John Arts Abundant Living www.johnarts.co.nz

Sometimes in life we need to make major changes in order to achieve something. Our son has just taken up rowing and this has meant getting up early and sacrificing weekends and evenings. What is not so obvious is how small changes can equally make a big difference and this especially applies to health.

Small dietary changes such as decreasing inflammatory polyunsaturated oils in favour of anti-inflammatory oils such as olive or avocado oils can in time make a difference. In particular, this is true of using well formulated, high grade supplements where we can introduce a variety of nutrients at optimum levels in a very short period of time. No big deal at all – just the discipline of swallowing a few capsules.

As an example I spoke with someone recently who has made significant health improvements by adding a nutritional support plan alongside her existing medical programme. She had battled with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) for five years and had been unable to bring her prednisone dose down past a certain point. After about six months on an intensive anti-inflammatory nutritional programme, her doctor had finally declared her PMR had gone and she is now off prednisone.

To get different results you have to do something positive. If you are unwell the first step is to take ownership of your health. The second is to see your health professional – in most cases your GP – to assess the problem. The third step is to gather information on the self-help measures you can implement including diet, lifestyle and, as mentioned, appropriate supplements. Most people operate within financial constraints and the costs of any programme need to be carefully assessed. There is no point in starting something you cannot finish.

The changes you need to make will be entirely dependent on your age, body weight and of course the severity of the problem. Other factors need to be considered such as ensuring that any supplements or diet do not conflict with any prescribed medication or with any other supplements and remedies. If you are facing a health challenge, make sure you get some help as sometimes making small changes can make such a big difference.