What does vibrant health mean to you?

This picture was found by searching for “mind, body and spirit,” the vibrant health of a lifestyle in balance and in harmony with nature.

Recently, I received a vibrant health top-ten list from Robert, a reader of my blog, who added at the end of this list: Thanks so much for your daily blog!

1. Unexpected benefits. Most of the health benefits were unexpected because I had felt that my own results of Standard American Diet were normal (tired, constipated, irritable, etc.)
2. Spiritual. I must say that a spiritual aspect of going plant based also came about on it’s own…maybe good karma for taking care of the earth and being a better steward of other species.
3. Regularity. Thought I knew what this was. Wrong. You can’t underestimate the healthy benefits of regularity.
4. GERD disappeared. (Gastro-esophageal reflux disease)
5. Hands feel more fluid. Realized that my family legacy of arthritis came more from our family diet than from our genes.
6. Love life improved. Healed atherosclerosis in all parts of the body.
7. Cholesterol. Down 110 points (last count).
8. Twenty pounds lighter. Slowly gravitated to my natural weight.
9. Running again for the first time in 30 years. Not just running….got fourth place in my age group in my first 5K.
10. 

    Sailing is also good for the mind, body and spirit.

    My wife is also running…and has really never done so in her life.

Dear Robert, Thank you for sharing your top-ten list, which I assume was in no particular order. And thanks for sharing the spiritual piece. It kinds of fall in with my recent series of posts about happiness (most recent was on  7-14-12)

Appeal for more “vibrant health” indicators. In the past 526 days of blogging, I have heard from many of you. Please post some of your vibrant health indicators as a “Comment” to this post and I will feature them in a future blog.

Handy 4-piece take-charge-of-your-health kit—from Amazon.com

• The movie that’s changing the lives of millions: Forks Over Knives DVD 
• Healthy Eating, Healthy World, The “big picture” about food (our book)
• An essential scientific resource: The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell
• Dr. McDougall’s new book, The Starch Solution, with lots of great recipes.

Want to find out how healthy your family is eating? Take our free 4Leaf Diagnostic Survey. It takes less than five minutes and you can score it yourself. After taking the survey, please give me your feedback as it will be helpful in the development of our future 4Leaf app for smartphones. Send feedback to jmorrishicks@me.com

International. We’re now reaching people in over 100 countries. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or get daily blog notices by “following” us in the top of the right-hand column. For occasional updates, join our periodic mailing list.

J. Morris Hicks, working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

For help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4Leaf page or some great recipes at Lisa’s 4Leaf Kitchen.

Got a question? Let me hear from you at jmorrishicks@me.com. Or give me a call on my cell at 917-399-9700.

SHARE and rate this post below.

Blogging daily at hpjmh.com…from the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

—J. Morris Hicks, board member, T. Colin Campbell Foundation