Are You Living in FEAR

October 20, 2017 by Corie Jones Leave a Comment

It’s time for us to stop living in fear and start fighting the fear of cancer. There are many ways to fight this fear through exercise, nutrition and more. Don’t live in fear! I can help YOU! I offer a FREE non-committal fifteen minute session to any prospective client to determine if there is a good fit for working together, so there’s no reason to suffer from the fear of cancer or any other diseases without seeking help.

Schedule a call with me today for a health consultation and find the right coaching package to get you feeling good again! You can choose to have your session in person, over the phone or with video conference software.

If you are dealing with cancer or someone you know is dealing with cancer, listen and share my two most recent podcasts, #86, “What Can I Do to Keep from Getting So Sick As I Go Through Chemo,” where I talk about the benefits of nutritional therapy and exercise while undergoing cancer treatments and #87, I Have Cancer, Should I Exercise?, where we I talk about what factors to consider and the many benefits of regular exercise. The information in these podcasts can be life changing and make a tremendous difference in how you respond to the cancer itself, as well as the treatment you are going through. The benefits of nutritional therapy during cancer treatments are that it supports immune system function, preserves the lean body mass, helps to rebuild body tissues, increases energy and strength, decreases risk of infection, and improves quality of life.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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Are You Suffering

October 13, 2017 by Corie Jones Leave a Comment

Are you suffering? If you are like some of my clients, you’ve suffered from “it happened when . . .” syndrome. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and this month I am talking about cancers and how they are destroying people’s lives in a lot of different ways every day. My own mother in law just recently passed away from brain cancer, and my wife Kim and her sibling were the primary caregivers of their mother. As Kim took care of her mom and her own family, she knew that she needed to be extra careful with herself due to the extra stress in her life. You can hear more of her story in The Feeling Good Podcast episode 85.

People can often trace their poor health back to traumatic or stressful events in their life. This is known as “it happened when . . .” syndrome. Are you suffering? Let me help! Many people go through traumatic experiences and hold their feelings inside and do not talk about it with others. Open communication is important when going through a difficult trial. I suggest talking about what is going on rather than holding it inside. When you hold things inside, it binds it up, and that binding can make you sick. Talking about it gives you freedom!

You might be thinking I don’t need to talk about my problems, symptoms or condition. I can deal with it on my own. Let me ask you a question? How is it working for you so far? Or maybe you are concerned that you can’t afford to work with me, but can you afford to suffer through life because you didn’t ask for help? I offer a FREE non-committal fifteen minute session to any prospective client to determine if there is a good fit for working together, so there’s no reason to suffer without seeking help.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

How to Naturally Cure Depression

September 14, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

How to Naturally Cure Depression

Whether you have been clinically diagnosed with depression, or you simply feel unhappy with yourself or your situation in life, there is a way to overcome your perpetual feelings of discontent. I have dealt with some of these feelings myself, and I put a lot of time into building a method for helping people get rid of their anxiety, stress, and mental anguish. I call it The Seven Keys to Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole.

If you follow the seven keys, you can:

Increase your happiness
Learn how to get rid of negative emotions
Improve your diet
Build a regular exercise program that fits your needs and your personality
Discover a restorative sleep pattern tailored to your schedule
Alleviate pre-existing physical conditions that can contribute to—or stem from—depression

My book How to Live Until You Die outlines each of the seven keys and goes into detail on how to take the proper steps to implement each key into your own life. While each of the keys contributes to overall health and happiness, they also individually promote significant improvement in specific areas. For example: Having the right diet will help greatly in maintaining a healthy weight, but did you know that it can actually boost mental health as well?

Research has proven there is a direct correlation between depression and an unhealthy diet. Do you eat a lot of sweets and other processed foods? That can cause unhappiness. While it may seem like fast food is your only option in the middle of a busy day, it can be a major instigator to feelings of depression, poor eating habits, and obesity. There are plenty of healthier options that take less time to prepare than you think.

Raw fruits and vegetables are a great snack because not only do they require little to no preparation, they are a natural source of vitality. Instead of consuming empty calories which can also act as depressants, consider snacking on raw fruits and vegetables. Some fruits and vegetables even have properties known to boost energy, fight disease, and put you in a good mood. Other foods to consider in your depression-defeating diet are scallops and salmon, which both have been found to improve mood and reduce depression.

In addition to a good diet, having a regular exercise routine will do wonders for your mental health. If you don’t already exercise regularly, finding a good routine can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Three tips that I like to give my clients and friends are:

Start with walking
Find something you love
Do more than you did yesterday

Walking is very therapeutic and can help to relieve stress. Finding an exercise that you love can give you great peace and add to the defining characteristics that make you who you are. You can also expand your social interactions by joining a group centered on a certain activity that you enjoy (runners, bikers, swimmers, etc.). One of the best ways to get started with any exercise is to set a goal of doing more than you did yesterday. No one is going to get off the couch after months of not exercising and complete one of the rigorous home-video workouts from the “As Seen on TV” workout plans. Keep it simple. Pick a fun activity that provides exercise, and start slow. Once you’re comfortable with a certain volume, add in personal challenges to push yourself and make it even more fun.

When it is possible, try to get 30 minutes of sunlight each day. Doing so will increase your Vitamin D levels and you will benefit from the fresh air and the feeling of the sun itself. Low Vitamin D can cause memory deficiency, general health risks, and is also linked to depression.

Another thing that can help you overcome heartache, depression, and emotional pain is to acknowledge your spiritual side. I personally read the Bible and spend time in regular prayer and meditation. Knowing that God is in control, that He loves you, and that He wants to spend time with you can lighten any burden and bring peace and gratitude to your life in unparalleled ways.

For more advice on how to overcome depression naturally, get your copy of How to Live Until You Die today. Each of these topics and more are covered in detail, and each of the seven keys has concrete steps laid out so that you can build your own successful blueprint to living happy, healthy, and whole. Also, please check out my website for free resources to help you live, really live.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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Are You Living Your Life to the Fullest?

September 14, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Are You Living Your Life to the Fullest?

No matter what occupation you have, there are daily stresses with which you deal. The only difference is that some of us are better at dealing with stress than others. Letting stress get to you can be one of the biggest obstacles to truly enjoying your life. Another big obstacle is feeling like you don’t have enough time for enjoyable things.

Being a hard worker is both an admirable and necessary trait for reaching new levels in business. But in order to live life to its fullest, we need to find a healthy balance. As an entrepreneur, I am constantly striving for success. As a result of that, there were times when I worked around the clock without so much as a thought about exercise or sleep. Those were not good times.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, rest and relaxation actually enable us to be more productive during the hours that we work. Working around the clock doesn’t increase your efficiency. Proper sleep enhances your memory and improves your cognitive processes. Although it may seem like we don’t have time for sleep, proper rest is essential to a productive day. To get proper sleep, we must respect our circadian rhythms.

In my book How to Live Until You Die I explain that we all sleep in 90-minute cycles that repeat themselves throughout the night, alternating between REM, (rapid-eye-movement) and NREM (non-rapid-eye-movement) sleep. I give further details on REM and NREM sleep and how to get the best sleep for waking up energized and being productive, using sources from the Mayo Clinic, National Sleep Foundation, and Harvard Business Review to corroborate my advice.

If you aren’t getting proper sleep, you are going to be more susceptible to illness, and you are going to be weary all the time. Pretty soon, you’ll literally become sick and tired of being sick and tired. That’s certainly not living life to its fullest. To truly enjoy your life, you need to get regular rest and not feel guilty about sleeping.

In his book Deep Work, Cal Newport talks about the necessary balance between work and other activities, like exercise. He encourages people to take a break during the day to go for a walk or run in order to re-energize and balance exercise and work. He especially encourages people to spend time outdoors, saying “Spending time in nature can improve your ability to concentrate.” Newport elaborates on how spending time walking through nature can help you focus on solving problems. I myself have often walked my problems out and it has greatly helped to ease the daily stresses of being an entrepreneur.

The thing that matters most in living your life to the fullest is balance. There is nothing wrong with hard work, but you can’t allow your work to take the place of spending time with your family, sleeping, or exercising. There is a balance you can achieve which allows you to enjoy activities that you love and still accomplish the things you need to do to make money.

In fact, there are seven keys to living happy, healthy, and whole. Each of these plays an important part in living life to its fullest and finding satisfaction along the way. To learn more about the seven keys, get your copy of How to Live Until You Die today.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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Exercise: How to Get Started When You Feel Like You Can’t

August 31, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Exercise: How to Get Started When You Feel Like You Can’t

Do you feel like you exercise as much as you should? For a lot of us, the answer is no. Common reasons include not being able to find time for exercise, feeling physically unable to exercise, and not knowing what to do or where to start. Each reason is valid and understandable. Many people think of exercise as a chore or a task rather than an enjoyable activity. When we view it like that, it’s no wonder we can’t find time for it.

I address each of these areas in my book How to Live Until You Die. While getting started with exercise may seem daunting at first, it can quickly become one of your favorite things to do. Not only does regular exercise do wonders for your body, it also has a positive impact on your mind as well. Exercise will recharge your batteries and leave you feeling re-energized and able to focus better. Even short bursts of exercise each day will produce results. You just need to know what to do and when to do it.

Start by moving more today than you did yesterday.

For anyone who feels out of shape, or has a serious medical condition or chronic pain, getting started can be the hardest thing. Sometimes complicated exercise programs and rigorous routines just aren’t an option. But don’t be discouraged. The best thing to do is to just start. In How to Live Until You Die I share a real-life example from my own family.

When my dad was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, he was in so much pain that he could barely get out of bed. He knew exercise would help him, but he wasn’t able to do anything more than walking. So he started walking each day. He couldn’t go very far at first, but he kept it simple and walked a little bit further each day than he had the day before. In a short time, he went from being virtually immobile to walking three or four miles a day. Eventually he was able to add in chores and yardwork too.

Walking is extremely beneficial to your health, and it’s our natural way of moving from place to place. Keep it simple, and go for a walk today. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, but try to track your distance and see if you can go a little bit further tomorrow. Getting fresh air outside and spending the time walking is very therapeutic as well. I know this from first hand experience. As I explain in How to Live Until You Die, I went through a very stressful period in my life and taking regular walks gave me great peace.

If you work at a desk job, spending most of your time at a computer, it might seem like normal walks won’t fit your schedule. When you add up the time you spend at work, on your commute, and on your responsibilities at home, when can you find time to exercise? There are a few things you can try. If you work in an area that doesn’t have a good place to walk, try just walking around the building a few times during your lunch break. You can also break up the monotony of sitting at your computer all day by just moving around a little bit. There are several exercises that you can perform right in your office or at your cubicle. You might want to consider taking breaks a few times throughout the day to do some squats, desk dips, and core exercises.

Once you get started there are several fun exercise habits you can start building into your life. If you haven’t tried some types of exercise, you might unknowingly be missing out on an activity that you love. Tennis, biking, swimming, running, and even yoga are all great forms of exercise that you can do regularly while keeping your routine simple. You might find that you thoroughly enjoy one of them, and you will feel much better physically when you are engaging in exercise regularly. To learn more about how to get started and how to find the exercise that is right for you, grab your copy How to Live Until You Die today. Also, visit my resources page for a free Personal Health Inventory guide, a free Balanced Energy Guide and more!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Build Your Own Exercise Plan

August 7, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Build Your Own Exercise Plan

Do you struggle to maintain a regular exercise routine? One of the most common issues among people that I speak with is that they want to exercise, but they don’t know where to start. Most people overcomplicate things and think that if they don’t have everything planned out perfectly, they won’t see results. Planning is good and setting goals will help keep you motivated, but attempting to lay out everything step-by-step is going to drive you crazy. It’s best to keep it simple and just make sure you’re doing some form of exercise every day.

The thought of joining a gym or paying for an expensive exercise program can be overwhelming. Even the thought of exercising for the first time after a long hiatus is daunting. Because of these pressures, exercise is one of those words that make people cringe when they hear it. They feel guilty for not exercising, because they know their body needs it, yet they dread the thought of trying to find an exercise plan that they can maintain.

Most exercise programs have a big problem

The problem with most exercise programs is that they only work when you fully commit to them. The popular programs advertised on TV feature exercise gurus and sales people going through sets of intense exercise moves and promising an extreme, positive change in your looks. They make it seem like a magical seven-minute routine that morphs you from someone who is hesitant to exercise into a physical phenomenon in less than three months. Some of the exercises in these programs are so complicated and difficult that a lot of people quit within the first week and become unmotivated to try another program.

Exercise shouldn’t be a “one-size fits all” type of physical activity program, the way it’s advertised on TV. Each exercise program should be customized to your body and your health. The exercise program you do this year might not be the one that you’ll do next year, and it might be totally different from anything your friends do. The most important thing is that at any given time in your life, you’re doing the type of exercise that’s best for you.

So, what exactly does that mean? How do you know what type of exercise is best for you? In my book How to Live Until You Die I cover examples of people in my own family (including myself) who all struggled with finding the right exercise for them. Depending on their health situation, work situation, and life situation, there were different things that worked. For example, some people sit in traffic for an hour commuting to work and then sit at a desk all day. There are still ways to be active even in a scenario like that. I put together five steps to helping you build your own exercise plan.

Keep it simple: The best way to get started is to move more today than you did yesterday.
Be consistent and only compete against yourself: Work on consistency and improvement. Do you like to run? Challenge yourself to run one mile a day for a period of time and increase the distance when you’re ready.
Focus on moving more during your daily routine: Even simple activity throughout the day increases blood flow, enhances concentration, and boosts energy levels. Make sure you get up and take a five minute walk every couple of hours if you sit at a desk all day.
Learn your body and what works best for you: Talk to your doctor about any health care issues you are dealing with. Think about the physical activities you enjoyed as a child. Can you turn any of these into an exercise routine?
Become your own guru: Get your DNA analyzed and figure out what type of exercise will help you get the results you want Knowing your genetic makeup is a key step towards doing the type of exercise that will make you feel good all the time.

And as a bonus, a sixth step (when you feel it’s the right time for you) is to consult with a professional. Hire a certified fitness coach to discuss your exercise goals and routines. They will have a vested interest in your success and will provide continuous advice and accountability. I meet virtually with my personal fitness coach Jeff McMahon every week. If you can afford to hire someone like Jeff, I highly recommend it.

I recently did a blog post about my favorite sports supplement that gives you more power and energy for your workouts. If you are looking for a product to give you more energy and power for your workouts, then PREFITT by NutriFitt is what you are looking for! Trust me. It’s great tasting and an all around amazing product. I love it and highly recommend it!

To learn more about building your own exercise plan, finding the type of exercise that you enjoy and that does wonders for your body, and to discover the seven keys to living happy, healthy, and whole, get your copy of How to Live Until You Die today.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

It’s Okay to Drink Tap Water, Right?

July 31, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

When someone tells me about an ailment they’re having, one of the first questions I ask is: “How much water are you drinking each day?” Most people even admit to me that they’re probably not drinking enough. But I hear this question a lot as well, “It’s Okay to drink tap water, right?”

The human body is the world’s most amazing machine. With more than 600 different muscles, more than 200 bones, and more than 70 organs all working in conjunction with one another each day, it’s fascinating to think about how the human body functions. And even though your body contains all of these muscles, bones, and organs, they still don’t even account for the majority of what’s inside you. The human body consists primarily of water. Drinking water throughout the day is essential for overall health. Water helps us to perform at high levels, and we need to make sure we replenish our supply each day. We literally can’t live without water.

A deficit of water in your body can cause immediate and serious health problems, and if not addressed quickly, it will eventually result in death. To keep your body feeling fluid and performing at optimal levels, you should be drinking no less than one half ounce of water for every pound you weigh. For those of you who think water tastes too plain, I recommend trying The Right Cup.

According to recent studies, about 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. The first signs of dehydration include headaches, sluggishness, and loss of appetite. Severe dehydration leads to far more serious ailments such as chronic pain, organ failure, degenerative diseases, and death. If you’re reading this and are realizing you might be dehydrated, there’s a good chance you’re thinking about going to the kitchen sink and getting a glass of tap water. Don’t.

They type of water we drink is extremely important.

In my book How to Live Until You Die I stated “The truth is that tap water is the worst kind of water to drink because it’s full of chemicals.” There are hundreds of studies that will show you the dangerous chemicals that tap water contains, and many case histories done in the past few years that prove the deadliness of those chemicals. According to a report in Scientific American, “Traces of 18 unregulated chemicals were found in drinking water from more than one-third of U.S. water utilities in a nationwide sampling…”

Drinking tap water is simply not a safe way to sustain necessary levels of hydration in your body. The movie A Civil Action which dramatizes the true story of Erin Brockovich, profiles the inclusion of Chromium-6 in the tap water of more than 218 million Americans. Chromium-6 is known to be responsible for cancer, liver damage, reproductive problems, and developmental harm. You may also remember the crisis of 2014 in Flint, Michigan, when it was discovered that the tap water was contaminated with high levels of lead.

We need to drink water to stay hydrated, but drinking tap water will probably do us more harm than good. So what do we do? You have a few options. Bottled water is better than tap water, and so is filtering water through either a pitcher or a device attached directly to the tap. Water filtration will remove some of the chemicals, however, it is inconsistent and the lifespan of filters can weaken their effectiveness over time.

My favorite type of water is alkaline ionized water, which you can get through a Kangen machine. Alkaline water helps counteract any acidic things that we put in our bodies. It also contains electrolyte nutrients that help your body function the way it should. To learn more about proper hydration, safe and unsafe water sources, and my top recommendations for staying healthy by drinking the right kind of water, get a copy of my book How to Live Until You Die. (more blogs on water)

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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How to Live Happy, Healthy, and Whole

July 31, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Many people understand that having a diet focused on clean, whole, organic foods will increase their health and well-being significantly. A good diet helps control your weight, provides the energy you need to thrive, and uses the nutrients in that food to fight against harmful toxins and diseases. What a large number of people aren’t as familiar with is to be truly happy, healthy, and whole in all aspects and to sincerely enjoy the life you live, there are six additional components that are just as important as nutrition.

My book, How to Live Until You Die, provides an in-depth look at each of these critical areas (I call them The Seven Keys to Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole) and explains the importance and uniqueness of each. This information is imperative to anyone who is seeking a complete life, full of vitality and joy. When your mind, body, and spirit are all well-taken care of, you can really live a happy and abundant life.

Good nutrition is very important to your overall well-being, and brings enormous rewards to your life in conjunction with the other six keys. To receive proper nutrition and manage your diet effectively you need to make sure you are avoiding products that contain deadly toxins. Target non-processed whole foods and try to consume a protein, a carbohydrate, and a good fat as part of every meal. In addition to proper nutrition through natural foods, I always recommend adding certain supplements to your diet in order to increase your daily nutrient intake. The most important supplements to take include multivitamins, CoQ10, fish oil, probiotics, and Vitamin D. (more blogs on nutrition)

Along with proper nutrition, two other things that go hand-in-hand with your physical health are exercise and water. Daily exercise is essential for feeling good and avoiding obesity. Most of the highly-promoted exercise programs today tout outlandish promises and extremely rigorous routines that can discourage many people from even getting started on the exercise plan. The best thing to do is start simple. Incorporate more movement into your day today than you did yesterday. When you exercise regularly, it’s important to drink plenty of water. Our bodies are comprised mainly of water and it’s crucial to consume the amount of water necessary to maintain your natural levels. Dehydration will cause you to be sluggish and can be the root of serious negative effects on your mood and your health. You should be drinking a half ounce of water for every pound you weigh, everyday. (more blogs on water)

Once you’ve covered nutrition, exercise, and water, you need to make sure you’re getting enough sleep. In 350 BC, Aristotle wrote an essay titled Sleep and Sleeplessness to promote the importance of sleep. He did a great job of detailing the ways that proper sleep benefits the body, and the points he made are all still true today. One thing that has changed since Aristotle’s essay is the exposure to blue light people receive from devices like smartphones, tablets, and TV screens. This light interferes with your natural melatonin production and can prohibit restfulness. I recommend not using these devices in your bed, and shutting them off about one hour before you want to fall asleep. Are you getting enough sleep at night? According to the National Sleep Foundation, you should be targeting between seven and nine hours per night. (more blogs on sleep)

Sleep can provide tremendous physical and mental health benefits, rejuvenating your body and your mind. Brain health is just as important to your vitality as physical health. Two other areas of equal importance are your spirit and your soul. In How to Live Until You Die, I devote one chapter to each of these, explaining why your spirit and soul are critical to your overall well-being. Using positivity, prayer, and meditation can greatly reduce the impact of stress in your life. When you invest in the health of your spirit and soul you can live peacefully without anxiety and truly enjoy your happy, healthy, and whole life.

To live a happy, healthy, and whole life until the day you die, make sure you balance the seven keys to living and keep your focus on establishing good habits in each area. For more tips on proper nutrition, building your own food and exercise plans, the importance of water, sleep, supplements, and effectively balancing your mind, body, spirit, and soul—get your copy of How to Live Until You Die today.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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Is Sleep Really That Important?

July 31, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

The songs played on the radio today often glorify passing up sleep to participate in other activities, questioning sleep importance. You’ve probably even read stories about your favorite entrepreneurs pulling all-nighters in their quest to rise to the top of the business world. With all this emphasis on sacrificing sleep for other things, it may seem like sleep importance isn’t necessary—or that sleep could even be an obstacle—to achieve long-lived success. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Perhaps Benjamin Franklin said it best with the now famous phrase “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute published an article in June of 2017 that emphasises the sleep importance and explains the benefits that the correct amount of sleep provides to all different parts of the body, as well as performance, brain function, and emotional well-being.

The American Psychological Association, National Sleep Foundation, and Health.com all plead with their audiences not to dismiss the importance of sleep, and caution them against sleep deprivation and the negative effect it has on physical health, cognitive performance, and general mood. The American Psychological Association’s website states that more than 40% of adults routinely battle with daytime drowsiness that significantly impacts their performance and that the drowsiness is caused by improper sleep patterns.

In the book How to Live Until You Die Dr. Phil Carson identifies sleep deficit as a performance killer, and explains how to avoid the consequences of sleep deprivation by getting good, quality sleep. Using his three guidelines for getting ideal sleep, he shows readers how to create their own sleep plan and overcome common obstacles that prohibit millions of people from getting proper sleep each night.

Dr. Phil uses several examples of well-researched studies to explain the importance of quality sleep, with sources including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Harvard Business Review, European Society of Cardiology, the Mayo Clinic, and the National Sleep Foundation. He also points out that the Bible references sleep several times, and that it even tells a story that begins with Jesus sleeping. (Mark 4:35-41)

How to Live Until You Die covers the many aspects of sleep, answering many frequently-asked questions and

explaining the intricacies of REM and NREM sleep cycles. In addition to helping you build your own sleep plan, Dr. Phil offers insight on the body’s natural melatonin production, why it’s important to us, and how the blue light from the devices we constantly use is causing us to sleep poorly. He tells readers that “By structuring your evenings to take advantage of your body’s natural melatonin production and the circadian rhythms, you will put yourself in a position to fall asleep more easily and stay asleep for the right amount of time.”

Unless you’re Jack Bauer from the hit TV show 24, you need proper sleep in order to function to the best of your ability. To learn more about how to get the right amount of restful sleep, and to discover the seven keys to living happy, healthy, and whole, order your copy of How to Live Until You Die today.

Check out Dr. Phil’s free resources to download his Simple Sleep Plan and more FREE resources! You can also check out more blogs about sleep!

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The Most Important Part of Any Diet is Water

June 30, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever felt motivated to improve your health, you’ve probably realized that eating right is crucial to success. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or just feel more alive, having the right diet is critical. Most people cringe when they hear the word “diet” because their first thought is that they have to undertake an extreme regimen of eating far less, far more, or much different food than they are used to. However, the word “diet” in its simplest form is more accurately defined as the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats.

Everybody has a diet. For some people, a diet can include fast food, sugary drinks, and daily desserts. Others may consider their diet to be Paleo, Mediterranean, vegetarian, or one of the other well-known, well-defined mainstream diets. Your diet is what you eat regularly. If you want to improve your overall quality of life, take a long look at your diet. Are you consuming too many harmful foods? Could you add more fruits and vegetables to your daily intake? What exactly is the ideal diet?

No two people are exactly the same, and no two diets need be exactly the same either. The best diet is what works best for your body. However, there is one thing that is essential across all diets, for all humans, regardless of shape, size, age, or any other variable: The number one most important thing to consume every day is water. Our bodies are made primarily of water. In fact, our composition is 60-70% water. The bottom line is: We can’t live without water. According to Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, an authority in the medical community, more than 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. This astounding statistic may very well explain the root cause of many ailments suffered by individuals across the country.

When a new patient comes to Dr. Phil Carson with a complaint about their health, he says, “Water is so important that no matter what ailment the person is asking about, one of the first questions I ask is how much water they’re drinking a day.” In his book, How to Live Until You Die, he asserts that “Water can be an important part of any plan to burn fat, lose weight, and speed up your metabolism.”

To truly live happy, healthy, and whole, you need to drink at least .5 ounces of water for each pound that you weigh, each day. Water plays a major part in flushing out deadly toxins and allowing us to feel fluid, flexible, and energized. Several scientific studies have found significant correlations between water intake and reduced risk of bladder cancer, rectal cancer, colorectal cancer, colon cancer, and breast cancer. The collective conclusion of the studies mentioned is that “Water is undoubtedly the most important nutrient and the only one whose absence will be lethal within days.” Dr. Phil gives an overview of these studies in How to Live Until You Die, along with recommendations on the best water sources and types of water, the best times to drink water, healthy ways to make water more flavorful, and warnings against drinking tap water.

Daily consumption of water is one of Dr. Phil’s seven keys to living right. As he says in How to Live Until You Die “Getting enough water is a critically important part of a balanced plan to be more happy, healthy, and whole.”

You have probably heard Dr. Phil say, “You may not be drinking enough water, but you need to be! Stay hydrated, my friends!” But there are so many options, how do you know what type of water to drink to make sure you’re getting the most benefits and great taste, while keeping it simple and consistent with your lifestyle? Dr. Phil recently shared a video on his Facebook page, where people have tested the Ph Balance levels on popular brands of bottled water. It’s shocking to see these results. Dr. Phil highly recommends drinking high quality bottled spring water or mineralized water for that reason.

Two of the most common reasons people give for not drinking enough water are that is tastes too plain or it’s too boring. Water doesn’t have to be boring or plain! Have you tried adding fresh squeezed lemons, limes or oranges? Adding fresh fruit to your water can taste even better than the chemical-infused elixirs marketed as sports drinks or enhanced waters. Experiment today with adding fruit to your water. Your kids and grandkids will love it too!

To learn more about the health benefits of water, how to get the right amount of water in your diet, and to discover the other six keys to living happy, healthy, and whole, order your copy of How to Live Until You Die today. You can also listen to a recent episode of the Feeling Good Podcast, where Dr. Phil discusses the importance of water in your diet on our website or in iTunes.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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How to Start Living Healthy

June 28, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

If you watch TV or surf the internet, chances are you’ve seen an advertisement for a diet or exercise program that promises significant results in very little time. Most of these focus on superficial goals like weight loss or muscle gain, and show you “before and after” photos of people who have completed the regiment. Some diets require you to take a pill, or substitute meals for shakes made with powder that often contains harmful substances. Other programs include intense exercise routines that most people who are not avid exercisers at the time they begin the program cannot handle. The majority of people who purchase these types of products don’t finish the full cycle of exercise routines or dieting requirements because the change is too drastic and the demands are too rigorous. This failure to complete what they started can be a major discouragement and create bad feelings about eating well and exercising regularly. Don’t you want to know how to start living healthy?

In his book How to Live Until You Die, Dr. Phil Carson explains that to really live life to its fullest and enjoy each day, minor changes, not major changes, need to be implemented incrementally. Dr. Phil shares his seven keys to living happy, healthy, and whole with readers and gives them concrete examples of how to improve their health and increase their quality of life by following simple steps and how to start living healthy.

In the first chapter of How to Live Until You Die, Dr. Phil talks about the importance of maintaining balance between eating, exercising, and five other key areas. He quotes the legendary basketball coach John Wooden who said “Next to love, balance is the most important thing.” Dr. Phil elaborates by explaining that being healthy doesn’t consist of replacing meals with pills and diet shakes, and that a balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats should be included in each meal. He gives examples of acceptable choices for each of these categories, and provides additional resources to help you build your own food plan.

Using the method that Dr. Phil provides, anyone can improve their eating habits without making drastic changes to their everyday meals. Sometimes, simple replacements (substituting a sugary breakfast cereal for oatmeal made with steel cut oats) can deliver an immediate upgrade to our overall health.

As he says in How to Live Until You Die, “Being healthy is all about making smart choices on a daily basis and it starts with a simple five-step framework to eating clean and healthy foods.” The five steps to building a successful plan for eating healthy are covered in the first chapter of the book. The first step includes a list of the Big Seven Toxins which can be deadly if consumed regularly. Although you may not feel it right away, these toxins work through our bodies and leave us with diabetes, obesity, and worse.

Dr. Phil stresses the importance of creating a meal plan that works for you, consuming foods you enjoy eating, making smart choices, and including a balance of healthy foods rather than just following the latest fad diet.

If you’re ready to improve the quality of your life and start living healthy by following the five steps to eating healthy, order your copy of How to Live Until You Die today.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Looking for a Good Book to Read this Summer

June 2, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Looking for a good book to read? It’s summer time, and that’s an awesome time to enjoy reading a good book. Don’t you love laying around at the pool or the beach while enjoying a good book? I’ve got a great new book out called “How to Live Until You Die, the 7 Keys to Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole.” If you want a good book to read for the summer, this is it! We will be doing book promotions all summer, so get ready for some really fun giveaways and posts on our Feeling Good Podcast, Instagram and Facebook pages.

If you are looking for fun, free activities for your kids or grand kids this summer, I encourage you to go to your local library and let the kids check out books to read or books you can read to your kids. Kids need to learn how to live happy, healthy, and whole too. Look for a few books that teach them about nutrition, health, and life. Keeping your kids and grand kids active and doing fun things this summer is a great way to promote healthy living.

Another fun thing to do at any age is to find a Little Free Library, where you can take a book and return a book. Have you seen one of these yet? Check out their map to find locations near you, or maybe even build your own Little Free Library in your community. Our staff loved reading their recent blog post, DIY Little Free Library (Adorable AND Affordable!) And if you ever happen to leave my book in a Little Free Library, send me a picture! I would love to see that happen!

I have an important question to ask you on this Feeling Good Friday. What could you do if you had a simple plan to increase energy, get in better shape, and improve your mental and emotional health? How to Live Until You Die makes it simpler than ever to unlock a healthier, happier, and more whole you, so today can mark a new beginning for your total health! You have more pressure on you than ever before, with competing demands for work, family and friends and our communities, it’s no wonder so many people are stressed, overweight, unhealthy, and exhausted. In my book, I developed a simple plan anyone can use with their healthcare providers to find balance in those seven key areas, which follow the acronym N.E.W.S.S.S.S., to improve:

Nutrition, to finally get rid of fad diets and expensive programs
Exercise, to help you start feeling and looking more fit
Water, to help you lose weight, improve your health, and feel better than ever
Sleep, to help you finally rest and recover
Supplements, to resolve nutritional deficiencies in your body
Soul, to help you find true inner peace, and
Spirit, to help you plug into a higher power needed for lasting happiness

Visit howtoliveuntilyoudie.com for more information, free book resources and more!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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