Most people have compromised immune systems due to an over consumption of sugar, caffeine and alcohol, not getting enough exercise or sleep, and too much stressful thinking. All of these factors are within our personal control. Since it is our social responsibility to limit the spread of contagious diseases, it is our social responsibility to do whatever is within our power and capacity to strengthen our immune systems.

If you think it is normal for a person to die of heart disease by the age of 70, that’s because it is normal for most people not to do cardiovascular exercise when they are younger. There is a serious health care crisis in this country, and it’s not just because of a broken medical system. In fact, all of the most common causes of chronic disease and death before the age of 70 are preventable with proper exercise and nutrition.

Imagine this: One Saturday afternoon, six people arrive at your house bearing delicious homemade whole food potluck offerings, and they are sparkling with a playful Get Shit Done attitude. They are here to do your chores.

A childcare cooperative is a group of parents who take turns watching each other's children. Instead of paying for babysitters, nannys, preschools, and after school programs, parents in a childcare cooperative provide free childcare for each other.

What we call health care could be more accurately be called sickness care. When we care for our health, and when factors out of our control don't compromise our health, we don't need the services associated with the health care industry.

If you truly want to be happy, and you are ready to make significant changes in your life to make that happen, find every opportunity to care for others and express gratitude directly for the care you receive.

In "The Secrets of Long Life," National Geographic author Dan Buettner looked at three groups of people on earth that are unusually long-lived. Among other shared traits, he found that all three groups often eat their meals together.

We all know that water is fundamental to life, that we are made mostly of water, and that without it we will quickly die. That should be all the information we need to inspire us to drink enough of it.

Getting quality, uninterrupted sleep can be easier said than done. Some of us have schedules and obligations that make it seem impossible to ever get enough sleep. Many people look at the suggestion to get great sleep every night, and shake their heads, saying, “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Self-relaxation is the foundation of all Middleway Method. Whether we are working with ourselves or with others, the basis of the process is self-relaxation. It never ceases to amaze me how such a simple thing can have so many practical applications and provide so much depth of insight when we explore it.

In Middleway Method, our practice is to do things for ourselves and for others that create that feeling of sanctuary, a sigh of relief when we can settle down and rest. The feeling of sanctuary can be just one moment long, one breath, and in that one breath, our bodies can drop out of the stress state and into a rest state.

Good nutrition doesn't have to be complicated. You don't have to believe in the latest fad. You can eat well based entirely upon your own common sense and the feelings of your body. If you add a little bit of nutritional science and traditional human wisdom to the picture, then you've got it made.

What if the motivation to feel great in your body and your mind is not for your own sake, but so that you can more skillfully help others soften the distractions of pain, sickness, and self-absorption?