Introduction
Welcome to this weeks’ blog, thought that it would be a good idea to set the tone for the website with a basic look at having a healthy lifestyle.
It is possible to become a successful person, who is also happier and healthier by just changing your lifestyle with some simple adjustments to the way that you live at the moment.
Doing so will not just involve any exercise that you do, or your diet. Achieving a healthy lifestyle, that is both happier and healthier for you, is to balance both body and mind in harmony. When you achieve the balance in mental and physical health, not forgetting the spiritual aspect, then, you can say that you are truly healthy.
Bringing Back Health and Harmony
It is easy to say if we are healthy, then we are happier and as a result we can more easily reach success in our lives.
These are a few ways in which we can bring back both balance and harmony to our lives.
There will be no surprises when I start off by saying that an essential part of having a healthy lifestyle, is exercise. Regular exercise is essential, it helps to not only keep our heart and lungs healthy, but also detoxifies us.
The exercise which you carry out is really down to you, should it be vigorous, like going to the gym, or just going for a walk. It is a good idea to decide which activity you prefer, decide on a set time of day, then devote say thirty minutes a day, to getting your body back into shape.
Must confess that as I approach eighty, going for a walk, usually after my evening meal, works best for me. Being honest, this is not something that I do on a regular basis, though I should. If you have a garden, then gardening is a great way to stay fit, I enjoy just being in the fresh air and seeing the fruits of my labours. Not to mention the fresh fruit.
Having just re-read the last paragraph, I have recently begun to do a few simple exercises each morning. Do these before I shower, have to admit they do wake me up and make me feel alive to start the day.
The next step, as we search to return to a healthy lifestyle, is eating. For our body to work at its best, it needs the right amount of minerals, vitamins and nutrients.
Here I can hear you say, do I reach for the tablet bottle, NO, of course you do not there are other ways to have a healthy diet with the right planning and a little thought.
Having fast foods or takeaways, is not a good idea, they contain not only sugar but saturated fats. Start having chicken, fish, whole grain, not forgetting plenty of green vegetables. Instead of juice, eat fresh fruit, I notice that my supermarket, has a good varied selection all the year round. I do enjoy grapes on my morning bowl of Bran Flakes. When grapes are not available I have blueberries instead.
As well as making changes to what you eat, it is a good idea to include supplements which contain vitamins, minerals and nutrients. I have been taking a number of what I call health tablets for a number of years, they do seem to work.
For a number of years the methods used by Farmers have stripped many minerals which our food used to contain, by adding to the vitamins and minerals to our diet we ensure that we get what we need in our daily diet.
If you have just a small amount of space outside, why not grow your own fruit trees, modern varieties exist which can be grown in pots. Think of the fun having your own fresh fruit will bring you, not to mention the good that it will do you. If space permits you can always buy a small container in which you can grow vegetables, even on a balcony, try using a grow bag.
Stress plays an important part in our lives, being able to reduce the amount that we have in our lives, is important to how we cope with it. It is surprising just how much damage stress can cause to both our body and our mind. Not surprisingly it has been linked to such problems as, depression, lowering our immune system, sleep problems, fatigue also causing burnout. So how can we reduce our stress levels? If you learn some simple techniques to reduce the amount of daily worry and stress, you will feel not only full of energy but also more balanced.
They are several things that you can do to achieve this, these include just basic breathing exercises, I do these when I do my morning exercises, not forgetting Yoga and Meditation. When breathing remember to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. It is beyond the scope of this blog, but there are a number of helpful aids available, these include DVD’s and Books, not to mention classes which you can take.
Finally, make life fun. Nowadays I get great pleasure out of taking my son, youngest grandson and eldest grandson to football, it helps to keep me young! In addition to this I also do things such as working on my model railway or stamp collection. Do things that make you happy.
Conclusion
In conclusion to this article, here are some ideas which can help you achieve a healthier outlook on life.
The most important thing is admitting that you need to make changes in your life, if you are to become fitter and healthier.
Try some of the following tips to start you off.
· Make it your ambition to get a healthier prospective on life, which will lead to a much healthier you. If you are determined enough, making it a reality will make it a lot easier.
- Lower your Blood Pressure and Cholesterol by cutting out the excessive sugar, salt and fatty foods, which you have in your diet. We cut out salt and sugar years ago, we do notice the different if something has salt in it, or sugar.
- Another Idea is to replace your old foods with healthier ones, do appreciate that you may have to eat or use the old ones first, as it is expensive enough to eat today as it is, without throwing away good food.
- Teach yourself to improve the new you, reading books, going on line, watching DVD’s the list is endless.
- Hang up a calendar in the kitchen so that you can plan the start of the new you.
- Why not keep a note of the new you, either in a note book, journal or on the computer, make notes how you feel with this new regime each day. This is important so that you can look back and see how you have changed and improved.
- You must remain positive as the new you begins to blossom. Why not try some daily affirmations so that you do not go back to the old ways.
- Do not forget to take some daily form of exercise.
- Give up alcohol and smoking, I gave up smoking over twenty eight years ago, not for the first time, this time I had no choice, our newly born Grandson had only one lung. Despite the pain of not smoking, yes it was a struggle, his life was more important than a packet of cigarettes. This last sentence is possibly the way to look at how your life can change if you can motivate yourself to do it.
- Do not forget to have your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Learn ways to eliminate stress from your lifestyle, as much as you can.
Finally
Stay Strong
Do so hope that you enjoyed this article.
The next one will be posted next Monday.
Be Happy, Healthy and Wealthy.
Stuart
NOTE: I am not a qualified health practitioner, any comments that I make are based on research which I have carried out, you are advised to take any advice given with caution, or check with your Doctor.
A lot of good advice here. Although most of your suggestions are true for having a healthier life, these can greatly help for other matters also. For example as I work from home a healthier lifestyle has helped me be more productive, stay focused for longer period and be able to plan ahead easier. In total I find myself more focused and as a result I can produce far better content than before.
Many thanks for your very kind comments. Having had a baby stroke over twenty years ago, I too have to be very careful how I run my life, also working from home. Having said that I am officially retired, but have to keep busy, hence the website.
Learning from someone who is in his eighties is learning from the right source. While I have concentrated on eating fruits and vegetables to stay healthy, now I will begin to change my mindset and think positively. A healthy soul support a healthy body. Thank you for emphasizing on making it a daily routine. I will focus on exercise, eating well, and thinking positively
Many thanks for your comments, it is so nice to be valued for my age and knowledge! Hope that as each week unfolds that you will continue the same.