Developing a Healthier Lifestyle

I think developing a healthier lifestyle also requires educating oneself. I know since I got my modules back in mid April of last year I have been better equipped to address my own health concerns and in turn change and develop better habits.

With education, one is better equipped to asses ones lifestyle and recognize signs and symptoms and focus on prevention. A healthy lifestyle is about balance, calculated choices and motivation. Train the body to realize that a healthy lifestyle is a way of living, not a “quick fix”. If you want to transform your eating habits, you need to start “eating to live” not “living to eat”.

I have made a concise to look down at your plate and ask myself, “most of my food alive or dead? Is it nutrient dense or void of nutrients?” This translates to getting a majority of my daily calories from fresh fruits and vegetables, minimally processed whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds and lean meats and fish. Clean eating minimizes the presence of preservatives, chemically altered fats, extra sodium and artificial ingredients. In addition to this I pay careful attention to portions. We have adapted the bigger-is-better attitude, without realizing that many prepackaged meals can actually stimulate the appetite. So go for moderation—I do a reality check and give myself one serving, not three. This takes education, discipline and practice.

My own persona five life-saving healthy habits that I practice and preach are: Not smoking, daily exercise, prudent eating, consuming limited amounts of alcohol and marinating a healthy weight. I have learned to do is strength my brain. Sounds strange but I tease and challenge my brain. I play games that rely on logic, word skills and math. I spend maybe 20 minutes a day on this. I make the effort to meditate daily and eat for my brain such as fish oils like wild salmon, nuts and seeds while eliminating trans-fat completely from my diet. Something my family has done is turned off the television and we exercise our brain more with physical exercise especially with our toddler and board games. Learning new skills is also on my list of things to do – from rollerblading to learning new fitness routines to challenge myself and even cooking new dishes for my family.