive functions. Research has shown that, in the case of a school located next to a train track, students' performance is hampered by noise. On the quieter side of the school, students performed at a reading level higher than the students on the train side. When measures were taken to insulate the noise-affected students, their performance evened out.

Stroke victims have also been reported to have increased visual awareness when listening to preferred music. Surgery patients have reported less pain while listening to nature sounds.

Take measures to calm your mind and body by using more soothing sounds to wake you up in the morning. Whenever possible reduce the noise level in your life, and try listening to something pleasant more often.  Consider also that much of the information we are exposed to every day is not much more than noise.  Take some time to listen to your own inner voice to remember and act on what is important to you.

HEALTH INFORMATION  

Go to mayoclinic.com

MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION

Go to nimh.nih.gov