When most people think about preventative health, they usually associate the following changes: lifestyle, supplements, diet, and exercise. This approach to preventative health, however, will always give temporary results for most people. In this article I wish to offer you a completely new and more successful way to achieve preventative health with long term results.

First, let’s examine why the big four changes listed above are temporary for most people in their search for preventative health. Lifestyle change has become a big buzzword in the past few years. In theory, any change to a more positive lifestyle sounds great. As a physician with over twenty years clinical experience, I can report that very few people ever commit to a permanent change or even have a desire to change their habits acquired over a lifetime. One of the main obstacles to this approach is that it is similar to wearing someone else’s clothes. It just doesn’t fit right. Eventually, you stop and go back to your old clothes that are more comfortable.

Supplements sound like a great idea since everyone is taking them and everywhere you look someone is promising you incredible benefits to your health. The reality is that most people have dozens of bottles stuffed in their cabinets and have no idea what half of them do. I have interviewed many patients over the years who take three or more bottles of the same ingredient, such as the vitamin B complex, when one bottle would be sufficient. Then there is the matter of dosage. Many bottles will market something like vitamins with ginkgo or ginseng. If you read the label, you find that the amount is so little, it is impossible for it to have any effect. Obviously, careful research is required before you start collecting more bottles.

Diet programs are like the tides; they come and go. Again, they might work for a while, but the list of my patients that have tried multiple diets over the years and are still searching is quite long. Meanwhile, it has been documented that people who practice “yo-yo dieting,” going from one diet to another, suffer from higher levels of heart disease, stress levels and obesity than someone who doesn’t diet.

Exercise is a habit that must be cultivated. Unless you started this habit when you were young, it is difficult to sustain a long term program of physical fitness. Another factor is time. People have less time to devote to healthy physical activities with work, television, the internet and family responsibilities all competing for a major share of their day.

Before you completely give up and raid the refrigerator, I offer you another solution to preventative health. It is based upon the form of medicine that I now successfully practice with patients across the United States. It is called Intuitive Medicine. Intuitive Medicine (I.M.) is based upon the intelligence and consciousness that each of us was born with and that is contained in every cell, tissue and organ of our body. This intelligence is what makes each of us different and it is getting in touch with this information that is the basis for a truly successful program of preventative health.

First, you need to get in touch with your intuitive self. That self is different from the self which plays constant tapes in your head based upon fear, anger, guilt, etc. I always tell my patients that following the messages in your mental tapes is equivalent to giving your car keys to a two year old. You can control the tapes by simply saying “stop.” Similar to disciplining a child, it requires repetition to achieve results. Once you have quieted your mind, you can begin to get in touch with the intuitive you, the real you.

Next you will need a way to access the information that is contained in your body. There are various ways to accomplish this. Some people use a pendulum. The results with this device may be mixed, depending on the individual. Other people use a form of kinesiology (muscle testing) that uses the body to answer questions with yes/no answers.

Once you have quieted your mind, you may just close your eyes and ask yourself questions such as, “Is this multiple vitamin right for me?” You will be surprised that you will start getting correct answers from your body. Once you have achieved a level of confidence in your new ability, you may construct a preventative health survey, asking the following questions: (1) Am I healthy? (2) Do I need to change my nutritional habits? Is broccoli good for me? (3) Do I have emotional or mental triggers that sabotage me? List some, if the answer is yes. For example, try anger, fear, guilt, etc. (4) Would I benefit from exercise? (5) Do I have healthy relationships? Do I need to find new ones that nourish me? (6) Do I need to find a new career? If so, make a list of other options.

Basically, you can make up your own health survey. By getting “yes” or “no” answers to these questions, you will start acquiring a customized and accurate picture of who you really are and what your true needs are. This will empower you to create a plan to achieve preventative health solutions that are for you alone, not the masses.

If you find that you need assistance in either intuitively scanning your body, emotions, etc. as well as formulating a program of preventative health, it helps to consult with a professional health practitioner who has experience in the area of intuitive medicine.

Dr. Robert Friedman, O.M.D. is a medical intuitive, holistic physician, and author of Spiritual Weight Loss: Reprogram Your Genetic Code and Intuitive Pain Relief. (800) 538-4973 www.BodySoulMedicine.com