Dr Wu's secrets to good health

Dr Wu's secrets to good health
Published: 7/05/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Mylife


The human body has the power to heal itself. The immune system has a self-defence mechanism to block and destroy bacteria or viruses that invade our bodies, while the self-healing mechanism will get us back on the road to recovery. When you have a cold and take medicine, the medication may kill the virus but your immune system will not fully function, and its efficiency will decrease. 
As a result, your body will be more vulnerable to germs.
Dr Wu's principle is to strengthen the immune system, and avoid medication as much as possible. In his book, he offers the following guidelines to good health:
1. Have three bowel movements a day, if possible.
Other health experts may advise one bowel movement a day, but Dr Wu says that's not enough. You need three bowel movements a day in order to excrete all the accumulated faeces from your intestine. 
Your liver  not beoverburdened and it also helps reduce cholesterol in your body.
2. Drink at least three glasses of fruit or vegetable smoothies each day.
This is a way to ingest enough phytochemicals to strengthen the body's cells and immune system. Use not only the flesh, but also the skin and seeds of fruits and vegetables to make smoothies, as they are rich in phytochemicals.
Most of the fruit seeds have small amounts of cyanide which kill bacteria and viruses without damaging the body.
Actually the recommended smoothie diet is six glasses a day, two in the morning, one before lunch, two more in the afternoon, and one more before dinner. However, if that's too much, you may start with three glasses a day. Use a high powered blender (at least three horsepower) as it can release phytochemicals from the fibre. It's best to choose sour fruits like green or red apples, grapes,pineapples, kiwi and lime.
3. Sunbathe 30 minutes daily.
We often hear that the Sun's UV rays will damage our skin, and many people apply sunblock before going out.
But Dr Wu says the opposite. He says the UV rays will help convert cholesterol underneath the skin into vitamin A which helps moisten the skin and prevent skin cancer, and also vitamin D that helps prevent colds,  osteoporosis, and certain kinds of cancer.
"Therefore, use the Sun. Expose yourself to sunlight about one-half hour a day, at noon or another appropriate time based on your local climate. The Sun will make you healthier," says Dr Wu.
4. Exercise 30 minutes a day.
Don't exercise for more than 30 minutes. If you go beyond that, your body will be overworked.
"If you do it more than half an hour, that will become labour, not exercise. Your heart and your body will be working too hard," he says.
5. Shower with hot, then cold water.
Try an alternating cold and hot water shower: Three minutes of hot water followed by 30 seconds of cold water, then repeat twice more.
This process will bring a rush of blood and energy to your body. It helps to increase your immune system, blood circulation, and metabolism.
6. Drink a lot of water, in the correct way.
How much water you need to drink each day depends on your specific situation.If your office is air-conditioned, drinking six glasses of water a day is enough. If your work involves lots of walking, you have to drink 8-10 glasses a day. If you work under the hot sun, then 10-12 glasses of water are required.
The way you drink is also important. The correct way is to sip it little by little, to give your body cells time to absorb the water. If you drink the whole glass down at once, your cells can't absorb it all, and the water will be excreted as urine.
7. Eat according to your blood type.
Your blood type determines what you should eat. Eating the wrong foods will make you sick.
People with blood type O have to eat a certain amount of meat. If they eat only vegetables for a long time, their body won't absorb all the substances they need to strengthen their immune system. The recommended diet for this group is 75% vegetables, 10% fruits, 10% meat, seafood and goat's milk (avoid cow's milk), and 5% grains.
People with blood type A, however should avoid milk and meat, while increasing grains and fruits.
People with blood type B should also avoid meat.
People with blood type AB should avoid chicken and beef.
8. Eat according to your biological clock.
Every human being has a biological clock that tells us when to eat, sleep, and wake up. If you don't follow your biological clock, the organs will lose their balance. Toxins and wastes won't be excreted from your body, and soon you'll get sick.
According to Dr Wu, the biological clock is divided into three phases.
From 4am to noon is the time for bowel movements, so in the morning you should eat foods with lots of fibre. Fruit and vegetable smoothies are recommended.
From noon to 8pm, your body will absorb food, so lunch is the most important meal. A vegetable salad with grains is recommended. Fish or boiled eggs can be added to your lunch. Avoid meat at dinner as the amino acids in the meat will disturb your sleep. Try to finish dinner by 6pm.
From 8pm to 4am, the nutrients and energy from food will be distributed throughout your body organs. The golden time for your sleep is between 10pm and 2am,as your immune and self-healing system will function at its best.