PonchoMeg's Guide to Healthy Living

Welcome to PonchoMeg's Guide to Healthy Living. Here you will find my advice, great information, and many resources on eating well, losing weight, achieving fitness goals, living in natural, holistic ways, improving your body, spirit, and environment, and looking and feeling your best, among other things.

Before I go on, I want to make it very clear that I am NOT a medical doctor. I am a college educated teacher, writer, musician, actress, model, artist, fitness trainer, and ordained minister speaking from over twenty years of personal experience and research. So please, check with your doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet, exercise program, or lifestyle. I wouldn't want someone to be negatively affected by this. It is meant for GOOD, not evil.

That being said, I have assembled some great things here for you to help you create a more healthy lifestyle.

Why Healthy Living?

The benefits of healthy living (eating well, being active, getting regular exercise, nourishing the mind, body, and spirit, and keeping a greener, healthier home) include:

-Reduced blood pressure

-Better control of cholesterol

-Better control of blood sugar levels

-Better concentration

-Better moods and fewer mood swings

-Improved depression and anxiety

-Better sleep

-Regular menstrual cycles

-Reduced body fat

-Increased strength and flexibility

-A lower risk of heart attack and stroke

-Improved asthma and allergies

-Better posture

-Higher energy levels

-Improved balance and coordination

-A strengthened immune system

-Increased sex drive

-Deeper spirituality

So if you want any of that, you are in the right place! Please enjoy!

Eating healthy could mean maintaining a figure, losing weight, gaining muscle, controlling blood sugar, etc. but the REAL point to eating healthy is too STAY ALIVE, FEEL OUR BEST, and OPERATE AT OPTIMAL LEVELS. Truth.

7 GREAT TIPS WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD:

1. Organic, free-range/homegrown, chemical-free, dye-free, additive-free, hormone-free, natural, regional, seasonal foods are best

2. Some allergies, intolerances, and diseases require special diets. Gluten-free is NOT a fad for someone with Celiac Disease. If you have been told that certain foods will harm you and/or could KILL you, do NOT eat them. Be aware of what's in EVERYTHING!

3. In general, the best things to eat are fresh fruits, fresh veggies, nuts and legumes, mushrooms, lean meats like chicken and turkey, eggs, fish, fresh herbs and spices, and whole grains (in forms like oatmeal, not cake!)

4. You don't have to give up some of your "vices" just because the rest of your diet is healthy! Depriving yourself entirely will only lead to unhappiness. That's why I still get things like pop. Is it good for me? Nope... not really... at all... but it is one of my few indulgences. We are ALL allowed to have some.

5. If you're looking to lose weight, you must limit your food intake and increase your physical activity.

6. Eating healthy and getting exercise are imperative to weight loss, but it is also important that your mind and spirit are healthy or you will return to bad habits, punish yourself, self-sabotage, or give up. So eat foods that nourish the brain and spirit (like seafood, spinach, kale, parsley, green tea, peppermint, and ginseng)

7. Certain foods and drinks help you lose weight and remain at a healthy weight. Just some of these are:

-Oatmeal

-Eggs

-Water

-Apples / Natural Applesauce

-Lentils

-Yogurt

-Cucumbers

-Salmon

-Olives / Olive Oil

-Avocado

-Pomegranate

-Flaxseed

-Garlic

-Squash

-Brown Rice

-Natural Fruit Smoothies

-Spinach

-Kale

-Arugula

-Quinoa

-Romaine Lettuce

-Celery

-Chicken

-Turkey

-Carrots

-Hummus

-Edamame

-Almond Milk

-Mustard

-Tomatoes

-Cranberry Juice

-Kelp

-Peppermint Oil

-Lay's Potato Chips (seriously!)

-Green Tea

-Chili Peppers

-Red Pepper Flakes

-Red Peppers

-Blueberries

-Sunflower Seeds

-Artichokes

-Wine

-Watercress

-Asparagus

-Dark Chocolate (for REAL!)

-Beans and Pears for fiber instead of wheat based fiber products

-Salsas and Chutneys instead of gravies, sauces, and dressings

-Hummus, Spinach Dip, and Brie instead of traditional dips and spreads

8. Healthy methods to get rid of water weight, maintain a healthy weight and potentially lose 5 to 10 lbs in a week include:

-Eating/drinking mainly the following: water w/ lemon, cranberry juice, coffee, pineapple juice, asparagus, cucumber, fennel, papaya, celery, black pepper, pears, dandelion (or dandelion root tea), peaches, and artichokes

-Walking more, getting more sleep (7-9 hours a night), rubbing soy oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter into your skin, avoiding pop (especially DIET pop), wheat, beer, bacon, onions, fast food, processed foods, ice cream, cookies, cakes, pasta, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, butter, cream cheese, and salt.

FOODS THAT REDUCE BELLY FAT WITHOUT ANY BLOAT FIRST:

Almonds

Watermelon

Celery

Water

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Avocado

Tart Cherries

Pineapple

GREAT ANTI-AGING FOODS:

Green Tea

Spinach

Kale

Collard Greens

Blueberries

Dark Chocolate

Garlic

Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Salmon

Broccoli

Walnuts

SOME GREAT FATS THAT YOU WANT TO EAT:

Avocados

Chia Seeds

Flax Seeds

Salmon

DETOX FOODS:

Water with Lemon

Aloe Vera

Chia Seeds

Seaweed

Arugula

Kale

Celery

Cucumbers

Parsley

Cilantro

Beets

Pineapple

Coconut Milk

Almond Milk

Dandelion Leaves

FOODS THAT IMPROVE YOUR EYESIGHT:

Spinach

Carrots

Blueberries

Strawberries

Walnuts

Avocados

Peppers

Sweet Potatoes

Broccoli

Salmon

BIG POWERHOUSE CANCER FIGHTERS:

Tomatoes

Ginger

Broccoli

Beets

Spinach

Kale

Collard Greens

Garlic

Lemon

Water

Exercise, Being Physically Active, and Feeling Your Best are ALL Parts of Healthy Living.

GREAT WAYS TO GET ACTIVE:

-Get Outside! Whether you are just walking to the store and back, going on a leisurely stroll with your dog, children, grandchildren, etc., hiking, biking, swimming, climbing, running, doing Yoga, playing sports, etc. etc. get outside!! Being in nature is good for your chi, helps with positive feelings and emotions, helps you absorb valuable Vitamin D from the sun, and I'm sure much more... You don't need a gym to get active. Just the motivation to do so and the great outdoors!

-Take the stairs! You don't NEED fancy exercise equipment. Just take the stairs. EVERYWHERE! Hotels, work, malls - ANY building with multiple levels. And if you have stairs in your HOME, use that to your advantage and take them unnecessarily MULTIPLE times a day. Use ANY excuse to have to go down or upstairs. Maybe put something desirable of yours wherever you are least so that you HAVE to take the stairs to get it. USE THOSE STAIRS!

-Make exercise FUN! Not everything HAS to be "Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred" (Though, that IS amazing!) Go bowling, go for walks with family members or friends, go swimming, relieve your childhood and play tag - just get moving more.

-Workout to music! Let music inspire you, pump you up, and give you a definitive goal. ("I will get through 4 songs worth of this treadmill jog!")

-Park far away at stores and walk further (as long as it's daytime, the lot or street is well lit at night, and the location is safe; if not, you should have at least one "buddy" for obvious safety reasons).

GENERAL LIST OF EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES THAT ARE AWESOME IN MY OPINION:

-Walking

-Dancing

-Jumping Jacks

-Push-ups

-Sit-ups

-Pilates

-Yoga (I can't do it with my hypermobility, but I think it is cool!)

-Squats

-Weights

-Sports

-Stair climbing

-Cycling

-Swimming

-Fitness Classes and/or Fitness Group Workout Session Workouts

-Tai Chi

-Sex

AND I am open to new and exciting things. I love trying new things. Like belly dancing! I did that for fitness sake for a bit and it was a blast! Just goes to show - you never know where you may find enjoyment; it helps to be open, especially when trying to live an active, healthy, more natural lifestyle.

Live healthier, live greener, live better, get active, embrace fitness, lose weight, and gain so much more...

Way fun to dance to & swivel the hips to!

For the ladies...

I wanna get physical!

Another fun one to dance around to & jump with!

Being outside is important in a healthy, green lifestyle, but sometimes you have to be at home. Inside. So it is important that your home be a great place. It should be an inviting, comfortable, honest space that reflects you, your goals, your passions, and your hopes and dreams.

Your home should have a good vibe or energy. A positive chi, a well balanced ying and yang magic... it should promote peace, love, and good fortune for you and your loved ones.

• Try to stop using disposable products like paper towel, paper plates, napkins, etc. Get reusable, eco-friendly options instead. If you need to ween yourself off of the convenience of these disposable items, get disposable products that are recycled and eco-friendly. (Bonus points if they can be composted!)
• Make use of citrus peels. Use them as scrubbers or to freshen the garbage disposal. They are awesome!
• In the bathroom, try to limit how much water you use. I use the saying in my house "If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down." It saves water, it saves energy, and as a result, we save money too.
• Use "green" and organic cleaning products or make your own.
• If you want to grow your own food, you can start small with herbs in containers. Also easy to grow in a small pot? Green onions. Basil is a great herb to start with, as it flourishes inside or out, it is repeatably harvestable, it smells amazing, and it keeps mosquitoes away. Not to mention it is delicious and good for you.
• Try to be aware of just how much waste you create. Buy things in bulk and divide them into reusable storage containers. Don't buy the snack sizes of things. Make your own snack size and waste far less plastic. You get the idea.
• Get to know the Earth more. Learn about herbs, vegetables, fruits, trees, soil, water, the sun, space... Meditate in nature... The more you connect with it, the easier it becomes to live "green."
• Don't discourage yourself. If your life right now makes it hard to "live green," celebrate your achievements instead of focusing on where you are lacking. Are you using an eco-friendly, organic laundry detergent? Cool. Are you washing all your clothes on cold & water saver to save energy, water, & money? Awesome!! Are you growing a tiny herb garden of basil & parsley in your kitchen window? Well, GREAT! Be happy & grateful for every small step you make towards being better towards the Earth and the life on it.

• Meditation
• Music
• Cleaning
• Aromatherapy
• A Bubble Bath
• A Long Walk
• Yoga
• Painting
• Reading
• Talk Therapy / Group Therapy
• Crystals
• Chakra Healing
• Swimming
• Pilates
• Cooking
• Relaxing in a Sauna
• Vising Friends and Family
• Playing with Children, Grandchildren, Pets, etc.
• Using a Punching Bag
• Dancing

Excerpt from: "I Became CONFIDENT when I was FAT!" on The PonchoMeg Program Blog

"Confidence is an interesting thing. Having a lack of confidence can lead to all sorts of forms of self-hate, like down talking oneself, over-eating, involving oneself in reckless behaviors, developing depression and self-loathing, and more. Having too much confidence can be a bad thing too - but only if it is false confidence; the kind that puts others down and gives you an egotistical, self-righteous attitude. You know what I mean. And that kind of blatant over confidence is usually just a mask for a lack of real confidence anyway.

So what is real confidence anyway? Loving yourself? Embracing yourself, flaws and all? Not worrying about what others think? Yeah, pretty much. It is the idea that you have gratitude for what you have been given and you KNOW it's great because it is YOU!

I used to lack confidence. Big time. Part of it was because I had this idea in my head that everyone had to love me; that if someone DIDN'T love me, it was something I was doing wrong. I was putting the responsibility of other people's feelings onto myself!! Crazy! Another part of it, was that I didn't LOOK like the "popular girls" in school or my favorite celebrities, and as someone who loved (and still loves) the idea of fame, success, and celebrity, that bothered me. I couldn't see all the beauty I had right there in front of me; all I saw was fat... & of course, all I thought I lacked..."

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