Since a person’s health is held in the balance between opposing forces of distress on the one hand and adaptability on the other, the main objectives of a good wellness program are to decrease the distress factors — toxicity, trauma and insufficiency, and to increase resiliency by improving function.

Improving work habits and posture and restoring adequate rest can reduce physical stress and trauma.

Chemical stress and toxicity can be reduced by improving air and water quality, improving food quality with more organically grown and less processed foods and by avoiding unnecessary use of drugs (over the counter or Rx), and avoiding foods that cause sensitivities or allergies.

Some ways to reduce emotional stress are to improve personal, family and community relationships and career satisfaction, to reduce negative “self-talk” and to remove the misinterpretation of past events (example: holding grudges and blaming).

Electromagnetic stress can be reduced by limiting time spent indoors with artificial light, by limiting TV, cell phone and computer time, and by reducing proximity to electrical appliances and power lines.

To improve a person’s resiliency and ability to respond to stress, several areas are important: Improving detoxification, getting proper macronutrient balance and micronutrient supplementation, better rest and relaxation and exercise.

Improving detoxification function is of paramount importance. First in priority is to preserve the gastrointestinal barrier to prevent unnecessary entrance of toxins into the bloodstream and to ensure good colon elimination.

Intestinal health depends on good digestion. This includes a favorable eating environment and schedule, proper chewing and limiting nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, etc. Special support nutrient supplementation can help to aid digestion, to restore balance in disrupted bowel ecology, and to support the gut lining to heal from damage caused by unfriendly or “dysbiotic” bacteria, yeast and parasites.

The next part of improving the detoxification process is to support the liver and other organs in their detoxifying work. Foremost in this support is to avoid overloading the detoxifying efforts by adding too many chemicals such as caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and foreign chemicals (xenobiotics) such as chemical food additives, pesticide-laden foods and drugs (prescription and non-prescription). Also to be avoided, although less toxic, would be too many herbs taken together.

Next is to provide proper protein intake to support the liver’s detoxifying work, including sulfur-containing amino acids. Antioxidant support with supplements and foods high in antioxidants such as colored vegetables is important to handle the free radicals produced in the oxidative reactions in the liver’s detoxification phase I process. Also important is to take in enough of the proper kinds of fats (omega 3 oils), which reduce pro-inflammatory immune activation (which causes oxidative stress). Alkaline vegetable broths are used to improve extra-cellular environment to support detoxification. Some programs use hot baths and moderate temperature saunas to increase removal of toxins through perspiration.

The important aspects of restoring optimum function and adaptability are macronutrient balance (ratio of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, adapted to each individual); micronutrient supplementation to enhance nutrient sufficiency; aerobic training, strength training, rest and relaxation training; and special restorative medical foods and supplements.

To implement this program, it is important to do testing and monitoring of function by means of questionnaires, chemical testing, biomechanical testing, assessing digestion and detoxification functions, assessing physical fitness, percent body fat, percent lean muscle mass, muscle strength and aerobic capacity.